I have to confess that I have never been much of a cyclist. I finally learned how to ride a bike—mostly because I was embarrassed that my younger sister was (literally) riding circles around me. We would go out riding occasionally, and I rode a bit when I was in college, but it has never …
Continue reading “Put a little pep in your pasta with veggies and feta”
I bought so many mushrooms this week. And when I tell you that even the cashier at our local grocery store asked me what was up with the mushrooms, you know I definitely bought more than a normal person does. What can I say? I love a good sale. And this sale included big, beautiful …
Continue reading “Cap off this week with a yummy spinach mushroom lasagna”
Quite a number of years ago, when we put our house on the market, our realtor gave us some tips for keeping our home ready for showings. In addition to keeping things clean and organized, he encouraged us to pin back the curtains for plenty of natural light and begged us to take a break …
Continue reading “Meat is ‘naan’ essential for this potato and chickpea curry”
I’ve written before that I have some random, mostly mild food allergies that make certain recipes difficult for me. Specifically, tomatoes cause me trouble, and I have to limit how often I include them in my diet, no matter how much I love them. Because of that, I’m sympathetic to readers who sometimes email me …
Continue reading “Customizable pasta dish is worth every ‘penne’”
Last week, I knew I was going to be doing dinner on my own one evening, because Joey was going to be gone for a bowling tournament. I immediately combed through my saved recipes on Pinterest, trying to decide what new recipe I’d try while he was away. I originally chose something I knew he …
Continue reading “Cannellini beans and garlic make a soup that’s just ‘white’”
In an online article, author Ossiana Tepfenhart explains that there are lots of foods we now consider “fancy” that were once “poor man’s food.” Dishes that fit the bill include lobster, oysters and even caviar. Another dish that she could have included? Ratatouille. The summer stew, native to Nice, France, was once considered a humble …
Continue reading “Want to be a French chef? You can d’ouille’ it!”
Despite some of the balmier days lately, I’m certain autumn is upon us after seeing multiple “It’s fall, ya’ll” signs around town. Fall is always my favorite time of year, mostly because I’m excited to have slightly cooler temperatures that let me pull out my favorite sweatshirts, and I can start cooking up soup as …
Continue reading “Make a great week even ‘Moroccan’ with veggie stew”
Until I began this column, I had no idea how many variations of pasta there are. I used to think I was pretty knowledgeable until I continued to discover new types that often were tough to find in small-town Kansas grocery stores. My recipe this week called for ziti, a tube-shaped pasta I’m definitely familiar …
Continue reading “Let’s embrace the ‘pasta’bilities this week”
Well, I did it to myself again. I noticed a lonely bag of 60-cent lentils sitting at my local grocery store, and I decided to bring them home and figure out what to make with them. I mean, 60 cents? Who can resist such a bargain? I’ve only made lentils once before, for a soup, …
Continue reading “Recipe proves you don’t know ‘lentil’ you try”
The National Museum of American History notes that Americans started looking for different ways to enjoy outdoor grilling after World War II. Part of the craze was impacted by people who traveled around the world and discovered they enjoyed the tropical flavors of the Caribbean and of Southeast Asia, which meant that the hibachi grill …
Continue reading “This soup is clearly the best way to start a meal”
