Roasted Red Pepper Dip

I have a note on our kitchen bulletin board. The note is the last one my mother wrote to my daughter before she died. Mom secretly stuffed it in her lunch box on the way to day camp.  My daughter, then 6, thought enough of the note to save it and to not throw it away like any 6 year old would in the fury of scavenging for their lunch food. So, you can imagine how my heart raced when a childhood friend posted a handwritten recipe card of Mom’s in a Facebook message to me. The Roasted Red Pepper Dip recipe!  I remember eating it … [Read more...]

Three Fruit Dips

There's nothing better during the summertime than freshly picked fruit - especially all of the seasonal melons readily available at the local farm stands. Fruit is always enjoyed in my home: baked in homemade pies, boiled down to jams, sliced and sprinkled over top our cereal, grilled, steeped in sangria.  You name it, we try to integrate it wherever. But, it's time to give fruit the spot light it deserves.  Instead of adding fruit to other dishes, let's focus on the fruit itself. My latest article at P&G Home Made Simple features … [Read more...]

Video: How to Make Pesto

 if you're viewing this through RSS feed or email, click over to site to view video Pesto sauce is my family's favorite new spread! We now add it to everything from pasta, to eggs, to sandwiches; we're always looking for more ways of integration. This summer, we had a similar epiphany with pesto as we did with guacamole:  there's no need to waste money purchasing store-bought containers.  It is SO easy to make at home and it tastes unbelievable. What's the best part about pesto?  There aren't many ingredients involved and, it freezes well.  … [Read more...]

Apple Butter

  Yesterday would have been Mom’s 70th birthday. While I’ve tried so desperately to celebrate her life through her culinary legacy, it’s inevitable: her absence is always felt.  Every day. For the past four years. This weekend, I kept myself busier than usual so I wouldn’t focus on this unwelcomed anniversary. I celebrated fall with my family.  We pumpkin picked.  We painted pumpkins. We carved pumpkins. We made pumpkin seeds. We apple picked. And now, I’m back in my city apartment, staring down 20 pounds of apples and two … [Read more...]