Turkey Day is almost here and visions of mashed potatoes, stuffing and turkey fill my head … and soon — my belly! Max is also very excited for two very important reasons: he doesn't have to wear clothes and Mama gives him extra treats. His excitement went through the roof when he learned that a ... [Read more]
Tomato Feta Salad
I love, love, LOVE tomatoes. Growing up, I looked forward to gorging myself on the tomatoes from my Mom's garden every summer. I will full-on confess that I did not enjoy working in the garden, but man — did I love eating what it produced, especially those juicy, sweet tomatoes. One of my favorite ... [Read more]
Fruit Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing
I was the weird girl who didn't like pepperoni pizza (veggie for me, please!) or hamburgers growing up. I never begged to lick the frosting bowl but wanted the potato masher instead. I loved most veggies and almost all fruit, which is why it's so strange that I struggle with my weight since I love ... [Read more]
Citrus Chicken Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is my new favorite food. It's so yummy, although it's pretty bland by itself. I know that's not a ringing endorsement, but all it needs is a great sauce or dressing, than BAM! So, so good! This is a super healthy and tasty meal that will be going into my regular dinner rotation from here on ... [Read more]
Crockpot Beef Barley Soup
I know what you're thinking — this is a holiday recipe? Sure, you might not serve it on Christmas, but it's a easy meal to make during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. This is an insane time. People are running here and there and wind up resorting to fast food to feed their family. I ... [Read more]
Greek Pasta Salad
I tease many of my native California friends for being cold-weather wimps. And I don't feel bad. They are wimps! They wear winter coats and scarves when it's 60 degrees outside while I'm in shorts and flip-flops. Wimps! But don't worry, they get their revenge. ... [Read more]
Cheesecake Fruit Salad
I remember feeling baffled last Friday when I realized that my vacation was almost over. It didn't seem possible. Now I feel the same way this week. Where does the time go? It's so sneaky. Sometimes it moves snail slow and other times lightning fast. It must be part feline since you have little ... [Read more]
Chicken Salad with Apples, Beets and Walnuts
Last year I focused on getting the most out of my grocery budget and did a pretty good job overall, if I do say so myself! But I did make one mistake. While I really liked spending less money than budgeted, I made some poor sacrifices to do so. ... [Read more]
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
One of my friends and I like to occasionally meet at Olive Garden for lunch and we always get the same meal—soup, salad and breadsticks. I order Zuppa Toscana and she orders the Pasta e Fagioli. We both comment that we should try other soups. We never do. ... [Read more]