Tasty Tuesday: Heirloom Tomato Salad

I'm still looking to use up my tasty tomato harvest, and here's a simple summer salad that's just perfect. Reminiscent of bruschetta, but with a fresh pop of mint, and the make-ahead, no-cook advantage that works wonderfully with summer parties. Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: Cuban Pork

The approaching summer always has me thinking about Latin food, for some reason--perhaps it's my love of garlic, smoky spices and margaritas that does it, but whatever it is, this Cuban pork recipe is perfect for it! Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: Peruvian-Style Roasted Chicken

I've been dying to make this Peruvian-style roasted chicken with sweet onions since I saw the recipe--not only does it satisfy my recent cravings for a lemony chicken dish, it just so happens to use ingredients I've got in my kitchen right now! I'm thinking of pairing it with some kind of potato dish (in keeping with the Peruvian theme). Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken with Creamy Spinach and Shallots

This week's cure requires a new recipe to cook at home--I'm not very shy about cooking (what I scrubbed off of my stove last weekend proves that) but I do get bored with the same old stuff--this recipe requires chicken thighs (a departure from the normal skinless chicken breast) and a creamy sauce--what could be better? Enjoy!

DI-Wednesday: Dry Your Own Herbs in the Microwave

Love this hack! I wish I had thought of this myself when our basil plants were giving more than we could ever use...now you can buy fresh herbs without worrying about them wasting away in the fridge; just dry them in the microwave!

Tasty Tuesday: Confections!

Itty Bitty Bite Size Princess Crown Sugar Cookies from Sugar and Flour

In honor of one of the sweetest of holidays, why not bake some sharable sugar cookies? I've always liked the simplicity of sugar cookies, despite their lack of inherent chocolate. But, one can make up for that with ample frosting--and of course, you can always buy some lovely ones from Etsy! Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: Girl Scout Delights

It's that time of year when you find yourself greedily perusing the brochure of Girl Scout cookies and heartily cursing your New Year's resolutions. I end up buying a few boxes every year, and attempt to eat only a handful and distributing the rest amongst friends. If you find yourself in a cookie situation, why not try some of the Girl Scout's dessert recipes, derived from their famous cookies? Enjoy (the guilt)!

To Host or Not to Host?

Thanksgiving is fast approaching (along with a slew of other holiday happenings) and while we usually host the festivities, this year we're frankly pooped. All of the shopping, cooking and cleaning are starting to wear on us, and we're trying to encourage some of our other friends to act as host this year.

I think it may have something to do with my perfectionist streak--I love to have everything 'just so' before guests arrive, and that usually involves cooking everything myself. Believe it or not, I miss the days of the kids' table--being able to just show up, eat myself into a semi-comatose state, and wish there was something else to watch besides football on television. But, I will certainly miss setting myself a pretty table...