My youngest sister is expecting her first child. And it only took me eight and a half months to realize she’s actually having a baby—any day now. A couple of weeks ago I hosted a baby shower for her at my house. Even though she and I discussed it three months prior, I procrastinated, as [...]
Buttered-Popcorn Ice Cream
March 29, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
While skimming through an old issue of Bon Appetit looking for a Fall dessert recipe for a story I’m writing, Buttered-Popcorn Ice Cream Sundaes jumped out at me. I didn’t remember seeing this recipe in the magazine before, but there it was beckoning me to give it a try. Excited, I suggested the idea of buttered-popcorn ice cream to [...]
Red Velvet Shortbread Hearts
February 13, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
I live in a male dominated household. There’s nothing frilly, pink or cutsie laying around here. It’s all Power Rangers, Avengers and basketball. Even I wear warm-up pants, a t-shirt and sneakers everyday. So when my rough and tumble sons asked me to make them cookies for Valentine’s Day I was confused. Of course they [...]
Apple Fries
January 4, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
My husband and I were so excited about taking our kids to Disney World for the first time during Christmas. We hadn’t been to the Magic Kingdom since our honeymoon thirteen years ago. We had a lot of fun making our own magic then. (Wink. Wink.) We planned our family trip for several months and didn’t tell our kids. [...]
Cherry Almond Meringue Cookies
December 24, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
It’s funny how you can go away on vacation to relax and unwind, only to return home more tired than you were when you left. My family and I just spent a week vacationing in Kissimmee, Florida. And I’m exhausted. I have two boys who think rest is for chumps. They dragged me and my husband to Disney World, Legoland, [...]
Not PawPaw’s Fruitcake
December 5, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Every Christmas my husband’s grandfather invited his family to partake of his treasured fruitcake. And every year they declined his generous offer. At first PawPaw was met with polite refusals, such as “No, thank you” or ”Maybe later.” But after 10 years of the same cake the cordial declinations turned ugly. “No, thank you” and “Maybe later” transformed [...]
Butterfinger Birthday Sundaes
November 4, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Today is my birthday and here’s a story of my life: For months my best friend, Keisha, had been planning a masquerade ball fundraiser in conjunction with the Greenville, South Carolina chapter of the Jack and Jill of America Foundation for the American Lung Association. I’ve known about this event from the beginning and somewhere along the way I got [...]
Easy Chocolate Sauce
November 4, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
This super easy chocolate sauce is basically chocolate ganache. And it only has two ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips and heavy cream. It’s the perfect topping for ice cream sundaes. It also makes a great glaze for cakes. Easy Chocolate Sauce Makes about 2 cups Since this sauce only has two ingredients, be sure to use quality chocolate [...]
Halloween Brownies
October 11, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
October is really the only time of year when I eat candy. There’s something magical about going into any store and seeing rows and rows of all kinds of chocolate candies–Reese Cups, M&M’s, Butterfingers, Snickers–waiting to be bought and enjoyed by children of all ages, especially a 41-year-old mother of two. As the aroma of the chocolate [...]
Sangria Sorbet
September 4, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
I have a collection of food magazines piling up on my dining room table, and lately the only time I have to read them is when I’m waiting for a doctor’s appointment, an oil change, or in the carpool line. Waiting gives me the perfect opportunity to catch up on current food trends and recipes created by innovative chefs from [...]