Category Archives: recipes

Soup-alicious!

Tomato soup is one of those things that tastes better to me now than it ever did as a kid. Perhaps its because my palate has become so mature and refined due to my impressive cooking expertise and countless gourmet meals that I prepare each night…NOT!  Haha…if you know me at all, you know I [...]

Pesto = Green Gold

Three years ago, Michael and I made batch after batch of pesto after we pilfered several grocery bags full of fresh basil from his sister’s garden.  We made several varieties, using different herbs, nuts, and cheeses, and froze 1/2 cup portions flattened out in plastic baggies.
All year long, we’d thaw out a bag to drizzle [...]

Thank goodness Michael has a green thumb!

Summer has made it incredibly easy for me to come up with my LEX18 recipes…all I have to do is look to the garden for inspiration!  Our tomatoes and basil are thriving and I’ve so enjoyed coming up with ways to eat them.

This salad is a colorful spin on the popular caprese salad, but adds [...]

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe!

I have a special place in my heart for fried green tomatoes, as they always evoke memories of my sister and me watching the movie, reading the book, and walking to our local grocer, Alpha Beta, in an effort to replicate the recipe in the back of the book.
Being California girls, we had no clue [...]

Coffee, coffee, buzz buzz buzz!

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love coffee.
I started on it pretty early, as our household was never without a freshly brewed pot of coffee each morning.  My parents took their java pretty seriously and I was raised on Peet’s Arabian Mocha-Java.  The first time I tasted Folger’s was at a piano recital [...]

Homemade Granola: Honey and flax seeds and oats, oh my!

I’ve been making homemade granola for over a year now and it blows any storebought version out of the water!
My original recipe is pretty simple and involves fairly haphazard measurements: 8 cups oats, a bag of sliced almonds, a bag of shredded coconut, 3/4 cup canola oil, 1 1/2 cups honey, a generous spoonful of [...]

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday, filled with sun, fun, fireworks, and best of all, FOOD!
I love any excuse to make holiday-themed sweets, and the 4th of July is no exception.  I’ve been known to buy holiday sprinkles, sugars, cupcake liners, cake pans, cookie cutters, etc. and hoard them in my [...]

A taste of California packed up in a salad!

I just spent a week in California and was inspired by all the beautiful California strawberries I spotted at the farmer’s market.  It’s so easy to throw together a strawberry pie or strawberry shortcake, but those of you without a sweet tooth don’t have to be left out. 
This summery salad is the perfect thing [...]

Savor the summer with this savory pie!

Okay, I know it’s not even summer yet, but it sure feels like it when we’re about to hit 90 degrees today!  I had my first taste of tomato pie this past weekend, compliments of my neighbor, Elizabeth!  It was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted–fresh and light, with a buttery crust and [...]

Looking for a light, summer dessert?

Pavlovas are a simple, yet elegant, meringue-based dessert that will showcase any of your favorite summer fruits.  I call them the “egg-white omelet of the dessert world,” as they are healthy, lowfat, and a wonderful vehicle for fresh produce.  Unbelievably light and crisp, these pavlovas have a marshmallowy center that will melt in your mouth.
This [...]