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Captain Ric's shrimp appetizer prepared in a bowl
Captain Ric’s Marinated Party Shrimp Appetizer AppetizersHappy HourSeafoodThanksgiving
December 4, 2023

Captain Ric’s Marinated Party Shrimp Appetizer

This is a fresh, flavorful marinated shrimp appetizer fit for most any occasion or season.  We love making this for a happy hour with friends or as an appetizer before a celebration dinner. The Marinated Party Shrimp Appetizer Ingredients First, you will need 2 1/2 lbs of cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp.  For the mustard vinaigrette, you will need fresh parsley, diced shallots, tarragon vinegar, white wine vinegar, olive oil,…
Christmas tree cookies decorated with icing and sprinkles on a round white plate
Gingerbread Cookies Baked GoodsChristmasDessertsDessertsKids FavoritesRecipes
December 4, 2023

Gingerbread Cookies

These gingerbread cookies are the perfect holiday treat and making them is a favorite tradition for our family.  Add frosting, sprinkles, and/ or candy decorations or they are delicious just plain as well.  Ingredients For Gingerbread Cookies From the pantry, you will need flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, dark brown sugar and vanilla.  The spices in this recipe include ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg.  In…
Baked Spaghetti Squash Lasagne with a melty bubbling and browned top.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagne DinnerMain Dishes
November 10, 2023

Spaghetti Squash Lasagne

Looking for that cozy comfort food, but not all of the carbs and calories?  Check out this healthier delicious spaghetti squash lasagna option!  This recipe uses spaghetti squash instead of pasta, ground turkey instead of beef or sausage, and low-fat cottage cheese in place of ricotta cheese.   Truth be told, when I make this recipe it can be a selfish treat to eat something that feels like lasagna but is…
Baked lasagne fresh out of the oven
Sausage & Mushroom Lasagne Cold Weather ComfysDinnerMain Dishes
November 10, 2023

Sausage & Mushroom Lasagne

This hearty and flavorful sausage and mushroom lasagne is one of our favorite comfort foods during fall and winter months.  The combination of the sausage, mushrooms, and red wine make such a delicious combination.  The meat and mushrooms absorb all of the red wine and the seasoning, and the flavor becomes embedded it into the finished product. One bonus of this lasagne recipe is that you do not have to…
Creamy cauliflower soup prepared in a bowl and topped with bacon and croutons
Creamy Cauliflower Soup Cold Weather ComfysDinnerFall FavsLunchSoups
November 5, 2023

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

One of our favorite end of summer, early fall recipes is this creamy cauliflower soup.  It is an attempt at replicating a delicious soup we had in Belize at a unique jungle resort, after our brother's wedding years ago.  Although we never got any chef's secrets while there, we think we came pretty close with the recipe we outline here. The Ingredients The base of this soup is of course,…
Ham & Brie Melt prepared on a brioche bun on a white plate, served with a side salad
Brie & Ham Melt DinnerLunchMain DishesPorkSandwiches
November 3, 2023

Brie & Ham Melt

What could be better than a Brie and ham sandwich????  A melted Brie and ham sandwich, of course.  If you are looking to add variety and flavor to your lunch options, this Brie and ham melt is an easy, delicious solution.  We often make these on weekend days at home or when we have visitors in town. Ingredient List The ingredients of this sandwich could be delicious wrapped up in…
baked mushroom chicken fresh out of the oven
Mastain Family Mushroom Chicken ChickenCold Weather ComfysDinnerKids FavoritesMain Dishes
October 28, 2023

Mastain Family Mushroom Chicken

This Mushroom Chicken is a cherished recipe from my husband's family, originally created by his grandmother decades ago.  The coziest of comfort foods which has many fond memories of family gatherings surrounding it. So special, that for years has been the chosen Christmas Eve dinner in the Mastain family.  We love enjoying this creamy, tender chicken on any cold fall or winter day and smelling it cook slowly in the…
Roasted Tomato Soup in a soup bowl, garnished with parmesan cheese
Roasted Tomato Soup Cold Weather ComfysFall FavsLight MealsLunchSoupsVegetarian
October 28, 2023

Roasted Tomato Soup

This homemade roasted tomato soup is the perfect recipe for cold days.  The amazing flavor from fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil makes it difficult to ever go back to the canned tomato soup I grew up on! This soup can be made simply or with added pasta like orzo or tortellini for a heartier dish. Either way, it is delicious and can be accompanied by your favorite grilled cheese…
Guacamole ingredients: 3 avocados, pico de gallo in a bowl, 2 limes, cilantro, and salt & pepper grinders
Fresh and Easy Guacamole AppetizersCinco de MayoDipsSuperbowl
October 3, 2023

Fresh and Easy Guacamole

What has fresh ingredients, is easy to make and a is definite crowd pleaser?  This fresh and easy guacamole!  We affectionately refer to this recipe as "guacamole by feel" in our family.  Although we will provide you measurements here, we never use those when making it ourselves. Whoever is making it, usually my husband or son, adds ingredients gradually and asks for taste testers along the way.  It took some…
Harvest Salad prepared in a bowl
Harvest Salad SaladsSaladsVeggie Sides
October 3, 2023

Harvest Salad

We love this harvest salad for the start of fall, for the blend of crunchy saltiness from roasted pumpkin seeds and bacon along with the sweetness of chopped apples and dried cranberries. This is a beautiful and delicious salad to take to the neighbor's house for dinner or to serve along with a side of protein for a weeknight meal at home. The Ingredients Select your favorite mixed greens for…