This month I’m creating recipes for BlogHer and Kraft featuring Philadelphia Cooking Cream and Cream Cheese.  Head over to Pinch My Salt Reviews for this simple side dish recipe, including step-by-step photos, and learn about Paula Deen’s Real Women of Philadelphia Contest.

Creamy Peas with Ham and Mint Recipe

Remember Summer Fest?  Well, spring has sprung and I’m once again getting together with a fantastic group of bloggers to celebrate some of the best of spring produce.  We’re calling it Spring Fling!  This week, asparagus is the guest of honor, so make sure to check out the links at the bottom of this post and see what the others have cooked up with this delicious spring veggie.  Click around and join the conversation by sharing your own tips, recipes, or links.

I used to hate asparagus.  After onions, it was the most-loathed vegetable of my childhood.  Unfortunately, my parents loved it, so I remember lots of asparagus stare-downs that sometimes landed me in my room directly after dinner.  On asparagus nights, my mom took pity on me and I was only required to eat two small spears, but even that was a struggle that included lots of whining, possibly a few tears, and most likely some dramatic gagging. Continue reading →

Cauliflower has always been one of my favorite vegetables, but broccoli is much more likely than cauliflower to end up in my shopping cart when I walk through the produce section of the grocery store.  I think it’s a color thing.  Broccoli is green and everyone knows that that green is good for you. Continue reading →

Have you ever purchased a specific dried herb or spice for one recipe and then let the bottle sit on your spice rack or in the back of your pantry untouched for months, or even years?  Do you have herbs or spices in your cabinet that you’ve never even used?  I bet you do; I used to as well. Continue reading →

I was really looking forward to making a sweet potato pie this week for Fall Fest.  I’ve never made one and I’m pretty sure that I’ve never even tasted a sweet potato pie.  Yes, it’s a shame, and I’m hoping to remedy the situation soon. But you may have noticed that I have been baking (and eating) a lot of desserts lately.  And after yesterday’s amazing Praline-Pumpkin Cake, I just couldn’t bring myself to bake a pie. Continue reading →

It’s time for Fall Fest again and this week we’re celebrating brassicas – a genus of plants that includes cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and more.  I chose to focus on brussels sprouts because they are currently available on the stalk and I think it’s fun to take home a giant, awkward stalk of brussels sprouts! Continue reading →

Since we are celebrating root vegetables at Fall Fest this week, I decided it was time explore the world of the rutabaga.  Up until recently, the only thing I knew about rutabagas is that they live next to turnips in the produce section at the grocery store.  And I know nothing about turnips.

But thanks to the internet, I now know that rutabagas are a root vegetable that supposedly evolved from a cross between a wild cabbage and a turnip.  They look a lot like a turnip, but are yellow instead of white and have a rougher skin.  The flavor is supposed to be sweeter than a turnip.  Rutabagas can be prepared in many different ways, but mashed or roasted seem to be the most popular ways to go. Continue reading →

I don’t always love pumpkin soup.  So many winter squash soup recipes out there are very sweet and seasoned with either pumpkin pie spices or store-bought curry powder.  I do love pumpkin pie, but I prefer to eat it after dinner.  I know there’s a reason these flavor combinations are so prevalent – winter squash is absolutely delicious mixed with warm spices and sugar.  I just prefer something a little different in my soup bowl.

This spicy, smoky, and creamy soup is exactly what I was hoping for.  Brightened with a dollop of cilantro-pepita pesto and a generous squeeze of lime juice, it was really hard to stop after one bowl (so I didn’t).  I had some pomegranate arils in the fridge so I added a handful to my bowl along with a sprinkling of crumbled Cotija cheese.  The sweet crunch of the pomegranate seeds and the salty cheese were perfect with the soup and pesto.  And the more lime juice I squeezed on top, the better it tasted. Continue reading →