Holiday Recipes
Pumpkin Ginger Cookies
The addition of pumpkin supplies moisture and enhances the spices in this otherwise traditional (and utterly delicious!) ginger-molasses cookie. A few weeks ago, I bumped into a friend and walked away with a bag of egg replacer in my hands. If this sounds a little strange, read on… Phil Lapp and his wife, Laura, are…
No-Sugar Homemade Jam (choose your favorite flavor－even use frozen fruit－in this easy, small batch recipe)
This flexible, small batch recipe doesn’t use pectin as a thickener, so there’s no need for a copious amount of granulated sugar as is used in traditional jams. Instead it relies on heart healthy chia seeds and a small amount of maple syrup or honey. Healthy jam that tastes great…really? The perks of…
Baked Pineapple Casserole
A delicious addition to a holiday table and anytime ham is served, this quick and easy recipe may be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch casserole. Can Easter really be less than a week away? After a weekend of delightful weather－so welcome after the long, cold, snowy winter－it’s actually starting to feel a bit…
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
This meaty sauce is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. The yield is a generous 3+ quarts, so there’s plenty to freeze or to share! Note: I updated this post with links to two complimentary recipes directly above the recipe card. Additionally, I have had several requests recently for recipes that are…
Butterscotch Bread Pudding (with really good gluten-free options)
Last fall, I mentioned that I was all set to share a recipe for butterscotch bread pudding when a thoughtful reader emailed me the recipe for her prized beet cake. Like the chicken in milk recipe, the beet cake paired seemingly incompatible ingredients and beckoned me to bake it right away. The cake was a…
O’Brien Irish Stew
This classic Irish stew was passed down from the decades old recipe box of an Irish friend. The tried-and-true recipe offers oven and slow cooker options, and the flavor improves over time, making it a great make-ahead meal. Most Americans think of stew as having a thick gravy base. But traditional Irish stew is…
Hershey’s Cocoa Cake
Light, moist, and perfect for any celebration, this classic chocolate cake mixes up quickly in a single bowl with ingredients you likely have on hand. (And the gluten-free adaptation fools even the gluten-eaters!) When it comes to chocolate cake, this tried-and-true recipe is, without a doubt, the best that I have found. It has…
Foolproof Peanut Butter Frosting
In our family, February is full of birthdays. There are three, all spread out exactly one week after the next. With Valentine’s Day thrown into the mix, there is ample opportunity for cakes and other sweet treats! As I have previously reported, adoration for homemade caramel frosting runs deep on my husband’s side of the family.…
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries and other Valentine Treats
Can it be that Valentine’s Day is this week? Wasn’t it just New Years…Thanksgiving for that matter?? Where does the time go? In addition to Valentine’s Day, February is a month of many birthdays in our house–today happens to be my younger son’s 12th birthday!–so there is much opportunity for special treats. I thought it…
Peanut Butter Pinecone Bird Feeders
A fun project to make with kids, these backyard-friendly bird treats double as a thoughtful, practical gift for them to give over the holidays This is a fun project that my kids and I have been making for years. Not only is it a thoughtful holiday gift and perfect for a winter birthday, it’s…
Parmesan Mushroom Polenta
A former White House chef shares his recipe for a versatile side dish, which can be easily transformed into a winning meal. A must make! Early in my marriage, my husband was amused by how I could read a cookbook as though it were a best-selling novel. Well, I recently discovered a cookbook that…
Old Fashioned Gingerbread with Citrus Glaze
This is one of those recipes that I have made over and over again, tweaking many times until I arrived at an end result that my family loves. It is moist and full of flavor, and I get requests for it often. The citrus glaze is a delightful addition. When I first made a glaze…
