"The children were nest all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads." How fun would it be to taste one of those sugar plums? Well, quite easy with these no bake, spicy, traditional English holiday cookies. I thought these tasted amazing - I loved the combination of all the toasted spices with the dried fruits. However, a few people mentioned that the taste of the anise seeds, which have a black licorice flavor, took over for them. If you're not a fan of anise seed, cut back (but I implore you, don't remove entirely!) the amount of anise seed you use. These …

What's better than cornbread with dinner? Nothing that I can think of, honestly. I prefer sweet cornbread over the more hearty, savory kind. This was delicious and super easy. I made this a few hours ahead of time of a dinner party and it was perfectly timed for dinner. It was the perfect compliement to grilled bratwurst and mac and cheese, and perfectly paired with my gumbo. I highly suggest, making this for your next dinner party or family gathering instead of rolls, as a nice surprise for your guests. Ingredients 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter 2 cups yellow cornmeal 3/4 cup all-…

  When I was in New Orleans, I tried a chicken and andouille sausage gumbo that was delicious. I had a similar dish just recently while visiting family out in California and when we returned home I decided that I needed to have a gumbo recipe as part of my own repertoire. Frankly, I was surprised at the ease of the recipe that I pulled together, not to mention the delicious taste! This made a lot of gumbo – enough for six to enjoy for dinner and still have lots of leftovers. If you want to make this a little spicier, add between 2 Tbs. And ¼ cup of Tabasco sauce with the vegetables. This is a…

Chocolate and peanut butter might be the best flavor combination – ever. And, with the beginning of school on the horizon, which means packing lunch and bake sales also just around the corner, these individual brownies are perfect. If you’re not a fan of peanut butter, you can also use white chocolate chips, or any kind of chips you’d prefer (butterscotch chips would probably also be fantastic!). Ingredients ¾ cup cocoa 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 cup sugar 4 eggs 2 tsp. Vanilla 1 ¼ cup flour 1 tsp. Baking powder ½ tsp. Salt 1 10-oz. bag peanut butter chips Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees…

Want a restaurant quality dinner for less than the cost of one restaurant priced entrée? Done. Chicken Francese made at home is easy and you can make four entrees for the less than the cost of going out to dinner. I like using the thin sliced chicken breasts from the grocery store to cut down on a lot of time. You can also purchase regular boneless skinless chicken breasts and then pound them with a blunt meat hammer until they are thin. It should only take approximately 20 minutes to prepare if you use the thin sliced chicken. Topping the chicken with the lemon slices makes it look very …

I love strawberries.  My mouth waters when I walk past those sweet, juicy berries at the grocery store. Most of the time, I'll eat strawberries all by themselves, but sometimes I want dessert. That's when my shortcut shortcakes are perfect. I like tossing my strawberries with a little sugar, but you definitely do not have to. It takes less than five minutes to make dessert for two, and they are delicious. Ingredients 1 butter loaf pound cake Approximately 4 strawberries per serving, cleaned and quartered Whipped cream (the Reddi-Whip kind is the best, although you can use Cool Whip, or, …

It's summer and the weather has been hot, hot, hot. The perfect time for having barbeques and picnics with family outside. So while the kids are running through the sprinkler or sliding down a Slip-and-Slide, the adults in your party can chill off with this slightly sweet and refreshing sangria. Even if you’re not having a party, this sangria is fantastic to sip by the pool or just enjoy on a steamy hot afternoon. If you’d like, you can splash some lemon lime soda or soda water on top of each glass or add 6 oz. of either to your pitcher just before serving. Ingredients 1 apple, diced 2 …

With it so hot outside, I’ve been doing everything to make help my family think of cool, tropical breezes, and warm sandy beaches. I think I succeeded with this tangy, sweet chicken breast, made with a Mango marinade, which I added lime juice and tequila to. No worries about the kiddos, either, the alcohol cooks off, and all you’re left with is the flavor. I did these in the oven, but you could easily cook these on the grill as well. Ingredients 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced about an inch thick ½ cup mango-based marinade, plus more for basting (I used world Harbors Mango …

Corn chowder might be one of my guilty pleasures. There’s very little in it that’s healthy, but its absolutely delicious. This is mostly my grandmother’s recipe, I’ve added a little to it to make it my own, but it definitely reminded me of growing up and visiting my grandmother. For me, I took my immersion blender to the soup a few times just to make it a little creamier, and to break up some of the bigger veggie chunks. You don’t have to do this, but it definitely made my soup smoother. You can find all of these ingredients at Giant. Ingredients 2 slices of bacon, julienned 1 medium onion, …

Potatoes take a long time to cook – a very, very long time! I threw mine on the grill before I began to prep my steaks and they came off at the same time. The potatoes were on for about 30 minutes and were perfectly cooked. I definitely recommend this method. These were also delicious, with a nice hint of flavor without being overly spicy and they complemented the steaks beautifully. If you want some added flavor, try adding slices of onion to the pouch. These will make a great addition to any summer picnic or just anytime you’re grilling! You can pick up all of these ingredients at Giant. …

Happy early Memorial Day, readers! While you’re making your hot dogs and hamburgers next weekend, these prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears will make a tasty addition to your holiday picnic spread. They are also fast and easy to make. Ingredients 12 asparagus spears 12 slices, thin cut prosciutto Olive Oil Salt and Pepper Directions Wrap asparagus with slice of prosciutto, repeat with each asparagus spear. Drizzle wrapped asparagus with olive oil and season with lightly salt and pepper. Place asparagus on the grill, and leave on for 6 to 10 minutes, or until asparagus is cooked and prosciutto…

Sometimes, I want a dessert that is sweet and tastes like it’s healthy. Especially this time of year with all of the fresh fruit in the grocery stores and at farmers’ markets and farm stands. This is a fun dessert to make with kids, because you can let them help with the pizza! Also, they can help you pick out the fruit. You can use your favorite fruits or experiment with the different fruits that are in season. For this fruit pizza, I used grapes, bananas, apples, and strawberries. But it’s also delicious with raspberries, kiwi, star fruit, mango and more. You can find all these ingredients …

Who doesn’t want to eat boozy cupcakes while celebrating Cinco de Mayo? Note: these are not child-friendly treats. If you wish to serve these to the younger set, modify the recipe by replacing the tequila in the frosting with vanilla extract and skip brushing the cupcakes. Enjoy! Ingredients: For the cupcakes 1 ½ cups flour 1 ½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt ½ cup butter, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 eggs Zest and juice of 1 ½ limes 2 tbs. tequila ¼ tsp. Vanilla ½ cup sour milk (1/2 Tbs. vinegar and filled to ½ cup with milk) To brush on the cupcakes 2 Tbs. tequila (or more) For the …

While browsing Pinterest for recipes, I came across this recipe for stuffed zucchini by Simply Love Food. Although I’ve changed it slightly, it’s still very delicious. We had a lot of leftover filling (I used a full pound of ground chicken), but reheated it the next day on the stovetop and we tucked it into crispy taco shells, topped with taco sauce, more sour cream, and cheddar cheese and it was doubly delicious. Ingredients 2 medium sized zucchini (makes 4 stuffed zucchini) 1/2 lb. ground chicken ½ sweet onion 1 medium red bell pepper 3 coved minced garlic 3 small tomatoes 4 Tbs. sour cream…

I'll be honest, looking at this recipe originally, I was a little concerned - I mean, come on, pineapple and teriyaki? But I was wrong - very wrong. This was delicious and smelled amazing while cooking. Ingredients 26 oz (about 1 bottle) teriyaki sauce 6 oz pineapple juice 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb) salt and pepper to taste Directions Combine all ingredients into gallon air-tight baggy and place into refrigerator. (To protect fridge from potential leakage, place bag into plastic container) Marinate for 1 to 2 days Preheat oven to 350 degrees Heat 2 Tsbp. extra-virgin …

I love the Stouffer’s Vegetable Lasagna. However, I can only ever find it in the individual size or in the feeds-an-army family size. My solution? Make my own. Not only is it healthier that a frozen dinner, I can control what is in it and how much is left over. I love me some veggies, so I make sure all my favorites are represented and in abundance, with plenty of cheesy goodness to boot. I’m also a pretty big fan of no boil lasagna noodles – just add them right out of the box into the baking dish and they cook while in the oven. No boiling, then separating (and, inevitably breaking) them. …

Skip the chaos out at restaurants this Valentine's Day and make your sweetie a three-course dinner at home. It'll be even more romantic because you made it yourself, and you can be lovey dovey without worrying about who's watching you or being rushed out of the restaurant. Set candles on the candle and dim the lights, or, turn out all of the lights in the kitchen and dining room and light up the room with the soft light of candles. And, guys, if you are going to make dinner for your hunny, make sure you also clean up for her (it might be the most romantic thing you can do all day). Appetizer…

On lazy weekends, I love sleeping in and making brunch. Pancakes, omelets, French toast have all been part of my brunch repertoire, but waffles have been a hit recently. These are great because you can make a whole bunch for brunch on the weekends and freeze the leftovers. Then, during the week, pop them into the toaster for a quick and delicious breakfast. You can find all the ingredients for these breakfast time staples at most any market. Ingredients 1 ¾ cup flour 2 Tbs. Sugar 1 tsp.  Baking powder ½ tsp. Baking soda ¼ tsp. Salt 2 eggs 1 cup sour milk (add 1 Tbs. Vinegar to 1 cup of milk) …

Looking for a fun, fast drink to make your New Year’s Eve guests? This quick and easy party punch will have your guests coming back for more (just let them know you’ve already spiked the punch!). If your New Year’s plans are a little more low key, I like the Giant branded fruit punch, which already has the carbonation in it, so you can make this by the cupful rather than the bowlful, and you can add as much or as little alcohol and sherbet as you want to each individual serving. Ingredients 2 2-liters of lemon-lime flavored soda, chilled 1 gallon fruit punch, chilled ½ gallon orange sherbet …

The Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of pork and sauerkraut as your first meal of the New Year has been something my family has done since I was little. “Pork and Kraut” when eaten as your first meal of the New Year is said to bring you luck and prosperity. In my family, that tradition has taken many forms, from pork chops to hot dogs. And, now that I am out of the house, something that I have continued. Does it bring me luck and prosperity? Well, I’m not so sure about that, but I continue to eat the traditional New Year’s meal just in case. Serve up this yummy pork with a big bowl of mashed …