I started a tradition when my nieces (and later my nephew) were very young. Every year at Christmas, I took them to lunch at a restaurant and then we went shopping for toys and food for all the folks who didn’t have as much at Christmas as we always have. When the girls were very little, I didn’t have much experience handling kids on my own, so I chose a popular chain … [Read more...] about Monte Cristo Casserole
breakfast
Blueberry Vanilla Buttermilk Cake
Simple ingredients of the best quality produce the most amazing results. It always holds true. Fresh blueberries straight from the farmers’ market, real vanilla and creamy buttermilk, the best you can find. I mulled over ways to dress up the cake, make it more exotic or unusual, but in the end, I decided there is really no justification for that, because it is wonderful in … [Read more...] about Blueberry Vanilla Buttermilk Cake
Almond Amaretto Cherry Muffins
A basket of nice, sweet muffins is a wonderful addition to a breakfast or brunch table, and these almond-y bites are made really moist with the addition of almond paste. A bite-sized version of my Simple Moist Almond Cake. Nice tart cherry is a great pairing with almond – if you use big Bings, you might want to snip them into smaller pieces. Almond Amaretto Cherry … [Read more...] about Almond Amaretto Cherry Muffins
Leek and Brie Bread Pudding
Spring is the perfect time for brunch. With Easter starting things off, there always seems to be an explosion of daytime events. Graduations and weddings and all the celebrations that go with them. And I love a good family brunch. You can wear a nice dress, but don’t have to worry about high heels and punitive undergarments and retouching your lipstick … [Read more...] about Leek and Brie Bread Pudding
Country Ham Biscuit Bites with Cheese
My love for biscuits is well documented (13 recipes on the site at last count), and my love of country ham equally evident when you peruse my recipes. I have always enjoyed a warm, buttery biscuit with a slice of salty country ham tucked inside, so the next logical step seemed to be incorporating the ham directly into the biscuit. And these are heavenly morsels of Southern … [Read more...] about Country Ham Biscuit Bites with Cheese






