Wheatberry Salad with fire roasted corn!

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This salad is so yummy and healthy!! Wheatberry salad is one of my favorite multipurpose dishes. You can serve for breakfast with fruit and yogurt or lunch with salsa and black beans. For dinner it is delicious with grilled salmon. Wheatberries are the backbone of this delicious salad.

atberry salads are one of my favorite multipurpose dishes. Serve a wheatberry salad for breakfast (with yogurt, banana and walnuts), lunch (with sweet potatoes, black beans and salsa) or for dinner (with wild salmon, spinach and olives). Change your flavors to match the seasons as well – this version is the ultimate Fall salad and features butternut squash, cranberries, pomegranate arils and arugula with a maple-Dijon dressing.
Read more at http://www.katheats.com/the-ultimate-fall-wheatberry-salad#KJduPcgOulHfIkFQ.99

Wheatberry salads are one of my favorite multipurpose dishes. Serve a wheatberry salad for breakfast (with yogurt, banana and walnuts), lunch (with sweet potatoes, black beans and salsa) or for dinner (with wild salmon, spinach and olives). Change your flavors to match the seasons as well – this version is the ultimate Fall salad and features butternut squash, cranberries, pomegranate arils and arugula with a maple-Dijon dressing.
Read more at http://www.katheats.com/the-ultimate-fall-wheatberry-salad#KJduPcgOulHfIkFQ.99

Wheatberry salads are one of my favorite multipurpose dishes. Serve a wheatberry salad for breakfast (with yogurt, banana and walnuts), lunch (with sweet potatoes, black beans and salsa) or for dinner (with wild salmon, spinach and olives). Change your flavors to match the seasons as well – this version is the ultimate Fall salad and features butternut squash, cranberries, pomegranate arils and arugula with a maple-Dijon dressing.
Read more at http://www.katheats.com/the-ultimate-fall-wheatberry-salad#KJduPcgOulHfIkFQ.99

Paccheri pistachios, dried tomatoes & ricotta ... Cibo Squisito!

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Paccheri are very large tubes. In fact, they are so large that they collapse when cooked, trapping inside them whatever they have been sauced with. The name means "slaps", because they supposedly make a noise like slaps, when lifted by a fork. You'll hear the "slap"  in the following recipe!

Roasted Tomato thyme butter bruschetta!

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Roasted Tomato Butter with Fresh Thyme

My neighbor and I both, have lot's of tomatoes on the bush that are calling to us, "pick me, pick me!" 

Quinoa salad- vegan and gluten free

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Watermelon and Spinach Salad!

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One of the great things about the summer is the availability of local produce, that I have talked about in many of my blogs. Nearly everyone loves watermelon and with the seedless varieties, they’re really great to use in salads. I love this salad that was introduced to me at Pearl Laguna spa. It is low fat, low calorie, vegetarian and gluten free...........and it is full of flavor!! 

Hatch Pepper aoli and stuffed hatch peppers!! Oooh lala!

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 Delicious hamburger's with "Hatch chile spiked aoli", "Chorizo stuffed Hatch peppers" and Billy's favorite potato salad.....our Monday night dinner! Yummy? YES!!!!

Stacked Fontina quesadilla's with a drizzle of white truffle!

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Quesadillas are one of my families favorite appetizer's or lunch time meals.

I can totally see why, the cheesy, crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness of a quesadilla with spicy and creamy toppings — what’s not to love? Of course, I’m always on the lookout for ways to “healthify” my families meals, but with quesadilla's it’s difficult. Our family has a high bar for quesadillas!! So when my sister-in-law Donna introduced me to her "Stacked Fontina Quesadilla", I could hardly wait to wrap my lips around the delicious crisp tortilla filled with fontina cheese and seasoned with thyme. Mmmmmm and a few years later when she brought them to a party we had, with all our adult children present, they vanished so quickly, I didn't even get one wedge!

JJ's Manilla clams

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One of my favorite things about the cuisine in the Pacific Northwest is Manilla clams.....everyone who knows me, knows I love Manilla clams! Did you know you don’t have to go to Manila to get manila clams? We have them right here!!

Roquefort Tart for Wee Bear!

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Sometimes it’s just easier to grab a puff pastry from the store and put something on a top of it. It’s fast, you don’t have to make dough and the effect may surprise you!

Two new appetizers- Pancetta wrapped mango & veggie shooters!

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 Memorial Day holiday weekend is here! Have you decided who you will be celebrating with? Have you decided what you'll be eating? Whether you are hosting a barbeque or would like to place flowers on a loved ones headstone, we are hoping you enjoy your Holiday and have very pleasant memories. 

We decided we wanted to get one last pizza party in with our outdoor pizza oven, before we fly back to Seattle for the "Summer of babies"! What about you? If you're still figuring out what to make, here's 12 delicious ideas to consider that will be a great addition to the holiday table...

How to carve a watermelon baby carriage!

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Tink's Baby Madison shower- Part III

If you are hosting a baby shower sometime in the future, you may be thinking about cute centerpiece ideas for the main table of your party or for the food buffet. From flowers, balloons, apothecary candy to diaper cakes, there are so many options for celebrating the upcoming birth of a tiny baby. For those of you planning on serving fruit at the party, you should consider making a adorable watermelon baby carriage. This fun centerpiece is really easy to make and guaranteed to make your guests smile.

 

Pancetta crisp with apple and gorgonzola!

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Start Mom off with this elegant appetizer for her brunch on  Mothers Day! Show Mom you appreciate her with breakfast in bed! While she is enjoying her first course of "Pancetta crisp" you can make her main course!

Rustic Cheese and Tomato Tart

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 This tomato and cheese tart was incredibly simple to make, and it tasted so fresh! When I first told Wee Bear I was making a tomato tart, he gave me a funny look and said: “That doesn’t sound very good.” But when this came out of the oven, he was singing a different tune. It was more along the lines of “That smells amazing.” And the morning after the dinner? I believe the words that came out of his mouth were: “Where is the left over tart from last night?”  Suffice to say, this recipe is a winner – cheesy pastry, melty cheese, and warm summer tomatoes – you can’t beat it!

Chick Pea Bruschetta-Chef Stebner

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I had the rare opportunity,to attend this exclusive lunch class with Executive Chef Michael Stebner, who co-created (with Dr. Andrew Weil) True Food Kitchen, and shared recipes and techniques with a few fortunate observers! The focus of True Food Kitchen is to promote an anti-inflammatory diet while using seasonal, simple and pure ingredients. The menu included Chicken Farro Salad, Fettuccine with Kale Pesto, Chocolate Icebox Tart, AND a special appetizer that Chef Stebner served at Dr. Weil's 69th birthday feast and I am sharing with you today!! Love'n the Kitchen gave me free reign to take pictures and roam about the room....yes I used the "Blog card"!! 

Pulled pork Bruschetta or sliders! Superbowl!

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The ultimate post holiday party is about to happen! Superbowl Sunday  is almost here!! It happens once in a blue moon, but the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras are converging on New Orleans to bring a party of epic proportions. Mardi Gras and Superbowl in New Orleans on the same weekend!! 

These slow cooked  Pulled Pork Sliders or Pulled Pork Bruschetta make a great appetizer for game day or any gathering.

Truffle Popcorn! Apres' Ski!

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This is going to be a simple blog with a simple recipe but bear with me, I’m going somewhere with this. Sort of....... A couple of years ago a few of my adult children and I met in Lake Tahoe for our annual ski trip. As usual we had a wonderful time. While there, we had the pleasure of dining at a wonderful restaurant in the Squaw Mountain Village, which is since gone out of business. We had incredible food, however, the thing that has stuck with us most about our meal there, was the popcorn. That’s right. The popcorn! Totally decadent, truffled popcorn. 
We have been trying to replicate this recipe for several years! YES YEARS people! And today, I am giving you our findings. Those who have helped to perfect this ..........Laura, JJ and Amy.  I’m not such a fan of conventional microwave popcorn bags, but, if you’re okay with all that additional stuff in traditional microwave popcorn then go for it.  

Cheese Straws! 5 star recipe for the New Years Eve Party!

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Tonight we toast! Cheers to the New Year 2013, with good friends and family! Here's to the start of something new and special!

For this special evening I will give you, hands down one of the easiest appetizers you can make, in time for New Years Eve or New Years Day dinner with family.

Since I discovered this recipe several months ago, I have made it more times than I have fingers on my hands to count.  They come out wonderful EVERY SINGLE time.

 

Caramelized Bacon Hors D'oeuvres! Cheese and fruit plate!

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Our "Ugly Holiday Sweater Party was a huge success on Saturday! Everyone seemed to have a favorite part of the food served, but without question, everyone raved about the "Caramelized Bacon"! This is an amazing and outrageous hors d'oeuvre and from what I saw at my party, the most addictive! The bacon is sweet and spicy and perfect with cocktails!
 
This is one of those posts where I really wish I could give you all one of those little sample tastes in a thimble cup you get at a grocery store or Costco!
 
It is easy with very little prep time, so pop this one in your party line up!

Spiced nuts! Wine bag tutorial too!

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 Preparations for the "Ugly Holiday Sweater Party" are in full swing. Both nuts that I will serve are done! These are quick, you can have them done for this weekend too! I use mixed nuts, but you can use one type of nut too!

Scroll down for a wine bag pattern, you can whip up today!

Also, 25th Anniversary party pictures, last night with Jack Nicklaus! So fun!!

Field greens, pear and gorgonzola salad! Our family favorite!

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Thanksgiving is upon us and some of you may be panicking about everything that has to get done. I know, I’ve been there. I am notorious for making too many dishes and driving myself crazy trying to figure out how to get them all done. Thank goodness this year, my amazing daughter-in-law and son are hosting Thanksgiving and my equally amazing daughter and son-in-law are hosting Christmas day! I handed the Holiday baton over last year at a Thanksgiving celebration at our home in Scottsdale. Wee Bear and I didn't know what their reaction would be, but, they thrilled us with an overwhelming, "YES"! I told them I would assist and be there in every way, from setting the tables to menu planning, serving drinks, cooking, baking and clean up. But... they have embraced it, and are really having fun!! It has been a smooth transition, no drama, happiness and laughter abound! And no, we didn't stuff the turkey with Prozak!!

A few last minute tips to remember. These days there are a lot more people with dietary restrictions and it is likely you will have to accommodate some at your holiday dinner. Make sure you ask all of your guests ahead of time. If you are unable to fulfill their needs, ask them to bring something that they can eat. If you have vegetarians coming, make sure you offer them something other than just the side dishes. I like to stuff a acorn squash with truffle risotto (October 31, 2012 blog) or something similar so that they feel just as special as everyone else at the table.

 When you are figuring out the seating arrangements, make sure you place quiet people next to those who are great conversationalists. If you have a couple of joke tellers in the crowd, place them at opposite ends of the table or room. In our family, Wee Bear is the best conversationalist, I used to say, "he could carry on a conversation with a telephone pole"! If you have especially shy people coming, make sure you tell the people on either side of them some of their favorite topics or hobbies so they can keep the conversation going throughout dinner. If you have people who are not comfortable with each other, do not put them next to each other.....could be awkward for them.

If you are going to serve the meal family-style with dishes being passed at the table, keep your centerpiece and table decorations to a minimum. You don’t want your guests to have to peer around a towering flower arrangement, or juggle dishes to find room on the table. Go out into the yard and pick up some fallen leaves and acorns and scatter them around the table. Add a few votive candles (helps reduce the danger of fire), some beautiful plates, glasses and napkins, and you have the makings of a stunning holiday table. Amy's table is set and I had the pleasure of seeing it early, (actually I was offering to buy the flowers) it has the most stunning deer horn candelabras, napkins and rings ...needs nothing in addition. They are ROCK STARS! And TT has created a time line for preparations, he is in charge of turkey brining to cooking, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.

Another fun idea for the table is to create fun place cards that double as take home gifts. Small potted plants with the names written on the side, a bag of homemade candies or baked goods, or even bags of caramel corn labeled are all fun, inexpensive, and thoughtful ways to say thank you to your guests for joining in the holiday celebration.

At the end of the day, I think people are just happy and thankful to have fun with each other and eat together. (and the wine helps, no doubt!)


Here is a family favorite salad, it is gorgeous and heavenly!