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If you read a foodie’s blog and they claimed at one time that they couldn’t go a week without a cookie what would you do? You would make one of their cookie recipes of course! At least that is what I did when I got assigned the oh so cute Chelsy’s blog Mangia! But it’s [...]
Remember when I received all that dill in my Bountiful Basket? I posted these deviled ham eggs and then I posted the Flounder Olympia (which you need to try if you haven’t yet). But that’s not all baby! I made this fantabulous quiche also. Actually I made quite a bit more but didn’t photograph it [...]
Would you believe that I’m sitting outside, drinking coffee and typing this post? To me this feels so luxurious. This is how, in my little mind, I imagine a writer’s life. The perfect writer’s life, where you could put pen to paper (or type) anywhere when inspiration hits. I have always thought writers to have [...]
I’ve decided that Mother Nature is either a manic depressive or severely PMSing during the spring. She’s definitely a moody one, especially in Montana. Maybe it’s because she loves us so much that it incurs this severe differences in our days (you know the saying, you hurt the ones you love the most). For [...]
Have you ever heard the term “so ugly, it’s cute”? Typically this refers to animals and babies, not to food. And it shouldn’t. Actually I’ve never seen anything so ugly that it became cute. Cats with no hair…ugly! Smashed up face dogs with ubers of wrinkles…ugly. Your newborn baby…sorry moms…ugly (but not forever of course). [...]
When I retired from the Air Force I thought I was going to be a teacher. I love to teach, mentor, and share knowledge and skills. Naturally I thought I’d be teaching dental assisting, after 22 years of it, I probably had enough experience. I was so sure of it that I got a BA [...]
Have you ever really wanted to do something and then talked yourself out of it? There are always reasons why something can’t be done, time, money, trepidations, money…and so it was for this IACP conference. Actually it started back in photography school, I met fellow student Heather Gill, chef and amazing photographer. We obviously had [...]
I was so happy when I got my assignment this month for Secret Recipe Club! I was assigned Tandy from Lavender and Lime. First off I’m a fan of citrus, and she obviously is too, it’s right there in her title. Tandy is from South Africa, two years ago McGyver and I went on a [...]
I cannot count how many times my mom would make no-bake cookies while I was growing up. I remember that she thought they were the most amazing ‘cookie’ ever. Quick, easy, sweet, chocolately and of course no oven required. Last minute bake sale no problem, last minute party no problem, last minute guests no problem. [...]
As I sit here and write this, it is snowing outside and my house is at a not so balmy 50°F. I have a blanket wrapped around me like a burrito, my sweatshirt is zipped to the top and a kerchief dons my head to keep my ears warm. A cup of coffee warms my [...]
Recently I came into an obscene amount of dill! I mentioned in my last post (Deviled Ham Stuffed Eggs) that I had been preparing so many dishes with dill that I thought that perhaps McGyver and I might end up being pickled. I even tried my hand at pickling some radishes and carrots (we’ll [...]
Just a quick post today! I’m busy, busy, busy! I had a deadline moved up 3 months and with a trip to San Francisco coming up this week I’m scrambling! I’m going to the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference this week and I’m super excited. I’ll be bringing my camera along and taking oodles [...]
Last Monday for Secret Recipe Club I posted an über lemony lemon bar topped with this amazing candied lemon that was crusted in yellow crystallized sugar. If you are a lemon bar lover, it would have been the lemon bar of your dreams. I am also an lazy efficient cook. My mantra is “do not dirty any more [...]
Wow, just wow. The minute I hit Hugs and Cookies XOXO’s website I felt like I was at the fun-est and tastiest house on the block. Danielle is obviously an energetic mum, 1st grade teacher and she loooooves sweets and baking. And she’s my Secret Recipe Club assignment for this month. If any of you [...]
I’m not Irish but both of my kids have Irish blood running through them which I figured that means I’m Irish by proxy. Even if I’m not Irish, I have red hair (thanks to a box), freckles and hazel eyes. I certainly could tell someone that I had an Irish heritage and they would believe [...]
I used to call myself a lazy cook, and in some ways that’s true. I don’t like to make more work than is necessary. I use the minimal amount of dishes to prepare a meal. I’m all about rinse and reuse. I’ll break some rules, especially in baking for minimizing my dishes (like mixing [...]
It may be winter outside but it’s spring in my house. My garden last summer was a total disaster, I obviously had no clue what I was doing and while I was gone for 5 months, let’s just say that McGyver and Thing 2 didn’t give it much attention. I yielded a couple of radishes [...]
Inspiration comes from many places. I never dreamed that a challenge from another blogger would get me going, I mean really going. Simone over at Junglefrog Cooking, set out a challenge for this month to make something homemade. As in, not a homemade meal, but rather something homemade that you would normally purchase, such as [...]
In my post on Monday, I shared that I really wanted to Jen’s Chile Relleno’s for SRC, but it was a guest post on someone else’s blog so I went with her “Dad’s Homemade Pizza Crust”. My reason for wanting to make the rellenos are that it’s McGyver’s all time favorite Mexican food. Chile Rellenos [...]
‘Dad’s pizza dough’ topped with Goose prosciutto, Brussels sprouts, goat cheese and roasted garlic sauce could possibly be the longest recipe title ever. And I left out the caramelized onions! This amazing pizza is brought to you by the Secret Recipe Club. Each month members are assigned another blog, the member selects a [...]
This is the last in my series of recipes for Breakfast in Bed. In my opinion, I saved the best for last. But then again, it’s no secret, my love for all things citrusy. It’s a simple easy dish, there are very few ingredients that make up this dish, which is always a winner in [...]
In my last post, I mentioned that I was going to be doing a “Breakfast in Bed” cooking class; on the menu was Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordials, Glazed Grapefruit, Sunrise Champagne Cocktail and this French Toast. My ‘adopted’ grandkids loved this, as a matter of fact they ate more than McGyver and I did! What [...]
I’m teaching a cooking class this month, the theme is “Breakfast in Bed”, obviously geared towards Valentine’s Day. The menu plan is; Stuffed French Toast, Glazed Grapefruit, Sunrise Champagne Cocktail, and Chocolate covered cherries and/or strawberries (naturally I’ll be sharing the recipes). I was sitting on the fence about chocolate covered cherries or strawberries, when [...]
I’m an insomniac. I’ve had trouble sleeping through the night off and on for the last six years. I fall asleep okay, as long as I drift off before Mr. Snoresalot. I wake up between 2:00 am and 4:00 am several nights a week. I wake up with a dog right where my feet should [...]
For Christmas this last year my Baby boy bought me a cookbook. Actually I’d call it an encyclopedia. It’s a behemoth, with over 2000 recipes and more than 1500 pages thick. The bible of Italian cooking“The Silver Spoon”. I have perused and perused this book. My mind swills with Tuscan dreams or the Amalfi coast, [...]
I really didn’t know what to call this concoction. It was born out of a craving for a BLT, only there wasn’t any ‘L’ in my house for a BLT. Okay, so I’ll have a BAT, no not a blood alcohol test (I’d probably fail that one). I mean Bacon, Avocado, Tomato. Are you [...]
I am so excited for this month’s Secret Recipe Club reveal, the first one of 2013! If you haven’t heard of this great ‘secret santa’ type group, you should check out their site. Gurl, you wouldn’t believe who’s blog I got this month. That’s right it was steaknpotatoeskindagurl. Not surprisingly, the first recipes I sought [...]
Say what? Are my eyes really seeing what they see? Does that sign say ‘Heirloom Tomatoes’? It’s the middle of winter…must be a mistake. But they look like heirloom tomatoes. They have variegated colors and bumpy exteriors, they must be heirlooms. Imported from Mexico….ahhh, that’s right, not every place in the world right now has [...]
Here I go again, non-main line posting. This time of year food blogs and sites, newspapers and magazines are filling their pages with healthier recipes. Who doesn’t want to lose weight? And the New Year is the perfect opportunity to reset, especially with all the holiday treats consumed, given away or ditched. And I’m posting [...]
Today is the close of 2012 and with the New Year all the hopes and wishes of doing things a wee bit better than the previous year. Today, no reflective post, no top 10 of 2012 anything. Just wishing you all the bestest and sharing a crazy sweet lil’ post for you. Crazy good, crazy, [...]
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, what a story you tell. Tall and green, glowing glory, crowned atop with an angel. Decked with ornaments, current and past. Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, what a story you tell. One year I went out and bought giant department store style ornaments, ribbons and other trim [...]
Not a one, not a single Christmas treat have I posted. This year my men are on these high protein low carb diets. McGyver for health reasons and the Baby boy because of Rugby (strict orders from his coach). I decided not to bake cookies or anything too tempting, gotta show my support (and I [...]
Look at that, don’t you just want to take a bite out of that big juicy burger? Although I think that the burger looks appetizing I made some errors in photographing it. That’s what happens when you are a starvin marvin and want to snap the shot and get on with eating. It’s a fabulous [...]
It seems like everyone has a dish that they judge a restaurant by. For some it’s hamburgers, or steaks or seafood and in the case of my son-in-law Jodus, it’s the Cobb Salad. It is by this salad alone whether the restaurant gets a thumbs up, a meh or a thumbs down. I see why [...]
It’s one week after Thanksgiving, how are you doing on your leftovers? Have you gobbled them all up, did you stash some in the freezer for later? This year there was only three of us and the smallest organic fresh turkey I could buy was nearly 14 pounds. That’s a lot of turkey for 3 [...]
Ever wish you could get a do over? Where you could magically go back in time and right the wrong? Burnt biscuits…do over. Doing 80 mph in a 65 mph zone…sorry Mr. Policeman…do over. How about that conversation where you should have had a great comeback, but it only comes to you later. Wouldn’t it [...]
I have a self imposed rule in my house, no Christmas anything until after Thanksgiving. One holiday at a time please. There is good and bad in my rule, less stress before Thanksgiving and probable more stress afterwards since I don’t do anything early…normally. When I got my Secret Recipe Club assignment “Mom’s Crazy Cooking”, [...]
There are so many things in life that I wish were just a little better. Life is often not what we imagined it would be. By this time I was supposed to filthy stinkin’ rich and living the high life. On a more basal level I’d like to have less weight on this old body, [...]
Is there anything more quintessentially fall than pumpkins? As I sat in my little adobe, I was so sadden that I was by myself and that buying hoards of pumpkins was not very practical. Normally I surround myself with the beautiful orange globes that reminds me of one of my most favorite seasons. However, I [...]
Just a quick post. I”m done with school and now I’m packing and moving back home. It’ll be so nice to be back home and with McGyver and I miss my little neighborhood. I’ve got some lofty plans ahead of me, but first I needed to settle in and get organized (ugh). While I was [...]
Since I’ve become a student I eat out a lot, way more than I’m used too. Our school is located downtown historic Missoula, Montana, a really cool place. Eating lunch out often means that you get to know which places are good and fast. Lucky for me, right across the street from the school is [...]
One these days I’m going to count how many recipes that I’ve posted that have lemon as an ingredient? Perhaps I shouldn’t or I might find out exactly how freakishly obsessed I am with all things lemony. Sometimes is just better not to know. I’m finally posting my the recipe that I eluded to in [...]
Last weekend I went to Bozeman, I was delivering a much anticipated microwave to my Baby boy/freshman college student. I had a lovely weekend, he showed me his room that he supposedly cleaned up for me (lets just say that I am grateful…). We went out to dinner, fell asleep at the movies, errr, I [...]
Here I am in class, listening to Lindsay Adler a top fashion photographer, blogger, social network guru, Creative Live speaker, blogger, workshop maven and all around upbeat and fun person. She’s teaching us about setting up blogs, websites, and the importance of networking. Then she gives us our homework: Need two headshots, one that can/is [...]
I thought it was high time that I finally posted what I’ve been up too. My last two posts have been for Secret Recipe Club, just because I’m a commitment gal, and I love the club and sadly nothing else. Rocky Mountain School of Photography has been amazing! The more I learn the more I learn [...]
This is the longest hiatus between posts that I’ve ever taken. As a matter of fact the last time I posted, was during Secret Recipe Club Reveal last month. At my last posting I was hot and heavy into finals for Part 1 of my school. I then took a one week break and visited [...]
A month ago when I said I was participating in the next month’s Secret Recipe Club, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I simply looked at the date and thought, hmm, right during break, perfect. Posting is right during break, but picking out the recipe and cooking and photographing meant that it [...]
In the immortal words of Popeye “I can’t stands it no more!” Sometimes you just have to have something and you’ll go to the ends of the earth to get it, well almost. And that’s how it was for me and cheesy bread sticks. I saw a post Colleen (The Smart Cookie Cook) did on [...]
I can’t even express how crazy my life is right now! I’m in the last couple of weeks of part one (Summer Intensive) of school and it seems like I have way more to do than I have time for. Even as I say this, I think, how many times have I said this to [...]
I think this is my first food post since Secret Recipe Club last month! I’m delighted to say that this recipe is a great one to come back with. If you haven’t heard me talk about SRC before, it’s a bloggers club that works a lot like a Secret Santa. Each member is assigned another [...]
