One of our favorite inventions of 2017 was the Pampered Chef Ceramic Egg Cooker!
It helped Todd get a hot, healthy breakfast each day using eggs and whatever leftover vegetables, meats, or cheeses - not to mention, a "Paleo-friendly" option that stayed warm for his hour-long commute! This microwavable egg cooker made breakfast on-the-go a daily reality and also helped him achieve a weight-loss goal over the summer months. His love for the egg cooker led to an office-wide interest ending with sales of over 20 Pampered Chef Ceramic Egg Cookers for his office.
We love this product! I use it to make oatmeal and Todd (and countless coworkers) use theirs at work and rave about how the food stays warm in the cooker while they make their commute (it fits in the cup-holder of a car) or eat at their desks.
This contraption makes the perfect scrambled eggs (2 eggs with 2 Tablespoons milk or water, shake with a finger over lid). It makes omelets (sausage crumbled, cheese, onion, red peppers) in under 4 minutes! We put eggs (with add-ons or leftovers such as bacon, spinach, and cheese) in for 1 minute, stir and then add 15-second intervals until you get the consistency that you want. You can also make a lighter version with 1 cup of egg whites with 2 teaspoons of salsa microwaved for 2 minutes and 45 seconds. The eggs are amazing!
This is a great gift for college students who have limited access to kitchens as you only need a microwave to make healthy, quick breakfasts or snacks.
The Ceramic Egg Cooker is easy to clean and you don't have to add oil, butter or cooking spray.
This is another great option to make in the Ceramic Egg Cooker - this Chocolate Mug Cake (flourless, gluten-free) that can be made in less than 5 minutes! Dark chocolate chips, milk, cocoa powder and one egg yolk create a decadent treat you can top with berries, whipped cream or powdered sugar.
You can alter the recipe with two swaps and make an Orange Chia Microwave Muffin by substituting the blueberries and lemon zest with 1 Tab. of chia seeds and 1 tsp. of orange zest.
About Pampered Chef
I went to my first Pampered Chef party over 18 years ago, when my first-born was a month old! I fell in love with the products and I can say that the items that I purchased at that initial party have stood the test of time and are still used and loved! I had been a customer over the years, and in early 2017, I attended my first online Pampered Chef Virtual Party on Facebook! From the comfort of my own home (dressed in my pajamas, I'm sure) I participated in my friend's Virtual Party online while I learned new techniques, watched videos of the products, and fell in love with the idea of becoming a Pampered Chef Consultant.
I took the plunge and signed up to become an Independent Pampered Chef Consultant as it aligned with my love of helping families find ways to make mealtime easier, cost-effective, and healthy so they can spend more quality time together. I love that a staff of home economists, food scientists, chefs, and dieticians develop, test, and edit more than 200 recipes each year while creating the tools, training, and tips that give everyday cooks confidence in the kitchen. Each product goes through extensive testing in the Test Kitchens and Quality Labs.
For more than 35 years, Pampered Chef has helped create countless mealtime moments with friends and family through high-quality, everyday cooking tools and inspiration, while providing cooking consultants with a flexible opportunity to build a business around his or her own lifestyle, goals, and passions.
Please visit my Independent Consultant Pampered Chef website at https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/nicoleengstrom to learn what Pampered Chef has to offer!
Reviews of Home Chef, Hello Fresh, and Blue Apron Meal Delivery Services
Buddy can't wait to see what is inside the Blue Apron box delivery!
In anticipation of a busy season with work and school commitments for our family, we decided to try the Meal Delivery Services of three companies - Blue Apron, Home Chef, and Hello Fresh. For those not familiar with this type of service, companies assemble all the fresh and healthy ingredients needed to make a pre-determined number of meals. They provide all the ingredients needed (minus olive oil, salt, and pepper) to create meals complete with recipes selected to showcase seasonal produce. An insulated box with ice packs arrives at your door, ready for assembly.
Always ready to provide feedback, our family of four (to include two teens who like to scrutinize meal selections) prepared to review the three companies' boxes of ingredients. After 10 months of subscribing to these companies (and staggering orders based on the weekly menus or based upon our family's schedule), I feel that we can provide an honest weigh-in of our opinion of the services.
I will admit that I love this concept. I dislike grocery shopping. We have limited specialty items and an even more limited specialty produce selection, locally. This service has saved me more than once as I have had all the ingredients ready to pull together for a healthy delicious meal in under 30 minutes (for the most part). We have ventured far beyond our quick-meal dinner repertoire and we have saved from eating out as often as we had in years past during busy seasons. I also loved that I had professional chefs designing seasonal recipes that eliminated my need to stress about meal planning and budgeting grocery expenditures. The flexible service allows users to pick and choose meals that appeal to your tastes, diet preferences, and often times your schedule. I appreciated the ability to skip a week when the menu did not work for my family or if our schedule had us out of town.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron was the first company we tried and we fell in love immediately. We were sent fresh produce and organic meats and seafood that we would normally not be able to find, locally. The portions were perfect for the four of us, leaving no waste (and no leftovers for my husband's lunch). Recipes were creative, unique, and allowed us to explore new cuisines that we had not tried prior. The teens were willing to venture into new flavor experiences. We found ourselves eating out at restaurants much less as we had all the ingredients we needed. Todd and I made the meal delivery nights into "date nights" and cooked together using the gorgeous photographed recipe cards. These meals also taught us new cooking skills. One night we roasted carrots in olive oil, garlic, and kosher salt to top the salad greens as the meal accompaniment. I can't even describe how good these carrots turned out. Another meal challenged us to slice summer squash, brush with garlic-infused olive oil, followed by grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh chives. Talk about incredible! I ended up making this for a dinner party appetizer last month - it's THAT good! I was embarrassed that we had been missing out on these roasting methods for preparing winter vegetables for years.
We rationalized the higher price as a substitute for eating out at a restaurant. We recognized we were eating more healthy and organic selections and exposing ourselves to a wider variety of cuisine options.
Some of our favorite dishes included:
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup with Yellow Curry and Mushrooms - Blue Apron's version of Tom Kha Gai with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, bok choy, and a coconut-based broth.
Chicken Souvlaki Pitas with Heirloom Tomato and Garlic-Oregano Potatoes was one of our first meals with Blue Apron and this met every family members' approval.
Spicy Pork and Korean Rice Cakes with Baby Bok Choy - cooked in a savory black bean sauce and the "beloved Korean street food (tteok) rice cakes made for such an interesting flavor combination
We found the meals to average $8.75/person but we were limited to only being able to order two meals/week.
Hello Fresh Do-It-Yourself Pork Dumplings
Hello Fresh
This company originally delivered each of the three weekly meals in smaller boxes assembled with all the necessary ingredients per recipe packaged together. Although I loved the idea of everything being packaged as one meal, the boxes didn't fit in our refrigerator. Since then, they have transitioned to smaller bags labeled with the recipe. I love that everything is ready to go. We had a few hiccups with this company missing ingredients or experiencing produce that was past it's prime, upon delivery. They were great to work with to remedy the problem and since then, they seem to have improved. The meals with this company are less adventurous than Blue Apron, and less popular with my crew.
Some of our favorite dishes included:
Chicken Pineapple Party Tacos with Bell Pepper and Fresh Radishes to include the most amazing pineapple salsa and a total prep time of only 20 minutes!
No-Fuss Pesto Chicken with Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes and Spring Salad - I went crazy when I found out that there is such as thing as "nut-free" pesto! With Bella's nut allergies, we've steered away from pesto all these years, yet these meal ingredients featured the most delicious nut-free pesto.
The Pat LaFrieda Burger with Balsamic Onions on Brioche Buns and Crispy Cauliflower Oven Fries - this Black Angus beef custom made for Hello Fresh coupled with the seasonings made for an incredible summer meal. I have always steered away from cauliflower, but after roasting the florets with panko, olive oil and seasonings, I became a fan!
Thai Beef Rice Noodle Bowls with Beef Stir Fry and Peanut Sauce - the cinnamon, cilantro, coriander, and garlic blend of seasonings made this light meal a summer weather hit.
Do-It-Yourself Pork Dumplings with Quick-Pickled Slaw and Soy Dipping Sauce - Not going to lie, this meal took a full hour to prep and cook (and that was with both Todd and I cooking via assembly-line style) but we ended up ordering these more than once. We served these to guests on two occasions as they made a bunch and everyone loves homemade pot-sticker/dumplings.
The average price per meal came to $8.75/person for a family of four to include shipping.
A Home Chef Delivery
Home Chef
As soon as I stumbled onto the Home Chef menu page, I knew that we were going to have countless recipe options that would be crowd-pleasers in our home. Sure enough, the family-friendly meal options became instant hits. We loved how these menus were also quick to get on the table. Most often, garlic was already peeled, ginger was already peeled and chopped, and portions were divided into recyclable containers for ease of preparation to cut down on the amount of time spent prepping. Although this was a benefit for our family's situation during this busy season, I also missed the idea that I was cooking entirely from scratch with the Blue Apron meals as they would send an entire head of garlic with their recipe boxes. The teens raved about the meals, and I appreciated the speed at which I could pull all the components together. Home Chef has many more weekly options to choose from and even include smoothie "kits" you can order to supplement your meal selections, seasonal specialty items, breakfast menu items, and an option to add in fresh fruit to your box. I appreciated that you can create a diet "profile" with this service and identify diet preferences to include Omnivore, Meat, Seafood, Pescatarian, Vegetarian, and Vegan and identify preferences such as gluten-free, dairy-free, low-calorie, or low-carb. With 10 weekly options, it is easy to find something for everyone. You can also select the delivery day that works best for your schedule which I appreciated, as well. You also can skip weeks as needed due to schedule or interest in the menu items.
Some of our favorite dishes included:
Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps came together in 25 minutes and tasted so fresh and healthy with the perfect amount of crunch with water chestnuts, slaw and green onions.
Mexican Street Corn Shrimp and Grits - Okay, prior to this meal, Todd and I had NEVER tasted grits! We live in the Pacific Northwest. This was hands-down our best-delivered recipe ever! With chili shrimp, roasted corn and red onions, queso fresco, and homemade lime crema - this is amazing!
Mongolian Beef with Ribeye Steak and Roasted Chinese Broccoli
Bo Ssam Steak Burrito with Pickled Onions, Persian Cucumber and Slaw
Korean Pork Noodle Bowl with Green Beans and Fresno Chili
Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl with Wontons - picture a deconstructed Egg Roll as a healthier stir-fry concoction. This was a family favorite and even met the needs of the Paleo member (minus the wontons).
Spinach and Feta-Stuffed Tart with Greek Cucumber Salad - these were one of my personal favorites as the puff pastry, baby spinach, feta and ricotta cheeses made for a meal with a huge "wow-factor" in under an hour.
All Home Chef meals are priced at $9.95 and include free shipping on orders over $45.
AND THE WINNER IS:
Home Chef
Family favorites, consistently great quality produce and proteins, and a wide variety of weekly options for menu items to choose from lead us to picking Home Chef as our favorite.
If you would like a code to try any of these delivery services for "free" for your first time, shoot me a message, and I can e-mail you a link.
20 Gift Ideas for Teenagers - The 2016 Teen Wish List
Teens can be a tough age group for Santa to shop for so we quizzed some of our favorite teens to find out what some of the favorite "wish list" gift items would be for teens in 2016.
Coffee Shop Gift Certificates or Gift Cards- Around here it's Dutch Brothers for our local teens.
Ski Equipment- goggles, ski helmet, warm ski coat, snow boots, long underwear, and waterproof socks
Watch Ya' Mouth Game- Cheek retractors are used to contort what you say leaving teens in hysterics trying to guess the phrases.
Boardless Skate Boards found at Sharper Image
Illuminated Cell Phone Case or protective cell phone cases such as a Lifeproof Case
Telestrations Game
Tenzi Dice Game
Personal Hygiene Items
Bath Bombs
Pore Professional - Operation Pore-Proof Kit
Eyebrow Kit
Blotting Papers
Charcoal Antibacterial Brush Set
Ceramic Hair Curling Iron
Nanami Portable Bluetooth Speaker, LED Alarm Clock, Thermometer, and Wireless Charger
Hunter Wellington Rain Boots
Fan Gear for the High School or Prospective College - sweatshirts, t-shirts or hats with their school (or future school) logo.
Go Ducks!
Noise Canceling Headphones or Beats Wireless Headphones
Gift certificatesto movie theaters, Dutch Brothers/Starbucks, the "local hang-out", restaurants, lift tickets for ski resorts.
Experience gifts such as a day at a paintball course, a spa experience, golf course, snow tubing, art studio or sporting event.
Sample Lessons of a hobby, sport or passion that your favorite teen might love to try out.
Sephora's Perfume or Cologne Sample Kit - this kit allows the recipient to try out and wear-test 15 different samples of perfume or cologne and then take in the gift voucher for a full-size version of the gift recipient's favorite scent.
Subscription boxsuch as Birchbox, Julep or Shave Club for Men that deliver the recipient a gift to open each month.
Specialty Books- I insist on always giving our kids at least one book each year. This year the teens may see a book on how to prepare for their future.
One "get out of jail" card - to excuse the gift recipient of one dreaded chore or work project, of choice, throughout the year or to forgive a late "curfew" return or other somewhat permissible "slips".
One date night with a parent - now this one might not be one that they may be "secretly wishing for" but I guarantee that this one will be well-received for a memorable day spent together.
A Cell Phone Pouch/Mini Pursewith a touchscreen on the back that allows you to still have access to your phone while on the go, walking.
Flannel plaid shirts, sweat pants or cozy socks. Comfort clothes are quite on trend.
Converse tennis shoes - the shoes that seem to never go out of style.
Trendy jewelry - Long necklaces, wrap bracelets or trendy earrings.
Wireless key finder/phone finder- what teen doesn't get a little "distracted" at times and misplace car keys or a phone? This is the answer!
Lottery ticket "bouquet" - stick lottery tickets on sticks and gather together in a bouquet, tied with a bow for a creative way to present an exciting gift.
Dough - pizza box filled with dollar bills fanned out in the shape of a pizza or a play-doh container filled with "dough"/money with the phrase "Everyone can use a little extra dough during the holidays."
Mini-projector - allows for movie viewing from a phone, tablet or laptop, perfect for teen gatherings.
Mini Polaroid Camera
Phone accessories such as this special lens for the iPhones that turns a regular phone into a wide-angle or macro lens for more professional photography.
Phone Charger - This perfect lipstick-sized phone charger that helps forgetful teens always have a "back-up" charge eliminating any excuse of a dead phone or no place to plug in a phone charger.
Around here, right now...here's a snippet of what's happening lately.
Cooking: healthier meals from scratch and I've made our favorite Grilled Salmon recipe three times over the last month! The Hubs' cousin was visiting from Arizona and we just "had" to make it for him...along with the Frozen Berries with Melted White Chocolate (recipe to come).
New Recipe I'm Trying: This Outrageous Eskimo Bar recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe has been listed on my "to make list" for the past two summers. All ingredients are now accounted for, although, my teens devour the ice cream as soon as it makes an appearance from the store (don't tell them, I have a secret stash in a nondescript container)
Seasonal Food I can't wait to stock up on: Strawberries and cherries!
Latest Kitchen Gift: The most amazing oven ever! My Uncle Harlan researched the best possible oven on the planet and then sent one to me! It's the Samsung Chef Collection Slide-In Flex Duo Electric Induction Oven! This incredible oven has induction burners with virtual flames, the ability to bake at two different temperatures simultaneously, with a warming drawer at the base and the induction burner boils water in two minutes! Supposedly typical ovens experience a 25 degree temperature change during cook time but this oven promises to never fluctuate more than 8 degrees. I am so enamored with this oven (and I am incredibly thankful for this dream gift)!
The Samsung Chef Collection Dream Oven!
Latest Kitchen Purchase: the Zo Bread Machine (Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine) was purchased at a recent nonprofit auction. I'd researched the Zojirushi (pronounced zoh-gee-ROO-shee) brand for a long time and felt it was justified as the purchase not only benefited the nonprofit but it serves multi-purposes and can make more than just bread and dough (cakes, fruit jam, meatloaf or even lasagna). I am swooning. It's SO easy to make a perfect loaf of bread. I love the timed function that allows me to pop the ingredients in the early morning (you can program up to 13 hours ahead) and then shazam - produce hot, fresh bread at dinner! The only downfall is that it is "dangerously good" bread and I could see how one could devour and easily slather up slice after slice with butter.
Cookbook I'm Currently Obsessed With:Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman gifted to me from my Uncle Harlan. This book will transform cooking for me. It offers basic recipes and then builds on the basic scratch recipe with simple additions. What I love most is the fact that it provides the "why" behind the ratios. This quote sums up the power of this cookbook perfectly,
"Cooking, like so many creative endeavors, is defined by relationships. For instance, knowing exactly how much flour to put into a loaf of bread isn't nearly as useful as understanding the relationship between the flour and the water, or fat, or salt. That relationship is defined by a 'ratio,' and having a ratio in hand is like having a secret decoder ring that frees you from the tyranny of recipes." - Alton Brown
Making:grant proposals, project budgets and dreaming up ways to help nonprofits get more foundation funding support
Super Unhealthy Thing I Love: Fair food - Hand-battered Onion Rings (Gah!)
Drinking: Chai Tea with Hemp Milk AND I figured out a great take on the Arnold Palmer combo of lemonade and iced tea that my kids adore. Instead I've swapped out limeade and it's fantastic!
Reading: Okay, Bella is the queen of procrastination (I have no idea where she gets that love of deadlines and working under the gun) but she needed to read five chapter books over three months and I think she left four books to be read in less than 3 weeks. Sigh! Thankfully, the rule is that parents can read a book aloud (or they can listen to books on CD) so I helped her read one book in two days by speed reading.
Can you believe that her young adult genre book made me cry? Bella thought I was being dramatic and reading the book with extra theatrical efforts but I sobbed at the end of the story with the resolution and bittersweet ending.
Wanting:To go hiking! The Hubs invited me to a quick hike escape this morning but I had to work as it's the end of the month and deadlines are plentiful. Yet, all day...I can't stop longing to be walking along a babbling brook, taking the pooch out to explore, pushing back foliage to reveal hidden waterfalls. Tomorrow - this will be on the list!
Pacific Northwest Hiking
Looking: At my kids and noticing their growth this year from their most noticeable change in height, smiles, humor, struggles, PR's (personal records) and their achievements. These two will both share the halls of the high school next year and I anticipate very few "dull moments".
So many changes over the past school year, but most obvious is the height!
Watching: Did you see Pitch Perfect 2 yet? I loved the acapella music, the humor and the fact that a sequel trumped the first movie! Loved this movie and being reunited with all the "Pitches"!
Listening: The killdeer are waking me up every morning before my alarm goes off and a nest of another bird family tweet it up every morning under the eave of our front porch. While I typically love the sound of birds, I'd prefer they wait until after 6:00 A.M. for their screeching.
Loving:Jambu shoes! Okay, I'm admitting that I may have a bit of a current obsession over said shoes. I rarely get excited about shoes or fashion but the comfort level of these shoes has transformed the way I walk/trot/glide. I have found out that the pricing for Jambu shoes is much better on Amazon but that could be because they are a season behind the current shoes...but if you know me, I'm not needing to be that cutting-edge with my styles. You will thank me once you get turned on to these shoes that have been equated with Birkenstocks in the comfort department and Keens in the water shoe department. They can be dressed up or down and are great for treks and water alike.
I love Jambu footwear!
What are your recent favorite recipes or obsessions?
The hubs loves entertaining and being social as well.
But I get tired. At the end of a work week and afternoons and evenings and weekends spent delivering and chasing kids from point A to point B, I am exhausted. (This too shall pass, I know.) But it's not about me. It's about blessing others with hospitality and fellowship.
A few years ago, I was blessed with a perfect remedy in the book by Oregon blogger and writer, Sandy Coughlin, The Reluctant Entertainer - Every woman's guide to simple and gracious hospitality. My mom gifted me the book and I hold onto many great truths Sandy shares throughout the book. She starts out the book asking her readers to have a show of hands if they feel like they don't have what it takes to pull off a successful meal or party in your home and begins teaching the simple steps to keep us (and our families) connected instead of isolated - together instead of alone.
Crooked River Ranch, Oregon
One of my favorites Coughlin shares is that we "Entertain to refresh, not to impress." This is so true. Being around our friends is refreshing. It's not about preparing the most complicated gourmet meal but about the time spent enjoying the company of our guests.
Other favorite "take-aways" from her philosophy on entertaining include:
Live a life that says welcome and let your heart be the home of hospitality.
Celebrate the simple joys of good health, good food and family fellowship.
Practice grace: our houses don't have to be large or beautiful - we can practice grace by sharing our lives, experiences and food with others with an attitude that says, "You are cared about exactly how you are."
Hospitality rebuilds community, restores relationships and revives families.
I love this morsel from Chuck Swindoll's book, Dropping Your Guard:
It is only when I share life's experiences with others that I can enjoy them or endure them to the greatest advantage.
You see, having a relationship calls for being in fellowship with others, and that cannot be done very easily at arm's length.
It implies getting in touch, feeling the hurts, being an instrument of encouragement and healing.
Fences must come down.
Masks need to come off.
Welcome signs need to be hung outside the door.
Bridges need to be lowered that allow others to cross the moat and then share our joys and our sorrows.
My all-time favorite cookbook author, Ina Garten, always talks about how important it is to not be tucked away in a kitchen while your guests are visiting. Her strategies include preparing simple but good food in advance that can be somewhat thrown together "assembled" rather than cooking. or to employ your guests in helping prepare components of the meal. One of Ina's meals that I've replicated involved making pizza dough and having all the toppings available for the guests to assemble their own, then throwing these on the grill. Easy peasey!
Ina's approach coins parties as "recess"for grown-ups that everyone goes home saying "wasn't that fun!" Her approach allows that the parties are not only fun for friends but also for us!
Keep an appetizer or dessert in the freezer - always ready for an impromptu guest or visitor.
Determine your top three to five signature meals and tape the recipes inside your kitchen cupboard or pantry. Or better yet, master making a good basic recipe that provides a framework for many variations.
Serve the meal family style so everyone can help themselves
Think outside the box and realize that entertaining doesn't have to only mean Saturday nights. It can mean Sunday brunches or Taco Tuesdays or Saturday afternoon football games.
Final basting on the grilled Traeger Chicken
Ideas for Fall Entertaining:
Chili Night
Oktoberfest
Apple Potluck - every guest brings a dish with apples
Harvest/Fall Farmer's Market
Fondue with Fall flavors such as Cheddar and Cider Fondue
Soup Night
Sunday Chicken Dinner with Comfort Foods
Mexican Fiesta with Enchiladas
Make Your Own Pizza Party
Pie Party with Chicken Pot Pies, Tomato Tart Pie and Various Fruit Pies
Allrecipes' Easy Entertaining recipes and menus including ideas from Game Night Party recipes, Fondue Feasts and Oktoberfest party food. I love that these recipes have all been reviewed by everyday cooks.
A portion of vegetables, rice, pasta or salad is 1/2 cup.
Count on 4 to six appetizer pieces per person if you are serving a meal but if you are just serving appetizers with drinks the amount would be 12 pieces per person.
Plan on 3 drinks per guest. (A bottle of wine pours 5 glasses.) Always have non-alcoholic drink options also.
It's safe to assume that at least one guest will be vegetarian so have at least one non-meat option.
A pie or tart will serve 8 to 10 slices.
Birthday girl
Entertaining Cookbooks I love:
Barefoot Contessa Parties by Ina Garten - Hands-down my favorite book for entertaining as I have never prepared a bad recipe and the recipes are simple but prepare amazing tasting results. I started typing a list of my favorites from this book but realized I wouldn't be able to stop until each tried recipe was listed. Trust me...this is a winner.
Perfect Party Food by Diane Phillips packs all the recipes and tips you need for stress-free entertaining by making everything in advance via do-ahead recipes so you get to enjoy your gathering.
The America's Test Kitchen created the Menu Cookbook that takes the guesswork out of creating party and seasonal entertaining menus that flow together seamlessly. Fall menu ideas include recipes for a Little Italy Pasta Supper, a Vegetarian Indian Night, an Autumn Harvest Pork Dinner and a Rustic Tuscan Supper. I love the fact that these recipes have been tested over and over until the best possible version of the recipe is discovered. Trust-worthy.
For a fun starter book to entertaining, The Last-Minute Party Girl by Erika Lenkert contains easy recipes you can throw together or teaches you how to keep a stash of items in your freezer or pantry for those impromptu gatherings. A must-try is her recipe for Godfather's - amazing little dough balls that can switch from savory to sweet with just a sprinkling of seasonings.
Menus from Entertaining - My brain requires that I make a list of each item that we will be serving when entertaining (yes, even for the kids' birthday parties/meals). The lists are usually scratched out on scraps of paper, sticky notes or even printed recipes (gasp) but I have to say that I love looking back and these recipes and have found myself saving them in a notebook for future inspiration (also so that I don't serve the same meals to friends more than once).
Now if I could just start a little entertaining journal.
A girl in love with the seasons who wants to cram as much as she can into the 365 days of the year to live a life of bliss. Welcome to What Matters Most Now! I hope you will find inspiration and recipes you love.
