Many delightful plans come to mind, with the first inkling of Autumn in the air, and this year has been no different for us.  Baking is one of them, and at the top of that list, is always Apple Crisp! (With a scoop or 2 of vanilla ice cream, please!)

I admit, we are not above some Apple Crisp topping-help from a box. We’ve done that, and enjoy it! But this year, my friend Betty offered us her simple home made recipe for Apple Crisp.  Betty is an awesome fellow photographer in Northern Virginia, Air Force wife, and inspiring Mama to 3.  I

Recently, a very special breakfast was in order.  It was our Trio’s 9th Birthday, and we always have a special breakfast on birthdays in our house.  Usually, it is my husband’s specialty of ‘Birthday Number Pancakes’, which we have blogged about many times.  But this time, I had plans.  I really wanted to make French Toast, and just like the kind I had had so many times growing up, at a particular restaurant. The crazy thing is, I cannot for the life of me (yet) remember, what restaurant that was! It’s one of those questions I’d love to ask my Mom, but can’t. : (  I know she would know. I have searched

It’s a wonder, that our children have not turned into cucumbers, this summer. They love them, and our gardens have been so generous with them, that the kids have happily eaten them many days for lunch, dinner, and sometimes even as a snack.  They’ve had them as spears, sliced the long way and added to their tomato sandwiches, chopped up in a garden salad, and as this Cucumber Salad, which we are sharing with you today.

We know. It’s not the most inventive recipe, if we can even call it that. The ‘recipe’ is actually more about the dressing it’s in.  It’s one that I

I don’t remember exactly the last time I had a frozen chocolate covered banana, but I do know that I had one or 2 when I was a kid, and I loved them.  I thought of making them many times since I’ve had kids of my own, but never quite got to that.  So when a reader linked us up with this simple recipe for ‘Frozen Banana Bites’, I knew we had to try them.  Not exactly the same as frozen chocolate covered bananas, but close enough.  They were absolutely delectable!

*The actual recipe called for peanut butter, but with one of our kids having

Josh’s Double Chocolate Biscotti

bis·cot·ti

Beef Stroganoff is a meal we had only made once before, in our married years here, years ago. As I recall, too, it didn’t come out quite as we had hoped. I believe the issue was that the meat came out a little too tough.   So I guess we decided we weren’t good at making that meal, and we didn’t make it again.

That is, until a few weeks. I found myself dreaming of, and really craving, some Beef Stroganoff.  Day, after day, after day.  Finally, I decided I just had to have some, and set out to find a new recipe.  

With Memorial Day here, and the 4th of July not too far away either, I thought I would share 3 very easy red, white & blue treats, that are perfect ideas for your all-American weekend celebrations and gatherings.

If you love chocolate and bananas, you just might love this hot sweet treat, in a cup:  Banana Cream Cocoa.

I do love chocolate. Don’t all women?  I also love bananas. But somewhere along the way, I saw a pattern, and realized eating raw bananas is not a good idea for me. My stomach goes to hell and back, trying to digest it.  Lots of pain involved. (Does anyone else have this issue?).  But, I can eat bananas cooked in all other forms:  banana bread, banana nut crunch, banana pancakes, Banana Hannah, (just kidding.  Wasn’t me. Swear.)  And once upon a time, I loved eating chocolate covered bananas. Oh how I loved those. … (READ MORE......) | 5 Comments

For those who have been visiting our blog long enough, you’d probably know that we got very crafty in 2008, for Christmas gifts for loved ones.  But unfortunately, this year we were low on both time and money, to really craft as much as we would have needed to for gifts.  Still, we prefer to show our love to our loved ones at Christmas, with more hand-made sort of gifts, if we can.  So we had the idea of sending some baked goods, and ready-to-go jars.   It would be simple, inexpensive, yet appreciated we were sure.  Who doesn’t love food…right?

So some jars we made up with most of the ingredients to make oatmeal… (READ MORE......) | 4 Comments

You may or may not have heard of Waldorf Salad.  My mother made it all of the time growing up, and I always thought it was a rather odd concoction. But I loved it! So did my brothers and sister, as much as I recall. And now, my kids love it too.  Big hit. So simple.  No measuring really needed.

Participating ingredients:  apples, walnuts, raisins, mayonaisse.

How much you use of any of it, is a preference, and all in consideration of how much you are making, and so how many apples you use.  We used 4 apples and fed 7+ (Some had seconds.)