I’ve been saving these pictures, from a dinner party I hosted, for a couple weeks, and am just now getting around to posting them. The guests, Drew and Jean Vogel, and their friends Nick and Cindy DeVries, were the highest bidders at an anual auction in my hometown, and were treated to a dinner at my home, with me playing both chef and waiter for the evening. Knowing they paid money to have me cook, (crazy!) I wanted to make … Read More
No-Bake Chocolate Clusters
Crazy, busy, wonderful. Those three words really are not even close to being enough to describe my past two weeks, but they will have to suffice for now, because my brain is only functioning at 50% at the moment due to over-use and exhaustion. I’ve spent the better part of the last couple weeks filming holiday craft and decorating videos for Better Homes and Gardens – 100 Days of Holidays. I was introduced to a whole new world that doesn’t … Read More
Peanut Butter and Jelly Oats
We’ve been having unseasonably warm weather here in Iowa. It’s November and today warmed into a lovely, sunny, 74 degree day. Winter can stay at bay for at least another month as far as I’m concerned, which is probably wishful thinking, but a girl can hope, right? Happy weather calls for even happier food. Familiar favorites that make you smile and want to linger at the table for just a few more minutes. Since breakfast is my ‘stay-and-linger’ meal of … Read More
Peanut Butter, Pear, and Honey Stacker
Quite often, I sit down at the end of a busy day and think about what I fixed for myself, only to feel dismayed thinking about food I find to be rather uninspiring. I’m not a chips, fast food, and junk food type of girl, but on busy days I sometimes rely rather heavily on coffee, yogurt, and Lara bars, finished off with a big plate of veggies at the end of the day to balance everything out. A couple … Read More
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Truffles
Maybe it’s a bit too early to start thinking about favorite holiday treats. But since Halloween is over and done with, I have decided it’s entirely appropriate to start posting any and all treats that remind me of Thanksgiving, and particularly, Christmas. For years growing up I tasted these sweet little peanut butter-chocolate morsels of deliciousness and thought they must be terribly difficult to make. If big flavor was any indication of difficulty level, they would most certainly take forever … Read More