Instant Pot Sticky Toffee Pudding

For Amy's Birthday she requested a very special dessert, "Sticky Toffee Pudding"!! We were off on a snowmobile trip in the Cascade Mountains and this  seemed perfect, after a day on the mountain trails!

Turkey Gravy - extra gravy for left overs!

The season is here and I am ready! I have made my favorite Cranberry Sauce and my pastry is done and in the refrigerator for my Pecan Pie. 
Find links to more Thanksgiving recipes after the gravy recipe.

Instant Pot Chili

A good chili is often made on the weekends when there's time to soak the beans overnight, and you have a few hours to cook on the stove top. With this recipe, you can cut the prep time down significantly using the instant pot. With this all in one vessel you can saute the ingredients and pressure cook the beans in just under an hour!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

These creamy chicken enchiladas are amazing! I started with a basic recipe a few months ago and have perfected it to "Wee Bear" status! It has lots of creamy sauce and it is soooo delicious! This will be the last enchilada recipe that you will ever try!  45 minutes start to finish.....you are going to love them!!

Tarragon Chicken

When it comes to cooking traditional French food, most people think of a complex concoction of ingredients in a Le Creuset pot, which has been simmering for hours and hours on the cook top. 

Barley Soup

Fall is here, the weather has cooled, sweaters abound and boots are being worn! Fall means the kids are back to school and the grand parents are headed south to warmer weather. Everyone is busy running kids to soccer, ballet and football...life is busy! I always cook up a big pot of this delicious barley soup when the weather starts to turn. It's does bring back memories of my childhood, Mom would make a version of barley soup– a sustaining dish full of vegetables and cured meat, that’s actually more of a meal than a soup, and perfect for this time of year. This Swiss soup that can be dinner with a thick piece of crusty bread!

Orecchiette with clams and Sausage

 We are in Newport, Oregon enjoying the last bit of Summer. With the ocean in front of us, all I can think of is little neck clams....my favorite food! We went to the local fish market and I bought 3 lbs of clams. For Wee Bear, I proceeded to the grocery to buy hot Italian sausage, pasta and Parmesan. I had a idea for dinner........

Pasta and clams = a food hug in a bowl. Pasta is one of Wee Bear's all time comfort foods. He needs a "Noodles for life" Tee shirt!

Jalapeno Sauce

Summer is coming to a close as Labor Day approaches and the kids are off to school shortly after. I know in the southwest the kids are already back to school, but, here in the Pacific Northwest, the kids start school after Labor day. For my husband and I Labor Day means firing up the grill and making burgers. To me there is nothing better than a grilled, homemade hamburger. Especially when you are topping it with cheese, a thick slice of raw onion, crispy lettuce and garden fresh tomato. This just happens to be my hubster's idea of the ultimate burger but I took it a step further and made some jalapeño sauce. YUMMY!!

Grit Salad

Pea shoots are young leaves of the pea plant, harvested as microgreens at just a couple weeks of growth. Cooper and I made this a project on our  6 week motorcoach trip. We planted the seeds, watered every day, and harvested our first crop about two weeks later. We emptied the box and put in fresh soil and planted our second crop which is now starting to sprout.  It is a fun project for us while traveling and is providing us with some great healthy farm to table greens! I bought my box with soil and seeds on Amazon, this is the link- Organic Pea Shoot Kit.

Apple Pie

Everyone has a apple pie recipe that they think is the best......well, this is the best ...for real!! All American apple pie!

Mom requested a apple pie for her 99th birthday! DONE! I bought Granny Smith apples and Gala apples mixed together with the most amazing pie crust you'll ever lay your lip on!! Now, for the naysayers...lard mmmmm well, divide the 8 tablespoons in the dough into the 8 plus pieces versus, a tuff non flakey crust. I pick flakey and the butter adds flavor! 

This pie is KILLER!!

Cheesy Potato Chips

  

The 4th of July is coming up and our family has been planning a big celebration! What's on the menu? Well, the traditional hamburgers, hotdogs, apple pie and this year a twist on traditional potato chips!

 

French Lentil Salad

With Summer here, I wanted a alternative to the normal potato salad. I played around with some ingredients and came up with a delicious healthy salad. As humble and inexpensive as they are, lentils are a true super food. They are loaded with protein, fiber, iron and much more goodness. Their flavor is super earthy so go well with strong flavors, I paired fresh squeezed lime juice and olive oil, however you could used a strong red wine vinaigrette if you would like. I added roasted baby red potatoes, cucumber and a handful of mint to add a little zip!

Corn on the Cob - microwave method

I have been glamping the last few weeks and on one evening, I had both my burners occupied and it was raining outside.....I wanted to cook my corn and tried a new method, that worked perfectly!

Lemon Parmesan Asparagus

Asparagus is in season! Yay! I have another tasty recipe for you that got lot's of good reviews at our Easter dinner. Very easy to prepare ahead.

Clams Carbonara

Everyone who knows Wee Bear (the hubster)... knows he loves pasta. One of his favorites is Pasta Carbonara. I love steamed clams....oh my gosh do I love clams! So....a recipe was born!

Irish Lamb Stew

  

What could be more delicious than a bowl of heart warming Irish Stew? This is the favorite in Ireland and is loved all over the world! Irish stew is traditionally made with mutton (older sheep) but, nowadays, it is made more often with lamb....may seem like a waste but the flavor is amazing.

Bolognese Sauce

This sauce is the best sauce I have ever tasted! It is worth every minute! The layers of delicious flavor will delight your palate! I like to double the recipe and freeze in increments that we know we will use.

Making this very authentic Italian sauce is easy and requires no special skills. I perfected this bolognese sauce over several years. Adding this, taking out that. The end result is stunning and miles away from that awful tomato sauce from a jar.

This traditional spaghetti bolognese is a real winner. Your family will thank you for it!

Cambozola Tarts

Blue cheese is one of Wee Bears favorite cheeses, he loves a couple tablespoons crumbles on his salad. He loves blue cheese on his hamburger.....he loves it! It is a cheese you love or hate! So, here comes a milder version. Cambozola has a particular mildness similar to a buttery triple creme or a brie. Cambozola is a combination of Camembert style cheese and Gorgonzola.  You sort of get half of each! You get a delicious mushroomy brie quality- it has delicious pockets of blue cheese, tiny little pockets....perfect for introducing someone to the world of "Blue".

Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs

My mouth is watering as I sit finishing up this blog just in time for Super Bowl. I made these delicious baby back ribs a few months ago for football season. They are so delicious! Of course so tender because, as in my previous rib recipe, Baby Back Ribs, I used the instant pot. So much quicker than the oven or boiling method. The sauce contains a Hoisin sauce, similar flavors as in the  Asian Style Flankin Ribs  I made a year ago. You won't be disappointed, these are KILLER!

Pork Piroshki

Pork Piroshki is a sure hit for any occasion!  The herbed pork filling wrapped in a cream cheese pastry is a one, two punch! These can be made ahead and frozen for 3 months. Just pop a few out when company comes, or when you just want a simple salad and some quick appies for dinner! I have been baking these for years and quite frankly do not know how they haven't made it to the blog until now! Just in time for Superbowl and Valentines day! This is my absolute favorite appetizer!

BLT Stuffed Mushrooms

Pretty sure these delicious KETO friendly stuffed mushrooms will be a hit at the next party! Yes, Superbowl is around the corner and some of us are still taking off that holiday bulge! Whether you are or not, it doesn't matter, everyone loves this delicious dish!

Swedish Meatballs! A FLASH BACK!!

 This is for Ross, our son-in-law. He said his Grandma used to make Swedish meatballs, I had a flashback!!! I used to make these little yummy balls for my family when I was in high school and continued making them after I was working in the 1970's. They are quick and yummy! I am not sure where my recipe came from, as I was in Home Economics in high school, and think possibly it came from class handouts?? I remembered a lot of the ingredients and tweeked it, to bring it into this decade!!