Pecan Pie Mini Tarts

I needed a sweet holiday fix.  One that was miles away from chocolate.  Being that I'm more of a vanilla girl and my soulmate is a choc-aholic, every now and again chocolate and I have to take a break. 

This recipe was heaven sent, and they're dainty and lovely to boot.  The caramely filling and cream cheese crust are a positively scrumptious pairing. 

Copycat: Wingers Wings & Amazing Sauce

These wings really are off-the-hook amazing.  I very rarely fry anything- for health, & because I hate the messy oil cleanup.  But these are worth it, and surprisingly easy!  My dragon slayer recently went to Wingers and was happy to report that mine are much better.  He's brutally honest with my cooking, and so this was a genuine compliment folks!  Impress your next football party crowd with these finger lickin' superstars.

Clam Chowder

Can I just be honest with you?  My Clam Chowder is fabulous.  I doth proclaim it from the roof tops, that I swear it's better than Ivar's and those San Franciscan chowder bowls that I'd heard so much about.  Big talk?  Indeed.  Try it out and you'll see. 

Belly Button Soup

Oh stop it.  You have to admit that the name is fitting.  This hearty flavorful soup has always been a family favorite, and it never fails to remind me of my lovely Madre and her good home cookin'.

Caprese Chicken

There are so many things I love about this dish, but the big fat juicy slices of tomato take center stage.  The aroma that will waft from your oven is phenomenal.  Crisp smoky bacon, fragrant fresh basil, all topped with a gooey slice of mozzarella.  Need I say more?  I am in love, and even my five year old has been begging me to make it again. 

Monster Meatloaf

These tasty Halloween-worthy meaty monsters will delight your little ghouls, and in truth I'll divulge that the Daddy Ghoul enjoyed them most.  Be warned: while making these bad boys you will be unable to withhold maniacal laughter and the occasional outburst of "It's Alive"!

Oreo Bat Pops

I've always wanted to try my hand at making cookie pops, but for some reason I envisioned them to be terribly messy, deeply intricate, and only for the truly crafty at heart.  I am happy to report that I was not only wrong, but these stinkin' cute cookie pops are delightfully easy to make.  Plus my girly's had a ball being my big helpers and making a few lovely deformed ones for themselves.  Yes deformed.  But cute.

Blueberry Muffins. The heavenly kind.

It has occurred to me that most anything worth baking will naturally call for the use of either butter or buttermilk.  These heavenly muffins wisely require both.  And the batter- oh trust me when I say that one taste will never suffice, and your muffins may never make it into the oven. 

The Galaxy's Best- Easy Dinner Rolls.

I meant what I said.  These pillowy rolls are so easy to make- no kneading, no letting them rise three times, or any of that nonsense.  They are perfectly fluffy, yeasty, and need no further introduction.  My only stipulation is that you try one hot out of the oven, schmear on some butter, and promptly die and go to heaven.

Broccoli Cheese Soup - done right.

This soup is the epitomy of comfort food.  This week our weather has suddenly turned to Fall, and this annual phenomenon never fails to get me gleefully excited about soup.  This one is gloriously creamy, cheesy, and with lovely vegetables left honest and chunky-as they should be. 

Honey Lime Enchiladas

This is officially my new favorite enchilada recipe.  It's both deliciously flavorful and very easy- which is a big deal for me these days.  The lime and honey is a killer flavor combination, and you'll love the creamy sauce which gives the dish an enchilada-suiza-esque flair.  Put this one on the menu, you won't regret it.  Cross my heart.

Macaroni Salad - Hawaiian Plate Lunch Style

This recipe brings me back to my very first introduction to the Hawaiian Plate Lunch. Confession: I still dream about that day. I was in Kona, 18 years old and completely oblivious to the future obsession that I would develop for duplicating that irresistible Polynesian cuisine. This mac salad recipe is spot on, it's a perfect balance of flavor and texture, and a cool creamy side kick that compliments the more bold and often spicy tropical flavors you'd enjoy with a traditional Plate Lunch. Heck it'd go well with just about anything, but the next time you BBQ be sure to give this one a try.

Herb-Roasted Red Potatoes

These are roasted potatoes at their best.  Bold and savory, they won't disappoint.

Bruschetta

Can something so simple actually taste this phenomenal?  You bet.  If you're lucky enough to pull some vine ripened tomatoes off of your very own plant or to snatch some seasonal ones up at your local farmers market.  Then in terms of Bruschetta, you've won the lottery.  But for the rest of us subjected to dire predicament of shelf ripened grocery produce- inhale deeply and know that even inferior tomatoes can produce knock-your-socks-off Bruschetta.  The real knitty gritty is that I've never once not loved this stuff.  Reward yourself and whip up a batch, you'll thank yourself later.

Brick-oven-like Pizza, at home.



The heavens have opened my friends.  Fabulous home made brick-oven-like pizza is rather easy.  Yes I said it.  Easy!  Albeit I will admit that my path to painless pizza making has not been purely smooth sailing.  A low point being five bowls of various yeast proofing experiments, which speaks volumes doesn't it?  However that is where my well earned tips and tricks will invariably help you to meet with much success.  Before you know it you'll be steering clear of the frozen pizza aisle & deleting the delivery pizza chains from your cell phone contacts list.  That's right.  This is life altering folks.