The Last Word Cocktail – Dressed Up With Empress 1908 Gin
The Last Word Cocktail is traditionally made with gin. I dressed it up by making it with my favorite gin – Empress 1908. Empress is inspired by the legendary Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia This gin is a gorgeous indigo blue gin which changes color to a pretty soft pink when citrus is […]
My Go To Holiday Appetizers
My go to holiday appetizers are quick and easy and SO TASTY! I promise your guests will love them! Happy Holidays!
Best Cookies for Santa + Stocking Stuffers
Treats for Santa and his elves available locally in Roanoke, Virgnia! Big chocolate chunks with bits of salty pretzel. Available at The Roanoke Natural Foods Co+op. Be sure to buy some extras for Santa’s little helpers (you) too! Individually wrapped. Santa’s elves love candy! Yummy Comb – Honey Comb smothered in Belgian Milk Chocolate is […]
What To Serve On Thanksgiving Weekend – Pasta With Amatriciana Sauce
After a huge Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, I am ready for some quick, easy dinners on the weekend. One of my favorites is a traditional Italian pasta dish – Pasta with Amatriciana Sauce. What makes it so delicious? Traditionally made with salt-cured pork jowl or pancetta, I make mine with prosciutto. Pancetta is flavorful, but […]
Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes
Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy tried and true recipes, with a few new twists. One of my favorite dishes on the Thanksgiving dinner table is cranberry sauce. I always serve the canned jellied cranberry sauce because that’s what Mom always served for the kiddos at her Thanksgiving table. She also served a lovely Clementine […]
Virginia-made foods and wine – Lovin’ Local – WDBJ 7 Here@Home
Fun day at WDBJ 7 on the Here@Home show featuring Virginia-made foods and wine! October is Virginia Wine Month…the perfect time to celebrate Virginia-made wine! Find my recipe for Gingersnap Sangria in the September, 2022 issue of The Roanoker Magazine. Click here. One of my favorite Virginia-made foods is AR’s Hot Southern Honey and I […]
Spiced Apple Maple Ginger Cocktail
Let’s celebrate apple cider season! I love this time of year in Virginia – the leaves on our trees are starting to change color to the most beautiful golds and red. Our local orchard sells apple cider and a bountiful array of apples. My spiced apple cocktail is full of crisp seasonal flavors, just the […]
Eggplant Pâté
August is Eggplant season and one of our favorite ways to prepare these gorgeous purple-skinned aubergines is in eggplant dip. A bit spicy with creamy goat cheese and crunchy toasted pine nuts. It’s the one dip my husband requests over and over again. I served my eggplant pâté with Keya’s Bombay Chips. The Indian masala […]
One Bite Puff Pastry Appetizers – Smoked Salmon Bites and Basil Pesto Tomato Bites
These are the perfect one bite appetizers to serve with champagne before dinner. I like to use frozen Dufour puff pastry for my appetizers because it is made with butter. I used to use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, but I recently found out that it is made with vegetable oil, not butter as a main […]
Firecrackers – Spicy Mini Club Cracker Snacks
Spicy mini club crackers make the perfect summer snack paired with chilled Proscecco. So easy to make and pack on a picnic or an afternoon at the lake. Mionetto Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut is my “go to” prosecco in the summer. With aromas of golden apple, honey and white peach. It is a lovely apéritif, […]
