Thanksgiving Recipes: Soda Pop Turkey

Coke is it when it comes to sweetening your bird this Thanksgiving. Sprite will work too, if you follow the recipe below. A week from today most of us will be gorging ourselves on turkey and all the fixings, but before we gather around the dining room table someone has to cook the Thanksgiving bird. If you are reading this blog, that “someone” is probably you. Of course, not everyone will be creating a Thanksgiving feast for dozens of extended family members. Some clans celebrate the holiday with an intimate gathering of just a few very close loved ones. In … Continue reading →

Sweet Autumn Recipes

Two of the three farms we visited this fall sold honey fresh from the hive. In fact, both farms had several glass cases on display so patrons could watch thousands of busy bees fill hive cells with fresh honey. It was fascinating, and naturally, a great marketing tactic to get us city folk to purchase a few jars of honey on the way out. Of course, it was only after I got into the car that I realized that I don’t really use honey all that much (occasionally on fresh biscuits and in tea, but not often in main dishes). … Continue reading →

Cornish Game Hens—Cooking the Other “Bird”

My young daughter loves “bird.” Meaning she happily devours anything that has wings—-chicken, turkey, quail, and yes, even Cornish game hens. Only she thinks all white meat is chicken (including pork). Not wanting to mess with a good thing (she eats every bite of white meat without complaint) I simply refer to dishes with white meat as “bird.” And it’s not as though she hasn’t seen me prepare the recipes. She simply accepts that birds come in different sizes and as long as the cooked meat is not over seasoned, drenched in gravy or (Heaven forbid) touching any other food … Continue reading →

Quick and Easy Back-to-School Dinners

With year round school back in session for kids across the country, weeknights just got that much busier for home cooks. This is the time of year when overworked moms and dads are looking for quick, easy and affordable dishes to make that the whole family will enjoy. The following recipes fit those requirements. Both can be made in less than 20 minutes. What’s more, they can easily be doubled so you’ll have enough leftovers for another night. I prepare both dishes with ground turkey but you could easily substitute with ground beef to fit your family’s taste. EASY TURKEY … Continue reading →

That’s a Wrap… for Turkey and Veggies

July is more than half way over and for most moms the dog days of summer were supposed to bring with them a break from the chaos that comes from chauffeuring kids from school to soccer, piano lessons, karate, and dance. But if your life is anything like mine then you have likely found that summer’s hot and humid days just mean you have shifted your schedule to accommodate swimming, t-ball, golf and playdates. But relief is on the way. If your days of dining on the run are far from over then you might find the following recipes quite … Continue reading →

Healthy Summer Entrees—Cranberry Turkey Burgers and Hearty Chop-Chop Salad

When the mercury is soaring and we’re soaking in sweat the last thing any of us wants to do is stand in a stifling hot kitchen whipping up a three-course meal for our families. Instead, consider waiting until the sun dips lower in the evening sky and prepare a light dinner outdoors. One of my family’s favorite grilled entrees is the classic turkey burger. My preschooler devours this particular recipe and has no clue that it is good for her. In fact, ever since the country went on a health kick a few years back (and more and more people … Continue reading →

Ready, Set, Grill—CHICKEN

The Memorial Day weekend has officially begun and I can smell the grills going now. All this week I have been guest blogging in FOOD sharing some of my favorite grilling recipes. Now that we’ve covered my favorite steak and my mom’s favorite shrimp recipes it’s time to move on to my daughter’s favorite grilled item–chicken. You don’t have to be an expert chef to know that it is very hard to mess up grilled chicken. As long as you don’t let your bird overcook and become dry and rubbery you’ve got the makings of a winning dish on your … Continue reading →

Chicken Scampi

Scampi is actually the plural of scampo–the Italian word for lobster. Therefore traditionally, scampi dishes are lobster dishes prepared in an Italian American way. However, tradition has given way to colloquialism and typically, at least in the United States, scampi refers to an Italian-like dish where the meat is marinated, broiled, and served with a sauce of garlic, butter and white wine. So despite having it’s origins in lobster (and sometimes shrimp), now you can have the redundant shrimp scampi or chicken scampi–referring to how the meat was prepared. One reason I like chicken scampi is that it’s easy but … Continue reading →

Chicken and Farfalle with Lemon Butter Sauce

This is a fantastically delicious easy meal. I can’t promise you that it’s finished in 30 minutes or less. On the other hand it’s easy enough that if you have last minute company, you could pull this together with a nice salad and some garlic bread. If you prep a little in advance (see the tips throughout the recipe), you could easily pull this off on a busy week night. To make the Lemon Butter Sauce 1/4 cup white wine 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (squeeze lemon juice in the morning and store in refrigerator; 5 tablespoons is roughly 2 … Continue reading →

Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I am amazed what my family and kids will eat when it’s stuffed with cheese. This is the dish du jour next Sunday when all my little underlings will be bestowing me with gifts. Ahem. . .or so the theory goes. In any case, it’s one of our favorites because it’s easy and delicious and simple. You can also, if you slice really thinly, sneak in some carrots or other vegetable type things while you’re stuffing as a means of squeezing extra veggies into your kids! You will need: 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese 2 tablespoons chopped ham 2 … Continue reading →