Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cranberries

Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cranberries

Sep 6, 2018 · 13 Comments

This Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cranberries is healthy and easy side dish salad that you can feel good about serving your family! Just a bit of bacon keeps it low in calories but still delicious!

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Why I'm Cooking From Cooking Light

Some of you may have noticed that I've been using a lot of Cooking Light Recipes lately. Like these Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins or these Apple Streusel Muffins.

A few months ago, we were having a garage sale, when Mr. Sidewalk Shoes ever-so-gently suggested that maybe I could part with some of 200+ cookbooks. I doubted it, but went to check my bookcases to just appease him. I saw my shelf of Cooking Light Annuals dating back to 1997. I didn't have all the years, but I had quite a few.

I sat down and started looking through them. I was impressed. A lot of recipes sounded good. There was also the fact that ever since turning 40 or so, the weight was very slowly creeping on. Now, at 60, I would be happy to lose about 10-15 pounds.

I bookmarked several recipes and we started eating mostly Cooking Light Recipes, including the muffins mentioned above. The weight started slowly creeping off, without feeling any kind of restriction. As a matter of fact, we were having dessert every day (a muffin) and I was still losing weight. I have lost 6 pounds and am super pleased with what we are eating.

Besides following the recipes on this blog, like this healthy, easy broccoli salad, you can also follow my Cooking Light Pinterest Board.

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The Boy on the Bridge by M. R. Carey

Sep 5, 2018 · Leave a Comment

A book review of The Boy on the Bridge by M. R. Carey.

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The Boy on the Bridge by M. R. Carey

I loved The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Cary, so I didn’t hesitate to read The Boy on the Bridge. The Boy on the Bridge is actually a prequel to The Girl With All the Gifts, taking place some twenty years earlier. You can read either book as a standalone, but I suggest you read them both!

The book begins with Rosie heading from Beacon on the south coast of England to the wilds of the Scottish Highlands. Rosie is a sort of RV/Tank hybrid. The crew is made up of two teams. The medical/scientific team who are out to collect tissue samples and the military team whose job it is to protect them from the hungries. The hungries are human zombies.

What makes this post apocalyptic novel so special is the character development. The clashes between the scientist and the military, two very different mind sets. Some of the more interesting characters are Stephen Greaves and Doctor Samrina Kahn. Dr. Kahn is the reason Stephen is on the mission. He is a young boy, probably somewhere on the autism spectrum, and very, very smart. Most of the other people on the mission don’t understand him and call him “Robot.”

It’s during one of the missions that Stephen stumbles upon hungries that to act different than other hungries. There seems to be more human reasoning left in them. Could these children be helpful in creating a cure?

This was such a good book. Excellent characters, lots of twists and plenty of action. I highly recommend The Boy on the Bridge and The Girl with All the Gifts.

I received an ARC of this book.

Get The Girl with All the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge.

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Lime Grilled Chicken with Vegetables and Herb Sauce

Sep 4, 2018 · 2 Comments

This Lime Grilled Chicken with Vegetables and Herb Sauce is like summer on a plate with corn, tomatoes and zucchini with a basil sauce!

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Clean Eating Recipes

While I adore fall, I am definitely going to miss the produce of summer. Even the zucchini. I can think of no better way to say goodbye to summer than with this Lime Grilled Chicken with Vegetables and Herb Sauce. I found it in Clean Eating Magazine.

If you are wondering what clean eating is. You strive to eat whole, unprocessed foods. It's that simple. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, poultry, seafood. It's all good as long as it's unprocessed, as close to nature as possible.

I am not obsessive about it, but I do try to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and replace refined flour with whole wheat wheat and replace white rice with brown rice. Not too difficult to do!

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Hemingway Daiquiri

Sep 3, 2018 · 16 Comments

If you love a Classic Daiquiri, then you have to try this Hemingway Daiquiri! With only four ingredients, it's an easy cocktail to make whenever you are in the mood!

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Classic Daiquiri vs. Hemingway Daiquiri

Let's just start out by saying that I love daiquiris. There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting on my back porch sipping the Best Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri, or a Floridita Daiquiri.

When I think of daiquiris, I think of Papa Hemingway. He knew his way around cocktails and was quoted as saying,“Don’t bother with churches, government buildings or city squares. If you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars.”

A classic daiquiri is made with rum, lime juice and simple syrup. A Hemingway Daiquiri is made with rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and maraschino liqueur. Without the simple syrup and the addition of the grapefruit juice and the maraschino liqueur, the Hemingway Daiquiri is less sweet, and many people prefer it!

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Easy Crockpot Applesauce

Sep 2, 2018 · 31 Comments

No sugar is needed when you make this Healthy Crock Pot Applesauce! It's vegan, paleo and gluten free!

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Perfect for Less Than Perfect Apples!

When I get apples from my CSA, they aren't as pretty as the ones you get in the grocery store. They aren't shiny and waxed and they might have a worm or two! But that doesn't stop me from enjoying them. As a matter of fact, I enjoy them more, because that's how apples are supposed to look!

They aren't supposed to look like picture perfect specimens, they are supposed to look like real fruit, picked off of real trees, and filled with real bumps and bruises and little insect friends. They are absolutely perfect for making homemade applesauce. Applesauce that you feel good about eating! Spooned into individual jars, they make great after school snacks!

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Luxie Kitty Light and Shadows

Aug 31, 2018 · 36 Comments

Luxie Kitty Light and Shadows

This post is going to be super short, because I am super tired. There is one thing I have to say about getting old and that is, I can no longer handle less sleep very well. In my 20's sleepless nights barely fazed me, now I feel them for days.

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Bourbon Maple Grilled Acorn Squash

Aug 30, 2018 · 38 Comments

Acorn squash is brushed with a rich and buttery bourbon maple glaze for these sweet and simple Bourbon Maple Grilled Acorn Squash. If you are grilling you main dish, you might as well grill your side dish!

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How to Grill Acorn Squash

I usually associate acorn squash with the fall, but it is already making it's appearance in my CSA basket. Grilling season is still in full swing, so I wanted to try something I had never tried before, grilling acorn squash.

It turns out it's ridiculously easy. The secret to grilling acorn squash is having a cooler part on your grill. With my gas grill, I simply turn one burner off or to low. This allows the acorn squash to cook through without burning.

While your grilling your main dish on the hotter side of the grill, you can easily be grilling this acorn squash on the cooler side!

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Pineapple Jalapeno Infused Tequila

Aug 27, 2018 · 29 Comments

Looking for a way to spice up your margaritas? This Pineapple Jalapeño Infused Tequila is perfect! It's so easy and makes great pineapple jalapeño margaritas!

Jar filled with tequila and pineapple and a jalapeno pepper with text reading pineapple jalapeno infused tequila

Favorite Infusions

I am a huge fan of infusions. A little bit of prep work chopping and then time does all the work for you! I’m all for things that are busy working, while I am going about my business.

My most popular infusions on the blog are my Winter Solstice Brew and my Lavender Infused Gin. Trying to pick my favorite infusion would be like trying to pick my favorite child, I have so many (infusions not children!) You can see them all here - Infusions.

This is my first time though trying a Pineapple Jalapeño Infused Tequila.

Click here to pin this delicious infused tequila now!

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Half Sour Pickles

Aug 26, 2018 · 23 Comments

These half sour pickles are easy fermented pickles.

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Easy Pickle Recipes

One of my favorite ways to preserve summer's bounty is pickles. While most people think of pickles as the classic dill pickle, you can actually pickle a lot of different vegetables and fruits. You can also use different methods for pickling.

When I have time, I love to can these Simply Good Dill Pickles. If I don't have time to can, I like to make quick refrigerator pickles, like these Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles and these Winey Briney Quick Pickled Asparagus and there is always a jar of these Quick Pickled Onions in my refrigerator.

There is another method of pickling and that is fermentation. Fermentation is using a brine and time to preserve the food. One that most people are aware of is sauerkraut, like my Easy Homemade Sauerkraut.

You can also ferment cucumber to make pickles. The first cucumber pickle that I fermented was Hungarian Summer Pickles. If you didn't see that post, I encourage you to go read it now. I talk about fermenting pickles and what to expect there, so I am not going to go all over it again here.

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Glazed Salmon with Zucchini and Bulgur Pilaf

Aug 24, 2018 · 13 Comments

This Honey Glazed Salmon with Zucchini and Bulgur Pilaf is a healthy and delicious dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes!

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Healthy Bulgur Pilaf

The original title of this Cooking Light recipe is Honey-Dijon Salmon with Flash-Cooked Zucchini. That's quite a mouthful and it doesn't even mention the bulgur pilaf that it recommends serving it with.

I shortened it a bit, got right to the point with Honey Glazed Salmon with Zucchini and Bulgur Pilaf. I always try to have a take away with every recipe that I try. Something I want to remember next time, or use in the future maybe modified a bit. For this recipe it was the idea of a bulgur pilaf. I forget how easy a pilaf is to make and how it pulls the protein and the veggies together so nicely.

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Luxie Kitty and the Zinnias

Aug 24, 2018 · 19 Comments

No Time for Personal Photos

Between taking photos for this blog and taking professional headshots for my photography business, I rarely have time to take any personal photos. Creative photos. I used to take them all the time. I think I did about 3 years worth of 365 challenges. Even had a blog for those photos, Pamela Greer 365.

You'll see if you go visit that blog, that I haven't posted since August 2017! I haven't even finished editing the photos from last fall's vacation.

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Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Aug 23, 2018 · 34 Comments

Sheet Pan Dinners like this Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes will become a family favorite. One pan meals are so easy and the clean up is a breeze!

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Sheet Pan Dinners are so Easy!

It's hard to work all day and have energy to make a tasty dinner. I know. That's why I am always searching for really, really simple recipes that I can make when I'm tired, and frustrated, and tired, and fed up with the world.

Well, I hit the jackpot with this recipe. It has few ingredients, it's really simple, and once you get it in the oven you can lay on the couch, prop your feet up, and read a good book. Or you know, you could clean up the house and do some laundry. Whatever.

You probably also want to file away these other one pan dinners, because everyone needs more book reading time. This Roasted Mah Mahi with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes is another sheet pan dinner. Pork Chops with Bacon and Cabbage is not a sheet pan dinner, but it's all done in a roasting pan, and .... hello .... pork chops AND bacon!

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Curried Chicken Salad

Aug 22, 2018 · 20 Comments

This easy, healthy Curried Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe will become a family favorite. It makes a great healthy lunch recipe or a light dinner!

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Healthy Uses for Rotisserie Chicken

I don't know about you, but rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is my favorite easy dinner hack! I rarely just serve it as it, though I have been know to just cut off a piece and toss some chips on a plate and call it done.

My favorite way to use it is in healthy recipes that use cooked chicken, like these Healthy Chicken and Corn Nachos, or this Chicken, Cucumbers and Sweet Peppers Salad or this Chicken and Sweet Potato Farro Salad.

For today's recipe I turned to So Easy from Ellie Krieger with her Curried Chicken Salad.

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How to Dry Thyme!

Aug 22, 2018 · 19 Comments

One of the best ways to preserve fresh thyme is to dry it. Thyme is one of the easiest herbs to dry and it preserves its flavor so nicely!

Blue jar filled with dried thyme and tag reading dried thyme

Well, it's getting to be about that time of year when we start looking for ways to preserve our herbs. This has been a great summer for rain and I have lots of herbs to preserve! There are all kinds of ways to preserve your herbs and I think I've done every one of them!

You can make a simple syrup like Thyme Simple Syrup , infused a vinegar like Chive Blossom Vinegar, make a homemade pesto like Basil Pesto, and even infuse some salts DIY Herb Salts - which make great gifts, by the way!

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Blueberry Vinegar

Aug 21, 2018 · 28 Comments

This Easy Blueberry Vinegar is a great way to preserve blueberries! It makes a great vinaigrette and a lovely Christmas gift for food lovers!

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Easy Condiments Make Great Foodie Gifts!

I have to confess, I adore condiments. Love them. From infused vinegars - like this Mango Vinegar or this Chive Blossom Vinegar, to infused oils, salsa, relishes, rubs…the list goes on and on.

Part of it, might stem from my love of jars. I love jars. I love to put things in jars.

I love to can - like these Simply Good Dill Pickles, pickle, infuse - Pineapple Jalapeño Tequila - a favorite, ferment (try these Half Sours) ….anything and everything you can do in a jar.

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Chocolate Coffee Martini

Aug 20, 2018 · 10 Comments

This easy 3 ingredient Chocolate Coffee Martini will become a favorite! It's an after dinner cocktail, coffee and dessert all in one!

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Easy Decadent Cocktail

I admit it, I am all about easy. I am also all about decadent. If you can give me an incredibly easy cocktail that contains two of my favorite things: coffee and chocolate, I am in heaven.

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Harissa Beef Skewers with Tahini Slaw

Aug 19, 2018 · 17 Comments

Beef skewers or kebabs are brushed with a spicy harissa paste and served over a cooling tahini slaw in this Harissa Beef Skewers with Tahini Slaw. Ready in under 30 minutes for easy weeknight grilling!

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Easy Weeknight Grilling

You might have noticed a pattern here lately. First I showed you these fantastic grilled Lemongrass Pork Skewers with Peas and Rice Noodle Salad and Grilled Tahini Pork Skewers and now today's Harissa Beef Skewers with Tahini Slaw.

I am totally loving this concept. It works so well for me on Sundays. I make the salad a head of time and cut the meat. Then when it's close to supper time, I just marinate the meat, or brush it, grill it and bam, you have dinner.

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Rosemary Simple Syrup

Aug 17, 2018 · 14 Comments

This Rosemary Simple Syrup is so easy to make. Just use it in place of plain simple syrup in your cocktail recipes and up your cocktail game!

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Simple Syrups are so Easy to Make

The easiest way to up your cocktail game and create a fabulous craft cocktail is with an infused simple syrup. A lot of cocktails call for a simple syrup and one of the easiest ways to change up a cocktail is to change up your simple syrup.

I am a huge fan of infused simple syrups, as you can probably tell from my Thyme Simple Syrup and Ginger Simple Syrup.

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Luxie Kitty and Her Window

Aug 17, 2018 · 28 Comments

Photos of my calico cat Luxie and her favorite open window. Next to her favorite orchids!

Luxie Kitty and Her Window

I am back today with more photos of Luxie and her new favorite location. She loves this table that sits by the window in the dining room. She doesn't seem to mind sharing it with the orchids. She is very good with the plants and never bothers them.

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Shrimp Tacos with Mango and Black Bean Salsa

Aug 16, 2018 · 11 Comments

These Easy Shrimp Tacos can be on the table in under 20 minutes! They are great for a healthy weeknight dinner that everyone loves!

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Easy Dinner Recipes

Well, the kids are back in school. Not mine. Those days are long over. However, I still need easy recipes. Some days I am content to spend a good hour or two in the kitchen and some days not so much. This easy shrimp taco recipes is for those days when I want an amazing dinner, and I want it quick and easy.

You can have these tacos on the table in under 20 minutes! Seriously.

Tacos are my go to easy food. With a good vegetable and/or fruit salsa, they are pretty much a complete meal. I don't make the kind of tacos that are loaded with cheese and sour cream (though there is nothing wrong with those) I stick to tacos that are a little more on the healthy side.

Some of my favorites are Chicken and Chorizo Tacos (go read about the chorizo trick!) Shredded Pork Tacos with Pepita Slaw and Spicy Fish Tacos with Fennel Slaw.

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Why I Capsule Wardrobe

Aug 15, 2018 · 12 Comments

The decisions that lead me to a Capsule Wardrobe and why I love it!

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What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

Before I talk about why I switched to a Capsule Wardrobe, I wanted to talk a bit about what is a Capsule Wardrobe. The idea is that instead of a closet jam packed with clothes that you never wear, you curate a small group of clothes, shoes and accessories. These clothes should all work together and they all should be something you love or look good in.

According to the internet (and we know that makes it true!) the term was coined by Susie Faux, who had a boutique called Wardrobe in London in the 1970's. She stated that a Capsule Wardrobe was a collection of a few essential items of clothing. These items didn't go out of style and that could be updated with seasonal pieces.

Since then, Capsule Wardrobe has evolved to pretty much mean whatever you want it to mean, though in it's essence it revolves around key pieces in your wardrobe.

Some people do Project 333, where you have 33 items of clothing and accessories that you wear for 3 months. You are basically making a seasoned capsule wardrobe.

I don't limit myself to a certain number, though I tend to hover around 30-40 pieces. If you want to see how I set up my capsule wardrobe you can read Starting a Capsule Wardrobe Step One, Capsule Wardrobe Step Two, Capsule Wardrobe Step Three, and Adding Color to a Capsule Wardrobe.

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Roasted Cauliflower and Bread Salad

Aug 14, 2018 · 11 Comments

This Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Bread and Olives is an easy one pan salad! It makes a great side dish or a light lunch!

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Roasted Cauliflower

Anyone else remember when the only time you saw cauliflower was on a veggie tray? I never knew anyone that actually cooked cauliflower - or if they did, it was usually some boil-in-a-bag or microwaved pouch with cauliflower and cheese sauce.

Now, thanks to the internet, food bloggers, and cooking channels - cauliflower has come into it's own. The first time I really discovered the wonder of cauliflower was the first time I roasted it.

I thought that I would never make cauliflower any other way again. Then I made: Thyme-Rubbed Salmon with Cauliflower "Risotto", Roasted Cauliflower, Sage, and Almond Risotto, and even Pickled Cauliflower.

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Campari Cocktail with Ruby Grapefruit Juice

Aug 13, 2018 · 12 Comments

This Campari Cocktail with Ruby Grapefruit Juice is so easy and so delicious! It makes a great fall cocktail with that gorgeous color!

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What is Campari?

Have you tried Campari? According to the website, it is an infusion of bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruit in alcohol and water. It results in a deep red liqueur that looks like it would be syrupy sweet, but it's not! It's actually quite bitter and lends itself so well to so many cocktails!

Campari Cocktails

It's most iconic use is in a Negroni, like this Cranberry Negroni. One of my most popular blogposts is this Italian Gin and Tonic, which gets a lovely orange tint from the Campari. It also pairs beautifully with strawberries in this Strawberry Frosé.

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Chocolate Coconut Water Smoothie

Aug 12, 2018 · 13 Comments

This Chocolate Coconut Water Smoothie is healthy, vegan and delicious! Best of all it's also so easy! Makes a great after workout smoothie or after school snack.

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Easy Smoothie Recipes!

I love smoothies. What else can you have for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or a snack and feel good about your self. What I also love about smoothies is that they can basically cross the seasons. You can have this Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie in the middle of summer and this Cranberry Orange Smoothie in the middle of winter. There are easy smoothie recipes for every season!

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