They say… “the way to the heart is through the stomach”!  I happen to totally agree : ) (especially if it entails dark chocolate!) Cooking for me is an expression of love.  It’s the way I say, “I love you” to the people in my life… healthy balanced meals for my family because I love …

I was at the orthodontist the other day and while my son was getting his braces put on, I found this Turkey Bean Chili as I was reading the Good Housekeeping magazine!  I don’t know about you but I ALWAYS read most magazines from the back to the front!  I’d hate to miss out on …

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake is moist, delicious, and a lovely idea for a Valentines dinner dessert… and MAYBE there’ll be enough left over to share a little with the kids?? ; ) K… and I also LOVE that there’s not any oil in the cake!  The Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake‘s glaze is another story but …

I have always loved a good coffee cake so a Streusel-Filled Coffee Cake sounded too good to pass up! I’ve had this recipe dog eared in that Penzeys Spice catalog that I found when we were in Boulder, CO.  All the recipes I have tried from them have been fantastic!! AND so I expect great …

Just saying this up front ~ DON’T judge the Veggie Smoothie by it’s picture!!  I know it’s  GREEN but it’s way better than you’re thinking it is right now : )   My son Jake (who’s favorite 3 food groups are nachos, cereal, and ramen noodles)  ate 2 full glasses of  it when I made it …

I really enjoy Thai food so when my trainer friend, Nicole, told me about this Thai Pumpkin Soup I just had to get the recipe! I CAN NOT tell you how much I love that coconut milk, or coconut water, or coconut spread so I’m game to try anything with it in it!! …I made …

Our Chocolate Fondue for Two Recipe is fun for a date night or even just an evening with friends! I think we all love chocolate dipped treats, we especially enjoy it on fruit, crackers, and marshmallows! Our chocolate fondue can be adjusted to make a chocolate fountain recipe just increase the amounts to fit the …

I ran across this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip   on www.What Megan’s Making.com and believe me it’s REALLY good! I love a good cookie dough (drew loves it even more…) so, when I saw this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip recipe I had to give it a try! …Plus, I had all the ingredients …

Gram’s Clam Chowder is about the most comforting food in the world to me, I love it … A LOT!  It reminds me of home and of Gram and when I’m in need of a little comfort food, it’s what I’m in the kitchen a fixin’…   Life is precious and I’m reminded time and …

I consider myself a French Dip Sandwich Connoisseur, of sorts.  It has only been my favorite sandwich for pretty much my whole life… I remember exactly when AND where I ate my first French Dip. When I was young I’d spend a few weeks every summer with my dad, grandparents, and family.  My Grandma Betty …

For those of you that like to spice it up a bit, you gotta give this Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe a try!   It’s really good but definitely on the hotter side… kinda tastes like Buffalo Chicken Wings! (and I’m not necessarily a true lover of hotness, I just occasionally give it a go!)     …

Super Bowl is just about a week away and this Sage Sausage Dip has got to be on your appetizer’s list for the BIG game!!  It’s seriously like a party in your mouth : )  I’d just plan on making a double batch cuz this amazing combination disappears in a FLASH!!  (I couldn’t even hardly …

Valentines Pretzel Treats are cute and tasty! They’re super easy to make to spread a little of that Valentine’s love around : ) My friend Clare brought something similar to bowling a couple of weeks ago so I snagged her idea but made them cutsie for Valentines Day!!  (her version had a pecan on top …

I LOVE to make homemade spaghetti sauce when our garden is on and I have tonz of fresh vegetables to play with, but when it’s wintertime I fall back on these Quick Spaghetti and Focaccia Bread recipes! Quick Spaghetti is waayyy better than anything from a jar and nearly as speedy to throw together!  We …

I saw this Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf on www.sweetpeaskitchen.com and I thought to myself, “what a wonderful combination!!” I’ve just got to try this Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf… as I read the recipe  I was a little suprised to see a 1/2 C oil in there with all that moist yogurt! SO, I decided to replace half …

Chocolate Banana Smoothie is just a little something I whipped up this morning!  It’s yummy with Chocolate Whey Protein Powder but if you only have Chocolate syrup then that’d work just fine too!  Even the non-chocolate lovers in our house like it!  (YES, those people exist!) Enjoy this  Chocolate Banana Smoothie any day of the …

Our Southern Black Beans and Rice Recipe is one of those slow cooker recipes that you just keep coming back to–it’s that good! Southern black beans get a lot of their flavor from the ham hock that slowly cooks all day long with it. Southern ham and rice recipes are just about the tastiest recipe …

I thought I’d share these Valentine 3-2-1 Cookies since Valentines is practically around the corner… I seriously can’t believe how fast time flies these days!! Crazy-ness, I tell ya!   I think I’ll sprinkle in a few Valentines ideas between now and the BIG day just to make it fun : ) This cookie recipe is …

I guess I’m on a bit of an oatmeal smoothie kick, I saw this Raspberry Oatmeal Smoothie on my friend, Heather’s pinterest board!  I thought I’d give it a try… about the only thing I’d change is to use cooked whole oats.  (Uncooked seemed a little powdery or something??)  It definitely tastes better with cooked …

Before we get into the Spiced Lentil Soup… there’s a little something you should know!!  Last spring my son Jake went bear hunting with my husband and my dad. You might wonder what would possess a 12 year old to want to shoot a bear?  I wondered myself!!  The winter before he went to hunters …

Spiced Sour Cream Waffles are just lovely for a Sunday morning brunch…  which is a MUST DO around our house!  Nothing like a lazy Sunday morning with a nice late Brunch to refuel the family for the up coming week!!   These waffles are made with 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour, low fat …

I really like shrimp linguine, most of the kids do not, so last weekend when we had some kid-free time I made this Mediterranean Shrimp Linguine!  It was so good… mmmm, mmm!  The sauce for this Mediterranean Shrimp Linguine is chicken broth based and it doesn’t have a ton of cheese and NOT a drop …

This Healthy Cashew Chicken Recipe is not only healthy for you it’s FUN to eat!! aka… tastes good!  It doesn’t taste like it’s “good” for you and that’s a really great sign : )  So, this Healthy Cashew Chicken Recipe is made with agave which is a sweetener.   I LOVE agave!  (I use it in …

YUM, YUM, YUMMY… is all I can say about Banana Oatmeal Smoothie!!  Really, I was surprised at how good it was.  Oatmeal in a smoothie? (I  asked myself) Can it really be good enough to post?  Well… I was pleasantly surprised!!  Banana Oatmeal Smoothie is like breakfast in a running out the door, in hurry, …