I’ve gotten my love of good food and my talent for cooking from my Mom and Grandmother as I’ve told you over and over. This dessert was one of my Mom’s. The funny part of this story has to do with my Mom’s second husband! I never warmed up to my Mom’s second husband. My […]
Using Measuring Spoons
Have you ever found yourself frustrated because your round measuring spoons just won’t fit into those narrow spice jars and you always end up wasting a lot of the expensive spice when you’re forced to pour it out into the measuring spoon? I have 2 sets of measuring spoons … one of them is the […]
Cleaning and Coring a Fresh Pineapple
There’s nothing better than a fresh ripe pineapple, but they can be a little hard to clean without feeling like you’re wasting a lot of the actual fruit! I use a long serrated bread knife because it’s a bit more flexible and allows you to follow the contours of the pineapple as you are peeling […]
Keeping on the Lid
Whether you’re storing a large pot or taking it to a friend’s house for a pot luck dinner, it’s hard to keep the lid on and not have it tip or make a huge mess. Try inverting the lid and using double-sided Velcro wrapped over the top and over both handles. If you’re traveling with […]
Mom, Dad, The Baths on Virgin Gorda, Meatloaf and a Glass of Chianti
When you live on a tropical Caribbean island, you tend to get a lot of visitors. My Mom and Dad were always amongst my favorites. My Dad had a tendency to get a bit queasy, so we always coordinated their visits with very close island friends, Jerry and Lisa, making a trip home to New […]
Cornish Hens, at Anchor on the Back Side of Tortola and the Green Flash
Big green flash” by Brocken Inaglory – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. I’ve done a lot of sailing vacations with friends and family, and quite a few with my dearest friends Pam and Dan. We actually had a sailing vacation every year for almost a decade! They are some of […]
A Winter Dinner Party with Friends…
with a Roasted Beef Tenderloin with a Caesar Crust Every year in late January, I have a dinner party for my very close “snow bird” friends, and of course, a few of my besties from South Florida. This dinner’s motive is to bring us all back together for the winter season with good food, wine, […]
Mango Salsa and Interesting Info on Chili Peppers
The Serrano chili pepper is what is called for in my Mango Salsa recipe. The Serrano pepper is originally from the Mexican regions of Puebla and Hidalgo. This region is mountainous, and the name Serrano is derived from these sierras. The Serrano pepper is rated on the Scoville scale (shown below) on the lower end […]
Tasty Skewers
Everyone knows that you have to soak your wooden skewers before loading them up with yummy food and putting them on the grill, but it can be a bit of a pain to keep them submerged. Try putting them in an empty large wine bottle and filling with warm water and cork the top for […]
Vinegar – To Throw or Not to Throw… That’s the Question!
Most of today’s vinegars are pasteurized and actually have very little acetic acid. They can last almost indefinitely on your shelf. If you find that the vinegar has sediment floating around or building on the bottom, just place your strainer over a bowl with a pouring spout, line it with a coffee filter or some […]
A Cube Full of Ginger
A cube full of ginger makes the dollars stretch further… and can save you time later on. I’m sure you’ve found yourself purchasing a nice sized thumb of fresh ginger for a specific recipe, and then you wrap and store the rest in the refrigerator only to take it out a week later for another […]
Using Fresh Seasonal Veggies, Fruits and Herbs
Using seasonal and fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs is the optimal way to utilize them for maximum great taste. When fruits and veggies are fresh, they need to do very little to enjoy them to the fullest. Here’s a quick list broken down by season to help you with your seasonal meal planning year-round using […]