Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

In the summer, we grow tomatillos in our garden. In the winter, we have to get the bright, citrus-y flavor of salsa verde from a jar — either that we canned or someone else canned for us. In any event, this tray of tomatillos, chicken, tortillas, and cheese has become a go-to in our house,Continue reading “Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas”

Every Year, It Changes

Every year, there are many holiday traditions at my house. We take a long, cold hike on December 23rd. On Christmas Eve, we cook and open one gift and crowd into overfilled church pews. Christmas Day, we wake early and gobble steamy cinnamon rolls and welcome a visit from my Dad and his wife. OnContinue reading “Every Year, It Changes”

Skillet Chicken Dinner

When it’s busy, there’s nothing better than a one-pan meal that can be whipped up in less than a half-hour. If you dry Roma or cherry or grape tomatoes from your garden, this is a great way to use them. Plant parsley in a pot and move it inside in the winter to have freshContinue reading “Skillet Chicken Dinner”

Easier Than Pie Apple Cake

This recipe first crossed my counter as I was staring down a bushel of quickly softening apples and not enough fridge space to store them. It has returned again and again as an easy favorite that’s just as good for breakfast as it is for dessert. Whip up a batch for visiting guests or toContinue reading “Easier Than Pie Apple Cake”

Brightening the Winter Blues

“The light changes 10 minutes every day,” explained my friend about the palpable shift from one morning to the next in the Alaskan city where she lived for several years. She had loved that fast-forward sunlight feature. How each day was dramatically different from the one before. How the sun’s rays could be in a completely newContinue reading “Brightening the Winter Blues”

Fall Is My Nesting Season

Anyone who has welcomed a new baby to their world has heard of the nesting instinct — that desire to put in place every supply, every space, every tool ahead of the life-changing arrival. I have no new babies in my future. And yet, the urge to organize, plan, prepare is strong every year rightContinue reading “Fall Is My Nesting Season”

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

These were a hands-down hit for my house last spring and early summer as we had raspberries ripening on our backyard bushes faster than we could eat them. But frozen berries work, as well. The beauty of this recipe is that the fruit provides much of the sweetness, so no need for a lot ofContinue reading “Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins”

Super Simple Roasted Vegetables

Eating local means embracing root vegetables, especially in the winter — and on into spring. That’s hard for some folks, I know. To me, roasting the roots brings out their best flavor — and makes for a pretty simple meal. My go-to roasted veggie recipe includes winter greens and nice dash of cayenne and turmeric.Continue reading “Super Simple Roasted Vegetables”

Springtime Fried Rice

We love fried rice at our house — served with some rubbed pork or sautéed tofu or even as the star attraction of our dinner, with a little Ginger Orange Sesame Slaw on the side. And Spring is the perfect season for it, what with the hens laying regularly again, the herbs growing like weeds,Continue reading “Springtime Fried Rice”

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I haven’t made a coffee cake in years. They always seemed a little tasteless and disappointing. And there were so many better options. Like Morning Glory Muffins or Brown Sugar and Spice Banana Bread or Cornmeal Blueberry Scones. But a volunteer signup requested coffee cake, so I went searching. The first few recipes I triedContinue reading “Cinnamon Coffee Cake”