Make-Ahead Recipes
Nutella Iced Latte
A cafe-worthy latte is easy to make at home and for a fraction of the price! When the weather is warm, I particularly enjoy an iced latte. As much as I love this coffee house treat, I am always a little annoyed with myself when I spend four dollars for what is essentially…
Tropical Watermelon Slushy
Two simple ingredients are all that’s needed for this fruit-sweetened frozen treat. And whether you call it a slushy, Slurpee, Slush Puppie, ICEE, or slosh, it’s sure to refresh all summer long! My family LOVES slushies! A make-at-home version is tasty and easy. With some chopped watermelon stored in the freezer, it can also…
Jen’s Incredible Baked Meatballs
These tender, flavorful baked meatballs have been a family and reader favorite for many years. Hundreds of readers have called them the best meatballs ever! Serve them with spaghetti and your favorite sauce, as an appetizer, in a meatball sandwich๏ผor all by themselves. A perfect meal prep recipe that freezes well too! Perhaps you are like…
Homemade Taco Seasoning
You likely have all the spices needed to make this classic seasoning blend, and it’ll taste fresher–and be more economical–than the store-bought packet. Early in our marriage, I discovered my husband’s fondness for taco salad. When I first served tacos, he piled all the filling ingredients on his plate and crumbled the shell over…
Apricot Peach Yogurt Smoothie
Christian and I had a date with Grace, my 2-year-old niece, to make homemade play dough (see the blue fingernails in the photo below) and after lots of rolling, cutting, pressing, and being silly, they were hungry! ย I had promised Christian an apricot peach smoothie the day before, and we never got around to it.…
Walking Tacos
Walking Tacos offer a fun, portable way to enjoy the traditional taco salad and are perfect for kids’ parties and casual dinners. Those who prefer a plated taco salad may absolutely eat the meal that way. Both of my sons are swimmers and, like so many sports activities, the summer swim meets are always over…
Corn, Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Homemade Ranch
Fresh, flavorful, and versatile, this speedy salad is a great way to use leftover corn on the cob, but frozen and thawed works well too. A few months ago, I was the emcee of a heart health expo. At one point in the program, I was asked to speak about some of the tips I…
Nancy’s Sweet and Tangy Salad Dressing
While attending a dinner a few months ago where my mother received a well-deserved award for her many years of service to our local Boys & Girls Club, a family friend approached and told me of his wife’s incredible salad dressing. “Nancy always has a jar of her special dressing in the fridge and everybody…
Sweet Cherry & Feta Quinoa with Peach Vinaigrette
A light, flavor-packed salad that’s delightful paired with virtually any grilled protein but stands alone as a complete vegetarian meal. For a vegan alternative, simply omit the feta. And try substituting dried cherries or cranberries when the fresh cherry season has ended. 🍒 Every summer, I make several varieties of homemade jam that we enjoy…
Sausage, Mushroom & Pasta Bake (gluten-free option)
Possibly a bigger challenge than creating recipes is naming them! Sometimes, there are lots of delicious ingredients in one recipe, so I feel a need to include as many of them in the name, knowing that different people are grabbed by different ingredients. But then, a recipe name can get rather wordy! Sometimes, I go…
California Potato Salad
Buttery avocado, juicy tomatoes, and a bit of crisp bacon will shake up your potato salad routine for a light yet filling spin on the classic dish. This absolutely delicious reader recipe was sent to me by Leola, Pennsylvania native Nancy Irvin James, who mentioned that the recipe got its name because she developed it…
Classic Strawberry Jam
The quintessential flavor of homemade strawberry jam is easy to achieve thanks to these simple instructions! This is the recipe my grandmother always used for her strawberry jam. It’s traditional strawberry jam at its best. The taste and color when freshly made can’t be beat. Opening a jar in the cold winter months provides the…
