Many years ago I enjoyed delectable manicotti at a tiny Italian restaurant in Charlotte, NC. I thought it was a little ‘interesting’ that there could be such an amazing dish in the southern city I called home for a short time, but when I learned that the chef originated from Italy, it all made sense…
Sauteed Collards with Lemon
We’re officially back to healthy eating at my house, so you can expect to see posts over the upcoming months highlighting fresh veggies, warm/cozy soups, and tasty snacks! I think it’s safe to say that most of us are relieved the holiday hoopla is behind us, so I hope you’ll find something interesting here to…
No-Crust Honeybell Pie
It’s my first post of 2020! I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to start a new decade 🙂 For me, 2019 was marked by soul-warming visits with friends and family, countless hours and dollars refurbishing our ’74 VW bus, awesome rides in that bus we named “Luna,” learning how to play the bass…
Field Trip Friday – Dooley Groves
(Field Trip Fridays capture interesting, fun, food-related and/or fishing adventures that I like to share with you!) I recently drove up to Ruskin to visit a little piece of Florida’s history. . . Just south of Tampa/St. Petersburg is a family citrus business called Dooley Groves. It has been run by the Houghtaling family since 1967,…
Field Trip Friday – The Coudal Studio!
Today’s Field Trip takes me to my own creative studio, where my husband and I work with our dog Libby, and our cat LuLu. Sometimes it’s easy for us to get caught up in day-to-day dramas/work tasks and lose sight of the big picture of what’s really happening within our four walls. So, this week,…
Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Cream
It seems like the humble sweet potato (or yam) is on just about every Thanksgiving table. Who would have thought that a root vegetable with origins dating back roughly 5,000 years would still be so revered? If you’ve ever grown them yourself, you know how fun it is! This marks my second year and my…
A Picnic in the Sky
If you’ve traveled by plane recently, you’ve surely experienced the limited array of snacks offered by some airlines. . . In spite of these limited options, why do we still look forward to seeing that beverage cart? Maybe it’s because we’re bored and the anticipated visit from a friendly flight attendant is welcome. Maybe the…
Field Trip Friday – Boston!
(Field Trip Fridays capture interesting, fun, food-related and/or fishing adventures that I like to share with you!) I recently traveled to Boston for my college’s homecoming events. While there, I soaked up fall scenery, visited special people I haven’t seen in ages and, of course, enjoyed delicious food. I grew up in southern Massachusetts, and though…
An Insider’s View to Stone Crabbing
Since October 15 marked the start of Florida’s Stone crab season, I thought it might be fun to give this 2016 post a little extra love. It was content I originally published on Visit Sarasota, offering a behind-the-scenes look at crabbing in southwest Florida. Give it a read to learn a little more about the folks…
Curried Lentils & Rice
Several years ago, the documentary Forks Over Knives hit the streets. It was all about the benefits of eating plant-based (vs. animal-based) food in order to ward off cancer or other unhealthy stuff. I didn’t watch it until recently, when I re-upped my Netflix subscription, and I found it eye-opening. . . I believe there are…
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Yes, it’s time to think about Fall dishes like warm soups, cocoa, roasted root veggies and, of course, all-things-pumpkin! If you love pumpkin, there are endless opportunities to enjoy the Fall-inspired squash and its signature pumpkin spice flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves. You’ll find that magical stuff in bars, pies, cookies, lattes, cold…
Raisin Cake
I called my mom this week to confirm history and details of an old family cake recipe. I hadn’t realized my husband heard my conversation but when I hung up he said “I bet your mom loves it when you call her about recipes.” His comment got me to thinking how she and I have…