The addition of cucumber to traditional lemonade makes a refreshing sweet-tart beverage that is perfect for a hot afternoon. INGREDIENTS: 2 English cucumbers 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 cups water 3/4 cup sugar* Ice METHOD: Peel cucumbers and chop them into 1-inch chunks. Place 2 cups water, half the cucumber pieces, and sugar...Read More
Let’s face it – baking mixes have their place in the pantry, especially when it comes to making a quick batch of biscuits or pancakes for the family. However, convenience has its price and who wants to pay the high prices of baking mixes? Did you know that you can make an almost identical baking...Read More
Perhaps you have to grow up in the South (or at least have a very “Su’thun” grandmother from Georgia as I did) to understand the special relationship Southerners have with fried food. Although it’s considered sick and wrong (or at the very least very un-PC!) to fry food in California – I do remember how...Read More
INGREDIENTS: 6-8 medium bell peppers, any color 1 cup onion, finely chopped 1/3 cup garlic, finely minced 1/2 cup olive oil, plus additional olive oil 1 cup white rice 1/4 cup fresh chopped mint 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill 1 cup chopped, peeled fresh tomatoes 2 cups water 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 teaspoons...Read More
INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 pounds plums (or pluots), sliced into eighths* 1/2 cup sugar (or less, depending on the sweetness of the pluots) 1/3 cup apricot or plum preserves 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, optional 1 homemade pie crust or 1/2 package (15-oz.) refrigerated pie crust 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 large...Read More
Make apple butter while you sleep? Yup! Start this apple butter before you go to bed and you’ll wake up to the delicious smell of fall in your home! You can finish the last steps of the apple butter in the morning. Apple butter is great on scones, biscuits, muffins, or pork chops. INGREDIENTS: 6...Read More
This recipe uses only three ingredients that are transformed into a “wow factor” appetizer in less than 10 minutes. INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon avocado oil and more, as needed (do not use olive oil — it will smoke) 16 spears fresh asparagus, washed, dried, and trimmed 16 slices prosciutto* METHOD: Preheat the broiler to high. Adjust...Read More
Better known as Sofia’s Fabulous Potatoes amongst friends, these roasted lemony potatoes are commonly served in Greek villages. At a recent dinner party, guests watched as Sofia peeled the potatoes and assembled the dish as she visited with everyone. Few were paying close attention to the actual prep as she added a bit of this...Read More
Gazpacho immediately comes to mind when the late summer harvests of ripe dry-farmed tomatoes, colorful peppers, and herbs are available in an abundance farmers’ markets. Originally a popular soup from the Andalusia region of Spain, ‘gazpacho’ has become a generic term for any cold soup served cold that has a vegetable or fruit base. My...Read More
INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups raw almonds 4 cups pure drinking water 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon sweetener of choice Pinch of Himalayan salt METHOD: Rinse almonds, and soak them in water for 10-12 hours. Rinse again. Blend the nuts with the drinking water in a blender, into a slurry....Read More
