What would be my idea of the perfect Mother’s Day? Not washing a single dish ranks high on that list. This means taking a break from cooking for the day too, but going out for brunch isn’t necessarily what I’d consider a peaceful Sunday morning.

Entertaining

After tasting my first bowl of mussels, prepared with a spicy, garlic-laced tomato sauce in my early 20s, I was instantly hooked. It became my go-to appetizer whenever we visited a small Italian restaurant nearby.

Entertaining

Rather than risk spoiling my daughter's dinner—and my hard work in preparing it, I try to have a healthy snack on hand to keep us both happy. Something filling, but not so much so that it stops her from enjoying dinner an hour later. A bowl of hummus with some pita or carrot sticks usually does the trick. One afternoon I happened to be fresh out of chickpeas. Rather than panic, I decided cooked navy beans could assume the role of garbanzos. The resulting hummus was smoother, creamier and now a regular on our snack time menu.

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Early on in our courtship, my husband and I started cooking up a Mexican spread—or at least an American version of it, for Super Bowl Sunday. I’m not sure how it started, but as time went on it became tradition. This year I intend to mix things up a little, and put a twist on the salad portion of the evening.

Entertaining

This year instead of fretting about every last detail for your holiday party, put the focus on enjoying time with your friends and family by hosting a potluck party. Don't worry if everyone is not a top chef, non-cooks can bring beverages. Here’s a checklist of what you’ll need to make sure your party is filled with plenty of jolly and holiday cheer.

Entertaining

Everyone loves homemade holiday treats. This year skip the expensive cookie boxes, and use materials lying around the kitchen to add an extra special homespun look to your gift giving.

Entertaining

Thanksgiving is filled with many emotions, and getting the turkey right helps keep the peace, or at least restores sanity for the eating portion of the day.

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My first encounter with homemade stuffing was when I met my husband 15 years ago. Over the years we’ve tweaked that original recipe. I added finely chopped mushrooms to give it a “meaty” texture and threw in some fresh sage for a traditional flavor. Chopped pecans are a much easier alternative to chestnuts, and dried cherries lend a lovely aromatic note, making this a pretty tasty compromise for our Thanksgiving menu.

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Getting ready for Thanksgiving is like training for a culinary triathalon. Figuring how to plan which dishes get oven time makes jumping hurdles seem easy. Rather than regret having a kitchen with only one oven and four burners, I decided make ahead side dishes were the way to go. Instead of roasting or sautéing Brussels sprouts, I thinly slice them and serve with a maple syrup vinaigrette—a side and salad in one dish, brilliant if I may say so myself.

Entertaining

Every year my family jokes we should start our holiday meals with dessert first. After a brigade of appetizers, sides and main course, the table once again disappears under a blanket of cakes, cookies and pastries.While it seems decadent to start dinner with a caramel pecan pumpkin pie, it’s totally the way to go when prepping for the big day.

Entertaining

I fell in love with making caramel corn a few years back. I’d planned to make some to fill Trick or Treat goody bags, except I hadn’t read the full directions. With only two hours until guests would start arriving, using the traditional oven method was not an option. I decided to improvise with my microwave. It was a unique approach to updating a classic, using a new method to deliver the same familiar flavor and crunch.

Entertaining

I suddenly found myself thinking of crepes a few weeks ago. Really, my mind had wandered to manicotti, the Italian version of crepes. Well, one thought led to another, and I wondered why not make a French crepe batter and use ricotta cheese in place of Gruyere.

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Pumpkin and butternut squash seem to get all the attention this time of year. While they are indeed favorites of mine, it’s time we all get familiar with the smaller, quicker to cook variety: delicata. In need of a vegetable to keep my roasted chicken company, I decided to make my own take on the dish.

Entertaining

My original intention was to make a chutney, but too much multitasking resulted in a spicy grape-scented applesauce. Yes, a delicious mistake indeed. Cranberry sauce should be worried — this might just find its way onto our Thanksgiving turkey this year

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I’m not one for impulse shopping, except when I’m at the farmers’ market, especially when it comes to first of the season fruit. I wait all winter long to devour fresh berries, peaches, plums, but have learned to steer clear of melons. They tend to be pricey and rather disappointing in flavor. This year, though, I might have unlocked the key to sweet, juicy cantaloupes, honeydew and watermelon.

Entertaining

Whether you’re going to an intimate dinner party or summer soiree, showing your host a simple thanks is a sure way to get invited back. Here are some tips to secure your seat at this season’s backyard bashes.

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I’ve learned to stretch a tender pasture-raised 4-pound chicken into two meals by adding lots of grains and veggies the first night it’s served. I decided it was time to turn those leftovers into chicken salad— perfect timing with picnic season underway, right? All it needed then was some peppery greens which I plucked from the backyard and tucked with the chicken salad between a toasted sourdough roll from the local bakery.

Entertaining

A few days ago, I hosted a barbecue and was shocked to learn that none of my guests had ever tried two of my favorite foods - jicama and quinoa. These not-so-well known foods are easier than you’d think to find in stores and are nutritional and delicious.

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I find my recipe inspiration from many places. Some seemingly sensible, like memories of my Nana’s meatballs or remembering the fresh chopped garlic my mother would sprinkle atop grilled steak. Stumbling across my recipe for making frozen margaritas was totally accidental. In fact, it started out innocently enough as a kid-friendly recipe for strawberry slushies

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Garlic scapes are the shoots from, drum roll please…garlic plants. You can chop them up and sauté them as you would regular cloves, but another addictively delicious use is pesto. Instead of waiting for your basil plants to come full-bloom, get some scapes and you’ll be in for a real treat.

Entertaining

Memorial Day is the official beginning to a season of fun in the sun, so it’s time to start thinking about outdoor entertaining. What better way get started than with a picnic? Check out my secret to perfect picnic sandwiches every time...

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Some nights I crave a dish a bit more, shall we say, elegant. It was on such a night that I came up with my recipe for 10-minute Bolognese. Tired of plain old meatballs, I decided to mash them up with a fork and sauté the bits of meat with some red wine. A quick simmer in some marinara sauce and in the time it took for the pasta to cook, dinner was done.

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I’ve been a religious coffee drinker for years now, decaf being the brew of choice because I want the taste without the buzz. In the evening, though, I prefer a calming cup of tea and this latte hit the spot.

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Last year, I set out to do some container gardening. Even if you have no more than a windowsill, it’s easy to add some edible greenery to your landscape. Here’s a few of my favorite recipes to give you incentive to channel your inner green thumb.

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Taking meat out of the equation for just one day a week can positively impact your body, the planet and your budget. Imagine a meatless makeover of your favorite dishes. That’s just what I did recently.

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Whether you like them big and chunky or tiny and bite-size, homemade croutons are a delicious departure from their packaged counterpart

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What better way to beat the winter sniffles than with a warm bowl of tomato soup?

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The prep is incredibly easy but the pay-off is priceless: homemade onion dip without the artificial aftertaste.

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The Cuisinart Stand Mixer’s food processor attachment ensures a super smooth sweet potato puree.

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The secret to a crisp on the outside, soft-pillowy on the inside latke is adding the potato’s natural starch back to them.

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When the days get shorter and temperatures dip into unthinkable territory, I like to have a house full of company. One of my favorite meals to make is a hearty beef stew in my slow cooker. It does all the heavy lifting so I can run out and get some wine.

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One of my favorite dishes to make is manicotti from scratch. These ricotta cheese-filled tubes of pasta are actually very easy to make—the batter comes together in the blender, and guests will be impressed when you tell them they’re 100% homemade. Round out your buffet with a salad of winter greens and roasted root vegetables, an antipasto platter and keep the red wine flowing for a fabulous holiday celebration.