When I was growing up, I distinctly remember the mother of one of my classmates making "puppy chow" for slumber parties and other gatherings. And I distinctly remember loving it. If you have had "puppy chow" - which I have learned is called "muddy buddies" in some regions - you understand how wide my eyes opened on my first bite of the crunchy, ... view more
gluten-free
After-Party Egg Scramble {Chicken and Dips}
This year for New Year's Eve, I wasn't in the mood to battle crowds at bars, or have dinner out and then make a 10pm decision on where to ring in the new year - and I'm always in the mood to cook. So I decided to have a few people over. I told my invitees that I didn't need to know if they were joining until the last minute, and I was happy to be ... view more
How to: Make Kale Chips
Guess what. You have ONE day until New Year's resolutions begin. One more day to live it up before it's back to salads and the overcrowded January gym for you. I hope you enjoy it! I will start the January detox one day early for you, with Kale Chips. If you have not yet tried Kale Chips, SPOILER ALERT: they are not chips. They are kale. Kale ... view more
Roasted Potatoes
I am often asked what my favorite dish to cook is, but today I was asked what my favorite food is. Not something that I have been asked in a long time, and it took me a minute to answer as the kid in the candy store that was my head ran around in circles. "French fries." But as the words came out of my mouth, I found myself running through ... view more
Beef and Onion Ragu with Spaghetti Squash
I had the opportunity to get out of the city over the long Veterans Day weekend, and I spent a few days in one of my favorite places: Charlottesville, Virginia. My memories from Charlottesville are warm and inspiring, and I think the air is different there - the breaths I take are clean and crisp, and reinvigorating. I try to escape to ... view more
Chicken Chowder with Chipotle
The word "chowder" derives from the french word for cauldron: chaudière. Into that chaudière go the rich ingredients that make a rich, thick, creamy soup, usually headlined with seafood or corn. Thick creamy soups are not my jam (my arteries whimper just thinking about them), so I was intrigued, and then thrilled, by this recipe that came to me ... view more