Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins After visiting my sister last week, she handed each of my kids one of these chocolate muffins as we headed out the door. Walking down the sidewalk, with two silent, chocolate-faced kids, I was waiting to hear their opinion. When we got to the car and the last crumbs disappeared, my son shouted at the top of his lungs, "Deee-licious cupcakes!" And the six-going-on-sixteen-year-old voice said, "Mom, these are the best ever." The zucchini continue to stack up around our house so I didn't waste any time whipping up a batch of these Double Chocolate Muffins, using the same recipe from King Arthur flour. The mini food Keep Reading
How to Make Roasted Marinara Sauce
Roasted Marinara Sauce Sitting in a restaurant at the beginning of September, I overheard a waitress ask another customer, "How was your summer?" He replied, "So far, so good." It made me smile. So far? Doesn't he realize that school buses loaded with backpack-clad children are rumbling down the street as he speaks? Or maybe instead, kids have started their Zoom classes and online learning? #2020 The more I thought about it, though, the more I had to agree with his present-tense assessment of summer. Despite the fact that school has started, early September really is prime summer time here in the Northwest. The days are comfortable and hazy. Keep Reading
Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad
Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad I have been making this Ina Garten recipe on a weekly basis. My husband is a big fan, and it receives rave reviews anytime it hits the road, potluck style. This Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad is a great end-of-summer recipe because it highlights vegetables that are coming out of the garden at the end of the summer: tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, parsley, and basil. However, I'll often mix and match vegetables based on what I have on hand; zucchini, green beans, olives, artichoke hearts, or avocado all complement or substitute for the tomatoes and cucumbers. Or whatever you can find at the store. I've only made slight Keep Reading
Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs — everything cooks in one dish!
Baked Spaghetti & Meatballs (recipe) My mom casually mentioned this recipe she'd made a few months ago. Oh you know, you just throw everything in one dish. Meatballs, spaghetti sauce, cheese, noodles. You don't even have to cook the noodles first. It'd be a great use for all that marinara sauce you have in the freezer. She just rattled off these details like she was talking about the weather. The weather! Come on, this is serious stuff, Mom. So, naturally, I did not rest until I had tracked this recipe down (I do that a lot) in Real Simple magazine (October 2015). And I'm glad I did because this is one of those fast, frugal, filling Keep Reading
Southern Tomato Pie recipe
Southern Tomato Pie My husband and I lived in the South when we were first married, young, dumb, broke, and in love. I'll never forget the first time I went to the local grocery store, Winn Dixie, and Jim Bob was paged over the intercom. The accent was so thick I could hardly understand the words. I stood there in the middle of the produce section, trying to decide if I should laugh or cry. I came home and told my husband, "I think we moved to a different country." And we had. And we loved (almost) every minute of it. We ate hush puppies and apple dumplings, okra, sorghum, buttermilk biscuits. We plucked a friend's chicken and sat around the Keep Reading
Greek Cherry Tomato Salad
Greek Cherry Tomato Salad In many ways, it feels like summer arrived just a few short weeks ago. But also feels like it's been "summer" for one hundred years. What even is time anymore? Or seasons? Until we figure it out, let's soak up the last summertime has to offer. Looking for something to serve alongside some delicious barbecue chicken or grilled steak? Try this delicious summer salad. This recipe caught my eye because it calls for things that are actually growing in my garden right now -- cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, onions, and garlic. The dressing is light and flavorful, giving the vegetables a great kick. For a new spin on the Keep Reading
Loaded baked potato salad with bacon (recipe + the best way to cook potatoes)
Loaded Potato Salad with Bacon I swear, camping trips with friends is the only way to go. You split meal making and fire starting and kid wrangling. Someone remembers all the things you forgot. Someone else is ready with a pot of coffee when you haven't slept. Kids keep each other busy, and adults keep each other laughing. Conclusion: camping solo is for the birds. We eat meals in a wandering sort of way. Breakfast at one site, dinner at another. Snacks tossed out whenever kids are hungry (which is always). One of my favorite little memories of a recent trip is sitting around eating this potato salad with the adults while our kids rode bikes in Keep Reading