I have fought a losing battle with the squirrels in my yard this year. I planted two (sour) cherry and two plum trees a few years ago, and this year was the first that I had a really nice amount of fruit growing and prospering. Until, that is, the fruit began to ripen. Then, in…
Quick Banana Bread
While I had the oven heating for an Apple Raspberry Crisp, I thought it would be a good time to use up some bananas browning a little too rapidly on the counter. Since I also had some mayonnaise in the refrigerator, it was a good time to do some more experimenting with that interesting ingredient….
Mixed Berry Muffins with Grapenuts
Two reasons for posting this recipe today: the berries and the cereal. First, the Grapenuts. Having gotten a very good price on a humongous box of Grapenuts (typical Costco sizing!), I have been finding new uses for this old-fashioned cereal. One of the things that has always drawn me to Grapenuts is the fact that…
Piquant Carrot Salad and “French Dressing” for Later
Some time ago, I posted a recipe for a carrot salad that is a refreshingly different side, perfect for summer potlucks and picnics. You can find it here: https://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2012/03/piquant-carrot-salad.html One thing I didn’t note in that earlier post is an extra benefit of the salad. When I have served it for the last time, there…
Almost Artisan Bread
After the past several years, more and more grocery stores and bakeries have been selling “artisan bread.” Do a search for “artisan bread cookbook” and you will get over 300,000 Google entries. Do the same at Amazon, and you’ll get more than 3,000 books available with artisan bread in the title. So what exactly is…
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Squares
Is there anything better for dessert than a tray of fresh fruits of the season? Especially now, when we have berries and melons of many colors to spread out on the table. Still, there are times when just a little something is nice to serve with the fruit tray, and the cookies I made today…
Cherry Kuchen
This is an old, old recipe from my kids’ Great Grandma, passed down and modified to slightly more modern measurements and instructions. “Put in a buttered coffee cake pan?” What size is that? And was a “cup” really a measuring cup, or just the closest coffee cup you could find? I’ve tested this a few…
Southwestern Chicken and Lentils
When I found chicken thighs on sale for less than 60 cents a pound, it was an easy decision to buy a “family pack” of 12 thighs. Braising them all meant that there would be lots of meat in the refrigerator to try out some new chicken options. Along with plenty of prepared chicken, the…
Triple Berry Pie
Many years ago, I spent a summer working in the kitchen of a local country club. My job was preparing the cold foods. In that time of no pre-prepared ingredients, every day started with peeling and cutting into meticulously sized sticks 5 pounds of carrots, cutting pounds of cream cheese into cubes for garnishing some…
Spanish Tortilla
Not long ago, I saw a reference to a “Spanish tortilla,” something very different from the tortillas we associate with Mexican dishes. While in Barcelona Spain recently, I had an opportunity to try some “authentic” tapas, including the “Spanish tortillas” I had heard about. As with almost all the tapas we tried, these were delicious,…