Whenever we're short on time or having friends for the weekend... and I need an absolutely delicious but quick to prepare dinner, I always turn to my amazing and easy beef taco meat recipe.   It's always a favorite and I love how those who try it for the first time are surprised and delighted by the unexpected ingredient. The main ingredient in standard taco fare is usually ground beef.  I make a delicious southwest chicken meal, too.  But for the beef lovers, this is a standout with a myriad of wonderful flavors.     Since tomorrow is Cinco de … [Read more...]

  Make Easter dinner a SNAP! Serve up this No Bake! Deliciously Easy Lemony Bird's Nest Dessert.         Between church and dinner and the egg hunt, there's so much to prepare for on Easter Day. Make it easy on yourself and fun this year with this yummy Easter treat topped off with everybody's favorite... Peeps!  Plus, everything can be gathered and prepared in advance for easy serving. I can guarantee that your guests will LOVE this light springtime dessert. But the best part is that it makes life EASY for you on a super busy day. It's a double … [Read more...]

  How do you like to eat fresh picked blueberries? When it's blueberry season our family's favorite blueberry food, aside from blueberry buckle coffee cake, is blueberry pancakes.  Or at least it was until I decided to make blueberry waffles.     The thing is, the stove in our apartment has the most uneven burners ever.  Everything slides to one side of the pan. Making pancakes on the stove is sheer craziness.  So when Tim suggested we make pancakes for our Sunday brunch I got all twitchy... until I remembered I have a waffle iron. My waffle iron was purchased a while back for … [Read more...]

  Adventuring... it's my very favorite springtime activity.  There's nothing like the exhilaration of discovering tiny whorls of spring green pushing through the thick decaying blanket of brown covering the woodland floor or spying the first marsh marigolds in the wetlands or catching sight of the elusive Baltimore oriole that beckons us with his melodious song. My husband and I love to get out in the early light of the morning.  It's the best for picture taking, but it also feels like we are on a holy adventure.  There's something extraordinary about the world waking up for the day and being a part of … [Read more...]

  Yesterday I had one of those days. You know the kind... where you open every possible drawer and cabinet looking for that elusive piece of chocolate. Because. Chocolate. I'm not an emotional eater, but sometimes, a piece of something chocolate assuages those frayed nerves. If your favorite go-to sweet is chocolate then you are in for a treat!  Oh yes!! We discovered NINE wonderful chocolate recipes to make from this week's Project Inspire{d} link party. They all look amazing!  In fact, this weekend I'm pretty sure you'll be making one. These Fudgy Rollo Brownies from My Suburban Kitchen especially … [Read more...]

  As March roars in like a lion, there's nothing better than some good comfort food to warm me.... body and soul. And it must be quick and easy to prepare.     Goulash, with those cute elbow macaroni, fits the bill and is a long time favorite of ours... except pasta doesn't like me.   Between giving me achy elbows (Funny coincidence, huh?) and pushing the number up on the scale, I needed another option.  So one day when I accidently discovered that my favorite vegetable, wax beans, are available canned, I decided to experiment.  This happy pairing provided me with the perfect option … [Read more...]

  Are you Irish?  I'm not.  Good thing we don't need our veins to flow with Irish blood to enjoy celebrating St. Patrick's Day... especially when it comes to some delicious sweet treats.  I'm a huge fan of peppermint desserts and a delicious minty treat is definitely my pot of gold. You have actually hit a "pot of gold" in recipes that will be a huge hit for sure.  The Minty Shamrock Cheese Ball has captured my interest and I think I just might need to make that for my small group meeting the week of St. Paddy's Day.  There are a dozen treats and drinks here that you'll want … [Read more...]

  Wouldn't you love to bake and Package a Chocolate Valentine's Day Gift  for family and friends using recycled items and things you have on hand? This edition of Make Something from Nothing is all about Valentine's Day Gifts!     Who knew recycled tuna cans and cardboard saltine cracker boxes would help make these adorable and delicious gifts you'll LOVE to give?   Be sure to stay until the end to see the creative gift ideas my friends, Jennifer and Mary Beth are sharing this month too.   What's your love language? Is it receiving gifts, words of … [Read more...]

  Tell me I'm not alone... the BEST part of a Super Bowl party is the FOOD!  Yes? Maybe you're a fan of the commercials? Now that we get a preview of the crazy expensive commercials via social media ahead of the big game, well, that sort of takes away from the fun.  But the food... seriously... it hardly matters who wins or loses (Haha! This year I don't even know who's playing!! I know!!) if you're in the company of good fans / friends and amazing food. That's why I'm excited for this week's features from Project Inspire{d}.  There are some truly crazy good recipe ideas you'll want to check out and … [Read more...]

  It's been cold here in the Great Lakes!  And there's nothing better to beat back the cold than a hot steamy bowl of homemade soup.  Mmm. Good! Nearly every week, I'll roast a chicken, remove the meat from the bones, and gently simmer the bones and some veggies for at least 24 hours so I can have the elixir of the gods... delicious, healing, bone broth.  Often I made homemade chicken soup with the broth.  Sometimes I go wild and make another hearty soup, but chicken is our mainstay.  We love it and enjoy it for several days.  That means I have simplified my meal planning in a BIG way.  I love not … [Read more...]

  If you love cornbread and are looking for a way to make it a nutritional powerhouse for breakfast, then I've got an... Easy and Hearty Breakfast Muffin Recipe for You   Do you ever go through your pantry and wonder how did you ever get a box of such and such?  It's crazy how things appear out of no-where.  As a true northerner, I always pass on cornbread.  So why would I have a cornbread muffin mix in my pantry?  I haven't figured that out.  But, shortly after discovering it (and wondering who I could pass it off to) a cornbread breakfast muffin recipe landed in my inbox.  Typically I wouldn't … [Read more...]

  Here we are... Christmas Eve Eve! Are you ready?  Today I'm having a friend over and doing a little baking for tomorrow, it's kind of nice to not have to be running all over the place or scurrying for last minute gifts.  I did that yesterday.  And with two short stops it was done.  Yay! In the midst of the hustle and bustle, I hope that you're able to take a few minutes with a cup of tea, music low, lights low, the tree glowing, and sit.  And in those moments ponder the reason for this great expenditure of effort and energy.  May your heart be overwhelmed with the reason... the gift... God's amazing … [Read more...]

  Just when you think you can't add one more think to your holiday to-do list, you realize you have forgotten about dessert.  Sure there are plenty of Christmas cookies, but really, you want to have a dessert to finish off your meal.  I have a wonderful and easy holiday cake recipe for you that's absolutely delicious and is filled with the flavors of the season. It's a cake mix recipe that's been tweaked so you can say it's homemade. [wink]       I LOVE egg nog for Christmas and New Years celebrations.  There is something about that flavor mix that is so very festive. What I … [Read more...]

  When it's cold outside, there's nothing I like better than a delicious cup of hot cocoa. If you're like me... you'll be excited to see all the fabulous winter and holiday drink recipes we lined up for you!  This week at Project Inspire{d} there was a trove of sweet liquid deliciousness just waiting for you. Since I'm a huge fan of hot chocolate AND smores, this Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate from my friend, Randi, of Dukes and Dutchesses make me grab a napkin.  There just might have been a wee bit of drooling when I saw her yummy winter drink.   Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate And … [Read more...]

  What is there about peppermint and Christmas?  If you're like me and love peppermint you are in luck!   This week at Project Inspire{d} we were blessed with some amazingly tasty and delicious peppermint treats you'll want to make for your family and friends. Usually, we have a small dish of peppermint ice cream with an extra fancy cookie at the conclusion of our Christmas dinner.  Just the perfect bit of sweetness to finish the meal.  This year, I'll make one of these delectable peppermint treats instead.  There are so many yummy ones to choose from... Deb from Cooking on the Front Burner … [Read more...]

  Thanksgiving will be here in a flash!  Get ahead of the game with these 16 yummy turkey recipes and fun turkey crafts.      Are you looking for ways to make your turkey extra delicious.  Then you'll want to try this herb roasted turkey recipe from Cooking with Curls.  I've done something similar when roasting chicken, but this looks absolutely delicious and it's really simple to do, too.     If your Thanksgiving celebration includes children... or at least the young at heart... you'll want to make or help the children make some cute turkey crafts.  The thankful … [Read more...]

  The leaves are falling, the air is crisp, and coming inside to a warm bowl of chili or soup is comfort food at its best!   We LOVE soup at our house and right now I have a pot of bone broth just waiting in the fridge to be filled with meat and veggies.  YUM! I have to tell you... I was super impressed with the variety of recipes this week.  A couple really caught my eye.  Jenny from Honey and Birch created a Roasted Red Pepper and Brie Soup that sounds amazing.  I love the idea of having a delicious chili waiting for me when I get home and this recipe for Pineapple Black Bean Slow Cooker Turkey … [Read more...]