Risotto ~ unravelled

It always amazes me how many lovers of risotto who won’t attempt making the delectable, versatile, creamy dish… I hope you’ll take 20 minutes to make it for your family ~ to make it for yourself! History of Risotto The history of risotto is naturally tied to the history of rice in Italy. While there…

AFAD & Corn Shucking ~

It’s small town Americana at its best!  Parades, fun-runs, friends gathered in the park at dusk; shucking corn for the free town feed in the park ~ This is all part of festivities of Air Force Appreciation Day(s) here in Mountain Home, Idaho. We are blessed to be part of an organization that is appreciated…

A Mouthful of Summer

“Everything in moderation…including moderation.” ~ Julia Child The most requested recipe? Fruit Pizza!! Aside from my pizza dough, this tasty gem of a dessert has even the biggest skeptic (what? fruit pizza?) asking for more and eventually asking for the recipe. For my “gluten-free” friends, using a combination of gluten-free and coconut flours and coconut…

chia pet, chia juice, chia bread, chia, chia everywhere!

Salvia hispanica Salvia hispanica, commonly known as chia, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.   Things to do with chia seeds: add to your daily smoothie, your pancakes or your yogurt   put 1 T in your juice to give you energy,…

Breaking Bread

  All sorrows are less with bread. – Miguel de Cervantes     There is something so gratifyingly innate about making bread. I love the entire process!  Grinding flour, kneading the dough with my hands, the rise or two my loaves get and then the best part: the baking!  My kitchen is nice and toasty…

The Bull and Lettuce

“Never mind love, have a cup of tea.” favorite British saying Ok, The Bull and Lettuce may only be what we had for dinner last night (steak salad with horseradish cream), but it would be a GREAT pub name!  If the Brits can have The Butt & Oyster (what?!?), why not the Bull and Lettuce?    …

Summer in a spoonful ~

  Here in good old San Antonio,  it is going to be a sultry 94 degrees today!  (Mind you, it is 18 March; not May, June, July, August; but, March)  Today definitely is NOT soup weather… so, as I drink my HOT coffee in my 83 degree house this morning, I am thinking lemons.  Anything…

Colors of the Rainbow ~ and my kitchen

The “canned food” section of my kitchen!  I have cans of Hatch Green Chile, Coconut Milk, Water Chestnuts and Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes in my pantry, but that is it.  For most meals, our plates look like a color bomb exploded!  Fresh this, fresh that ~ You can’t help feeling healthy with every bite!…

CHICKEN SOUP CURES ALL ~ READ ALL ABOUT IT!! Chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity including an anti-inflammatory mechanism that could ease the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, according to a new study. (Science Daily) Although many foods are considered to be healthy due to their individual blends…

Go Nuts!!

        “I’ve seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts.” ― John Steinbeck I love pistachio ~ I go through about 48 oz every four days… by myself! Hey! When I was in the hospital last month,…

hoppy, fluffy, marshmallow

If you have ever received a Christmas platter from me, you’ll have discovered my toasted coconut marshmallows nestled in with the fudge, thumb print cookies and sunflower-pumpkin seed brittle ~  but marshmallows for Easter?!?  I am so excited to give these lemon jewels a try!  I hope you enjoy these variations from Epicurious.com ~ and…

love affair

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien For me, it started about 15 years ago ~ my love affair with food (come on, what did you think this was about?) When I was a little girl, my Grandma Margaret would often…