Thanksgiving menu planning is in full force right now. These pecan pie cookies are the perfect addition to your meal plan. They have the delicious taste of a traditional pecan pie, in a small size, without all the calories. My husband is a pecan pie fanatic. He loves everything about it. Except for the calories, …
Food and Drink Recipes from The Gardening Cook
One of my fondest holiday memories, for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, is my mum’s butterscotch pie. Our whole family looks forward to it for the holidays. The pie is rich and creamy, sweet and mum use to make batches of them every year. My mother had to make extras, or there would be none left …
This oven baked chicken recipe has a great flavor from a super mix of spices, but I have cut way back on both calories and fat by baking it in the oven instead of deep frying it. It reminds me of my favorite takeaway chicken but is much more healthy. I love all types of …
This turtle chocolate pumpkin cheesecake will become a family favorite to be shared from season to season. It’s a dessert made in turtle chocolate heaven. This one appeals to me so much. I lost both of my parents in less than two years. Mum’s favorite pie was pumpkin, and dad’s favorite candy was Turtles. When …
Looking for side dish to add to your fall lineup? Try these cinnamon apples and a pear salad. They are easy to make, super tasty, and combine will with a pear salad. ‘Tis the season for easy meals in my house. I adore this time of the year, but it’s a busy one for sure. …
Tonight our table will feature this mild Italian Sausage with drunken noodles recipe. I’m in the mood for something special,and also want to treat my husband. He’s very fond of Italian sausages and pasta and loves them whenever I cook them for him. Keep reading to find out how to make this dish. Let’s …
These pumpkin swirl mini cheesecakes are the perfect compromise for him and delicious to boot! They make a great addition to any cheesecake recipe collection. One of my mother’s favorite desserts at Thanksgiving is pumpkin pie. I’ve never been much of a fan of a whole pie, (I usually eat just the filling of the …
Today is a day when nothing short of a OMG sauce will do, and this honey garlic Dijon chicken has just that. There are many days when clean eating is my middle name. But when the fall weather sets in, all that seems to change. Pretty funny how my waist line seems to grow with …
These candy corn pretzel balls are a delicious bite of sweet, salty, creamy fall delight. They are the perfect addition to your Halloween or Thanksgiving menu planning. Ah yes….fall. My favorite season. There are so many reasons to look forward to fall. The cooler temperatures…all the gorgeous colors in the leaves, pumpkin decorating, and oh …
This delicious garlic pepper pork stir fry has all the flavor of your favorite take away pork stir fry. But made in your kitchen, with love in 25 minutes. Why go out? Can we say sweet? Can we say spicy? What a great combination! I don’t normally care for spicy dishes but when you quiet …
This Southern country pot pie with a cornbread crust is full of flavor and very easy to put together. Mmmm…mmmmm. Southern cooking. What is not to like? When I think of Southern food, I think of hearty dishes cooked with a lot of love (and a bit of butter!) Time to celebrate Southern cooking with …
This Tuscan inspired tomato basil chicken with a buttery sauce features a few leaves of the last of my summertime basil, and the delightful aroma of freshly minced garlic. May I introduce you to new favorite way to eat chicken? Oh my, oh yes, that is how I want my chicken, thank you very much! …
This honey apple cake is full of the flavors of autumn. Why not serve it as a part of your Thanksgiving dessert table? What do all these have in common: falling leaves, hoodies, carving a pumpkin, corn stalks, decorating, apples? Of course! It’s fall. My favorite time of the year. And what could make it …
These easy chicken fajitas are super tasty, super easy to prepare and one of my favorite 30 minute meals. This is such a busy time of the year. The summer is over, kids are heading back to school and there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to …
Yum….fresh fruit. This time of the year, the choices are so wide and the flavor is sublime. My friend Regina, who used to blog at Molly Mel, has shared with me her favorite way to dress up custard – with a seasonal homemade fruit sauce! Sometimes, less is more. This recipe shows that to perfection. …
This gluten free black bean pizza is loaded up with some of the freshest ingredients around and the barbecue sauce base will have a party in your mouth, for sure. It is loaded with items that are good for you, but still gives you a feeling of eating some comfort food, which we all need …
This pan fried swai with Indian spices fits right into my clean eating mood. In a word, it is delicioso! For the last 10 days, I have had a case of mommy’s time out going on. Not in the way that you might think, with me taking a vacation or a must needed rest. My …
This recipe for taco chicken 15 bean soup is so hearty and delicious. It makes a filling lunch or a first course before dinner. Don’t you just love it when the temperatures start to fall and you know that all the holidays are around the corner? I do, and I also love fall for the …
This chocolate peanut butter smoothie is the best of both worlds. It has the combination I like, but in moderation and it makes a great breakfast option too. You don’t have to have been reading my blog for long to know that I believe that chocolate and peanut butter are food group options. I love …
Today’s kitchen tip shows how to hull your strawberries with a drinking straw to save the waste that comes with cutting the top off, or the time that it takes to use a knife to hull each one properly. Hull Strawberries with a Straw to save waste. Our family eats strawberries year round. They are …
Dessert! It’s my favorite part of the meal. My favorite desserts make sweet endings to a meal and are sure to tempt even the most ardent sweet eater. As much as I love desserts, I find that I don’t bake them often. Now that my daughter has grown and moved away, there is just my …
Are you feeling like comfort food? It’s time for a loaded potato and pulled pork casserole! I love making new recipes from things that I have on hand. It makes me feel frugal and ensures that I end up wasting very little food. Luckily for me, the main ingredient in this loaded potato and pulled …
These chocolate raspberry swirled mini cheesecakes are the perfect bite of summertime freshness. Your party guests will love them! Summer is the time for me to use fresh fruits in many of my cheesecake recipes. I love the lightness that they give to the dinner menu, and they are perfect to serve when you have …
This recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala is perfect for me and he loves it too. It has just a hint of heat and is full of flavor. I love savory chicken curries and I love International crock pot recipes, too. My husband can take curries much hotter than I can, but I love to combine …
This week, the star side dish for our weekly barbecue is a warm Tuscan bacon potato salad. The motto in our house all summer long is “it’s time to fire up the grill.” We grill most of the year, but in the summer time, our BBQ works over time. And all of our grilled meats …
This mandarin orange cake has a summer time freshness that will delight your family members just like it did mine. Summer time, for me, is all about recipes using fruits and vegetables. I love the light, fresh taste that they give to recipes. Delight your Family with This Delicious Mandarin Orange Cake. Start by assembling …