Front Burner

I enjoy a good bowl of soup.  I'd even make it for dinner if I thought I could get away with it.  But my husband is a filling meal full of meat kind of guy so not only can I NOT get away with soup for dinner, I must also NEVER make anything vegetarian... minor restrictions I've been able to abide by for the last 10 years.  But it doesn't stop me from pulling out the recipes.  I see them... I long to try them... and I file them away.  Until recently when I thought to myself  "hey, why not make soup for lunch?"  I'm the only one I have to please (I didn't serve it to my kids) and the leftovers will take care of lunch for days.  I actually invited my good friend Tracey to lunch and baked some homemade bread (for what is soup without bread?!)  But her kids got sick the night before and she had to decline the invitation at the last minute.  It didn't stop me, I was determined.  I would make my soup and bread and I wouldn't be the only one to enjoy it!  I packed some up, warmed right off the stove and out of the oven and drove it to her doorstep... this girl aims to please and pleasing I did.

*Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking*


White Bean Italian Sausage Soup


1 lb. Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 minced garlic cloves
4 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup medium pearl barley
1 large carrot sliced
1 celery rib sliced
1 tsp. minced fresh sage (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp, minced fresh rosemary (or 1/8 tsp. dried, crushed)
6 cups chopped fresh kale


In a Dutch oven, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Drain if necessary.


Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes, barley, carrot, celery, sage and rosemary.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes.  Stir in kale; return to boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer another 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and kale is wilted.

Read More......

I can't seem to settle on just one salmon/crab cake recipe and tend to try just about any one I find.  They're versatile and delicious and they're a hit with the kids.  But I'd almost go as far as to say that these were pretty exceptional.  A winner in my book :)  With a little squeeze of lemon and a dip in some Old Bay aioli, dinner perfection!

*Recipe courtesy of Family Circle magazine*

Salmon Cakes


2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced small
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
2 cans (7.5-oz each) pink salmon
1 egg
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 1/4 teaspoons Old Bay or other seafood seasoning
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot and celery; cook 5 minutes until slightly softened.  Remove to a large bowl.

Drain salmon; remove bones.  Add to bowl with cooked vegetables along with remaining ingredients.  Combine well and form into small cakes, about 1/3 cup each.

In same skillet, add remaining tablespoon of oil and heat over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add cakes to pan and cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until browned.

Old Bay aioli:  Combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic and 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay (or other seafood) seasoning.  Serve with cakes for dipping.

Read More......

I decided to branch out last month and try making some new freezer meal recipes. I love my "fall-backs" but variety is always good too. More often than not, I end up being pleasantly surprised as was the case with this meal. The kids seemed to enjoy it (I think they can sense peanut butter from a mile away...) and I found it incredibly tasteful as well.

Read More......

Um... seriously? There really was no way these could turn out badly. Raspberry? Yum... Cream cheese? Yum... Chocolate? DOUBLE yum! I really could have used a little more cream cheese but hey, recipes are for experimenting... so maybe I'll double the cream cheese filling next time :)

I told the girls at work that I would bring in a batch of brownies and dug out this Cooking Light recipe. Stuck them in the oven and with 25 minutes left to bake, a minor disaster struck our household as my 3-year-old daughter tripped, fell and split her chin open, sending blood all over the dining room floor. As I (slightly overreacting) loaded us all up for a trip to Urgent Care, to my dismay I had to pull the "not yet done" brownies from the oven. Of course my daughter's well being was more important at that point...

But a little skin glue, a bandaid, a sticker and a chocolate milk for being a good sport seemed to remedy the situation. In the process I happened to get called off from work but decided to "rebake" the brownies in an attempt at salvation anyway (no way I was tossing them without at least trying...) It took a little more time than I had anticipated but I managed to bake them back to near perfection. Of course, being called off work meant they were mine for the taking (my "brownie disliking" husband actually ended up enjoying this twist on the classic and ate a few himself.) They lasted a good week... I had to pace myself.

But fear not, I aim not to disappoint my sweet coworkers. The pictured batch was my second round baked for the shift I actually worked which was kindly displayed in the common room and devoured shortly after.

As much as they love to "hate" me for sabotaging their diets, I love them as some of my best food critics and deep down, I know they truly "love" me too ;)

Read More......