"Fried" Ice Cream

Mmm! I love fried ice cream. But it is a lot of work & I think the fried oil is a little smelly. Here's an "un-fried" easy twist on the original & it tastes a lot like the real thing! 

Sugared Almonds - Our Neighbor Gift This Year

We're making sugared cinnamon almonds for our neighbor gifts this year. They are so yummy & really easy to prepare. 

A Free Recipe Book Just for You

I just noticed I've been blogging about food a lot lately! My secret is out - I love good to share good food with family & friends during this wonderful time of the year. 

Book Club Dinner Party & Some Recipes You're Gonna Love!

My book club is filled with such wonderful women who are the absolutely BEST cooks. I'm excited to share our Christmas dinner party & some of the recipes with you.

Yam Casserole Recipe - One of My All Time Favorites!

We make this dish every Thanksgiving and Christmas . . . and sometimes on Easter.  But we seldom make it at other times of the year. Why? Because it is SO good {and deliciously fattening}, that it is hard not to overindulge. So, we "save" it for special occasions. 

Thanksgiving Blessings & a Mashed Potato Cooking Tip

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are having a wonderful day. Sis's table was so beautiful. She used her grandmother's Minton bone china. I love the beautiful burgundy & turquoise floral pattern. She used these colors with gold thrown in.  Gorgeousness!!

Favorite Holiday Recipes

Oh wow, "the most wonderful time of the year" is upon us. It is almost Thanksgiving, closely {a little TOO closely} followed by the joys of Christmas. One of the best things about these wonderful holidays is sharing good food with those we love. 

Here a few of our favorites that we just can't live without. {Just click on the title to go to the recipe.}

I'm starting with an unusual side dish {but it's kinda like a dessert} - Cinnamon Red Hot Jello. It's delicious & unique & we love it!

White Chili Recipe - A Great Twist on an Old Favorite

It just seems like it's more fun to cook when the weather is cold outside! So I've been pulling out all my favorite soup recipes. The tried-and-true recipe I'm sharing with you today is from a food storage class. {That's why it has lots of canned options in the ingredients. All the options turn out well.}

Hearty Taco Soup

Here in Utah, our favorite season is upon us & that means hot cocoa, cozy evenings at home, & hearty soup! Taco soup is one of our favorite soup recipes. It is always a hit when I make it to share with someone & it is one of my son, Christian's favorites. Sis just made it for us when we visited her cabin in the mountains. It was delicious!

Book Club with Pinterest Recipes

It's so fun when it's my turn to host book club. When choosing what to serve, I decided to try a few of those Pinterest recipes that have been piling up!

The Manchester England Area & Christine's Rhubarb Crumble Recipe

Note: We recently returned from three MARVELOUS weeks in Europe! Over the next little while, I'll be sharing our adventures with you {as well as some of the things we learned}. We chose to plan our own trip because we couldn't picture ourselves on a tour bus with a bunch of other tourists. Whenever possible, I'll explore the myths & stereotypes that I've always heard & if they are true or not. I'm going to be honest about our opinions & experiences - in doing so, I hope I don't offend anyone.

After days of staying in hotels, it was such fun to stay in Oldham with friends. My son got to know The Smiths {not their real name} when he served a mission for our church in that area. They were so kind to welcome us into their darling English home. 

John - in his gardening hat & Christine. Yes - the fuschia flowers hanging by their door ARE real!

What's for Supper? Cilantro Lime Chicken

Looking for something to cook for supper? I love to make this yummy chicken on the grill.

My Bridal Shower Menu & Chocolate Covered Pretzel Favors

When planning the food for a recent bridal shower, I realized that there is kind of a formula for feeding women: 

Salad + Bread + Fruit + Sweets = Success!

Luscious Lemon Bars

I admit it, I'm really picky about lemon bars. 

I love lemon anything, but not all lemon bars are created equal! After years of searching, I finally found the perfect recipe.
{Shared with permission from my domestic goddess friend, Katie - who is an EXCELLENT cook.}

Water Punch

Today I'm sharing a favorite recipe with you for a really delicious beverage. We call it Water Punch.

The recipe is super easy. 

Downton Abbey Refreshments - Cucumber Punch & Scones

There's a virus spreading like wildfire -

it's DOWNTONABBEYITIS!

Have you been infected?

I admit it - I have.

Source

Easy Fruit Dip Recipes for Your Holiday Entertaining

At almost every gathering we host at our house,

I like to have a fruit tray.

They're healthy, colorful & delicious.

Today I'm sharing two

 no-fail Fruit Dip Recipes

that I love to serve . . . and eat!

My Favorite Fruit Dip

• 8 oz. strawberry cream cheese, softened
• 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream 
• 1 Tbsp. orange juice

Wisk ingredients together. It's so easy & so delicious.

Kathy's Fruit Dip

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 - 6 oz cups Light Yoplait Lemon Chiffon Pie yogurt
• 7 oz jar marshmallow cream
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. lemon juice.

Wisk ingredients & enjoy!

A Great Soup Recipe for the Chilly Weather

One great thing about the 

chilly fall weather

is that it makes cooking much more fun.

When we want to warm up with comfort food,

I adore this easy 

Corn Chowder Soup.

Here's the recipe . . .

Corn Chowder

{from michellelunt.com}

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 3 large potatoes, peeled & finely chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups frozen corn {I like white corn}
• 1/2 cup half & half
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• salt & freshly-ground pepper to taste
• pre-cooked bacon {garnishment}
• chives {garnishment}

Melt butter in a stock pot. Add onion, celery & potatoes. Saute' about 5 minutes. {Stir so it doesn't stick.} Add chicken broth & boil about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Add corn. cook 5 minutes more. Add half & half, soup, salt, & pepper. Garnish with crumbled bacon & chives.

Mmmm - it's so good!

What We'll Be Serving at Our Halloween Party - HOMEMADE SALSA!

Hunny & I are hosting a

couple's costume party 

later this month & plans are in the work for the food.

{CLICK HERE if you missed our creepy invitations!}

We will be making our favorite 

Homemade Salsa.

Here are the ingredients:

Homemade Salsa

This tried-and-true recipe is always a hit at our house.

If you like cilantro, you'll love it!

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of fresh cilantro 
• 1 or 2 bunches of green onion
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 4 or 5 large tomatoes
• 1/2 - 1 Tbsp. salt

 Instructions:

Place first 3 "green" ingredients in a food processor & mince. Add garlic, tomatoes & salt. And mince finely. 

Tips:

• Serve fresh. This salsa cannot be stored! Make it right before serving.
• The heat can be controlled by adding the jalapeño a little at a time. I'm particularly wimpy about hot food, so I only use the outside of the pepper - no seeds! If my kids are making it, they use 2 jalapeños WITH the seeds! 
•  It doesn't really matter if you use yummy garden tomatoes or the practically plastic romas from the grocery store - it turns out the same.

PS - Don't you just love these orange & black tortilla chips?

A Great Recipe for Those Fresh Garden Tomatoes

Oh my goodness,

I am SO ENJOYING our garden tomatoes

this year. 

{By the way, I use a product called "Wall of Water" when I plant my tomatoes - 

which allows me to plant early & protects from frosts. So I've had tomatoes since early July.}