So, you want a dessert with an Irish twist for St. Patrick’s Day? Maybe something tasty for the adults? Look no further! This ice cream dessert is fabulous. The story: A while back we had lunch at Six Feet Under across from Oakland Cemetery, and they had something similar to this for dessert. It was […]

I’ve been looking around for some good St. Patrick’s inspired creations, now that we’re in March, so we’ll start off with these delicious sounding Guinness Stout muffins, from Mega*Crafty. Cooking with beer, particularly stouts, yields tasty results, so pop a cold one and try it! (Stayed tuned later this week for my Guinness Ice Cream) […]

Maybe it’s the weather, but this week at Foodwhirl has been all about Mexican inspired dishes, that make you want to prop your feet up on the deck with a Margarita… In case you missed any of it (we know, it’s hard to keep up with everything!) here’s a roundup of some of our mexican […]

Everyone has their favorite lasagna recipe.  This is mine.  And while others are probably more authentic to Italy, this is pretty durn authentic to my Sicilian grandmother, my mother, and my New Jersey Italian relatives although I have made some changes over the years. I’ve tried many recipes, and many variations.  I’ve added spinach, I’ve […]

We’re loving this fun idea for an adult pudding… a delish looking Bailey’s Chocolate Pudding at Duh-licious! At first glance, this looks like a cup of dark chocolate hot cocoa, but take a closer look and you’ll find the ultimate after-dinner-dessert. Finally, a treat for the adults only– a simple, yet sinful take on a […]

I started making this recipe right after Thanksgiving last year when some friends gave us a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving.  We had lots of leftovers and while I love turkey, a little smoked turkey goes a long way with me.   My sister-in-law told me she had made enchiladas out of hers and I started looking […]

Sometimes it’s best to have something other to drink at a Mexican Fiesta than Margaritas and Cervezas, especially when you have a bunch of wine drinkers on the guest list.   This sangria is super easy to make and goes fast, so make plenty! Sangria 2 bottles red wine (I use an inexpensive blend of Malbec & Cabernet) 3 […]

No Mexican Fiesta is complete without Salsa, Guacamole and chips.    I really don’t care much for the salsa that comes in a bottle or jar, and prefer pico de gallo, so I make my own.   It tastes so much fresher and doesn’t contain all those preservatives and other junk they throw into the bottled kinds. […]

I’m a huge fan of pesto, so it seemed like the perfect thing to do with my last bit of cilantro.   I had a little less than a bunch left after several rounds of ceviche, the shrimp & fish tacos, and various other uses…  so what better to do with it!  This version is has […]

A big thanks to reader Melissa (@ladyvella) for submitting this easy, tasty, and money saving idea!  These would be great as a side dish, or if cut smaller, party appetizers. About Melissa: “When I am not organizing cyber-clutter as a database administrator, I am changing diapers and taking care of my adorable daughter at our […]

By using leftover chicken I was able to whip up these chicken and rice burritos in about 20 minutes (it would be even faster if I’d had leftover rice too).  They are very tasty and filling. Here’s What You Need: 3/4 cup shredded chicken 1 large handful of fresh baby spinach 3 tablespoons salsa (use […]

Asparagus is a favorite vegatable around our house, and although I love it grilled, roasted, sauteed, stirfried—you get the idea—it’s a quick and wonderfully healthy side dish when just simply steamed. The picky 4 year old is even a fan… If served without an sauce I allow him to eat it with his fingers, which […]

A fun find for you all today… Sprinkle Bakes brings us this great idea for Mehndi decorated spice cookies.  They are so pretty and unique! I wanted to make something fun and personal, yet artful and representative of good fortune.  Ann is a talented artist with an extensive background in print making.  Early in our […]

So, my husband works a second job two nights a week. On these nights, when it’s just me and the little boys, I like to do quick and easy dinners that don’t take my attention away from the children for too long. It would be super simple to open a box of something and dump […]

Are you looking for a simple but impressive looking meal, good for a romantic date night, or dinner with friends?  This recipe is basically a marriage of my fish tacos & shrimp fajitas, and could be done with either fish, shrimp, or a combination of both.  It’s a very healthy meal– make extras and you’ll […]

Our Spotlight today shines on Crumpets & Cakes.. these shortbreads look divine!  And what an interesting combination of ingredients too, I’m a big fan of all of them. Aromatherapy session while baking??? It turns out with right ingredients even that is possible. Just mixing lemon zest, fresh thyme with flour and butter will fill your […]

Joanne, from Ready, Set, Craft! is exploring her British roots, and brings us this great tutorial for sausage rolls… These look very good.  I could definitely see them as a party appetizer. Joanne Says: Over Superbowl weekend I tackled Sausage Rolls! A long-standing party snack in my parents’ house, I’ve been eating sausage rolls since […]

This is one of those technique that seams obvious in retrospect, but never occurred to me until someone showed me. So I figured there might be some others out there who could benefit from it! This is a great technique to use to get nice, even squares of chopped onion. See the descriptions below each […]

I came across this dish after a  friend posted the Food Network link to it on Facebook .  I saw the ingredients (all pantry/freezer staples) and the time involved (sub 30 minutes) and immediately put it on my weekly menu.  I buy in bulk when on sale, so this entire recipe fed all of us […]

A go-to meal in everyone’s repertoire should be a basic stir fry. And once you get the basics down, you can improvise and improve on it to your hearts content. Technically, this isn’t a stir fry, because I don’t really stir-fry the meat, but you get the general idea. And of course, the chicken used […]

Ceviche is a recent passion of mine– Every time I’ve bought either fish or shrimp lately, I’ve bought some extra so I can make up a batch!  It makes a lovely appetizer for dinner guests, or I just like to eat it for lunch… This is my go-to super easy recipe… It’s incredibly flexible to […]

We are all about the Basics here at Foodwhirl…  Part of becoming a great cook is mastering the go-to recipes that you can then change up and give your own spin.  Janelle at Talk of Tomatoes has a recipe for basic tomato sauce that looks fresh and inviting! Janelle says: It’s official: I make my […]

This is a favorite standby dinner because it’s fast, easy and you just can’t beat it for a healthy, fast meal.   The salmon provides an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, the spinach is full of vitamins and minerals, and the beans & parsley add more to that and are just darn good!   All of it’s […]

We have a new (rapidly growing) baby in our house, which means we’re still adjusting to how much to budget for groceries each month now that we’ve added formula and diapers to the mix. It seems we always get to the last week of the month having already maxed out our monthly budget. We try […]

Our new flickr group has some great stuff in it (but not enough of you guys yet..come join us and ad your food pics if you’re on flickr!)  .. Here are some of the yummy things spotted there…  Links back to the original pics are under the big pic below. 1. avocado lime cornmeal poundcake, […]