Winter Recipes
Amish-Style Chicken Corn Soup
Brimming with chicken and vegetables, a pot of this soul-warming soup is easy to make with basic ingredients. A regional classic and a true family favorite! (Look below the recipe card for a fun way to top this or another soup!) The aroma of this soup takes me back to summer and the…
Baked Artichoke Dip
Loaded with artichokes and elevated with a trifecta of cheeses, party-perfect Baked Artichoke Dip is creamy, crusty, salty, and tangyโand it can be prepared in advance! Two Christmas Eves ago, when holiday celebrations of all kinds were canceled because of the pandemic, my sister-in-law, Melissa, prepared this dip for family and friends. She baked multiple…
Cranberry Simple Syrup (and bonus cocktail recipe)
This easy-to-make syrup adds festive color and seasonal flavor to a variety of cocktails and mocktails. Makes a lovely gift too! Taking a few minutes to prepare an infused simple syrup is an easy way to create the type of cocktail that garners big bucks at trendy restaurants. And while I most often use…
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries (with oven option)
A few simple tips and 15 minutes is all you need to transform sweet potatoes into irresistible fries. A choice of dipping sauces takes them over the top! Sweet potatoes can be a polarizing food. For every person who adores them, there seems to be someone else who abhors them. With a passion. Yet,…
Stovetop Lentils with Veggies
Colorful vegetables and hearty lentils come together with ease in this one pot dish that can be served as a filling vegetarian stew, a flavorful side dish, or a restaurant-worthy base for seared salmon or another protein of choice. This meal goes way back. I first discovered the delicious brilliance of plating salmon on…
Favorite Brussels Sprouts Salad
A healthy, go-to salad for busy nights, parties, potlucks and holiday tables, this super-satisfying salad can be made in advance and the dressing is a versatile keeper! This salad could be described as an overachiever. The ingredients are fairly ordinary, yet they come together in a way that’s somewhat extraordinary. The recipe earns early points…
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Classically light, fluffy, creamy, and buttery, this recipe is everything good mashed potatoes should be–and so simple. Recipe pairings and lots of great leftover ideas are included. Easy comfort food at its best, these dreamy potatoes are quick enough for casual weekday meals (especially when utilizing the included tips) yet special enough for holiday tables.…
Beef Short Ribs
A low and slow stint in the oven yields flavorful, fork tender meat that will warm your soul. Optional day-ahead prep offers added benefits and convenience. Certain foods smell as good as they taste. And I’ve noticed that special memories are often tightly linked to the intersection of these two senses. What comes to…
Grandma’s Rugelach
This two-bite cookie is hearty, subtly sweet, and can be filled with a variety of jam, chocolate, and/or nut fillings. It’s easy to make and perfect to bring to a Hanukkah party or any gathering! When Ann and I first started working together she asked me if wanted to share any of my own…
Snowballs
The cookie itself is lightly sweet and similar to a pecan sandie. A dusting of confectioner’s sugar provides the finishing touch of flavor and looks so pretty, too. (And for those with allergies–no eggs and a gluten-free option!) In the world of cookies, snowballs are neither cold nor wet, but they do pair well…
Cracker Toffee
Easy to make and quick to disappear, this family-favorite treat is salty, sweet, crispy, buttery, and chocolatey. A variety of optional toppings ramp up the flavor and seasonal appeal! Old recipes have a way of bringing back special memories. And when those old recipes are also very good recipes, they seem to create new memories!…
Classic Gingerbread Cookies
The only gingerbread recipe you will ever need, these perfectly-spiced cookies have stood the test of time and are as fun to make as they are to eat! As a kid, gingerbread cookies were all about the creative endeavor. After bringing the cut-out boys and girls to life with eyes, nose, striped skirts, polka…
