The day after the Super Bowl, I stopped in at my local Fareway and discovered they were clearing out some beautiful avocados for 25 cents each. (They also had big bunches of cilantro at 3 for $1 along with their usual good specials.) Unable to pass up such a bargain, I brought home 12 large…

Many years ago our family put together a cookbook of some of our favorite recipes. Included in the Breads section was one for Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins my sister Linda had gotten from a neighbor. She noted that this had long been a family favorite. It was several years before I got around to trying…

For some of us who prefer savory over sweet, many morning coffee gatherings don’t provide a lot of options. So when I was called on to bring a treat for one of these occasions this week, I decided to make these quick little bites to go with some apple slices and a quick bread. With…

This post shows the versatility of many batters. It started out as just a muffin recipe, one that has been sitting in my draft folder for months. I’ve made these muffins several times, but this week, with the first of the fall crop of raspberries just really getting up to speed, I was looking for…

This one is easy.  Friends were coming for dinner and I was planning to serve a garden salad and scalloped potatoes and ham–yup, even in the summer, potatoes served in this old-fashioned way are just the right kind of comfort food. Even with the salad, however, I thought one more brightly colored food would be…

Years and years, and years, ago, I cut a recipe off the back of a package of Knox Unflavored Gelatine (sic), pasted it to an index card, and have had it as a key recipe ever since. This has always been a favorite of any kids who wander into the house, tasting a lot like…

Many years ago, I became part of an extended family that celebrated almost every birthday, anniversary, new baby, etc, within the large, geographically close-knit clan. That meant at least monthly get togethers, usually in the evening after the many farmers in the group wer through with their chores. There were sometimes sandwiches but most of…

Two years ago I posted a couple of “strata” recipes for possible brunch menus, one savory and one sweet. (You can find that post here:  http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2014/05/sweet-and-savory-stratas.html) Today I was looking for a bread pudding for a dessert that would incorporate apples. Guess what: that sweet strata (very similar to a French toast dish) can be…

Sometimes, “leftovers” can become a wonderful base for a new dish. That is especially true of a really good bread pudding. For the best bread pudding, you need really good bread. Sorry, soft and squishy “WonderBread” types won’t work too well, at least for the bulk of your pudding. No, instead you need some fairly…

All of us have had those times when we have volunteered to bring cookies for a potluck or snacks for some meeting, only to realize the night before the event that we really aren’t in the mood or don’t have the time to bake even the simplest drop cookies. So we shift our thoughts to…