they grow up so fast
I equate having a garden as being a bit like having kids (albeit this analogy is from someone that has no kids, so you might want to factor that in). I imagine what it will grow up to be like long before it is ever conceived. I wait anxiously for the first signs of...
freezing summer
I love summer for all the fresh fruits. I can't keep myself from buying big bags of cherries and apricots and berries along with the usuals I have on hand – bananas and apples. Problem is I can't begin to eat them all fast enough before they get too ripe and it just...
blackberry sage fizz
It's easy to get in a rut. To default to the familiar especially when the familiar is known to be tasty. Thus might be the case in our household with mojitos. They are just so dang refreshing on a hot summer day. But the whole thing with writing a food blog is that...
back to the rind
A nice ripe watermelon is right up there with tomatoes fresh off the vine as defining moments that it's truly summer. I cut up the melon and keep it in the fridge – perfect cold snacking food when the temperature climbs. But for all the watermelon I've eaten, I've...
lemon roasted green beans
Our community garden is kickin' into high gear and the first picking of tri-colored beans (it's just too bad that the purple ones turn green when cooked) was a bountiful one! Since the other partners in the garden were coming to dinner, I laid claim to the entire...
pumpkin banana pancakes
I like to be tricky. Find ways to cut the sugar and the fat on the sly without the diner ever knowing the difference. It's just how I roll. It's amazing how far a banana or some canned pumpkin will go so why not go for broke and use them both? It was so easy in my...
watermelon mojito
If you've ever grown mint, you know that you don't ever grow a little mint... if it's not contained, soon it's popping up all over the place. We just take it as a sign that it's time to make mojitos. Normally my husband is the mojito maker in our house but recently I...
seeing red…actually it was more of a burgundy
If you're ever given an opportunity to go to one of Chandlers Steakhouse's winemaker dinners, do it. I know the price tag can be daunting – I thought the $125 per person price tag seemed a bit steep – but after being to one, I think it's a bargain. The reception...
60’s style beach party
My friend Sheri loves all things tropical so when her girlfriends (myself included) started planning her 50th birthday party, we knew this was a starting point, but we wanted something more unique for this golden celebration. Something more than a luau or Jimmy Buffet...
it is national blueberry month afterall
I was looking at the posts in my blog the other day and noticed I have a thing for blueberries. There were blueberries on my pancakes, blueberries on my yogurt, and even blueberries in my pasta salad. I figured it IS National Blueberry Month after all, so I might as...
like pie in a glass
My husband loves strawberry rhubarb pie. And he's pretty fond of vodka. Hmmmm.... this gives me an idea. Infusing vodka is really very simple, not to mention tasty. With all the wonderful fresh fruit in season, there's no shortage of options like the cherry I was...
a kohlrabi reunion
Growing up my dad always grew kohlrabi in his garden and it was a regular on the dinner table - peeled and sliced into wedges served icy cold. It's the only way I'd ever really considered eating this vegetable, a relative of cabbage, until I saw this recipe pop up in...