Black Bean Burgers with Quinoa and Lime

Wednesday, April 19, 2017




After a road trip to Nashville over Easter weekend where we feasted on everything from lemon buttermilk ice cream, to Huevos Rancheros, to burgers, truffle fries and Lamb Biryani, it felt good to get into a groove of some simpler eating this week. I've been throwing kale into breakfast, lunch and dinner. I've avoided the temptation of baking a rich dessert. (The cookies yesterday don't count.) And I've been working out every day. (Gasp!)

Seven Layer Salad

Wednesday, April 12, 2017


Seven Layer Salad 

So I grew up with Seven Layer Salad. It showed up in a 9 x 12 Tupperware container (with a lid) at every potluck, Sunday dinner, family reunion or neighborhood supper. It even made its appearance at weddings and funerals, right next to the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and Amish noodles. Truth be told, I never ate the stuff. I mean, what kid likes salad?  But my mother and all the other cooks in our county made sure it had its place at gatherings of any sort.

White Chocolate Brioche Buns

Monday, April 10, 2017


White Chocolate Brioche Buns


As a kid I looked forward to Easter Sunday. For one thing, there was the twice-yearly tradition of communion held during the morning church meeting. While I didn't relish the idea of a longer-than-usual service, I looked forward to snacking on the leftover communion elements while sitting in the back seat of our 1968 Ford.  The way home was never sweeter than when nibbling on some of Mother's bread and sipping the juice straight out of the Welch's jar. The other thing to anticipate was the lovely meal my mother had prepared that morning before we gussied up in our Sunday best (as much as Mennonites were permitted to gussy) and zoomed over the hills and around the curves to the conservative church where my father was the Bishop.

Frangipane

Friday, April 7, 2017





I first fell in love with Frangipane when The Farmette Cookbook came out last spring. Before that, I fell in love with the Instagram and blog of its author, Imen McDonnell, and the snippets of her life on a farm in Ireland. (You can read my story about Imen and how she traded her high heels for a sturdy pair of Wellingtons here.) Now that I've discovered this easy and oh-so-comforting dessert, it has remained a staple in my stack of well-loved recipes.