Blackberry Moscow Mule

 

A few days ago I decided to meander down the nature trail behind our house to pick some blackberries to add to a Moscow Mule, a cocktail made with vodka, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer. My blackberry search, however, was almost a bust. Being vertically challenged (I’m almost 5’2″), most of the purple-y ripe fruit was out of my reach so I was only able to forage about one cup of ripe berries — just enough for one really great cocktail and a few berries for eating on the way home! The Blackberry Moscow Mule was summery, tangy, and very refreshing

Chocolate Zucchini & Raspberry Muffins

 

It’s not every day that you find a recipe that combines fruit, a veggie AND two kinds of chocolate into a delicious breakfast treat. Did I mention two kinds of chocolate? These muffins are super moist, chocolatey, not overly sweet, and pretty as a picture. I made them for a friend for her birthday breakfast gathering. Consequently, one friend liked them so much she ate three of them

Butternut Squash Soup

 

October here in Portland can be a mixed bag of weather changes. One day the sun is out and we’re blessed with Indian summer warmth. The next day may bring overcast skies and rain showers. Some days we even get to experience a potpourri of all that: sun, clouds, rain, fog. Yes, the weather here is fickle…some might even say it’s goofy

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

 

It’s a rare person who can resist a piece of freshly made coffee cake, especially when it’s spiced with a cinnamon ripple filling and sprinkled with a streusel topping. Paired with a cup of hot coffee — mmm, heaven

Joe’s Special

I love scrambles! Just add a few ingredients to humble scrambled eggs and, presto! Now you’ve got a more exciting meal! Joe’s Special is one of my favorite scrambles. It features ground beef and spinach in addition to the eggs. I usually order it when I see it on a restaurant breakfast menu, and sometimes

Smoky Corn Quesadilla

 

The boys and I got stuck in late-afternoon traffic on Friday so I had to come up with a different dinner then what I had originally planned on making that evening. Since I’d had enough stress sitting in traffic with my learning-to-drive teenager at the wheel, I wanted to make something easy with ingredients I already had on hand. A quick search on the Fine Cooking website led me to this recipe for Smoky Corn Quesadillas. Perfect

Summer Bean Confetti Salad with Pickled Red Onion Vinaigrette

 

This recipe for Summer Bean Confetti Salad with Pickled Red Onion Vinaigrette is a great example of simple summertime cooking: it’s fresh, it’s easy to make, and it tastes good! The recipe would also be really easy to double or triple if you needed more than four servings

Grilled Garlic Bread

 

Grilling bread is such an easy way to take good artisan bread to the next level! And it can be used to make a variety of appetizers (like bruschetta) or simply be a compliment to a meal. Even a novice cook can tackle this recipe with confidence

Fresh Corn Salad

 

Fresh summer corn is definitely one of life’s simple, old-fashioned pleasures. I will drive way out of my way to a local farm stand to buy farm fresh corn in the summer. This simple summer salad  is easy to make but full of fresh seasonal flavor: sweet, crisp-tender corn, fresh basil, plus a little zing from red onions and a tangy dressing made of cider vinegar and olive oil. This dish would be great for entertaining, and could easily be multiplied to feed a crowd

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage

 

I’m always looking for creative ways to eat veggies, so this Italian-inspired recipe for Spaghetti Squash with Sausage is a great find! The dish is tasty and quick enough for an easy weeknight meal. Plus, spaghetti squash is good for you and a great alternative to pasta.

The recipe calls for microwaving the halved squash but you can roast it if you prefer (roasting will take longer, though)

How To Make Homemade Pizza Dough

Learn How To Make Homemade Pizza Dough at home! This step-by-step guide will teach you how to make a basic easy pizza dough recipe that works every time