Layered Chocolate Cake

This super moist, incredibly delicious dessert has graced many a holiday table at our home over the years. My girls discovered it at the Two Peas & Their Pod website and have stirred it up over and over — for birthdays and Christmas and, yes, for Valentine’s Day, as well. So if you’re looking forContinue reading “Layered Chocolate Cake”

Chocolate Cherry Granola

I love to make my own granola, using all the best ingredients, eating it straight from the pan warm, mixing and matching nuts and seeds and dried fruit to create exactly what I want at that moment. I’ve shared my granola go-to with you before. But here’s another recipe, sure to cheer those dark, coldContinue reading “Chocolate Cherry Granola”

For the Love of Chocolate

In this week when all of us turned our attention to chocolate, I’m taking a moment to talk with you about a book — and now a podcast — that have captivated me since they hit the shelves and airwaves. The book is Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love by Simran Sethi. It’sContinue reading “For the Love of Chocolate”

Time to Talk Turkey

My favorite holiday of the year is two weeks from today. And I am nothing if not ready to start thinking about Thanksgiving. For many, the holiday countdown began long ago with checklists of what to knock out ahead, chatter about table decor and recipe testing in search of the perfect combination of sweet and savory, traditional and today. I’m aContinue reading “Time to Talk Turkey”

Not-Too-Sweet Pumpkin Bread

Every fall, I roast, puree and freeze several farmers market pumpkins (we’ve never had much luck growing our own). So pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin soup are all, always, just a trip to the deep freeze away. You can certainly use canned pumpkin in this recipe and save yourself a few steps. Along withContinue reading “Not-Too-Sweet Pumpkin Bread”

Easy From-Scratch Brownies

I think I was in my 20s before I realized a person could make brownies without a mix. They were a dessert I fixed often in my teens, following the instructions on the back of the box. And they were good. Today’s boxed brownies are even better — a vast array of flavors, layer options, organic versions, youContinue reading “Easy From-Scratch Brownies”

Flowers for Dinner

  It’s been a disappointing zucchini year. Nothing like last year’s plenty that left me begging for mercy. But that’s okay. My dad sent me packing back in June with a bag full and my local farmers market tables are groaning with zukes. I feel certain that if I asked around, a few of you mightContinue reading “Flowers for Dinner”

Cookie Fever

  Honestly, I’m not sure what’s gotten into me. It’s June and my garden is up and growing. I’ve got leafy greens winding down, raspberries coming in, zucchini flowers begging for me to sauté them. But somehow I keep reaching for my large mixing bowl and reflexively softening two sticks of butter. Yes, it’s cookie-making that keepsContinue reading “Cookie Fever”

Panda Bear Cookies

These brownie-like treats were staples of my childhood, made from my mother’s favorite cookbook, Farm Journal’s Best Ever Recipe Book. Their dark dough with confectionary sugar patches has led my kids to call them “Panda Bear Cookies.” My mom’s cookbook names them “Chocolate Macaroons,” but these days that means something entirely different. Whatever you call them, knowContinue reading “Panda Bear Cookies”

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

In a good summer, we grow zucchini, lots of zucchini. I love it baked into breaded rounds, diced and added to pasta or other veggie dishes, fried by the panful. But what I end up doing with most of what our garden grows is shredding the zucchini, tucking it into ziplocks stored in the deepContinue reading “Chocolate Zucchini Cake”