summer quinoa salad

Summer Quinoa Salad with Mango, Chick Peas and Red Onions

Posted by | Recipes | 8 Comments

This Summer Quinoa Salad is a healthy and easy to make dish that’s full of summer’s best ingredients. Dressed in a lemon-lime vinaigrette, it’s a fresh and flavorful salad that’s perfect for lunch, a side dish or even a meatless dinner!

Summer’s here and even while quarantining with family, outdoor dining is a welcome change from the months indoors. Having dishes that don’t need to be refrigerated is a bonus in hot weather which makes my Summer Quinoa Salad a perfect choice to serve.

People always ask me what are my favorite dishes to make. My answer: appetizers and side dishes.… Read more

A Culinary Exploration of Finland’s Food and Drink World

Posted by | Cocktails, Restaurants, Travel | 9 Comments

Traveling to Northern Europe to explore Finland’s food and drink world should be high on your list of culinary adventures given the enormous talent found in the country. 

Finland may be known for the Northern Lights, snowy-white winter beauty of Lapland, Salla Reindeer Park and Santa Claus Village, but there is so much more to be found in this stunning country. An under-the-radar culinary world that rivals that of cities far larger is quietly but powerfully making enormous impressions on those with an appreciation for the talent that creates dishes worthy of award recognition.

Without the glitzy fanfare of their neighbors, this low-key, yet sophisticated country has an impressive food and beverage space.Read more

lemon cake

Mother’s Day Road Trip with Mazda: The Glazed Lemon Cake Edition

Posted by | Housewares, Recipes, Travel | 10 Comments

When life is stressful, I literally will make lemonade out of lemons. Or in this case, Glazed Lemon Cake in Mini Bundt Pans. The vibrant scent, tartness of the lemons and sweet glaze makes for a perfect dessert.

It’s also one of my Mom’s favorite treats. Since we were celebrating Mother’s Day, it was the best excuse to pull out the mini bundt pan to make them for her.

Knowing how many ways I use lemons in dishes, I often think of my aunt and uncle’s place on the west coast where having a lemon tree outside your kitchen window is common.… Read more

crustless quiche with serving

Crustless Broccoli Cheddar and Shallot Quiche

Posted by | Entertaining, Housewares, Recipes | 7 Comments

Sunday is Mother’s Day. But we are in quarantine. So, you are either cooking your own celebratory brunch, are lucky enough to have someone cook for you or are enjoying a quiet Sunday morning eating your favorite breakfast. The good news is that this Crustless Broccoli Cheddar and Shallot Quiche is so easy to make that you win no matter what. 

crustless quiche in oven

Having bought a big bag of fresh broccoli from Costco back in anticipation of this strange time we are living in, I have been incorporating it into a multitude of different recipes. The beauty of this quiche recipe is that you can adapt it to whatever vegetables, milk and cheeses you like.… Read more

Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls

Easy Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls

Posted by | Baking, Housewares, Recipes | 7 Comments

The longer we stay quarantined, the more creative I am getting with ingredients. Or at least that is what it seems like! Usually, I am at the grocery a couple times a week without really considering what I already have at home to work with. So when a sweet craving kicked in and no grocery run happening, I began looking at what I have available and found a quick recipe to share for Easy Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls.

Making traditional cinnamon rolls is all about the layers of butter and dough. And time. But when you feel like a sweet treat without all the effort of making the pastry from scratch, using prepared ingredients is a total time saver.… Read more

DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies

DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Shared for First Time

Posted by | Dessert, Housewares, Recipes, Travel | 2 Comments

If you are a traveler, you now how it feels to finally get to the hotel after a long car ride or running through the airport to catch a flight. The happy memory of when you walk into a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel to be greeted with a fresh-from-the-oven, warm chocolate chip cookie. 

DoubleTree by Hilton Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

As our travels have come to a halt due to the coronavirus, DoubleTree by Hilton wants to help us appreciate the warmth and comfort of our homes by sharing their exclusive chocolate chip cookie recipe. The even better news is you probably have the ingredients in your pantry already like the chocolate chips themselves and rolled oats.… Read more

broccoli cheese soup

The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup

Posted by | Housewares, Recipes | 6 Comments

In may be April in the Midwest, but it is still soup weather in my house. In anticipation for the need to stay home for an uncertain amount of time, I bought a huge bag of fresh broccoli from Costco. I hadn’t quite figured out what I was going to make with it but better to be prepared, right?! And then it came to me: Broccoli Cheese Soup. 

broccoli cheese soup broccoli bag

I am continuing to wade through my pantry and refrigerator which is seeming deeper and more endless than I thought. The ingredients discovered are helping me decide what to make. Like many of the recipes I am sharing, these are just the norm for me to have in the house.… Read more

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Posted by | Housewares, Recipe, Recipes | No Comments

Baking is therapy. You have to measure. Be precise. Focus. Distractions can lead to not the sweetest results. Which is why in this uncertain time we are living in, I have spent so much time in the kitchen! Cooking and baking make me happy. Feeding others is a joyful solution to all the scary news reports. And Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies are the magic result from today’s baking adventures. 

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

This recipe is made with all the ingredients you already have in your pantry. A good thing given our #stayathome mandate. If you have kids in the house, this recipe would be an activity for them as they get to not only help measure and mix the ingredients but roll the dough into a ball for each cookie.… Read more

finished focaccia bread art

How to Make Focaccia Bread Art

Posted by | Housewares, Recipe, Recipes | 13 Comments

I am not sure about you, but when it comes to stressful times, I need to find a creative distraction. That usually means I am in the kitchen doing something baking or cooking related. However, I have been known to teach myself how to tile a backsplash or fireplace surround in these circumstances as well. Another form of a creative outlet! In this case, I am sharing a focaccia bread recipe that I use as a canvas for my vegetable gardenscape. raw focaccia dough art

The best part is you most likely have all the ingredients in your house for the focaccia recipe. Then get artsy to design the picture you want to make.… Read more

welcome home mat in front of door

57 Fun Things to Do While Social Distancing

Posted by | Education, Entertainment | No Comments

As the world comes to a stop to gain control of the devastating Coronavirus, health officials are telling everyone to stay home. No public gatherings. No playdates for the kids. Work-from-home is not a request but an order. But how do you keep occupied while social distancing once the novelty of being home all day wears off?

Thanks to the internet and technology as a whole, there is a vast assortment of ways to expand your mind, do something creative, and see the world, all from the comfort of your couch. Explore the live stream and virtual options listed below which are geared for adults and kids that include everything from virtual concerts to museum tours to watching zoo animals via livestreaming to cooking classes from a Michelin star chef to activities for the kids and so much more.  … Read more