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I took a blogger break. You know how writers have writer's block? I had bloggers block. Not only that, but nothing I have cooked lately seemed to taste good. It could be that I'm trying not to eat gluten, wheat, eggs or dairy. I found out that I have some allergies to all of them. Not outwardly but who knows what kind of inflammation it creates on the inside. Now I know there are a lot of
Happy Easter! I hope you're having a good holiday weekend. It's thundering outside right now and I am so excited. I have everything turned off so I can hear it. Probably sounds crazy but it must be because I grew up with thunderstorms and really miss them. My brother and I both feel the same way. It reminds me of really hot summers in the south and a thunderstorm would roll in and cool ev
Did you know the original color associated with St. Patrick's Day was blue and it slowly transitioned to green as early as the 17th century? Just a bit of St. Patrick's Day trivia for you. Are you wearing your green today? I was craving chili the other day and saw this recipe. I changed a few minor ingredients and within 20 minutes, had a delicious lunch...and dinner on Sunday.
TGIF! It's funny how Friday is almost always a good day. Now Monday's on the other hand are usually the opposite only because you know you have a long work week ahead. But we always have the weekends to look forward to. I just wish they wouldn't go by so fast. Wouldn't it be nice to have a four day work week and three day weekends. I could definitely go for that. How about if we take a vote?
Valentine's Day brings many sweet things to mind - love of course, roses, hearts, romance and the sweetest of all, chocolate. I couldn't think of a better recipe to share with you than a melt in your mouth, rich chocolate molten cake. I played around with this recipe a couple of years ago but couldn't get it right. I think this one turned out tasty and it's surprisingly easy to make. Top it
This is my favorite salad and has been for the last few years. Let's just say I make it A LOT and I could probably eat it everyday. It's the perfect combination of sweet, salty, crunchy and tangy all mixed together in a fresh salad. It's simple to make and it's a perfect first course. Because there are so few ingredients, it's important to use the best you can find. I buy a ra
I know, kale you say...seriously? And it's raw? Yes and you'll like it. I promise. Believe me, I didn't think I would like it either but it's really good. It's become one of my new favorite salads. I even tested it out on a few friends and they liked it. Give it a shot, I think you'll be surprised. The key here is the salad dressing and the apple. The dressing adds a touch of tart
We finally made it to Oregon. It took us 12 hours, 6 more than usual to get to my brother's house in Oregon. We survived a blizzard and three traffic accidents where we were completely stopped for over an hour each. Finally after 12.5 hours in the car, we get to my brother's two mile long ice covered driveway, only to make it part way up. Quite a memorable road trip and it doesn't en
It's that time of year again for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. Everyone is given three blogs to ship cookies to and each blogger receives cookies from three different blogs. I received cookies from Saucy Mouth (bottom right), Full on Food Lust, and Saving Room for Dessert (bottom left). I sent Chewy Coconut Cranberry Cookies to Semi Sweet Designs who makes the most beautiful cooki
I am lucky enough to have a freezer full of lamb. Seriously, I have a lot of lamb and I value it like gold. My great-great-grandfather started a sheep farm many years ago and it has been passed down four generations. My grandfather raised lambs for sixty years and now my uncle is carrying on the tradition. The lamb they produce is amazing. I know I sound partial and I am, but there isn't
I thought my life would be so different than it is at this point. I always thought I'd be happily married, two kids, maybe even a dog and a cat. I always wanted lots of chaos and laughter. I'm actually on the opposite side of the pendulum, living alone for the first time in over six years. I'm obviously still learning to accept this as it's a big and unexpected change. I know eventually it w
Happy Fall I'm on a soup kick, can you tell? It's supposedly Fall and even though it's 95 degrees outside and the air conditioner is on, I feel the need to pretend it feels like Fall. I know eventually it will show up...I hope. This recipe comes from my other grandmother - Grandma Baker. I remember having this when I was growing up. It was always so hearty and belly warming. We espec
I decided to use the vintage look on this photo since the recipe is vintage. This comes from my dearly departed and sorely missed grandmother. For the longest time she called it Spanish Goulash but as it became a family favorite and because she made it so often, she renamed it Thomas Goulash which is much more fitting (Thomas was her last name). It's heartier than a soup but l
Pears, pears, are everywhere! I can't believe it's the end of September. It's frightening how fast time goes by. Sometimes I think I could snap my fingers and I'll be 70...yikes! I'm sure when I'm 70 that's how it will feel. Guess we had better try and enjoy every minute. I love the Fall. It's probably my favorite season. I just love it when the leaves change to a bright orange
I saw a version of this recipe in a magazine when I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Being that it's the end of the summer, we had a bunch of banana peppers and tomatoes from the garden. I had some feta in the fridge and a partially used bag of arugula. That's pretty much how it works with me. I see a recipe that looks good. I think about what I have on hand that mig
Pears are in season right now, chocolate as you know is always in season. Combine the two and wah lah...a chocolate pear tart. If you haven't had something like this before, it may seem strange, but my mom and I tried this while she was visiting and it was mouth-watering delicious. Not too sweet and the pears are soft and slightly tart which sets off the sweetness of the chocolate. There i
It's been a crazy few months. I moved out of my house, moved in with friends, put all my things in storage, started a new job, and started divorce proceedings with my husband. Crazy time in my life but I know many of you have gone through this and survived for the better so I will too. When life throws you lemons, start cooking! My new motto. Hopefully now you understand why I'm so slow a
It's hot outside. I'm not whining...well maybe. There are three fans blowing and the air conditioner is on full blast barely keeping up. But it feels good. What is summer without some hot weather and we haven't had a whole lot of it this year. Besides, I have a great recipe that will cool you off. With all of the ripe, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and colorful, tasty peppers, it's
This taco salad recipe brings back memories. We ate this a lot growing up because it was easy and something everyone loved...even us kids. My mom got this recipe from a friend of hers while my dad was still in the Air Force. It has such a nice combination of flavors and a tangy slightly sweet dressing. It may sound strange when you read the recipe but no one will
A buckle is similar to a coffee cake or a cake topped with fruit baked with a slightly crunchy, crumbly topping. This is a pure early summer treat with tart rhubarb and sweet strawberries. Put them together and you have scrumptious any time of the day. Rhubarb is such a strange looking fruit. I don't suggest eating it like this. It's stringy and extremely tart. Coo
First of all I want to say we are sorry we haven’t posted any recipes for the past few months but we are back. Amy came for a visit a few weeks ago and we had such a good time. We spent time in the kitchen as well as just catching up with everything going on in her life in Northern California and ours in Southern California. Even though we talk each week and text daily, we
Happy Valentine's Day! I was trying to get this recipe posted early so you could possibly make it for your special someone but here I am...a little late. You can enjoy this cake any time though. If you love chocolate, you'll love this cake. The easy caramel sauce and whipped cream take it over the top. My husband surprised me with pink roses and a card this morning which was
Sorry but I hit the wrong button and posted this before it was finished. I'm not even sure what I did. Yes, it's one of those days! You know something is good when your husband is making noises while he is eating. As long as there aren't any scary facial expressions, it's usually a good sign. It was validated when he said you have to post this on your blog - it's blog worthy...as he
Did someone say party? Where? You're going to want to have a party just so you can have these meatballs. The Superbowl is around the corner and even though San Francisco lost, I'll still be watching. They were so close...oh well, maybe next year. I thought I'd give you some recipe ideas (another one is coming) in case you're planning a party or just having a few friends over
It's not often that I promote products on my blog but every now and then I find something that is really good and I just have to share it with you. I actually should do this more often since I do have my go-to-favorites. Here's one of my latest finds - Pasta Prima 100% Natural Butternut Squash Ravioli with no preservatives or artificial ingredients. This ravioli
I hope you have the day off today for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. I know I never have when I've been working but my husband does, I think for the first time ever. It seems a little soon after the holidays to have a break but I'm certainly not complaining. Maybe we could add another holiday between President's Day and Memorial Day. It's such a long stretch without a break.
My husband and I have been swapping colds for a week. We have finally declared a no kissing treaty for a few days so we can beat this bug. I haven't quite gotten a full blown cold, just enough of one to give me a fuzzy head and sinus issues. Because of our slightly weakened state we decided to stay in on Friday night and take it easy. I thought soup sounded nice and soothing f
We had a great holiday this year. I'm so thankful for everything I have, especially my family and friends. It's not often enough that I slow down to think how good I have it and how lucky I am. We were in Oregon this year at my brother's gorgeous home. You can see the unbelievable view from their house below. My parents were there and we had so much fun together cooking, laughi
I've been experimenting with fudge and caramels. The fudge wins out. Caramel is so finicky. If I figure it out, you'll be the first to know (well maybe the second after my husband). Today I'm busy getting ready to head to Oregon for the holidays but thought this recipe would be a good one to share with you just in case you need to make something for the holidays. This fud
This is definitely not diet food but it's a great dish for a Sunday morning or even Christmas morning. I've wanted to make something like this for the last couple of years but haven't gotten around to it. Last Sunday I got out the eggnog and first made my husband and I an eggnog latte and then started on this eggnog bread pudding. I love eggnog and when I saw a few different recipes for
Last month I signed up to do "The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap" with more than 200 other blogs. It was organized by Love and Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen. I had to make three dozen cookies, send a dozen to three randomly selected food blogs and three randomly selected blogs sent me each three different types of cookies. Fun, huh! About two weeks ago I started getting my cookies in the
I know everyone is crazy busy right now. I was in a store yesterday returning a few things and I piled my stuff on the counter and handed the lady my credit card. It was so busy we didn't even look at each other. Suddenly she says, "Oh hi. How are you?" I laughed and said hi back. We joked about how everyone is so busy moving a hundred miles an hour that we don't even take a moment to say
Is there anything better than juicy, sweet summer tomatoes. I have to say I look forward to them every year...that along with fresh corn on the cob. Definitely two of my favorite things to eat during the summer months. This is my own creation because I love fresh mozzarella cheese, garlic, basil and tomatoes. Makes for a perfect summer lunch or side dish. Make sure you buy the sweetest tom
You know it's warm outside when you work up a sweat just making the bed. We are definitely living in warm and sunny California. We went from having freezing temperatures to 70 degree weather. I shouldn't be complaining as I know most of you would spend lots of money on a family vacation for this kind of weather. It's nice for a day or two but I like my seasons.
Two True Foodies turned a year old last week. It's hard to believe. If you're a follower or just checking us out, we want to stay thank you. We love bringing you our favorite recipes in hopes that you'll cook more and share your special creations with family and friends. The best part is when we hear you are cooking or baking one of our recipes. I can't sa
Its been a few weeks...life has just gotten in the way. Between work, traveling, family, cleaning, cooking, gardening and "wifing" (my word for being a wife), my blog took a back seat. Sorry I kept you waiting but I'm sure you all can relate. I'm back. Trust me I have a pile of recipes to share with you. :-) I think I've told you this before but I'm not a big chicken fan.
I'm in Minneapolis this week, working so this post may be shorter than usual. I wanted to get this recipe out though because these pancakes are sooooo goooood! They literally melt in your mouth and with the blueberries on top...well you know. Amazing. I encourage you try them. I've been wanting to make ricotta pancakes for a long time now. I've se
I've been eating meatballs for breakfast. It's crazy, I know. That's how good they are though and when you're sick of eggs, meatballs are a really nice change. There are so many different meatball recipes. I'm certainly not an expert on good meatballs but I've always assumed if they have lots of flavor and they're tender, meaty and juicy - they would pass muster in my book. It was Sunday m
I always have overripe bananas in my freezer. I don't know about you but I can never eat all of the bananas before they go brown. I end up putting them in a Ziploc bag and freezing them for when I need them. They come in handy if you want to make something with bananas and the more ripe they are, the better. Lately I've been experimenting with coconut oil, whole wheat pastry
As promised, here is another delicious summer salad. You might be thinking strawberries in a salad? How weird is that. It is unusual but really good. I think it's the mixture of all the ingredients of this salad that make it so good. A bit of cheese, nuts and onion with a tangy but slightly sweet dressing. It all goes together to make a really light and refreshing salad. It's great served
It finally feels like summer! We've had a great weekend going into the city (San Francisco) with friends for delicious dinner and then last night to a really fun outside concert. You know the kind where everyone brings a blanket, food and wine. We spread out on a huge lawn and shared food with friends and neighbors while listening to great music. This recipe came
It's hard to take an appetizing picture of meat. I tried. If only you could smell it, or take a little sample through the screen. It's juicy, flavorful and tender. This is an easy marinade that you can do in only six hours. That means you can start marinating it at noon and have a really yummy tri-tip that evening. The ingredients sound a bit strange but it all comes together. Trust me
What is summer without ice cream? It always seems like summer gives us an excuse to eat more ice cream. At least it does for me. :-) I don't know about you but I hardly ever break out my ice cream maker. I should, it's not like it's difficult to use. After looking on the back of the ice cream container from the grocery store, I want to break out my ice cream maker. Have you seen all the st
Where does the time go? Can you believe summer is almost over and it's time for orange sweaters, knee-high boots, Halloween candy, leaves falling from the trees and cool days? I love the fall but I'm still relishing the last few weeks of summer and warm weather. It seems summer came late this year. We've had more warm evenings in September than in August which is definitely unusual
I used to be a huge vegetable person growing up. I thank my mom for this as it was ingrained in my brain that a balanced meal was one that contained some kind of vegetable. When I went to college, I started eating meals that were cheap and fast like macaroni and cheese, Funions - fake fried onions, ramen noodles, baked potatoes with cheese and ranch dressing. I think most of us have done t
No my raspberries are not really that bright and beautiful but they do taste that good. I'm having so much fun with all the new picture editing sites. You can make photos look old, grainy, pop with color...pretty much anything you want. I took over my husband's new iPhone this past weekend when we went to San Francisco for Fleet Week. Of course I downloaded a bunch of pho
Asparagus. Prosciutto. Garlic. Toasted breadcrumbs. Uh yum. Since Thanksgiving is around the corner I thought I'd share some special recipes that are perfect for the occasion. Not only does this one taste good but you'll really impress your guests. I discovered this recipe a few years ago. It goes nicely with a simple piece of meat or fish because it has so much flavor. If yo
Trick or treat...Halloween is almost here. Are you dressing up this year??? I love Halloween but I hate trying to come up with a costume so I rarely do. I always want it to be the perfect one and you know, it just takes to much effort. At this point, I would throw on a mask, paint my face or buy a costume just so I wouldn't have to think about it. Kudos to all of you th
Sweet potatoes or yams? A friend of mind asked me that question this week and I couldn't remember the difference. There are two types of sweet potatoes, the paler-skinned type has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh which is not sweet and has a dryer, more crumbly texture, similar to a white baking potato. The second type has a darker skin (which is sometime r
I have been experimenting with Almond Flour (meal) lately using it in place of breadcrumbs. Just cutting out extra carbs and wheat when I can. The taste is great and you still get that crunchy texture. It's basically just ground up almonds. The uses seem unending really - I've even made pizza crust out of them. My mom told me about this recipe. She had it at a local resta
