California Beef Salad

This is a great salad that’s a meal in itself. I enjoy serving it with a loaf of nice French bread or baguette lightly toasted. I often make this in the summer when the last thing I want to do is turn on the stove. I’ll grill up a London broil then slice it super thin for salads such as this one. The prep time on this doesn’t include the marinading time.

Plated Green Bean Salad

Green Bean Salad

Have you ever wondered what a new and innovative way is to have green beans?  Today I am going to share with you a new, fun, and healthier way of having green beans.  There are so many ways that you can take this simple, humble ingredient to the next level in flavor and texture. To make this vegan, switch out the feta cheese for a vegan cheese of your choosing. You can use any style and cut of green beans that you prefer.  I like to experiment with different textures and flavors of food.  A salad can be anything that …

Kale, Beef and Potato Soup

An interesting combination for a nice hearty soup. Something to enjoy on a cold day or to share with family. A hearty flavored soup. This dish is originally a Portuguese dish, but instead of using Linguica (Portuguese sausage), it became a more American dish using beef tips(beef tenderloin chunks). CandiAnne’s note: My Aunt Carrie grew Kale in her yard so she made this all the time. It was a favorite at her house and across the street at ours. LOL being Portuguese, we obviously used the Linguica

Spaghetti and Clams

I haven’t ever had clams before.  So this was a bit scary for me to make and to try.  I loved the idea of trying something new and seeing how well I liked it.  It was amazing.   CandiAnne’s Note: This was a favorite growing up and still is to this day. My uncle would get up at dark and he and his buddies would head out to the bay to go clammin while the tide was out. Having fresh clams was soooo yummy. We’d boil em up and eat them right out of the shell. This would also be …

Cacik (Turkish Yogurt Dip)

This dip or sauce depending on how thick you make it, is a quick and easy little something to throw together to set off any Turkish Dish you are making.  I served this on top of the Turkish Lamb Pilaf dish that I made and to go along with the Naan Bread that I served to make this meal more rounded out.  I hope you enjoy this.  It was a huge hit here at our house.  Especially with a house full of picky eaters.

Comfort Sour

The name “Comfort Sour”, I believe was given because of the use in this version of a whiskey sour. Nonetheless, you may use any bourbon or rye that you like.   This came from a booklet of drinks circa 1970s is my guess. Here’s the page of the booklet this came from

Open House Punch

A light, refreshing drink that makes your taste buds do the jig. This beverage can be made ahead for your next gathering. Just add the 7-up when serving.   This came from a little booklet, probably dating back to the later 60s or early 70s full of Southern Comfort drinks

Tuna Wild Rice Bake

The idea of having warm tuna wasn’t something I looked forward to, but…MY GOODNESS! I wanted to add some freshness to this recipe with the addition of herbs and some fresh lemon zest . This recipe is one that can help stretch a dollar, but is definitely not lacking in flavor. A must try!

Kate’s Cosmic Carrot Cake

The Carrot Cake came out very moist. Almost every carrot cake I have every tried have been incredibly dry, so I really enjoyed this dessert. I will definitely make this again.     CandiAnne’s Note: We were stationed at Fort Drum, NY for 4 1/2 years and maple weekend is a huge thing there. You can visit numerous producers, taste their wares, and grab some syrup or other goodies on your way out. In 2007 while visiting the various producers I picked up a bunch of recipe pages on all sorts of categories that were put out by Eat Smart …

Maple Ginger Glow Cake

When you read the recipe title you may think ..this is gonna be difficult to make and take up a lot of time, but it is a very easy recipe to follow and it really does not take that long to make. I have a silicone castle cake pan that I have been wanting to use, so I used it to bake my cake. I was really pleased with how it turned out. Once it was done I drizzled the icing on top and sprinkled it with the toasted coconut. This cake would make a great addition to any fall/autumn …

Chicken Kenoni

This was my first time making Chicken Kenoni. When my family goes to Zaxby’s or a wing restaurant we always order “Whimpy”. So I was a little concerned with some of the hot seasonings in this recipe. To my surprise this was amazing and so delicious. My dad even  took some to work to share. I will be making this more often especially for family events.

Ham En Gelee Deconstructed

When making the ham, I fried the ham and used the grease to make the gravy for the Ham En Gelee. I’m from the South and I decided to serve it with ham & rice. The dinner turned out really well. I’m not usually a fan of gravy myself, but I enjoyed it. As did the rest of my family. This recipe began as a jello mold type dish circa 1970s so I was told to make it modern and bring it into the now. This is what the jellied version looks like and the recipe it came from. The …

Blueberry Bars

These bars are to die for! I have never really been a fan of blueberries, but these things are PACKED with flavor and are very hard to resist! The crumbly crust, paired with the gooey center of the blueberries make an amazing pair! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Nutty Maple Bread Pudding

I’ve never made bread pudding over a double boiler before, so I was really interested to try it. It came out pretty good. This recipe calls for only three pieces of bread, when I make it again, I will add 2 additional pieces to firm up the consistency just a bit. This recipe is tasty and a must-try!

Roast Pork Loin

This is a very simple yet very flavorful dish. The tender and savory meat can be served casually with corn and mashed potatoes as a hearty dinner for the family or as the main course in an extravagant dinner. My family enjoyed this meal and didn’t leave any leftovers!   *For best results, marinate over night.

Clam Poulette

A poulette is a velouté sauce with added egg yolk. This particular poulette incorporates clams and their liquid. It is a lovely sauce to pour over vegetables or a buttered pasta.

Maple Pepper Butter And Glaze

This recipe is one of those recipes that can open your mind to the many different ways that you can take something simple and make anything and everything amazing. I added this butter recipe to some spaghetti squash and it was a perfect blend of a hint of sweetness to enhance the buttery goodness of the squash. Please use this recipe to open the gates of what you can put it on. It is a perfect balance of sweet and a little lemon. You’ll eat the butter straight and that’s ok, mainly because I did it and that’s what I …

Pineapple Fluff Dessert

This sweet summertime dessert is cool and creamy, and wonderful on its own or all dressed up. I have made it in a souffle dish as well as in ramekins along with a variety of toppings for my guests to make each their own. It has the most amazing fresh pineapple flavor. It has that soft, fluffy, smooth taste and I have made it for many potlucks, church luncheons, baby showers, and parties for years. You will love this recipe and so will your loved ones. Some topping choices are maraschino cherries, toasted pecans, coconut, banana, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, …