Santa’s Little Helper

Cranberry and vodka go together like Santa and Rudolph. This cocktail is refreshing and festive in flavor and style. Want to give the cocktail a special holiday sparkle? Top the drink with a splash of something bubbly, like seltzer or club soda. Ingredients Garnish Build the garnish up to three hours before serving.  To make…

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Spanish Christmas Chocolate Crisp

Also known as a chocolate turrón, this is a variation of a traditional Spanish turrón euro, which is a hard candy made with almonds, honey & egg whites. Turrón is the Spanish candy most commonly associated with Christmas in Spain. This a delicious, simple make-ahead dessert, making it the perfect bite after a big, holiday…

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Pulled Pork Quesadillas

I have a thing for pulled pork sandwiches. I love them. There is just something so comforting and delicious about the combination of the sweet and tangy flavors. Good in all weather, it can evoke a summer day or snowy evening. After making the last batch of pulled pork, and several sandwiches later, I decided…

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Berry Lemon Breakfast Pastries

Despite the start of school here in Florida, the summer heat is still going strong and this Michigander has it engrained that summer is through Labor Day. So before we get to pumpkin spice and everything nice, I wanted to get one last taste of summer in. The combination of blueberry and lemon are one…

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Lemon Dill Angel Hair

One of our family’s go-to pastas in the summer is this Lemon Dill Angel Hair pasta. So easy, so fresh. We don’t really measure, but add to taste. The menu is rounded out with fresh lake trout and steamed vegetables. Ingredients: In a small bowl, add about 2 tbsp mashed garlic, lemon zest of 1/2…

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Pecan Ball Cookies

Our family goes nuts over pecan ball cookies! These cookies are from my in-law’s recipe box and has been a family holiday tradition for years. You may also know them as Mexican Wedding Cookies. So simple yet so delicious. How can you go wrong with butter, nuts and sugar? They are great for the holiday…

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Rosemary Butter Beef Tenderloin

Christmas Eve Dinner at our house is always Beef Tenderloin…. and of course, Cheesy Potatoes. But back to the beef. The tenderloin cut is very tender, lean and when cooked properly, melts in your mouth. It is definitely a special occasion entree and while it is great just roasted, sometimes it’s fun to jazz it…

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Golden Brown Rice with Greens

While I have grown into liking plain brown rice, it became much more exciting to me when I realized you could jazz it up like pasta. This particular dish I have made at least six times, twice in the last month. The nutty flavors of the rice and walnuts pair so well with the sweetness…

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Bestyet Cake

Friends of ours made this cake for us almost a year ago and I have found myself thinking about it ever since. The flavors are so fresh and nostalgic. In truth, I probably would not have picked this recipe out of a cookbook – I always pick chocolate! But what a mistake! I am so…

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Roasted Olive & Feta Dip

While I try to create most of my recipes, sometimes I come across a recipe that just needs to be shared. This particular recipe is from Half Baked Harvest. The sweetness of the honey whipped feta is absolutely delicious with the salty, roasted olives. The only edits I made are I removed the black pepper…

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Shakshuka – Curry Tomatoes & Eggs

Shak-What? I’ll let Wikipedia explain: “Shakshuka is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. Its present egg and vegetable-based form originated in North Africa. It is popular in the Middle East and North Africa.” And our home; it’s delicious. Curry is not traditionally in the…

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Shrimp Roasted Tomato Pesto Bowl

Packed with flavor, this is a healthy, easy one-dish meal for those short on time. The other benefit is most of the ingredients are items you probably already stock in your kitchen. As for the cooked shrimp, you can keep it simple by justing defrosting already cooked shrimp or for extra flavor, you can roast…

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