Thanksgiving Together: Honey Wheat Rolls

I was really excited about Thanksgiving this year. So much has happened this year and we are grateful for the amazing blessings that God has given to us.

I was particularly excited about the chance to have our care group over to celebrate the holiday around our table (or a borrowed one from church!) in our new dining room, in our new house. A house that they have prayed about for years, asking God to graciously give it to us.

Apple Crumble

The last few, dog days of summer always seem to be oppressive ones that suck your energy and sap your strength. Even the slightest tasks cause beads of sweat to break out on your forehead and cooking anything becomes border-line torture. I do not enjoy these days.

A Tale of Two Kitchens

It's been the craziest of times around here.

Clean. Pack. Throw away the why-did-I-keep-that?

Up the stairs. Down the stairs. Sit and Breathe.

Close on the house. Goodbye Apartment. Hello New House.

The Death of a Recipe: Cashew Chicken

In high school, my mom started making Cashew Chicken Stirfry. A tantalizing blend of juicy chicken, slightly tender veggies and crunchy cashews are sauteed in a pungent garlic sauce and then generously spooned onto a mound of white rice. I love this recipe. It's quick, easy on a week night and with the meat and veggies all in one pan, I don't feel the need to make a salad. But mostly, I love the sauce.

We've always used Wegmans Garlic Sauce. Even now, when the closest Wegmans is 45 minutes away, I still make a trip every few months to stock up on four or five bottles.

And then I heard the sad news from my mom....they've discontinued the sauce.

Hubby Favorite: Balsamic Pork Scallopine

I could eat this meal every day for the rest of my life.

Strawberry Jam

My family has always made freezer jam. I can remember my mom leaving early on a bright, June morning for the strawberry patch, clad in plaid shorts and a white tank top, with a worn visor perched on her head to keep out the sun. She would leave with the car loaded up with cardboard green containers and her pockets filled with cash and would come back with quarts upon quarts of fresh, red berries. The trunk floor would be blanketed with boxes filled to the brim.

Yellow Cupcakes with "Rose" Icing: Baby Shower

I helped throw a baby shower for a friend a few weeks ago. We decided to have a bumblebee theme since that was the theme of the baby's nursery. You can do oh-so-many cute things with bumblebees!

Like this.....

And this......

But I had the most fun making the cupcakes. Each vanilla cupcake was topped with an elegant, pastel rose with a swarm of bumblebees buzzing over the pretty faux petals. 

Raspberry Squares

As a child, I loved summertime. Growing up with lots of land meant lots of time outdoors. One of my favorite places to play was down by the pond. The pond wasn't too large, was just deep enough to swim in and was filled with fascinating creatures: spiders that skimmed the water's surface, little minnows that darted away as I came near and gelatinous clusters of frog eggs that clung stickily to cattail reeds. As summer wore on, I would watch the tadpoles form legs and their tails shorten bit by bit. Soon they were itty-bitty frogs that would sun themselves amongst the short, mossy grass that fringed the water. I would walk around the edge as quietly as I could, hoping to sneak up on an unsuspecting frog. I would get oh-so-close before they would jump alarmingly into the safety of the water and out of my reach.

St. Patrick's Day: Chocolate Fudge

Mmmm....Leftover St. Patty's Day Fudge

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Wanna know a secret?

I don't usually make homemade brownies. Betty Crocker Fudge is what most often graces my table.

I'm usually disappointed with homemade brownies. They are too dry. Or they just don't have enough chocolate punch. Brownies from the box are always chewy, fudgy and oh-so-chocolatey.

However, I got a recipe from my mom a little while ago that meets all of the necessary brownie qualifications. Strong chocolate flavor is wedded with a chewy texture. A small bite reveals a light, peanut butter mixture that winds its way through your morsel, punctuated by bits of melted chocolate. This is one of those recipes that people will beg for after taking just one piece.

Smoothies

Lunchtime is always hard for me.

Noontime rolls around and my stomach begins to knot itself, sending those hunger signals to my brain.

I put it off a little longer and soon it's one o'clock....two o'clock.....And then I'm rushing around trying to eat lunch at half past two before I rush out the door for work.

Needless to say, my lunchtime routine requires a little revamping.

Hubby Favorite: Chicken Pot Pie

"Snickerdoodle" Muffins

These cinnamony treats aren't technically called snickerdoodle muffins. Technically, they are "coffeecake muffins", but a friend of mine at bible study called them snickerdoodle muffins and I think it is the perfect moniker. The alternate name begs you to take a bite to see if they really do taste like those much beloved cookies.