One of my childhood memories is waking up at my Grandma's home and seeing her in the garden. She was not a farmer to earn a living, but it was part of her heritage to grow her own food. I really have no idea. She died when I was 13. I never asked her, "Why do you grow your own food?" My Dad is gone now, too. I never asked him either why his parents had this garden. It is just what they did. I live less than two miles from North Carolina's State Farmer's Market, and I also belong to Papa Spud's, where I can get produce from the farms straight to my door when I choose to order.  ..read more

Whether planning a bridal luncheon or an elegant dinner party, this recipe for marinated asparagus will impress your guests. They will think you have slaved away in the kitchen for hours, but the secret is that this recipe takes little time to prepare. This simple and delicious side dish is perfect for spring and summer when asparagus is abundant at the Farmer's Market. It's great for an Easter side as well. My kids love asparagus simply roasted or boiled, but this recipe takes asparagus up a notch for guests. It's best when made the night before an event, which I lo ..read more

Updated: December 23, 2023. After almost 13 years of blogging, I'm doing my best to update old content. It's not an easy task at all. I decided to update this post because I've been assigned "a green salad" for Christmas Eve dinner. This wintry green salad is easy to make and if you choose not to make your own dressing, it works well with any storebought dressing, too.  I have been making this Wintry Green salad for a few years now. It's really easy, and it offers a great simple side to an evening meal, or serve it for lunch with chicken salad. The Mandarin oranges and cranberries ..read more

Updated: December 2023. I saw my Mom this morning, and she asked me about cooking a Christmas rib roast. It was like Christmas De Ja Vu. I would not commit, but it got me thinking about this post I wrote in 2017. It may be time for a rib roast this holiday. We'll see, but after reading more cookbooks than I can count, the rib roast recipe I've posted below. My holiday looks a little different these days. I'm now a parent to teens.  This post was originally written in December 2017,  A week or two before the holidays, my Mom hinted that she would like prime rib by sending me onli ..read more

Beautycounter, the leading clean beauty since 2013, has worked at its core mission to get safer beauty into the hands of everyone by changing beauty regulations and selling its inventory online, in person in Beautycounter branded stores, the retail chain Ulta, and in your communities through Brand Advocates. I've been a fan of the beauty brand since 2016,  when I tried my very first product, a luxurious eye cream using plant-based ingredients. Since then, that same eye cream that I continue to use and endorse has been reformulated, improved, and repackaged to rival top brands made ..read more

Originally posted in May 2011 Updated: September 6, 2020 I still have this "Cooking with Friends" cookbook from 1995. Many pages are torn out, and I am still making these burgers. In fact, Will and I have a routine. I season the meat and am a little more liberal with Worcestershire sauce. I no longer measure. I pour. However, one to two tablespoons is the best amount. I hope you enjoy this simple burger recipe as much as my family does today.  In 2022, my family vacationed in California, and of course, a highlight for me was sitting on that famous couch. I could have spent hours in the ..read more

It was the summer of Barbie. My college friend, Ken, and I walked into a mid-day movie at the Alamo in Raleigh in August. We were the perfect "Barbie and Ken" duo and, undoubtedly, the oldest fifty-something twosome at this 11:30 showing. Our spouses worked their day jobs so we could live like a dream and go to a daytime movie.  I left my oldest child in online school at home, and these two college "besties" lived the "Barbie Dream" for two hours with a glass of Cava each in our hands. It was as if we transported ourselves back to 1989 at UNC-Chapel Hill in Granville Towers.  W ..read more

Updated: 8/12/23 I'm Southern, so that means I like mayonnaise. I didn't always like it, but after my first pregnancy, I became a fan and started the condiment on my sandwiches. I'm a huge fan of tomato sandwiches with Duke's mayo on wheat bread with some salt and basil. It's an acquired taste. Since I no longer scrunch up my nose at mayonnaise. I can eat almost any type of salad that is served at a Southern potluck. You know...potato salad, pasta salad, slaw, macaroni salad, broccoli salad, chicken salad, ham salad, tuna salad, and shrimp salad. I'm starting to sound like Bubba Gump here ..read more

More and more families are choosing vacation home rentals to have the comforts of home when they are traveling. You can bring the dog, your kid's best friend, or even grandma and grandpa. Or you can leave the kids with your spouse and enjoy a vacation with your best friends. I would love to be the fly on the wall when you tell your spouse those plans. Regardless of how you vacation, you have choices, and if you have no budget, then the world is your playground from Mexico to North Carolina. If my wallet was thicker, I would love to stay in this Lake Norman, NC vacation home. The rate is around ..read more

Whether you are a Philadephia Eagles fan or a Kansas City Chiefs fan, this recipe is a winner. I like easy recipes. I want an ingredient list so short that I can remember what goes in it without a grocery list. You will love this BBQ chicken slider recipe with peach salsa because it's easy and delicious. I made this in a crockpot, but an instant pot would also work.  Fresh peaches were abundant when I first made this dish, but you can substitute frozen peaches or even canned ones when peachers are not in season.   Here in North Carolina, that farm-fresh peach win ..read more