Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup with Bacon Croutons

Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup with Bacon Croutons

Aug 18, 2019 · 29 Comments

The Classic Potato Leek Soup is so easy when down in the slow cooker! This soup goes one step further with some bacon croutons that totally take it over the top!

Fall Soups

As a former school teacher as soon as August rolls around, I am in immediate fall mode. Bring on the pumpkin, the butternut squash, the Halloween candy.

I know, I'm a bit early.

So, I ease into fall with one of my favorite soups an easy potato soup recipe. Though I make this soup year round, I mostly give it a break in the summer and then it's one of the first ones I make as I start feeling the pull towards autumn.

It's a fall and winter soup that doesn't feel particularly fall or winter, but it's pure comfort food. It's also so crazy easy.

...

Patchouli in the Basil

Aug 16, 2019 · 22 Comments

Every morning Patchouli helps me with my gardening tasks. Since we both hate heat, we work quickly and efficiently and then head back inside!

This year in my herb garden I did things a little differently. I laid pavers down and put newly bought herbs in pots. The pavers also allowed me to plant a few extra tomato plants in pots.

You can see Patchouli sitting on one level, she is right next to the basil. Behind her are some tomato plants and in front of her is thyme and chives.

...

Hanky Panky Cocktail

Aug 15, 2019 · 10 Comments

This Hanky Panky Cocktail is also sometimes called the Fernet-Branca Cocktail, but whatever you call it, you need to make it! It's so easy and so good!

Classic Gin Cocktails

I'm back again, continuing to work my way through some classic gin cocktails. It has been such an eye opening experience.

We started our classic journey with a White Lady Cocktail, which is gin, Cointreau and lemon juice.

Then we tried the Southside Cocktail, which is gin, simple syrup, mint, and lemon juice.

Earlier in the week, I shared The Last Word, which is gin, Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur and lime juice.

What they all have in common is that they are easy, have few ingredients and are delicious! These are all going into regular rotation at our house, as is today's cocktail the Hanky Panky Cocktail.

...

Tomato and Basil Orzo with Ricotta

Aug 13, 2019 · 43 Comments

This Tomato and Basil Orzo with Ricotta is going to become your favorite orzo pasta recipe! Cooked all in one pan and ready in under 30 minutes, oh and it's delicious!

Easy Weeknight Vegetarian Main Dish or Side

I first made this easy orzo pasta recipe in 2008! Then as it is in the world of food blogging with the search for newer recipes, I didn't make it again!

I can't believe I have let all this time go by! This recipe is so easy and so simple and so delicious! Cooked all in one pot, with very little prep and ready in under 30 minutes! I call that a win, win, win.

The first two nights I served it as a side for some rotisserie chicken. There was still plenty left so we had it as the main dish for lunch.

It was perfect as a side dish and perfect as a vegetarian main dish.

...

The Last Word Cocktail

Aug 12, 2019 · 14 Comments

The Last Word Cocktail - an easy and classic gin cocktail. This cocktail recipe is made with only four ingredients - gin, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse, and lime juice, it still has such depth of flavor!

Green Chartreuse

I'm not going to lie to you. It is very easy to drop down a liquor cabinet rabbit hole once you start making a lot of cocktails. It seems like every week we stumble upon some other liquor that we simply must have.

Last month, it was Creme de Violette - so that we could make A Violette Royale and The Aviation Cocktail.

This month it's Green Chartreuse. Green Chartreuse looks like something made to glow under a blacklight. It is the only liquor to have a completely natural green color. A French Liqueur that has been made by the Carthusian Monks since 1737!

Chartreuse is a difficult taste to describe. It's sweet, but herby and kind of vegetal. See, I told you it was hard to describe. So unique.

...

Instant Pot Homemade Chicken Stock

Aug 11, 2019 · 9 Comments

Turn a rotisserie chicken bones into this delicious Instant Pot Homemade Chicken Stock! So easy to make and so much better than store bought chicken stock!

Homemade Chicken Stock is the Best!

I think we can all agree that homemade chicken stock is the best. So much better than store bought.

I admit, I've had good intentions. I have a freezer full of chicken bones. The problem was that I didn't have an easy method or formula to use, so I stuffed them in every nook and cranny in my freezer waiting for time or inspiration.

Finally, one day after making a recipe that called for all of the chicken meat from a rotisserie chicken, this Mediterranean Chicken Salad, I stood looking at the pile of bones and decided this was the time to figure out this whole homemade chicken stock thing.

...

Luxie and the Cloudy Day

Aug 9, 2019 · 17 Comments

We finally got some rain!!! I want to shout it from the roof tops! I am so tired of dragging sprinklers around and trying to keep everything alive.

What I'm even more tired of is the rain going all around us, but skipping us! Finally though one of the pop up showers actually popped up over us.

Luxie, enjoyed the moody cloudy light. With her dark and light contrast, I love her in moody light... Moody Luxie and Moody Light for Kitty Cats.

...

Southside Cocktail

Aug 8, 2019 · 26 Comments

The Southside Cocktail is a classic gin cocktail that is so easy and delicious, you need to give it a try! Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and mint!

Classic Gin Cocktails

This week has been about revisiting some classic gin cocktails! On Tuesday, I shared a White Lady Cocktail. The White Lady Cocktail was really similar to today's cocktail with lemon juice and gin, but instead of a simple syrup is gets it's sweetness from the Cointreau (orange liqueur.)

As I delve deeper into cocktail making and craft cocktails, it is so interesting to see how most cocktails are riffs of other cocktails. Taking out this, putting in that. Kind of like cooking when you choose whether to add raisins or not, add an extra clove of garlic or make the choice between fresh thyme or parsley.

To continue to grow in my cocktail making skills, I'm going to continue to revisit these classic cocktails. They are the basis that most of the craft cocktails come from.

...

Cherry Chocolate Sorbet

Aug 6, 2019 · 21 Comments

This Cherry Chocolate Sorbet is rich and full of chocolate flavor with bits of sweet cherry. It makes a delightful decadent dessert!

Sorbets vs Ice Cream

Have you noticed that I don't make a lot of ice creams on this site? It's mainly because I'm pretty lazy and I don't feel like doing the whole egg yolk tempered custard thing. That's right - my technical term for making ice cream - "egg yolk tempered custard thing." And, I wonder why no one has contacted me to write a cookbook.

My favorite way to get a quick frozen treat is a sorbet. Sorbets are usually crazy easy to make and crazy easy to change up. Last week, I shared Lemon Rosemary Sorbet. It was light and refreshing. A perfect palette cleanser - that is if I made the kind of meals that had a palette cleanser course.

Today I'm back with the opposite of that sorbet. This sorbet is rich and thick and decadent. Heavy on the chocolate, with dark sweet cherries. The stuff dreams are made of. If you're dreams are of chocolate, and mine are.

...

White Lady Cocktail

Aug 5, 2019 · 12 Comments

The White Lady Cocktail is a classic gin cocktail with only 3 ingredients! It is so easy, so delicious and oh so sippable! One taste and you'll be hooked!

More and More Cocktails!

Has anyone noticed that I am doing cocktails twice a week instead of only on Friday? You all seem to love my cocktails so much, I decided to expand my cocktail offerings.

If it meant drinking another cocktail a week, I was up for the job!

I'm going to try and keep a sort of theme and group the cocktails, both for your pleasure and for mine. For the past few weeks, I did a series of rum cocktails, most of them Tiki Cocktails.

This week I am back with some gin cocktails. I am definitely a gin lover, so this theme will probably repeat itself a lot! This week I have two really simple classic gin cocktails, the White Lady Cocktail and The Southside Cocktail.

...

Pasta Puttanesca

Aug 4, 2019 · 36 Comments

This Pasta Puttanesca is so easy and delicious! In the time it takes you to boil the water, you can put together the no cook pasta sauce!

What Does Pasta Puttanesca Mean?

I first made this Pasta Puttanesca back in 2009. I make it all summer long and even in the winter and I can't believe that I haven't updated the photos or actually entered a recipe card! Well, I'm back today to fix that.

I suppose most of you know what the name "pasta puttanesca" comes from, but in the slight chance that there are a few of you that don't - it means "whore's pasta." Or something close to that.

It is said that it's because the pasta sauce is so quick and easy to make the puttanas could make it in between clients.

Some agree with that and some don't.

What everyone can agree on is that pasta puttanesca is quick, easy and delicious. Perfect for a quick easy meal no matter what your chosen profession.

...

Stair Time with Coco

Aug 2, 2019 · 21 Comments

We are back today with some new kitty photos! We finally got an inch of rain the other day thanks to a cold front coming through! The other benefit of the cold front is this week we are having temperatures in the 80's with a lovely breeze!

Coco decided to celebrate by relaxing on the porch stairs. Yes, my husband did get a little messy when he repainted the stair railings. Coco is not complaining though.

...

Homemade Rumchata

Aug 1, 2019 · 15 Comments

This homemade RumChata is made with homemade horchata and rum! It is so delicious, perfect for sipping!

RumChata

Have you jumped on the Rumchata bandwagon? You know that delicious creamy, milky, cinnamon rum drink?

Well, did you know that you could make it yourself? That it would be everything you ever wanted in a delicious sipping cocktail?

Earlier in the week, I shared with you Homemade Horchata. I just had to come back and share one of my favorite ways to use it!

You also might have noticed the decidedly warm tones of this photo as compared to the riot of color in my Tiki Cocktails last week. I walked into Target and saw back to school supplies and I immediately click to fall. It doesn't matter if it's 90+ degrees outside.

It's the retired teacher in me, once I see school supplies, I am in my fall zone. Fall is my happy place, so I don't mind getting in the zone early.

...

Boston Baked Beans

Jul 30, 2019 · 20 Comments

These Boston Baked Beans are full of flavor! Topped with bacon and onions they are perfect for your next barbecue. Just the right amount of sweetness and so easy to make!

Easy Baked Beans Recipe

I loved baked beans. They are the one constant whenever I have take out barbecue. Rarely do I make them at home, because I thought they were difficult. Then I remembered this recipe that I first made back in 2012!

I remembered that it was easy. It was ready in about an hour and 20 minutes. Best of all, it was delicious!

Now, I know there are baked bean recipes that have you start with dried beans and just the right fat back. This is not that recipe. This is a recipe that uses canned beans, some simple pantry ingredients and onion and bacon to make an easy baked beans recipe.

My kind of easy baked beans!

...

Homemade Horchata

Jul 29, 2019 · 26 Comments

If you love horchata and who doesn't, you're going to love this homemade horchata! Creamy and refreshing with a hint of cinnamon, it is so good!

What is Mexican Horchata?

It is so sad that I had never heard of or tried horchata before last year! I was at a Mexican restaurant and saw it on the menu and decided to give it a try. I loved it!

After much googling, I discovered that there are several different kinds of horchata. Horchata de chufa originated in West African countries and is made with ground tiger nuts. Horchata de ajonjoli is made from sesame seeds and is popular in Puerto Rico. There are even more types and you can read about them - All About Horchata.

The Mexican horchata that I am talking about is also called horchata de arroz and is made with rice.

...

Lemon-Rosemary Sorbet

Jul 28, 2019 · 31 Comments

This Lemon Rosemary Sorbet is such a delicious and refreshing dessert! Tart and sweet at the same time with a hint of rosemary! Be sure and print off multiple copies of the recipe because everyone will want one!

Easy Refreshing Sorbet

What do you like for dessert? In the winter I like comforting desserts like Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Tarts, Easy Chocolate and Coffee and Dessert Shots, and Roasted Pears with Wine and Honey.

Though I am one of those people who will gladly eat frozen desserts year round. I've actually sat on my couch wrapped in a blanket while I ate ice cream.

One frozen dessert that I enjoy year round is this lemon rosemary sorbet. It is so light and refreshing. Since my rosemary survives through the winter here, I can have this any time I want.

It's great on a hot summer day, after a heavy meal, after a light meal .... I think you get where I'm going with this, it's good anytime!

...

Friday Morning with Patchouli

Jul 26, 2019 · 21 Comments

So Many Blog Posts Not Enough Names

I'm back with Patchouli this week. The photos aren't all that great, but Patchouli pointed out that Luxie has been on for the past three Saturdays!

The problem is that I am running out of blog post names! I already have used:

Gardening with Patchouli
Weeding with Patchouli
Patchouli Outside
Patchouli Kitty Outside
Patchouli Kitty in the Garden
Birdwatching with Patchouli
A Little Garden Time with Patchouli
Tuxedo Cat Patchouli
Patchouli Just Sitting

and so many more! Seriously, I have the same problem with Luxie posts! There are only so many ways I can title a post of Luxie looking out the window!

...

Frozen Banana Daiquiri

Jul 25, 2019 · 9 Comments

This Frozen Banana Daiquiri is like a sip of tropical heaven! Cool, refreshing and so amazingly delicious! Whip up a couple of these at your next barbecue or just enjoy them while sitting on your porch!

So Many Frozen Daiquiris So Little Time

Yes, I am back again with another frozen daiquiri recipe.

I know, just last week I shared a Mango Frozen Daiquiri.

After dragging out all my grandmother's tiki cocktail paraphernalia, I needed to put it to good use, before I put it all back in the china cabinet.

It seemed like a good time to work my way through some tiki cocktails. I mean it's a hard job, but someone has to do it.

...

Berry Protein Smoothie

Jul 23, 2019 · 10 Comments

This berry protein smoothie is fruity and gives you great protein boost!

Loaded with fresh fruity flavor from the raspberries and blueberries.

Perfect for a quick breakfast smoothie, an easy lunch or a delicious healthy dessert!

Two tall ball canning jars filled with a light purple smoothie.

Can we talk about how many meals I have to make a week?

I make our granola that we eat every day for breakfast. I make our yogurt that we snack on through the week and use in frozen desserts. Every Sunday I make a loaf of bread that we use for our lunch sandwiches. The almond butter that we have on those sandwiches is homemade. I cook dinner six nights a week.

So, when it's time for lunch on Saturday and Sunday, I am over it. I want something quick and easy, but still healthy.

Lately I've discovered smoothies for lunch! They are perfect! We usually go out to eat on Saturday night, so having a smoothie for lunch is just right.

We have had this berry protein smoothie several times, before I finally got around to taking some photos of it. It's so good!

Click here to pin this now!

...

Scorpion Cocktail

Jul 22, 2019 · 10 Comments

This Scorpion Cocktail is sometimes served in a Scorpion Bowl, once you taste how delicious it is, you'll know why! A fun tropical tiki cocktail that makes you feel like you're sitting on a tropical beach, you can almost feel the breeze!

Scorpion Bowl

Well, it's been a few days since my last tiki cocktail, I didn't want you to stumble around trying to think of what to make next. If you happened to have missed last week's tropical experience, be sure and check out my Mai Tai and an oh-so-good Frozen Mango Daiquiri.

I don't know about you, but I am completely enjoying this tiki experience, since we won't be going anywhere tropical anytime soon, it's my own little mini cocktail staycation.

Today I am back with the Scorpion Cocktail! Have you heard of it? I hadn't until I started researching tiki cocktails. Of course it was created by Trader Vic and was designed to be served in a bowl called a Scorpion Bowl.

I didn't have a bowl, but gosh I want one, look at this one - Scorpion Bowl - isn't it fun? Trader Vic has an updated individual recipe in the 1972 version of his book and that is the one I am using.

...

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Jul 21, 2019 · 19 Comments

This Roasted Vegetable Pasta turns a bounty of vegetables into an easy vegetarian pasta dinner! With zucchini, squash and tomatoes, you'll make this all summer long! You can easily change out the vegetables and make it year round!

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

I have had the roasted vegetables pasta recipe on the blog since 2014. It was good and I liked it and have made it several times.

Then I made this Pasta with Broccoli and Capers and totally loved it! After that I made this simple Roasted Summer Vegetables and loved it too!

I decided to revisit this original summer vegetable recipe and rewrite it. Combining the two recipes above into a quick, easy, and so delicious summer pasta recipe.

...

Luxie Morning Window Time

Jul 19, 2019 · 30 Comments

Luxie and Her Window

I've done lots of posts of Luxie and Her Window. I've even shown you both her and Coco looking out the window. Well, I am back again today with more of Luxie and her window, this time from a different angle.

Walking back into the dining room to get my memory card out of my camera to start editing the food photos I took yesterday, I saw Luxie looking out the window. She had her paws curled under her and looked so cute!

I had the camera in my hand so I kind of squeezed in between the table that she was one and an antique secretary desk (we have lots of furniture and all one can do is squeeze in between it!)

...

Frozen Mango Daiquiri

Jul 18, 2019 · 12 Comments

Frosty and so delicious everyone loves this Frozen Mango Daiquiri. Bursting with fresh mango and pineapple and zingy burst of lime, this is the best frozen daiquiri!

Mango Daiquiri

I told you I would be back with more Tiki cocktails, after sharing how to Make Homemade Orgeat Syrup and then giving you a delicious Mai Tai Cocktail to use that syrup!

Well, I'm back this week with a mango daiquiri, but not just any mango daiquiri, a delicious frozen mango daiquiri. Just look at that gorgeous color!

One sip of this rum cocktail and you'll feel like you're on a tropical beach, you can almost feel that warm breeze, can't you?!

...

Spicy Pita Chips

Jul 16, 2019 · 14 Comments

Spicy Pita Chips - so delicious and so easy to make at home! Loads of flavor and spice, make this with whole wheat or regular pita chips. Easy baked homemade pita chips are the perfect snack!

Homemade Pita Chips

You may be wondering why you should make your own homemade pita chips when you can just go to the store and buy a bag.

Several reasons, actually. Homemade chips taste better! You can make this with whatever seasonings you would like! You can make them healthier by using grain free or whole grain, whatever kind of pita fits your diet and lifestyle. Last, but not least, they are so easy, why wouldn't you make your own?!

So, sit back and let me show you how easy it is to make these!

...