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”

Mediterranean Green Beans

  We grow several varieties of green beans in our garden and in a good summer, we harvest more than we can eat. I happily blanch, cool and freeze our garden bounty knowing that come January, I’m going to be thrilled to pull this taste of summer from our deep freeze. The olives and sun-driedContinue reading “Mediterranean Green Beans”

Chicken Wings With Honey Yogurt Sauce

Wings are fun, festive, quick to make and delicious. Perfect as apps before your holiday party or as a simple dinner paired with mashed potatoes and salad. When my family last bought a batch of local chicken, we picked up six fresh whole chickens and cut them into parts before we froze them — ziplockContinue reading “Chicken Wings With Honey Yogurt Sauce”

Mashed Butternut Squash

We grow our own butternuts and often we buy them in bulk, as well. So you’d think we cooked these amazingly nutritious root veggies in all kinds of ways. But in reality, not so much. We do love this Thai Butternut Squash Soup. Occasionally, we’ll stuff and bake them. And they do wind up inContinue reading “Mashed Butternut Squash”

End-of-Season Cilantro Pesto

Like so many of my recipes, this one begins in the garden. First came an incredible stand of cilantro, the best we’ve ever grown, still going strong in October. Predictions of a frost sent me scrambling to snip and save and give away. I just couldn’t let this gorgeous green go to waste. But IContinue reading “End-of-Season Cilantro Pesto”

Black Bean Raspberry Dip

When your job entails writing for a lifestyle magazine, sometimes a local caterer will “spill the beans” and send a great recipe your way. So was the case with this tasty dip, which marries flavors I would never have thought to bring together. Roanoke’s Tracy Hamilton seeks out a special raspberry salsa to make thisContinue reading “Black Bean Raspberry Dip”

Autumn’s Apple Cabbage Slaw

I have a thing for slaw. It maybe has something to do with my love for salads. Slaw is simply a great way to toss together lots of seasonal veggies and have the whole taste even better than the parts. It keeps well in the fridge. It’s already dressed. Slaws are big hits at potlucks. ThisContinue reading “Autumn’s Apple Cabbage Slaw”

Curried Parsnip and Apple Soup

Soup might be my very favorite way to eat parsnips, a root vegetable that’s cousin to a carrot and so much tastier than a potato. The texture of the softened parsnip purees nicely into a bowl full of creamy goodness. The apples in this bring out the parsnips’ sweet side and the curry complements itContinue reading “Curried Parsnip and Apple Soup”

Quinoa and Brown Rice Baked Apples

  Baked apples have always been a fun way to eat dessert. Each eater has her own contained serving filled with warm, oozing deliciousness. Why, I wondered, can’t we do the same with dinner? There are a few recipes out there, mostly stuffing an apple shell with onions and sausage and sage. But I wasContinue reading “Quinoa and Brown Rice Baked Apples”

Appetizing Apple Chips

Need a garnish to make your table look pretty? Looking for something new to do with all those apples you brought home from the pick-your-own orchard? Want to transform your apples into the perfect backpacking food? Well, here you go. This method of slowly baking sliced apples in your oven is simple and fun. PlusContinue reading “Appetizing Apple Chips”