Quinoa Granola Recipe

I have made granola multiple ways from traditional to grain-free, with peanut butter and a salted dark chocolate version, too.  It’s easy to make, which is great because good quality (key words) store-bought granola is super pricey and often too sweet for me.  Two of the main reasons I cook as much as I can at home are to control both the ingredients and the proportions.  As I have mentioned of late, I am a little disappointed in many manufacturers spraying their wheat and oat crops with glyphosate, a toxin found in Roundup and what some are saying could be the reason so many of us have leaky gut and the subsequent ramifications from that.  Although buying organic should protect us from glyphosate, tests have shown otherwise.  Of course, there are many companies who work diligently to avoid using glyphosate, and it’s up to us consumers to contact them to ask if their products have been tested.Continue reading

Oven Baked Giant Beans With Tomato, Dill and Feta Recipe

My friend Devon, the one who also gave me the recipe for my favorite Spicy Guava Tequila cocktail, served us these unbelievable giant Greek beans for dinner one night and I immediately asked for the recipe.  Not only did Devon give me the recipe, but sent me home with some leftover beans, too.  I stashed them away in my second fridge in the garage so that I wouldn’t have to share with my husband.  I had a selfish moment, but I redeemed myself by making a whole baking dish of these beans soon thereafter.Continue reading

Apple Crumble Cake Recipe

 

The only professional sport I watch on TV is football.  I used to follow tennis since that’s the only sport I actually play, and I still occasionally watch a grand slam tournament.  My maternal grandfather sat me down in front of the television one Saturday afternoon when I was about 7 years old and started to teach me the game of football.  It was a Penn State game, since he grew up outside of State College, Pennsylvania and several of his brothers and family members attended the school.  He was a die hard fan and actually resembled then-coach, Joe Paterno.Continue reading

Oven Baked Eggplant with Olives, Capers and Basil Recipe

Thanks for waiting for me, friends.  I’m back and taking it all one day at a time.  Nothing else I can say at this point.  I appreciate this beautiful community I have built here and the outpouring of love and support you have given me.  No words can truly express my gratitude for your friendship this past week.Continue reading

Mixed Greens With Green Beans, Almonds and Dried Cherry Vinaigrette Recipe

Photographs by Aliza Sokolow

I almost saved this recipe to post in November for Thanksgiving.  You can certainly print it and file it away in your Thanksgiving binder, but I find that recipes bookmarked for Thanksgiving never see the light of day outside of the holiday.  I never make stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, corn pudding, and many other recipes other than one day of the year.  This is not that recipe. Part of me likes having one hit wonder recipes on Thanksgiving.  It makes the holiday feel special.  But I make this salad all summer long and into early fall.Continue reading

Farro with Golden Beets, Cucumber, Feta and Mint Vinaigrette recipe

I recently made this recipe from deep in my archives.  It’s always on the summer rotation, but this last time I decided to tweak the vinaigrette a little to make it punchier – yum! Even better.  And while I was at it, I re-photographed the dish since the blog photos needed a facelift.  I thought I would re-post the revamped recipe right before Labor Day weekend since it is THE PERFECT salad to serve or bring to a get-together.  The rest of this post is from the original!Continue reading

Peach Salad with Chili and Lime Recipe

Did you know August is national peach month?  It is peak peach season right now and we are enjoying them in every meal, both sweet and savory.  Peaches are my husband’s favorite fruit and probably in my top 3.  One of the things I find so interesting about produce is how many varieties exist of any particular kind of fruit or vegetable.  There are actually well over a hundred different types of peaches!  When I was growing up, we had one peach tree and it would give us all its fruit at once.  We would also go peach picking at a farm on the East end of Long Island.  I used to take my kids there as well when we were visiting my parents.  So much fun picking and then creating deliciousness with all our peaches.Continue reading

Yerba Mate Slushie Recipe

This post is sponsored by the National Institute for Argentine Yerba Mate. All opinions are my own.

I feel like I have barely gotten into the summer groove and there are kids already back in school.  Say what???  Well, the writing is on the wall and I know my son will be back to the regularly scheduled programming before he knows it. It’s a rough adjustment for me in many ways, between waking up earlier and being really organized with all meals, to keeping up with all the driving to activities and such.  Plus, have you noticed it’s still really hot out??Continue reading