We have a love affair with tea and coffee in our house. Some brands are merely okay while others are stellar, and you should never settle for okay when you can have stellar for the same amount or less! Just like there are ‘cat people’ and ‘dog people’, I think there are die hard tea drinkers and coffee drinkers. Today, we are sharing some of our favorites for both coffee AND tea.
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Planning a Kitchen Renovation
What is the MOST important thing when planning a kitchen renovation? Space planning. This is THE most critical aspect of design. – especially for renovation projects. it’s kind of like putting lipstick on a pig to put
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Hearty Quinoa Salad with Lime Dressing
Now back with a delicious salad recipe, the Designer Daughter is here with another guest post! After last time’s delicious, but admittedly less-than-nutritious bacony, cheesy flatbread, I felt like something lighter and healthier was in order.
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Flammkuchen: A Flatbread for Everyone
Today’s ‘Tales from the Kitchen’ is guest-posted by my daughter Jenna. She shares my sense of humor and my love of food and cooking. She always returns from her travels with new recipes, usually for delicious cocktails. Her last sojourn was to Germany and yielded both cocktail AND food recipes, but I’ll let her tell the tale…
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Corn Muffin Recipe
This Corn Muffin recipe comes from the historic Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts , and it is a favorite!
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A German Mulled Wine Recipe
We are celebrating the new year here with a special hot mulled wine beverage courtesy of my daughter, Jenna, who recently returned from a trip to Germany.
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Lucia Roll Recipe
Lucia Rolls are a tradition for Thanksgiving in our house ever since my sister-in-law, Sharon, introduced me to these exquisite bites of heaven. Apparently, though none of us are the least bit Scandanavian by heritage, this is a traditional treat served for St. Lucia’s Day on December 13th. Being the overachievers that we are, we start early!
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Tales from the Kitchen: Apple Picking Season
Fall is apple season in New England and at our house that means a few things.
Most importantly, CIDER DONUTS. If you don’t live here and have never experienced a still warm, sugar coated cider donut at an orchard, I’m sorry for you. These are one of life’s best little pleasures.
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Happy 4th!
Happy 4th to you! Generally, the holiday includes sparklers, fireworks viewing, and a cookout with family and friends.
In our house it also means sangria: The perfect summer drink. Despite being Spanish in origin, it seems to pair well with all kinds of cookout foods and is my favorite ‘go to’ beverage for 4th of July celebrations. Also, it’s red. That should count for something on the most renowned of the “red, white, and blue” holidays! Here I’m sharing my current favorite sangria recipe.
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Tales from the Kitchen: The Lazy Gourmet, Tips and Gadgets
I am basically a lazy cook. I don't want to create any more work or spend any more time than necessary, but I still want the best possible result. I value efficiency, of course, but until I acquire a scullery maid, here are some processes and gadgets that make cooking and baking a pleasure instead of a chore.
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Tales from the Kitchen: A Nutcracker's Sweets Dessert Open House
Our most recent entertaining venture was our annual Nutcracker's Sweets Dessert Open House. It occurred on an absolutely frigid evening, but it was cozy inside and a delight to celebrate the end of the holiday season and the beginning of a new year with family and friends.
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Tales from the Kitchen: Do ahead tips so you can enjoy the party
I love to bake and I love entertaining. So naturally, I enjoy creating parties centered around desserts. Dessert parties are some of the easiest parties to manage since desserts generally require very little last minute attention.
Here are some tips I have found helpful over the years as I have honed my dessert party skills:
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