Hurricane Milton showed up this week. To calm the nerves I baked. Fortunately my area of Florida was spared. So as the storm moved on, in the new cool morning temp, I sipped a lavender latte and had a slice of this. Hello Fall. BOTTOM CAKE LAYER2-1/2 cups flour2 teaspoons baking powder¼ teaspoon salt8 tablespoons... Read More ..read more

Sheet Pan Pecan Pie When you need to feed a huge crowd, this is what you want on the dessert table. Pecan pie is loved by southerners old and young. Sheet pan desserts can be cut small into bite size pieces for parties where guests graze or like bite-sized snacks. Ingredients: For the Crust: 1 package of refrigerated pie crust or homemade pie crust that makes two rounds For the Filling: 1 1/2 cups pecan halves 3 large eggs 1 cup light corn syrup 1 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons bourbon (optional) 1/4 teaspoon salt Instructions ..read more

Does anyone really have to sell you on banana pudding? The classic southern dessert on potluck, barbeque, cook out tables for any celebration under the sun. I have made this a number of ways but this version is the one I use the most. It’s a little more work than instant vanilla pudding and vanilla wafers, but I promise the little extra effort is worth it. Scratch made Banana Pudding: Ingredients: 4-5 ripe bananas 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups whole milk 4 large egg yolks 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 bag of pepperidge farm ..read more

Miso Tahini Whipped Sweet Potato Bowl with Spiced Beans and Broccolini topped with Brown Sugar Toasted Pecans This is a great vegetarian dish that can easily be made vegan. But it is far from lacking flavor and depth. Use this as an intricate side dish to roasted meat or all on its own. Ingredients For the mashed miso tahini potatoes ▢ 3 medium sweet potatoes ▢ 3 cloves of roasted garlic ▢ 2 tablespoon coconut oil ▢ ½ cup tahini ▢ 1 tablespoon cane syrup ▢ 2 teaspoon miso paste ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon ▢ salt ▢ pepper For the spiced broccoli and beans ▢ 2 bunches broccolini, trimmed, stalks slice ..read more

This is a crowd favorite cobbler. Southern style biscuit like batter baked around bubbly sweet fruit and topped with vanilla ice cream. Anything leftover will cause a fight about who gets to take it home. Originally, I made this with peaches and blueberries, my dad’s favorite. But I have landed on using yellow and white peaches, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries and man is it an incredible flavor combination. FRUIT FILLING 2 1/2 lbs of peaches (mixture of white and yellow) peeled and sliced 1 cup berries assorted 1/2 cup Granulated sugar 1/2 cup Brown sugar 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract ..read more

Between Thanksgiving through to the new year over 144 holidays are celebrated around the world. As the earth settles into rest, and the natural world slows down, cultures everywhere give thanks to harvest, family, health, and spirit. I am blessed to have a circle of friends that broadens my celebrations outside of my own family traditions. I love to immerse myself into someone else’s culture. Taking the backseat as an observer and appreciating the moment and rituals. My good friend (Aviva) and her father (Papa) offer one of their nights of Hanukah to celebrate with friends and share in some t ..read more

On the back end of Covid I took a trip out to a local creamery where Kevin and Shelby Lussier and their crew have been steadily producing cheese. And they come by it honestly, the family dairy farm sits right around the corner. I wrote an article for a beautiful local publication, Edible, that tells food stories about the culinary and agriculture industry in North Central Florida. Come see how Hawthorne Creek Creamery survived a really tough time for farmers everywhere, and designed a plan to break into the local retail market ..read more

The puree of squash in this helps to add a hearty consistency to the broth while also sweetening just a tad. If you are going to freeze this soup (I recommend doubling this recipe just for that) omit the sour cream until you reheat to serve. INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 18 ounce cooked squash puree (will thicken so use more or less for how thick you want it) 2 cups can black beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups corn kernels (I used frozen fire-roasted if not fresh) 1 pint tomato sauc ..read more

Tomato soup and grilled cheese. While I would gladly eat this year round it really shines in the colder months. Less is growing but all the work put into canning a tomato harvest and processing basil in spring makes the effort so worth it. Fresh and bright. Hearty and comforting. Grill up some cheese and get to dunking. Tomatoes have a really short and early growing season here so don’t blink. The Family Garden, a local organic farm always has a bulk tomato sale where you can get 100lbs of tomatoes if you wish. He grows this very hearty slicing tomato variety that has big yields. Perfect for ..read more

Sheet Pan Chicken Pot Pie Ingredients: 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pulled 4 cups mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn, green beans), frozen or fresh 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 4 cups chicken broth 1 cup milk Salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp dried thyme 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed if frozen 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash) Instructions: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large mixing bowl, toss diced chicken and mixed vegetables with a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to create a roux, c ..read more