This post is the newest in my series as a proud 2013 Kraft Tastemakers team member. All opinions remain, as always, my own. Do you feel that weather shifting the way I do? School is back in session and the brisk autumn winds are beginning to supplant the lazy summer breezes. This makes my heart sing. I love sweaters, thick socks, boots, and scarves, but even more than the clothes (which I love WAY TOO MUCH for the good of my budget) I live for the shift in food. Summer, for all its ‘relaxing’, is a time of manic canning and food preservation for me. Fall –jack rabbit schedule and all- is a time of contemplative food: bubbling View Post
Salted Pepita Brittle | Homemade Candy
Yeah. I know. It's not OFFICIALLY fall yet, but PEOPLE. I can't wait one more second. The breezes are decidedly turning into gusty fall ones. The sky is taking on that gun-metal hue. The leaves are changing colour and I. Want. Fall. Food. So, I'm sorry if you're in the "TOO SOON" camp, but this is happening and it's starting now, so brace yourself if you're unprepared. I present to you, Salted Pepita Brittle. And all God's people said, "Amen!" Can I just say, "Whoa!"? This is obscenely delicious. It's everything a brittle should be: buttery, sweet, salty, cracklingly crunchy, and chock full of pepitas (raw, shelled pumpkin seeds). Have View Post
Whiskey Peach Cobbler: Last Minute Dessert
Up here in rural New York, we are diving head-first into peach season. I have a half bushel sitting on my counter staring at me right now, and I'm tucking peaches into just about every jar, mouth, and dish that I can. Whiskey and peaches are a match made in heaven. Sweet, perfumed, juicy peaches just seem to get along beautifully with the smoky, woody whiskey. When they're paired with a soft buttery cake and a quick caramel syrup that bubbles up and forms a sticky crust around the corners, you are pretty much guaranteed some bliss. Done in under an hour and designed to be served warm, you still have time to pop this in the oven and View Post
Bacon Horseradish Mustard
Bacon. Horseradish. Mustard. Is there anyone else out there other than me for whom this is a mega drool-inducing trifecta of tastiness? Any one of those things on its own and I would be a very happy girl. And you know what? I can't claim credit for the idea. This bit of brilliance is straight from the mind of my fifteen year old son. My boy. I'm so proud. I was making that Bacon Horseradish Potato Salad a while back and he said, "Hey. Why don't you do Bacon Horseradish Mustard?" I asked, "What would I put it on?" He responded, "A spoon." Again? So proud. I have a longstanding policy of actually trying to make recipe ideas my View Post
Watermelon Lime Sorbet, Frozen Watermelon Margaritas and a Mocktail
I love Independence Day. Maybe it has something to do with my ever so slight problem with authority. (I can hear my dad and mom laughing from here.) Maybe it's because the hair stands up on my arms and a chill runs down my spine every time I hear a snare drum and a patriotic song. Perhaps it's because I love to see the flash and colour of the fireworks reflected back from my kids' wide eyes. ...Or maybe it's the food. Okay. It's mostly the food. The truth is that this time of year is a food lover's heaven. Fresh berries, tender lettuce, grilled meats, herbs snatched and munched on from the garden... Good golly! I could eat from dawn View Post
Garlic Bagel Chips | Make Ahead Mondays
Garlic Bagel Chips rock my Casbah. I'm pretty sure just about everyone out there has tried them at one time or another, but it should come as no surprise that the homemade variety -fresh and crisp and hot- from your own oven is THAT much better. That they're ridiculously simple to make is icing on the cake ...Or cream cheese on the bagel, if you will. There are really only two tricks you need to keep in mind when making your own bagel chips. Do not eat the bagels you intend to turn into chips. Don't laugh. I really need this reminder. Take your time slicing the bagels. Ultimately, the direction you cut the bagel doesn't matter View Post
Pulled Pork Walking Tacos
First, I need to get something out of the way. Isn't my boy adorable? Look at those eyes. That face. That smile. This boy melts my heart. Now, let's talk about what he's holding in his hands that's causing that smile. It's that GO GO GO GO time of year. Everything from buds on trees to school schedules is running at breakneck speed toward an explosion of greenery and excitement. Snow has melted here and whether it stays that way remains to be seen, we ARE in New York State after all. The kids, however, are busy puddle jumping, creek stomping, tree climbing, and biking like it's their job. I suppose it is. Busy days and activity filled View Post
Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | Make Ahead Mondays
That is a sandwich you need in your life right now. Luckily, it takes little time to accomplish such a sandwich even though the Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken is made in the slow-cooker. Before I go any further, I'd like to thank Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen for her original recipe that inspired my version you're seeing here today. Now, let's get into what makes this chicken so very good. I am a chicken breast lover in a dark meat chicken loving household. Most often, I use chicken thighs because it seems to be a happy medium and it's usually far less expensive per pound. This chicken, however, starts with boneless, skinless chicken breast. View Post
Pulled Pork Baked Potato Skins
I think it's only fair I warn you I may not be held responsible for the number of exclamation points I use because I. Am. So. EXCITED! I have a simple, fabulous recipe to share with you AND I have a super, fantastic giveaway, too. Let's start with the recipe because it's almost Super Snack, er Bowl, Sunday. If you have leftover baked potatoes and pulled pork you're already halfway there. It's hard to imagine an easier appetizer unless it comes out of a box. The potatoes are halved and halved again, scooped to leave just a bit of potato behind in the skins, brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, then baked 'til golden brown and View Post
Best Basic Deviled Eggs with Topping Ideas
There are a lot of people who freak out a little when they draw deviled egg duty. Because it's something that's been such a mainstay of the party scene for so long, everyone knows how they're supposed to taste and look and -let's be honest- if your grandma, mom, or Aunt Molly didn't share deviled egg tricks with you, the little beasts can be awfully stressful to make. Is there anyone out there who has run to the store to buy eggs to make deviled eggs (or gone out to the chicken coop to grab fresh eggs for the project), popped them in the pan, boiled and cooled the eggs and then been utterly frustrated by the shells pulling off great chunks View Post