Recipes

Groundhog Cupcakes

Groundhog Cupcakes

I clipped this recipe out of a Family Fun magazine back in 2009 when my kiddos were still in elementary school. I always made them as classroom treats on Groundhogs Day which is my favorite holiday. Some say this is odd favorite but when you live through Chicago...

“Chef Chase” Nachos

“Chef Chase” Nachos

When I was in college at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana I worked as a line cook at a restaurant called Coslow's. It was a typical college hangout with tall dark brown booths, local artwork, and bentwood chairs paired with wobbly tables, a folded paper...

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

Over the holidays, my husband, two sons and I traveled to Florida to see my family. My parents have a small Meyer lemon tree in their yard and they graciously donated all the lemons from the tree (about 10 or so) for this recipe. Because of the limited quantity, I...

Homemade Applesauce

Homemade Applesauce

As the weather turns cooler and the leaves start to fall, we like to go apple picking. And what do you do with all those apples you just picked? Make applesauce, of course. This applesauce is crazy good. Both my boys fight over it and beg me to make more, and more,...

Monster Finger Cookies

Monster Finger Cookies

I make these every Halloween and despite the oddity of their looks, they are quite tasty. The simple shortbread dough is molded and shaped and adorned with a "fingernail" for its authentic look. This recipe comes to me originally from the Epicurious website, March...

Simple Apple Crumb Pie

Simple Apple Crumb Pie

This is a recipe out of my recipe box. I have no idea where the recipe originally came from but the index card is smudged and warped from repeated use. This is my go-to recipe in the fall when I have a bunch of apples and I'm craving apple pie but don't want to be in...

Super Easy Mini-Cherry Cheesecakes

Super Easy Mini-Cherry Cheesecakes

I got this recipe from the Food Network's Paula Deen. It is so simple yet so delicious and elegant. You can also make them into Mini-Blueberry or Peach or any other flavor Cheesecakes based on the flavor pie filling you purchase. For me, I'm a purist...only cherry...

Best Friend Bread

Best Friend Bread

My best friend gave me this bread recipe years ago. It is a very "earthy" bread with a crunchy outer crust and a soft, spongy center. You can add in whatever ingredients you'd like while keeping the basic dough portion (water, flour, yeast and spices) the same. I make...

Moosewood’s Eggplant Parmesan

Moosewood’s Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes. And my adapted version from my 1977 heavily dog-eared edition of The Moosewood Cookbook is one of my tried & true stock recipes. This is pure comfort food to me. I'm glad to share it with you now. 2 large...

My Awesomely Versatile Cookie Recipe

My Awesomely Versatile Cookie Recipe

My Awesomely Versatile Cookie Recipe (adapted from "Neiman Marcus Cookies") Yield: 4-5 dozen 3" cookies/3-4 dozen 4" cookies Many years ago, I got the ubiquitous email that was going around for the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe. You remember the one: A mother and her...