I have been making these muffins almost weekly. The family loves them and I have mot ingredients on hand. When fresh blueberries are not in season, canned blueberries will work fine. One batch makes 12 muffins but these go fast….

This cake is my go-to potluck cake and I have had so many requests for the recipe. I have made it from scratch but in a pinch I use the Trader Joe’s Vanilla Cake Mix. I forgot where I got…

I love ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies and some of my favorite are from Specialties Bakery in San Francisco. I have been trying to re-create the recipe and wanted a cookie with a little crisp on the outside but ooey,…

I looooove a good caramel, especially dulce de leche. Dulce de Leche translated means “Sweet of Milk” and this is a simple recipe made with 1 ingredient. You need 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.  I use Eagle brand but…

Avocados are now in season at my farmers market and they are absolutely perfect.  Creamy with a grassy flavor.  I have been eating them so often that I actually had to google to see if I was eating too many…

March 14 is National Pi Day.  You may think I have forgotten an “e” but I am talking about Pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter….what better to celebrate National Pi Day than with some PIE!!…

We have started skiing and snowboarding as a family and one of our favorite treats apres ski are the delicious waffles you get at the little food kiosks at the mountain.  They are these buttery, yeasty treats with caramel flavors….

Over the summer I was hanging out at our family yacht.  Who am I kidding, some generous family members loaned it to us for the weekend so we could get a taste of the high life 😉 One of the…

Labneh is strained yogurt and is the consistency of cream cheese (some people make it looser of firmer depending on their preference).  If you want to make your own yogurt to make labneh, I posted the link. It can be…

Well I am sure you have read about my weekly yogurt making ritual.  I love making yogurt and if you want to give it a shot, How to Make Yogurt.  It is so simple to do and is so useful…

My kids have been on a smoothie kick and their favorite is yogurt, banana, cherries with acai juice. We make them almost every other day and the yogurt bill was adding up so I decided to start making my own….

I love a good rice pudding.  It is such a simple yet satisfying dessert.  It can also be made in less than 30 minutes with a few ingredients found around the house. Here is a basic recipe to make creamy…

Whenever we get invited over to a friends house for dinner, we always offer to bring desserts and pies are always a hit! During the winter when fruit is not in season I love to do a French Coconut Pie….

We are prepping our garden beds for our summer gardens and I am really excited this year.  Usually we focus on tomatoes (I am sure you can see our love of tomatoes by all the recipes that are posted!). Last…

When I was in high school, I took home economics and one of my favorite recipes from my teacher, Mrs. Barsha Elzey, was the microwave caramel corn.  It was so easy to make in a brown paper bag so there…

I used to love microwave popcorn from the store but after reading all the yucky ingredients in it, I banished it from my house. Luckily it is almost as easy to make at home and much cheaper. Make Your Own…

My boys LOVE cookies.  My husband especially loves cookies that are a little more toothsome and chewy and not too sweet. I make double batches of this cookie and bake some and roll the remainder of the dough in wax…

Many of us in California are lucky enough to have a Meyer lemon tree or at least know someone who has one and is willing to share.  Usually around January or February my lemons start to ripen and we are…

It has been so busy here over at our little homestead and I have not had a chance to update with any recipes lately. A couple of weeks ago, we had a company meeting here at my house.  I had…

I am a sucker for French Pastries.  I cannot walk by a bakery without filling a box full of croissants, eclairs, profiteroles, etc. Once you learn how to make a Pate a Choux dough, it is really easy to make…

The seasons are changing around here. Although the days are still warm, it is chilly in the morning and at night. The leaves are starting to change color. Fall is definitely around the corner (but don’t tell my tomatoes that!)….

We have been on a juice cleanse kick lately (I’ll post more about it as well as recipes soon). You can tell from my posts that I am a glutton and love delicious things. Most of the time, those delicious…

If you have not tried plum jelly, you MUST!  It is one of my favorite jam/jelly.  It is sweet but has great aromatic, floral notes.  It is the end of plum season but there is still time to get the…

September is here and heirloom tomatoes are cheap at the farmer’s market.  Tomatoes seem especially tasty this year, I think because of the lack of rain.  The flavor seems to be more intense, less watered down. Our tomato plants are…

I put some thyme in the garden 2 years ago and it never did much.  I would be able to get some sprigs here and there but it always languished compared to the rosemary, mint, basil, chives, sage, etc.  It…

I have been a jam/jelly making fiend this summer.  I have enough jam to last me through the winter! I was craving some jam-type cookie so it was time to make some Kolacky. I usually make a full batch of…

I love making this Meyer Lemon Tart for potlucks or when we have friends and family over.  You can make most of it the day before and just top the tarte with whipped cream or meringue right before serving.  I…

I have been seeing these jars all over Pinterest and thought they were adorable and so practical. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am on a mission to get back to bathing suit shape and am trying to…

It’s time to lose the extra winter weight I put on.  We have our trip to cabo and our weekly pool days so it is time for me to get back into bathing suit shape. I rarely use store bought…

Spring is HERE and our garden is rocking away. The strawberries are ripening and we expect some blueberries and raspberries soon. Aren’t these strawberries AMAZING! Normally we do not have enough berries to make a dessert but we added some…

One of my favorite things to make and eat is quiche.  I love great quiche.  It is great for brunch, lunch, dinner…practically anytime.  One of the great things about quiche is if you know how to make a basic one,…

I love springtime.  The fruit trees are blossoming and setting fruit.  I know summer is right around the corner so we can harvest fruits and vegetables from the garden.  I especially love the fruits and vegetables that are in season….asparagus,…

Spring is definitely here!  The plum  and peach trees are blooming.  My chickens are laying and in a few weeks we will plant our summer garden. We are also lucky enough (or maybe not so lucky for my chickens) to…

My girlfriend, Becky, is coming over on Thursday for lunch.  I am super excited to see her because since the babies came along I have very little time for my girlfriends and cherish every minute with. A fond memory I…

I’m RICH!!!  Rich, I say! I am rich in meyer lemons and eggs.  The ladies are loving the sun and warm weather and have been laying up a storm and our meyer lemon tree is loaded with golden orbs of…

My dear friend Wendy is expecting a baby girl so the ladies decided to throw her a small baby shower. We had a pretty mixed group of vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free peeps and major carnivores so I had to make food…

I love bean dips…hummus….yummy….mexican bean dip…delicious. One of my favorite dips to make when I have a brunch or party is this cannellini bean dip.  It is great because it is vegan, gluten-free and is a crowd pleaser.  Everytime I…

I know…I watch way too much tv! I go through periods where I will watch hours of cooking shows…now I am more into Zombie shows, I guess that I why I am trying to become self-sufficient but I’ll save my…

My friend Kat came to San Francisco to visit.  Unfortunately I was not able to see her (sick babies) but I did get to live vicariously through her.  She had a great time and was able to partake in one…

This is a really easy sauce to make and it goes with pies, on sundays, and much more.  It is a sweeter caramel sauce than I normally make.  Usually I make a fleur de sel caramel but that is a…

This pie crust is so superior to what you can get in the stores.  It is really simple to make and you can freeze it for later use. Perfect Pie Crust (makes 3 pie crusts) 1-1/2 cup Butter or Crisco…

I watched a few episodes of Pioneer Woman on Foodtv.  I actually really like her show and seeing snippets of her  family.  Some of the other females on the show can be a little annoying (my husband can’t stand Ida…

I love making this bread because not only is it really easy to make, it does not take any fancy appliances, AND it costs less than $1 to make 2-3 loaves.  It’s also great because you can make the dough…

This is one of my favorite salads and it has all of my favorite things in it: Bacon, carmelized onions, eggs, and brussel sprouts…YUMMY! INGREDIENTS: The Dressing 2 large shallots, diced 4 small garlic cloves minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh…

Ingredients: 1/3 cup warm milk 2 tablespoon instant dry yeast 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 tablespoons granulated sugar 3/4 cups cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces 4 Extra Large eggs, cold from the refrigerator (or…

We have a Cheesecake Factory about 15 minutes from our house.  I LOVE their White Chocolate Truffle and Raspberry Cheesecake.  Unfortunately I am not a huge fan of the rest of their food so we rarely go there to eat….

My Family and friends love this dish and always rave about it. It is rich, creamy, savory and just delicious.  I usually just make this dish on special occasions like Christmas and Easter because it is NOT diet food.  In…

I LOVE peppermint bark.  It is the perfect holiday gift.  I remember when I worked in real estate, some co-workers used to give me a box for the holidays.  Their client makes Peppermint Bark for William Sonoma. When I was…

Almond Roca is one of my favorite candies!  I have loved it ever since I was a child.  I remember one of my first cookbooks was this miniature cookbook that was given to me by my mom’s boss.  The book…

This weekend I am scrambling to get some homemade gifts to friends and family.  It seems like there is so much excess in material goods that it would be nice to give a small treat of something tasty and made…

I love when my friends stop by for coffee. I brew a strong batch of my favorite Sumatra coffee and I can whip up these scones and have them in the oven in a few minutes. They are so easy…

I’ve decided this year to make gifts for my friends and family.  I LOATHE holiday shopping.  It stresses me out.  I always wear too big of a coat and start having hot-flashes about 30 minutes into shopping, then start to…

The holiday season is officially upon us and baking season is about to begin. Right now is the PERFECT time to make Vanilla Sugar so you can use it for all your holiday cookies and cakes. Vanilla sugar makes a…

In previous posts, I wrote about my LOVE of Fair Food.  I posted a really easy recipe on how to make funnel cakes. Lately I have been craving corn dogs.  I had one at the fair this year but honestly…

My husband is not a huge fan of sweets. He doesn’t like cake that much and prefers a crispy cookie to a mousse. One of his favorite desserts is Baklava. He loves the crispy, buttery layers of phylo as well…

One of my dear friends just had a baby so my nurturing tendencies kicked in.  I was raised in a family that showed love with food.  I was very excited to meet the new baby and of course bring them…

My poor husband has been sick for the last few days so I thought I would make something yummy for him. At first I thought a soup but wanted something a little heartier.  I love the addition of lemon to…

We had a late summer this year and it did not really get hot until September but I am not complaining because we are lucky enough to have an Indian Summer.  Tomatoes and peppers are still ripening. Normally figs ripen…

It looks like we are having another Indian Summer.  It is the end of October and still 80’s out.  Time to harvest my hot peppers.  Now what to do with them?  Pepper Jelly, of course.  They are really cute and…

I just got a membership to Costco.  I was going to make dinner and needed 4-5 carrots and bought a bag from Costco.  It was like a 10 lb bag of carrots….so what do I do with all the extra…

In this previous post I wrote about how much I LOVE getting a weekly milk delivery.  It has inspired me to make cheese! I have made Ricotta Cheese before so I know if you have good instructions and fresh ingredients,…

I have been craving oysters lately so Steve hopped in the van and made his way over to Hog Island Oyster Company.  We like to pick up our oysters at the Farm and it is only 45 minutes away and…

So I just posted about what I harvested from the garden yesterday.  I have been anxiously waiting for my first batch of tomatillos so I could make some salsa verde.  I LOVE salsa verde….it is my favorite salsa and I…

I love cooking with ricotta cheese.  It is great in lasagnas or you can sweeten it up and use it as a filling in crepes.  It is such a versatile cheese to have around. I have always wanted to make…

I have been totally craving pork belly and came across this recipe. I modified it slightly to what I had on hand.  Sorry for the bad pics…it is hard to cook and take pics with a 3 year old trying to…

Boy has it been hot! Today topped 90 degrees in the shade. Normally I would complain about the heat but I made a batch of cold brewed coffee and it is sitting in my fridge, ready for my consumption. Today…

We have been cooking very simply lately. If you use quality ingredients, there really isn’t much need for all the extra ingredients. I posted a recipe below for crispy chinese 5 spice chicken drumsticks. If you don’t have 5 spice,…

This is a great go to meal during the week when you want to just take something out of the refrigerator and cook it. The skin gets salty and crispy and renders down perfectly. I recommend 3 drumsticks per person…

When life gives you meyer lemons…make Panna Cotta! We have a great meyer lemon tree and this year should get a bumper crop. One of the my favorite desserts to make is Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta. It is so simple…

Yup, that’s what we are eatting right now.  We just picked the last of the sweet peas and pulled out the plants to make room for our summer garden. Our strawberries are kicking butt.  They are perfect and sweet.  I…

Well this is our second year with blueberry bushes and so far they are doing pretty good.  They are loaded with berries this year with very little maintence.  We also added a sharpblue blueberry bush to the mix because my…

We are in the midst of cherimoya season.  Boy are these fruit delicious.  I ordered a box from calimoya.com to see if there was a difference in quality from cherimoya.com but i am happy to report that they are both…

Just a quick update on the cherimoyas…yes that is cherimoyas, plural.  I got a fino de jete from Roger Meyer.  It is also smaller than the chaffey I got last year from Laverne but hopefully it will catch up soon,…

Yay, we just barbecued for the first time on thursday. I just love the weather in California. It was 80 degrees in mid-march!! Here is a great barbecue chicken recipe. It does take some planning ahead (1 day to brine…

I love the biscuits from Red Lobster. I remember going there with my parents and just filling up on these tender and savory treats. Who needed the mediocre lobster from there when you could have unlimited biscuits. I decided to…

I picked up some salmon from the Farmer’s Market and it was the best I have ever had. It was so fresh and full of the good fat that you get from salmon. This recipe is easy to make and…

One of the latest fads at trendy restaurants is the use of pork belly. It is like what seared ahi tuna was in the middle of 2000, almost every restaurant has its own version of it. My favorite preparation is…

One of the easiest things to grow in my garden is swiss chard. It grows through the winter and is one of the few things we harvest when it is cold outside. Since it is so easy to grow and…

I ordered some cherimoyas from Dario at cherimoya.com because I want to purchase one more cherimoya tree and wanted to taste a few varieties before committing to my next tree. Dario did a great job sending the variety of cherimoyas…

I love making this soup in the winter.  It is the ideal comfort food for me.  I will add a picture of a bowl of soup as soon as I can.  I forgot to take one the last time I…