My sister is a huge fan of roasted red pepper hummus so she was one inspiration behind me creating my own version at home.  The other inspiration was my fancy new blender that I just knew would create the smoothest, creamiest hummus I’ve ever made.

And I was right.  This was the smoothest, creamiest hummus that has ever come from my kitchen.

I’ve been without a regular blender for over a year now.  The last one I owned, an overpriced and under-performing Kitchen Aid blender, broke as soon as the warranty expired.  And I wasn’t in a big rush to run out and replace it with another piece of junk.  I’ve never been a huge fan of blenders because I have never owned one that worked really well.  Sure, they all claim to crush ice.  But they never really do. Continue reading →

While we mostly eat guacamole during spring and summer when Southern California is bursting with fresh, local avocados, I couldn’t resist digging through the large pile of perfectly ripe Haas avocados at the grocery store the other day. I guess I can thank the Superbowl for that! Continue reading →

I love lemons.  Love love love them!  So it should come as no surprise that lemon curd is one of my favorite treats.  Sweet and tart, rich and creamy, it’s just one of those perfect creations that I can’t imagine living without. Continue reading →

And today we have the final recipes in the Holiday Recipes series I’ve been putting on with Amanda and Tyler of What We’re Eating.  At our pre-holiday dinner, Amanda made a delicious cranberry sauce that included persimmons and just a touch of fresh rosemary.  I would never have thought to add rosemary to cranberry sauce, but the combination was perfect! Continue reading →

Although my favorite sandwich has always been a Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (BLT), this Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, and Turkey Sandwich (BLAT). might have just taken over the top spot! I know that B.L.A.T. often stands for Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, and Tomato, but I didn’t have any good tomatoes!  And since this was my dinner last night, the turkey is what made it more substantial. Continue reading →

It’s time to eat your vegetables!

I really haven’t been eating enough veggies lately.  Bacon? Plenty.  Chocolate chip cookies? Oh yeah!  Pizza? Three days worth.  Cinnamon buns? That was our dinner the other night.

Something’s seriously gotta change around here!  Granted, I have been cooking at home a lot lately.  But if I don’t get back to cooking some of my healthier recipes, I’m still gonna end up looking like I’ve been eating at McDonald’s every night! Continue reading →

This is one of those salads that just came together in my head as I was wandering through the produce section at the grocery store one day. I was craving a jicama salad, but wanted to do something very different than the citrus salad I made last winter with my sister’s tangerines.

Although I did choose to once again pair the jicama with fruit, mango in this case, the flavors in this summer salad are quite different than its winter equivalent. Jicama doesn’t have much flavor on its own, so I combined several of my favorite ingredients to add some interest. The corn, mango, avocado and cilantro all worked very well together. Continue reading →

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