The combination of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and pesto just happens to be my daughter Marina’s favorite pizza. So simple and tasty; always one of the pizzas I serve on pizza night. Oh I should explain pizza night, shouldn’t I? Well at least once a month I make a batch of pizza dough or two, […]

This recipe reconstructed how I think about baking. I am a “bake from scratch” gal but I am going to make a few changes now. This delicious cookie is made from store-bought puff pastry. Five minutes to prepare…. Ten minutes to bake… Presto, you have an attractive and delicious cookie. The success of using puff […]

This cake holds so many memories for me.  As a child, we made a version of this every year at Easter.  What I love about it is the simplicity of the design – even a child can pull this off.  You don’t have to be a professional to make this simple little bunny shaped cake, […]

Just because you’re 80 doesn’t mean you need to put up with bland food! This is a very flavorful chili recipe whether you are 8 or 80! My 3rd-grade son asked me to make it 2 nights in a row. http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/moms-chili-perfect-for-spicy-seniors/ From the original site: In went a few kinds of dried ground chiles, in […]

Dude. Homemade Twinkies? Well, I bet they are healthier and tastier than the storebought version! Go check em out! I made Twinkies.  And yes, they are moist little sponge logs that taste rich with butter and vanilla. Yes, they have billowy puffs of sweet marshmallow cream piped into their bellies. Oh, and for the record, […]

This good old cutlet recipe is not too technical to make and it also includes very simple ingredients which will be available in almost any Indian kitchen. These cutlets taste delicious just on it’s own, or served with ketchup. You can also enjoy these cutlets also as a burger with cheese melted on top. Special […]

This is an easy recipe to make – you can even get the kids involved! I like it because it makes a sweet treat that isn’t too rich. You can also easily customize the cupcakes by adding different flavors of jelly for different tastes. It’s versatile, inexpensive and delicious! Quoting the original site: Then, using […]

I’m a big fan of tilapia… it’s a great quick and easy fish for a weeknight dinner. I’m intrigued by this tasty looking recipe from Perry’s Plate.. and what a great idea for sweet potatoes too! We really like coconut around here (even the little ones), so I played around with some coconut milk and […]

A couple of months ago I went to Whole Foods in search of a little taste of home – there are some things I just downright miss about Texas. When I found out there was a Whole Foods nearby, I could almost smell the cowboy boots and dead grassy hills of Texas – I was […]

Husband and kids LOVE LOVE LOVE this. Quick pan sauce glazes the shrimp. It is definitely possible to make a delicious dinner on a busy weeknight with this shrimp. Quoting the original site: Seriously, from the time you reach in the freezer to get the bag of shrimp, you can have a delicious shrimpy dinner […]

This is a great way to sneak in some extra veggies into a classic spaghetti and meatballs meal. This will please picky eaters and satisfy a more sophisticated palate. Spaghetti and meatballs…..can’t be healthy, surely not, it’s too good to be true! Well, why not? Let’s swap out the artery-clogging ground beef for some lean […]

This is one of my favorite bread recipes because it can be made in bulk and weeks ahead of time. It’s especially nice for the holidays when your schedule is so busy – simply make these rolls when you have time and stick them in the freezer until the big day! It can also be […]

Whitney sends us this idea for a healthier mac & cheese featuring hidden butternut squash… Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food for 4 year olds and 40 year olds!  This is a healthy and wholesome version on a classic comfort dish.  www.SquashBlossomBabies.com offers recipes for the entire family.  I am a work at […]

Sydney at Drinkwater Kitchen sends us this cool idea!  Cheese Ice Cream?  There’s no cheese involved, but what a fun way to experience other cultures! Here is just a fun recipe for Sweet Treats.  It’s authentically Peruvian, easy to make, and I have yet to find a person who doesn’t love it. Just thought I’d […]

Hope everyone is having a lovely Valentine’s Day.  I spotted these calzones at Craftzine and thought they were just too cute… Go read the whole thing and get the recipe:  Heart Calzones

{a Foodwhirl Re-run} Years ago, when the fat-free fad was all the rage (oh, how very far we’ve come) I got on a turkey-burger kick using 99% fat free ground turkey breast.  The problem with 99% fat free anything is that it has very little fat (duh), which means very little moisture (or flavor, for […]

Take a look at these adorable faux ice cream cupcakes.  I’ve seen this done before, but I love the sweet look of these, especially the perfect little raspberry on top.  Classy and classic! Check out the recipe at The Little Teochew. Have a recipe that would be perfect for Foodwhirl? Suggest it to us! Have […]

Editor’s Note: this was originally published for last year, but I thought it would be fun to see again! For the last few years, the hubby and I have spent Valentine’s Day with our good friends Grieg and Dennis for dinner and a movie.  This year, Grieg came up with the idea to make your […]

It’s soup time again!  The weather has definitely been chilly and soup-weather the past few days…  This is a favorite ‘go-to’ meal in our house…  Easy, affordable, and tasty on a cool winter day.  It would also make a great appetizer for a dinner party! It’s healthy and low fat as well… It’s basically a […]

This past weekend I was down in Hilton Head for a wedding, and my brother-in-law was cooking up a big batch of roasted pumpkin seeds. We were all discussing the best way to season roast pumpkin seeds–If only we’d had these great ideas from Sydney, over at The Drinkwater Kitchen! Sydney was nice enough to […]

Just Jenn has a great looking recipe for homemade snack bars, perfect for sticking in the kids’ lunches.  I love how she wraps them all up with a note–I’m pretty sure I’m not that good a mom ;) ! Jenn says: The kids get two snack breaks at school, two! Which means I need to […]

It seems most people have a love-hate relationship with vegetables, but my love of eggplant started early with this fabulous side dish.  While not the healthiest dish  (it is fried), it’s quite tasty and a kid-friendly way to introduce these lovely vegetables. This isn’t something I make often, but I do love it as an […]

Do your kids balk at pot pie?  Maybe they’d eat it if it had tentacles and eyes! So fun for a halloween dinner..  Go check it out: Tentacle Pot Pie. (Want more silly and scary halloween dinner ideas? Check out this roundup at Hostess with the Mostess.)

Into interesting Halloween Food?  Check out Superpunch’s awesome roundup of spooky Halloween eats! (Several of my own creations are in the list, so keep an eye out for them!) Here’s a few photos from the Roundup to whet your appetite, but head on over to read the whole thing and get the info on making […]

I know moms/dads everywhere make kitchen discoveries; we have mini light bulb ‘a-ha!’ moments as we figure out how to make things work… better. Each little ‘helpful hint’ isn’t worth shouting about… but maybe here and there a list proves useful to another parent-making-lunches. Little dots of wisdom that speckle our kitchens—that aid our lunch-making […]