Halloween night. Sports team parties. Potlucks. This weeknight chili recipe sees a lot of action in our kitchen. It’s super versatile, easy, fast and savory. The best part is you can make this chili with either ground beef or ground turkey, canned kidney or pinto beans or no beans at all (just double the meat)….
Archives for October 2017
Pomegranate Sangria
A big and bright pitcher of pomegranate sangria is the easiest way to entertain a crowd. Full of pomegranate seeds, thin slices of apple and oranges, this fruity cocktail is slightly bubbly from sparkling wine. Depending whether it’s early fall or winter, you can add dark plums, berries or fresh figs to the mix. Stir…
Weeknight Meal Plan: October 29-November 3
Back to the routine! After a quick trip to San Francisco, it feels good to be home again. Halloween isn’t always my favorite holiday (I know, bah humbug). It’s not the candy and sugar (I can swipe a Twix with the best of ’em), it’s keeping track of three costume-clad kids in the dark. As…
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Autumn has finally hit Houston, which means the leaves are falling, there are acorns crunching underfoot and it’s 80 degrees and humid. Here’s the plan: Turn down your air conditioning to 70 and fire up the oven for this super tasty apple cranberry crisp. It will make your whole house smell like cinnamon, pecans and…
Pumpkin, Apple and Honey Nut Squash Soup
Squash season is in full swing, and that means a rotation of roasted butternut squash, Delicata and Kabocha. Recently, I noticed a new variety of squash that looks like a baby butternut. Honey nut squash is sweet and tender when cooked, and easier to cut than its big brother. A couple of these cuties are…
Weeknight Meal Plan: October 22-27
It’s the home stretch of my Whole30 experiment, but it will probably be my most challenging week because of travel. Eating at home is really the easiest way to pull this off. I’ve hit my stride of protein-packed breakfasts, easy lunches, and family-friendly dinners. But Tuesday I’m heading to San Francisco to pull off a…
Homemade Onion Soup Seasoning
Trader Joe’s had a version of this that I loved, but for some reason they stopped selling it. I developed my own, and it’s so easy to throw together. This homemade onion seasoning is perfect for flavoring beef chuck roast for French dip sandwiches, mixed into burgers before they hit the grill or stirred into…
Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk
Homemade vanilla almond milk is about the only kind of almond milk I like. It’s not gummy and thick like most of the store bought varieties. And when it’s sweetened with dates and scented with real vanilla, it’s rich and delicious. Start with raw, unsalted almonds and soak them overnight in water. When you’re ready…
Weeknight Meal Plan: October 15-20
Whole30 Dinners Week 3 Next week is coming at me like a steam roller. Five cooking classes, two photo shoots and a partridge in a pear tree. Good thing I’m doing Whole30 because I sleep like a rock, wake up refreshed and don’t have my usual afternoon energy crash. It’s even given me new found…
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Why make your own taco seasoning you say? Well, I’ll tell you. So many of the store bought mixes have msg or dextrose or flour or too much sodium. And it’s so easy to make your very own homemade taco seasoning. Most likely, all you need to do is walk to your pantry and get…