Dairy-Free Gingerbread Spice Muffins with Apples, Raisins and Walnuts Here's a yummy gingerbread spice muffin with apples, raisins and walnuts! I think you’ll find the gingerbread spice in these dairy-free muffins a real delight. The muffins calls for Thompson raisins, but you could substitute Sultanas or even dried cranberries if you wish. READ MORE ..read more

Easy and Delicious Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Here’s a chicken noodle soup recipe that will warm your soul.  For this recipe, I bought a pound (453g) of deboned chicken breasts, cut it into small pieces, and stir-fried it ahead of time.  If you like a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes into the recipe. READ MORE ..read more

Za'atar Squash Dip Here’s a nice roasted squash dip with the seasoning Za’atar. It’s great served with fresh veggies, pita bread, or as a spread in a sandwich. Za’atar Squash Dip Makes about 1 cup 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed 2 teaspoons Za’atar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) Salt and pepper, to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the s ..read more

Nasi Goreng with Fried Egg Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian fried rice dish topped with fried eggs. The secret to great fried rice is to use cold cooked rice! Nasi Goreng uses a sweet soy sauce called Kecap. It’s not always widely available, but it is easy to make, which I’ve done in this recipe. Since the cooked rice and Kecap can be made ahead of time, this is an easy dish to throw together at the last minute. If you want to add more protein you could add cooked pork, cooked chicken, or even tofu. READ MORE ..read more

Ginger Spice Sugar Cookies I love a good ginger cookie…especially when it’s rolled in sugar. This recipe has a whole lot of spice, plus crystallized ginger for added ‘yum’.  I’ve made them a few times; the first time with fresh ginger (because I didn’t have ginger powder) and it turned out just fine. So if you want, substitute the ginger powder with 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger.  Hopefully, these cookies disappear right away, but if not, they are easy to freeze. Ginger Cookies READ MORE ..read more

Chewy Coconut Macaroons Mixing coconut with sugar and egg whites is always a good thing in our house. These  are super-fast to make and will be gone by the end of the day!  These coconut cookies are perfect for serving when friends arrive unexpectedly because they're quick to make. READ MORE ..read more

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies These are fun cookies to make and you can get the kids involved to make the indents in the middle of the cookies. I use raspberry jam, but you can use whatever jam you like or have in your refrigerator. To dust the cookies with icing sugar, simply put some icing sugar into a small mesh sieve and sprinkle over the cookies. It’s not necessary, but makes the cookies look festive. READ MORE ..read more

Ginger Squash Coconut Muffins This recipe is delicious! These muffins are similar to zucchini muffins, except they are made with butternut squash. They also have fresh ginger, coconut and pecans. The pepitas sprinkled on top add a nice crunch to the muffin. And if you’re wondering, pepitas are hulless pumpkin seeds and is Spanish for “little seeds of squash.” READ MORE ..read more

Red Lentil Soup Here’s a nice red lentil soup for the chilly fall/winter days ahead. It’s an understated but tasty soup to serve with a nice loaf of sourdough bread. READ MORE ..read more

Blueberry Pound Cake with Lemon I’m a collector (some would say hoarder) of cookbooks and cooking magazines. So, while stranded at home with pulled muscles, I piled them up and spent time perusing new and interesting recipes to make. It’s a fun way to get back into the swing of cooking on a regular basis especially if you’re stuck in a cooking rut. I love to bake, and since it was blueberry season, I decided to made a few recipes with blueberries. I made this lemon blueberry pound cake recipe a few times and loved it every time.  READ MORE ..read more