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About 20 years ago, there was a Hole-in-the-wall Mom & Pop Mexican restaurant that had the best restaurant Mexican food, on the Monterey Peninsula. I'm not kidding. Locals would patiently wait for one of the few booths, or to sit at the counter to order really authentic Mexican food. This is the restaurant where I discovered Entomatadas. I'm surprised at how many
My friends, at Tate's Bake Shop sent me a copy of their newest Cookbook "Baking For Friends" . That means I can add this cookbook to their "Tate's Bakeshop Cookbook", where I posted my version of their Signature Chocolate Chip Cookies. Yay! In 2011, I was fortunate to receive a sampling of their cookies, granola and Sour Cream Coffee Cake and I can honestly say th
In my last post, I shared how I, successfully, replicated Bacon & Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits with a Maple-Chipotle Butter. This time, I'm going to share how I made my first crispy Southern Fried Chicken, that I served with the biscuits. It might surprise many of you that I've never made Southern-Style Fried Chicken. Truthfully, I don't make a lot of
About every other month, my husband and I make a point of dining at a more expensive "upscale" restaurant that is new to us. I usual check reviews on both Yelp and Trip Advisor to get a feel for what people rave about. I made reservations and we got dressed up for Date Night on the town. The restaurant's signature Bacon and Cheddar Biscuits with Maple Chipotle Butter rec
Caramel is a sweet treat that makes me swoon. Seriously. All I have to see is a photo of caramel drizzled over pie, cake or ice cream and I find myself fantasizing about that buttery, creamy confection. I'll take caramel over chocolate any day. Guaranteed. When you pair a creamy bite of custardy "flan" with a caramel sauce-- I'm smitten. No matter how full I think I am, I ca
My husband (ahem) got a bargain when he married me. Yes, yes, he already knows he married someone who keeps him well fed and he does show his appreciation. The bargain he got, with me, is that I'm not really obsessed wth needing a lot of bling jewelry. I love my wedding ring, and that's really all I wear on my hands. Around my neck, I have a cross necklace that I haven't removed in years.&n
My men are true Cave Men when it comes to ribs. My husband, has become quite the Grillmaster of making slow-cooked ribs on our Weber. Moi? I'm more of a Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip person. We are looking forward to having warmer weather, after Spring, when the infamous Salinas Valley winds should be dying down. Trying to grill, during the spring months, can be frustrating because the wi
Just in time for Super Bowl, we have finally upgraded our television to be a Flat-Screen HDTV. Good times. At the same time, I allowed our local cable company to talk me into their new DVR with all kinds of promised new features. What they didn't tell me (and I didn't think about it) is that my old DVR box had precious saved recorded TV shows. I realized this when the c
I need to come clean with you. I'm a hoarder. I won't be featured on the A&E channel as one of those folks whose home is filled with stuff. That's definitely not my problem. I hoard recipes. I'm not just talking about the recipes I hoard on Pinterest. I'm talking about my own recipes. My camera pretty much lives on my kitchen counter. It's become so
I can't believe that it's been over a week since I last posted a recipe! It also seemed as though Easter was just a few weeks away-- and now, I realize that it's in just a few days. It's that time of year, when work becomes really hectic until the Class of 2013 marches to Pomp and Circumstance. Once again, I will wave farewell to the students who have grown near
**The winner of the Sucré Sweet Boutique will be announced at the end of this post** For an aspiring food blogger, I am always behind the 8-Ball when it comes to posting recipes before each "National Fill-In-The-Blank Day" or holiday season. Epic timely fail. I think it's because I become absorbed into researching what I want to make for my own family. By th
Here is a classic Retro Dessert. When's the last time you had a slice of Pineapple Upside Cake? Does this bring back childhood memories? It seems that this cake was invented somewhere between the late 1920's or early 1930's. One of Jame Dole's (of Dole Pineapples) engineers invented a machine that would core and slice pineapples. Soon, canned pineapple became a pantry staple
Photo Source: Sucré Sweet Boutique I can't remember the first time I fell in-love with Macarons, but that love has never faded. They're so pretty and classy looking! The classic cookies is made with almond flour, sugar and egg whites. They are filled with a limitless variety of fillings, from lemon curd to glorious buttercreams. Sounds simple, yes? Most pas
While the memories of our wonderful week in Maui are still with me, the relaxation part is beginning to fade. Work has been busy, as high school graduation is just three months away. There is a lot to be done, before we begin to shut down the school for our summer break. That means that I'm back to thinking of quick and easy dinners. A friend of mine told me that she made my
For those of you who follow me on my Facebook Fan Page, you know that my husband and I just returned from a fabulous week in Maui. Back in the day, I spent ten years as a travel agent. I have been on many vacations, all over the world. This particular return trip to Maui, thirty years later, is very high on my scale of "best vacations ever". Just landed from a heli
Lobster. What more can I say, except that I love it. I rarely order it, at restaurants, because it's a bit of a budget stretch. I've never bought a live lobster to cook at home. I just can't be personally responsible for the demise of these delectable crustaceans. That's not to say that I won't buy them prepped and read to be cooked. Valentine's Day (and New Year's) is when I find tha
The official Valentine's Day always falls on February 14th. I'm a very lucky wife, because I'm married to a wonderful guy. For that reason, I willingly forgo expecting him to make dinner reservations on Valentine's Day. It's far too overpriced crowded, for me! My husband doesn't get off that easy, though. He owes me a rain check for a romantic dinner, in the near
Fruit Ambrosia brings back childhood memories of Thanksgivings Past. My mother, always made Fruit Ambrosia, and I love it to this day. I don't remember how she made it, and she never wrote it down. She always added coconut and maraschino cherries. Yum. I forgot about this classic Southern dish, until the December-January 2013 issue of Cook's Country Magazine arr
On my "About Me" page, I admit that I have a true weakness for caramel. As an ice cream topping, I'll choose caramel over chocolate. I finally overcame my fear of making caramel, when I made Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream, and now I made my own caramel ice cream topping. Since then, I've made different variations of Caramel Flan and Panna Cotta. (blog p
I finally shared my Signature Chili Con Carne recipe with you, just in time for the Super Bowl. Tomorrow, I am feeding three men who are geared up to watch the 49'ers and the Ravens battling for the Ultimate Football Prize. Today, I made my traditional Chili with meat. I gotta say, it's a good batch, if I do say so myself! I have a nice variety of chips, ready to be poure
I've been making this Chili Con Carne recipe for decades years. The origins of the recipe dates back to my "Nana", who spoke better Spanish than English. My mother, who is of German descent, wanted to please her new Mother-In-Law, so the story goes. So Mutti tried to please her mother-in-law by learning to add Mexican food to her excellent German repertoire. Slowly, but su
February is going to be an exciting month for us. We have Super Bowl Sunday (Go, 49'ers!) Valentine's Day is just around the corner (a special day, because that's when my husband proposed to me), and then we're headed to Maui for a week of snorkeling, and sight-seeing. I am counting the days! Last weekend, I decided to do some housekeeping on my thousands hundreds of food photos
Making Whoopie is something I've always wanted to do. Hey! I'm talking about Whoopie Pies! I have lost count as to how many chocolate whoopie pie recipes (with a marshmallow creme filling) I've saved, and have yet to make. Recently, I saw a Carrot Cake Cookie recipe, and then a light bulb went off. I love carrot cake, and it's been a long time since I've made one. Could I make a Carr
This weekend is "The Big Game" at home. I admit, I'm not much of a football fan. My son is. He's been a Falcons fan for as long as I can remember. When you live just two hours south of San Francisco, this is the San Francisco 49'ers territory. (Shall I also mention, ahem, this is Giants territory?) My son is, naturally, hoping that the Falcons will make it to the Super Bowl. We shall jus
Before I talk about this recipe, I want to thank "Emily White Designs" for my blog makeover. I loved the first design that she created for me, almost three years ago. I just felt ready for a new and fresh look. I love it, I hope you find it to be user-friendly. If you've been reading my blog for a while, I tend to post step-by-step photos on how to recreate the rec
I'm still seeing a boatload of "Healthy Recipes" on the cover of food magazines, and on a lot of the food blogs that I visit. I keep pinning them, and promising that I'm going to make at... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my blog for full links, other content, and more! ]]
I should give myself a pat on the back. I'm actually participating in the "Healthy Recipes" season. Don't get too excited. I haven't gone "Health Nut". Do not adjust your station. This is only temporary. I do eat pretty healthy--most of the time. (Of course, there's my weakness for fries). Okay, I have a sweet tooth and I've been known to eat oatmeal cookies fo
How many of you were brave enough to make weight loss your New Year's Resolution Plan? Really? That many? I, for one, have a slightly different approach about healthy eating. Let's be real. I love to cook and I love to bake. That's why becoming a food blogger is so much fun. I won't apologize for using heavy cream, cream cheese or butter. The key words in my diet vocab
During Spring/Summer, our Weber grill gets quite a workout. Alas, our outdoor grills are tucked in for our California winters. Our tomato plants are spent, and our small herb and vegetable garden is looking a bit sparse. Sigh. Our thyme and marjoram are still hearty, this time of year, and they don't go to waste in the kitchen. It soups & stew season, and I'm ready
Week #1 of our school's Winter Break will official end in just a few hours today. My husband returns to work on Monday, but I have the luxury of one more week of sleeping in, catching up on recorded shows, reading and-- of course-- cooking and baking recipes to photograph with natural lighting. It's all good! I'm starting to buy cookbooks in the iPad version-- and I have to say tha
Yes, it's December 27th and I'm late for the Christmas recipe party. It's a miracle that I managed to pull off making all of the traditional German recipes that my Mutti would serve her children for decades. Just an hour before our traditional Christmas Eve dinner was to begin, I was cleaning powdered sugar off my kitchen floor, I had bowls of leftover melte
Eggnog. Does the thought of it give you the willies? I get it. I'm not enamored with drinking the stuff-- unless it's homemade. It's been years since I've made Southern Comfort Spiked Eggnog. The commercial stuff is too thick, for me, and doesn't feel right as it slides down my gullet. However, I do like the flavor of eggnog. I do like adding eggno
Cherish each day. Step away from the computer, from Facebook, from Twitter and spend more time with your loved ones. Don't sweat the small things. Appreciate those you love, and hold them close. Forgive someone who has hurt you. Call someone you kept meaning to. I feel gratitude that I will have my family joining us at our home for Christmas. Those who are named on these ca
I can't believe it! It's been over a week, since I've shared a new recipe post! I'm disappointed, because I look forward to posting at least once a week. The truth is-- I haven't been cooking or baking very much all of this week. The few times I have, it's already dark outside and I've been too lazy tired to drag out the photographer's lamp stand-- it's cumbersome and I much prefer
November 29th came and went, just like the rainstorms we've been experiencing for most of this past week. My four year anniversary for "A Feast for the Eyes" is on this day, and I really wanted to write a special post. But, mid-week blogging this time of year, is a rare occurrence. I have become a weekend food blogger, so I am celebrating my anniversary with a new cake r
How's are your turkey leftovers doing? Did you over-indulge? I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Ours was low-key, with just my two brothers and niece. My son works in the restaurant business, so he was MIA at our table. Sigh. I believe I've roasted at least 25 Thanksgiving Turkeys in my lifetime. I've made Butterballs, and grad
What's not to love about freshly baked Cinnamon Rolls? When my son was little, we used to cruise the shopping mall. He'd excitedly beg ask me to buy him a Cinnabon. How could I resist those baby blues? How can you resist that frosting?! Thanksgiving has to be one of the busiest times to be poking around on Pinterest. A Classic Thanksgiving
Bee Sting Cake. Bienenstich Kuchen. A brioche pastry dough cake, topped with Buttery Honey-Glazed Almonds... ...and filled with pastry cream. What a sweet childhood memory, of living in Germany. Coffee's ready. I have a slice waiting for you--and the recipe. I'm guest posting on "A Culinary Journey, W
All of our Halloween candy is gone, thank goodness. Already, Christmas commercials are in full swing. And now, Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away! Thanksgiving, at our home, has become very simple and traditional. I'm, pretty much, the only cook and baker, so I've honed down the menu so that I can stretch out the prep work over three days. These Sausage Stuffe
Well, look at that! This is my second "Skillet" Recipe in one week. With darkness coming so early, that precludes any grilled dinners on work night. I'm grateful that my brain and sleepy head is enjoying that extra hour of sleep in the morning, because I'm just not an early riser. My stomach hasn't quite figured out that feeding time has been pushed back an hour,
This classic Mexican flavored dish brings me back to a time when I was in Middle School (must have been in the late 60's). My mother used to buy a boxed Tamale Pie Dinner (I can't remember the brand, though). I remember browning the beef, adding the spice mix and then adding water and egg to the cornmeal batter. Now that I think about it, I don't thi
I have yet to meet anyone who says they don't like chocolate chip cookies-- with the exception of people who tell me they don't eat sugar. Ever. Hurray for them, but I'm not one of them. (With all due respect, I'm not so sure I believe them.) When you combine butter and sugar, beautiful things happen. When you add brown sugar, and flour, and eggs, and vanilla-- you're
As a kid, I grew up with frozen waffles. That's, most likely, why I wasn't wild about waffles--though my brothers were. I always thought that they had the texture of roof tiles, and they were just plain boring. Unless, of course, you pile strawberries and whipped cream on top. This is a game changer and puts me in a whole new league of breakfast deliciousness! Now, that
I'm about to make a few of you gasp. I know it. It's a dark secret I've kept well hidden for a very long time. But, it's time to come clean. Until I made this recipe, I've never tasted Nutella. Yes, folks, I was a nutella virgin, who finally dipped a spoon into a jar of this creamy, dark brown spread and took her first taste. I'm not a huge peanut butter
I can see why I became addicted to reading food blogs, about five years ago. They're so visual. I fall into the category of folks who tastes with my eyes. All it takes is for a mouth-watering photo to pop out of the screen, and my brain goes into crave mode. Seriously, it's become a problem and I can't help myself. That's exactly what happened when Cathy of "Wives W
Living on the Central Coast of California is our piece of Paradise. I love it here. Buuuuuuut, we don't truly experience the four seasons. Summer temperatures average a perfect 75 degrees. Homes don't have air conditioning. Fall is also a lot different than the East Coast. Fall, on the Monterey Bay, typically becomes our "Secret Summer". Like today-- it's almost 7:00pm
I have been excitedly waiting to post this giveaway, from Key Ingredient. Today is the day! I have collected recipes for as long as I can remember. I've had recipe boxes, jammed full of clipped out recipes and scribbled down index cards. I finally realized that I needed to find a better way to store my recipes. So, I bought a recipe software program where I could type recipes
Saturday mornings are very sacred to me. The 5:00am work alarm clock is turned off. I can enjoy my morning cup of coffee in a real coffee cup-- instead of a travel mug. I can read the morning paper and chat with my husband. Bliss. Most Saturday mornings, breakfast consists of homemade granola with yogurt or a bowl of oatmeal. But, once in a while, I break away from catching u
I've been on a cookbook diet, for at least a year. I don't mean Diet Cookbooks. I mean that I'm resisting the urge to buy too many cookbooks. That's not easy to do, because I love cookbooks. My collection has, over the years, taken over Craig's teak bookcase. (I don't think he's too amused by that.) Today, is an exception, because it's time to add a Rick Bayless Cookbook
Pie. This is my husband's favorite dessert. Olallieberry Pie is his favorite pie. He's been known to, ahem, devour an entire pie over the course of a few days. The funny thing is, with the exception of pumpkin pie, I'm not a huge fan of pie crust. I'd rather make "crisps" by filling ramekins with pie filling and topping it with an oatmeal,flour, brown suga
