I thought it would be fun to cook up a big batch of shrimp chowder with bacon, corn and fresh thyme to celebrate a national foodie day. It seems that there is a National day for pretty much any food! October 19 is National Seafood Bisque Day. It is the perfect choice for a…
This roasted carrots and mushrooms dish is flavored with fresh thyme and roasted in the oven to bring out the naturally sweet flavor of the carrots. It’s scrumptious! Using fresh herbs for cooking recipes adds so much flavor. For today’s recipe, the fresh thyme is one of the stars! It would make a great side dish for…
These cookies and cream candy corn truffles are the perfect size for a sweet bite of fall fun. One of the favorite candies in our house this time of the year is candy corn. It is so colorful and fun and says fall in a sweet tooth kind of way. I love to serve it in…
Did you know that many foods have national days in their honor? October 1 is known as National Homemade Cookie Day. It seems appropriate that the first day of October would be given this honor, since October also starts three months of holiday celebrations where cookies play a big part. There are so many national…
The cooler weather is on the way and for me that means cooking lots of casseroles. This BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole is rich and hearty and the perfect way to warm you up on a cool autumn night. And the fact that it’s one of my 30 minute meals makes it an added bonus for…
These homemade copycat crab cakes are a pretty good version of the ones that you can get from Joe’s Crab Shack. You can make them at home but feel as though you are at the beach! Some of my favorite 30 minute meals are a “copycat recipe” of some of my favorite foods from popular…
I love my crock pot! I can throw all of the ingredients into it early in the day and let it do its job all day long. At the end of the day, my house smells great when I come home after being out all day. But there are a few cooking tips to make…
Making great pancakes is not an accident. They take some smart cooking and a great starting recipe for a basic pancake. But, thankfully, there are a few tips that you can make to ensure success in the morning. Follow these cooking tips to make tasty pancakes that your family will love. Follow these 10 tips…
Do you enjoy copycat recipes? I love to try and recreate some of my favorite foods from restaurants that I enjoy. Starbuck’s is a favorite of many for their delicious coffees, but their food is also pretty tasty. The recipe for a copycat lemon loaf is fresh and super tasty and a pretty good approximation…
With the warmer weather here, it is time to bring on the cold drinks. And nothing quite says summer like the perfect milkshake. They are cold and refreshing and so popular with the kids and guests. But a great milk shake is not just about putting cold milk and ice cream and blending it. There…
Making Popsicles is one of the easier frozen dessert ideas but there are still a few cooking tip basics that you need to keep in mind when making them at home. It doesn’t matter what you call them – Ice Pops, Yogurt Pops, Frozen pops, Paletas, or Popsicles. These frozen sweet treats are a tasty…
One of the first questions that a waiter asks us when we order a steak in a restaurant is “how would you like it done? Steak Doneness is simply a gauge of how thoroughly cooked your piece of steak is. Do you know how to determine the doneness of beef? Cooking tips like these will…
Pitting cherries is right up there with removing pits from mangoes and unripe peaches in those “pulling out your hair” kind of kitchen tasks. There are special cherry pitters available, but what do you do if you don’t have one? Never fear, you can pit cherries with a simple household tool with this kitchen tip….
These Orange Dark Chocolate Cookies have the addition of macadamia nuts for extra crunch and are just delicious! One of my favorite flavor combinations for cookies is orange and dark chocolate. It is bright and fresh with a decadent touch. And best of all, the cookies are totally gluten-free! Treating yourself to baked goods when…
Afternoon snack time is so much more fun if you serve the snack in a pretty container. There are lots of retail products out there, but why buy new when you can make a pretty DIY Paper Cone for Snacks in no time at all for just pennies? I love easy cooking tips like this…
These Paleo Baking tips will show you ways to add your favorite baked goods back into your day. If you are following the Paleo diet, you will know that it takes some creativity and a few special foods to get tasty baked goods. But even though a Paleo diet is restrictive is what you CAN…
What’s a girl gonna do when she is trying to cut down on flour and sugar but really feels like banana bread? No problem at all! This gluten free banana bread contains no added sugar and uses coconut flour and eggs. The recipe makes a really large loaf and has about 150 calories for a 1/10th…
I have to admit it – I am a mushroom girl. I’ll eat with eggs for breakfast, in a salad for lunch and incorporated into main courses for dinner and I am proud of it! These sauteed mushrooms are combined with garlic and baby spinach. They are ready in 15 minutes and go well with just…
These Snickers Peanut Butter Cookies, take everyone’s favorite peanut butter cookie to a new height by adding Snicker’s candy to the recipe. I woke up this morning for a yen for cookies. I have a bag of candy in the corner of my office that keeps calling my name and I decided that I should…
Slow cooker meals are some of my favorites. There is nothing that makes an easy recipe better than adding ingredients to a slow cooker and letting the appliance do the work for you while you are out and about doing other things. This Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken is simple to prepare and flavored beautifully from…
This heavy cream substitute is one of my favorite cooking tips, since it can be made with items that you are very likely to have on hand. Don’t you just hate it when you are ready to make a recipe, only to discover that you have no heavy cream? I know I do, and it…
Lasagna is one of my favorite dishes, and I love the way the big, wide noodles hold the meat and cheeses together so well. But it can be challenging trying to get your lasagna noodles cooked perfectly, since they like to stick together. Don’t worry though. By following these cooking tips, you’ll make sure that…
I thought it would be fun to do a chocolate drizzle tutorial for my cocktail tips guide, so that my readers can see how it is done. Many chocolate flavored drinks use this decorative technique for the inside of the glass. Going out to one of my favorite restaurants or cocktail bars gives me a…
Storing dried herbs so that they will stay fresh can be a challenge. Cooking tips like this one will make sure that your herbs and spices will continue adding flavor for a long time to come. Herbs and spices add a ton of flavor to food and most add little to no calories. I cook…
We are big cheesecake fans in our house. I’ve tried so many different versions of them and haven’t found one yet that my family didn’t love. For today’s cheesecake recipe, I’ve decided to turn my favorite chocolate chip cookie into delicious Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars. This amazing recipe brings together the best of both chocolate chip cookies…
This mint chocolate chip fudge is rich with an out-of-this-world taste. It’s the stuff that Christmas dreams are made of! I love anything mint-flavored. And combine it with chocolate? It’s a match made in heaven! Fudge is one of those things that is either super easy to make or a “pull out your hair” experiment…