family style spaghetti dinner
my sisters from another mister are so good for my soul. they know how to lift me up. on this particular day, they watched my kids so that i could run errands. my post-errands plan was to quickly stop in, grab the kids, and get home! but life doesn’t work like that, does it? one […]
pink cupcakes
we had two precious friends with birthdays today. both named kate. both turned 10. so it was time to make some cupcakes. lil G suggested pink frosting. so i used the yummy frosting found at halfbakedharvest.com if you haven’t seen this amazing blog, you’ve GOT to check it out. Tiegan is a young woman who’s […]
egg white & veggie frittata
wow, Peilin Breller and Emily Ivey sure know how to make food look GOOD! check out this frittata. i mean, it is delicious. but just look at that photo! don’t lick the monitor…it’s very unbecoming. ok, here we go: heat oven to 375 i used a cute 5×8 dish for this one dice 1/2 sweet […]
spinach salad with mandarin oranges and pine nuts
my girlfriends Tricia and Sandra came by last week for another fun Cook. Shoot. Eat. party. the salad Tricia made was so delicious and she assured us it was very easy to make. Tricia is super stylish, has amazing skin, and blogs at nouglyduckling.com baby spinach 1 can mandarin oranges craisins red onions feta cheese […]
Sweet and savory chicken chili
I’ve made Deanna’s famous chicken chili for so many events and always get fantastic feedback. Here is the recipe that my dear friend Deanna created a few years ago. I’ve added a few tweaks, but will still give Deanna full credit! It’s unique sweet and spicy taste is different than your typical salty chili…this recipe […]
fire roasted baby bok choy
have you ever seen such a thing? roasting baby bok choy over the fire? i learned this from my chef friend on a houseboat trip years ago. first of all, who brings baby bok choy on a house boat trip? second of all, who’s fancy enough to grill it? we certainly knew how to eat […]
simple apple crisp
this is a super easy recipe that my pal Darren‘s family has passed down for years. we baked it. and before i even had a chance to return with my spoon, every morsel had been eaten. i guess it’s safe to say we loved it. 4 large apples-peeled, cored and sliced thinly 1/2 cup water […]
spicy asian style eggplant recipe
eggplant is a recent re-discovery for me. i grew it in my backyard garden in LA several years ago, but had sort of forgotten about it when i met my hubby. he hates veggies. yes, i hide pureed veggies in his waffles. don’t tell him. these are super easy. olive oil 1 Japanese eggplant (these […]
how to make fried rice
yay! Chinese New Year is around the corner. 2013 is the year of the snake. the Chinese calendar runs on 12 year cycles. the last time we were in the year of the snake, i was running a dot com and didn’t need lululemon. i recently signed up to be room mom for a few months […]
Chinese wontons, Darth Vadar style
Chinese New Year is coming up, so we’re sharing some traditional, yet simple recipes with you! * Wontons are traditionally made with ground pork and shrimp. My mother doesn’teat pork and so whenever I can substitute out pork, I try to do so – this way Momcan enjoy my cooking as I have enjoyed hers […]
caramelized pear & onion, fig butter, & brie on rustic sourdough
my 3rd baby is due in 2 weeks. my preggers cravings have kicked in today! a caramelized pear, onion, brie with fig butter on sourdough sounded so good, that i had to whip it together. so so so so good! first you heat up an iron skillet with a touch of butter and a tad […]
pumpkin cranberry bread – perfect holiday bread
How a smell brings back memories… It seems I’ve made this bread every fall/winter for the past 15 years. I got the recipe from my friend, Sandy Krogh, an accomplished home economist and food stylist and one of my earliest mentors. Sandy and I would travel to various Pardee Homes sites (thanks to Open Line […]
What’s for dinner? Venison stew!
My family and I just moved back to So Cal from the south. Brought this incredible recipe back with us. It’s perfect for a cold winter night…or a not terribly cold night in California. 2 lbs venison 3 onions 6 garlic cloves 6 stalks of celery add leaves 3 potatoes 3 cups of carrots […]
brussels sprouts with chinese sausage and spicy sweet & sour sauce. nom nom.
does your stomach ever talk to you? tonight, mine said “meesh, i NEED those crispy brussel sprouts with chinese sausage that you and Hubby had at Broadway in Laguna Beach.” then i learned that it’s actually brussels sprouts. plural. not sure why. just is. tonight, i absolutely needed to have these. so delish. even Hubby […]
delish lamb chops with a balsamic viniagrette reduction
i’ve been watching a LOT of kitchen nightmares. gordon ramsay is harsh, but seems to know how to motivate people. he’s kind with some, in-your-face with others, yet encouraging throughout the show. anyway….all that being said, watching the show has sparked some inspiration for new recipes! i picked up some lamb chops at my favorite…costco. […]