Sausage Balls

It's that time of year again, making all of those Christmas goodies that you typically do not prepare throughout the year. One of my favorites is sausage balls, which is ironic since I'm not a fan of sausage.

• 1 lb. mild sausage


• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese


• 1.5 to 2 cups self-rising flour


• Optional- chopped green olives or olive tapenade (amount to your liking)

Mix all with hands, roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 325* for about 15 minutes, then 350* for another 5 mintes to brown. Best served warm.

Cranberry Sauce

This is one of my favorite sides to make for the holidays; it’s fairly simple, tastes delicious, and makes a big impression!

• 1 bag fresh cranberries


• 1 cup orange juice (not from concentrate; I use high pulp)


• 3/4 cup organic turbinado sugar


• 1 orange


• Optional: Grand Marnier

Combine orange juice and sugar in saucepan, stir to dissolve well, bring to boil. Once at a boil, turn down and simmer about 5 minutes; stir occasionally. Add fresh cranberries and simmer as they pop. This will take about 15 minutes and you will need to stir occasionally. Simmer, do not boil the cranberries; if this is splattering, the heat is too high. Once the berries have popped and this thickens up, add orange zest, amount to your liking. I use about 2 tsp. Zest longer pieces of peel for decoration. If you’d like to add Grand Marnier, add it once the sauce is removed from the heat. Place in dish, top with decorative zest, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Leftovers also make a delicious topping on vanilla bean ice cream. Bon Appetit!

Peanut Butter Apple Dip

I still have fond and vivid memories of apple picking as a small child in northern New Jersey. We’d load up the car with the neighbors and we’d head out to the orchard, where us kids could enjoy the great outdoors, try to climb some trees, and pick some delicious apples. As old as I may get, I’ll never forget the first crisp days of fall and how my mind wanders to the time spent in the apple orchard.
This dip is a perfect complement to fresh apples, cored and sliced.

• Apples- variety of your choosing


• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter


• 1 cup vanilla yogurt


• 1/2 cup whipped heavy cream, sweetened if you desire


• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon


• Optional: 1 tsp. honey

Mix by hand all ingredients except for the heavy cream- beat that separately to form whipped cream. Once all items are blended, gently fold in the whipped cream, careful not to over-stir. Store unused portion in the fridge.

Fresh Cherry Pie

I LOVE this recipe! If you have the patience to hand-pit the cherries, you will be well-rewarded! You will need:

• 2 9″ pastry crusts (see note below)


• 4 cups fresh cherries in their juice, hand-pitted (try not to lose juice)


• 3/4 organic turbinado sugar, plus approx. 1 Tbsp.


• 4 Tbsp. tapioca


• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


• 1/2 tsp. almond extract


• 1/4 tsp. sea salt


• 1 Tbsp. butter, thinly sliced into pats

Now, about the crust…I have made them from scratch, used all kinds of recipes, and the only one that comes the closest to tasting like my Nana’s is Pillsbury refrigerated rolled pie dough (you can usually find it in the fridge section, near the biscuits). DO NOT thaw in the microwave…allow to sit out about 15 minutes, at room temperature. Spread one crust in the base of a 9″ pie plate and bake at 400* F for approximately 10 minutes.
In a bowl, combine pitted cherries, 3/4 c. sugar, vanilla, almond, tapioca, and salt. Pour into crust that has baked 10 minutes and top with pats of butter. Roll out top crust and use a cookie cutter to cut out the center for venting. Put the top crust over the pie and seal it, sprinkle evenly with 1 Tbsp. sugar. Place pie plate on cookie sheet, to control any accidental overflow. Bake at 350* F for approximately 35 minutes, or until golden. Remove and serve with vanilla ice cream. YUM!

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Originally, I am from New Jersey, so while I’ve enjoyed a plethora of diverse foods, I’d never had a cucumber sandwich until moving south. Growing up in an Italian/Ukranian household, there was always something interesting cooking…but not tea sandwiches. It wasn’t until I was recruiting for a small, southern private college that I realized what a big deal these are in the south. My territory was “Southern!”- Savannah, Charleston, Chattanooga, Nashville, Louisville, Lexington, etc. I began to notice that every college fair was preceded with a nice little hors d’oeuvres hour, complete with little old ladies from the local church who cooked up a storm for us weary, travelin’ souls. Didn’t know you’d have to sit through a story for a recipe, huh? Anyway, I continued to be met with three common items, regardless of the city I was in: cucumber tea sandwiches, ham biscuits, and pimento cheese sandwiches. With our little cucumber garden pot overflowing this summer, I’ve cracked the code on my favorite tasting cucumber tea sandwich, out of Lexington, Kentucky. A few items to note…cut the ends off of the cucumber before peeling; it reduces bitterness. Whatever I’ve grown this summer had very small seeds, so there was no need for me to remove them. Here it is:

• 2-3 medium, fresh cucumbers (peeled, seeded if you desire)


• 1 small or 3/4 medium yellow onion (not sweet)


• 8oz brick of cream cheese


• Salt and pepper


• Fresh dill sprigs


• Rye or Pumpernickel bread (look for smaller, tea sandwich loaves)

Bring cream cheese to room temperature, or microwave approximately 25 seconds to soften. This needs to be soft enough to hand-stir. Peel cucumbers and grate into cream cheese. Peel onion and grate into mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your liking. Add in a few springs of fresh, chopped dill, but go sparingly. Stir until well mixed. Refrigerate until firm. Best to make about 1 day in advance, to allow the flavors to absorb, which is why it is critical to go sparingly on the dill. When ready to serve, spread the mixture onto the sandwich bread, remove crusts, and cut into triangles. These are perfect for garden parties and bridal luncheons. Enjoy!

Beach Cobbler

This recipe was named such for two reasons: I learned the recipe from a friend’s mama during an annual beach trip, and we make this evey year while at the beach (ok, and throughout the year too!). If you like a flaky, crispy cobbler, this is not from you. This is a softer, cake-like consistency and I think the peach comes out the best, but a peach raspberry combo is nice too. What’s nice is when you are at the beach, you don’t want to fuss with cooking and this is definitely no-fuss.

• 1 stick of butter


• Approximately 4 cups of fruit (fresh is best, but can used canned too)


• 1 cup of organic turbinado sugar


• 1 cup of milk


• 1 cup of SELF-RISING flour


• 1/2- 1 tsp. of almond extract (based on preference)


• Vanilla ice cream

Set oven to 350* F and while heating, place 9×13 baking dish with butter in the oven, so the butter will melt while pre-heating. While melting, mix the sugar, flour, and milk together- set aside. Once butter is melted, CAREFULLY spread fruit into pan, careful not to splatter the hot butter. Stir batter, then pour over the fruit. Place dish back in over and bake approximately 45 minutes, until golden. Serve with a dollop of ice cream.

Please note we’ve made this with strawberries (results not so good), blueberries (yum), peaches, raspberries, peach/raspberry combo, and blackberries (too seedy).

The BEST Shrimp and Grits

Not bad for a Yankee concoction! I finally made this for the first time and I loved it, but more importantly, my family loved it and ate it up!

• 2 pounds raw shrimp, shelled and deveined


• 6 slices of thick cut bacon


• 2 poblano peppers, fired, then chopped


• 4 cups water


• 1 cup stone ground grits


• Juice of 1 lemon (or approx. 4 tsp.)


• 3 Tbsp. butter


• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese


• 1 large clove of garlic, pressed


• Fresh, chopped parsely (optional)


• Salt and pepper

Clean and halve each poblano, removing seeds and stems. Place cut side down on cookie sheet and broil (or place outside on grill) until roasted. Mince if all like poblanos; if kids will be eating, cut into larget pieces that can be picked out for them. Boil water, once boiling add salt, pepper, and grits. Cook about 20-25 minutes, stirring as needed (lower heat, covered). While the grits cooks, fry bacon in pan until crisp. Remove cooked bacon to drain on paper towels. Drain grease from pan, but leave about 1 Tbsp. Cook shrimp in the remaining bacon grease. Once pink, add lemon juice, garlic, and parsely. Chop and add in bacon, saute all for about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Once grits are cooked, stir in butter and cheese until melted, add poblanos, then shrimp mixture. Serve immediately. Also delicious re-heated as leftovers. Can also serve with a side of fresh, sliced garden tomatoes. I love this dish served with a Pinot Grigio.

Frozen Grapes and Pops

One of my favorites this time of year…

Wash a batch of black (or red), seedless grapes, place in the freezer, and enjoy these delectable, sticky, yummy sweet treats!

Another fun way to serve these up is to take the fresh washed grapes (can use green, red, or black, but be sure they are seedless) and place them on skewers to make a grape popsickle. Cut off the sharp end of the skewer, freeze, and serve as healthy popsicles!

Banana Bread/Muffins and Crumb Topping

Mmmmm…one of my favorites! I am making these muffins tonight for our Sunday school class tomorrow.

• 3-4 over-ripe bananas
• 1/3 c. melted butter (this is approx. 1/2 stick, melted)
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 c. flour

Get out your favorite mixing bowl and a good, old-fashioned wooden spoon. Mash the bananas in the bowl, add melted butter and stir. Then mix in sugar, then egg, then vanilla. Sprinkle mixture with salt, then baking soda. Slowly add flour, mixing while adding. Optional: once mixed, fold in walnuts (not black/English- too bitter).Oven should be pre-heated to 350* F. If making muffins, this will make 12 and should bake approximately 18-22 minutes. For the loaf, bake approx. 1 hour. Check with toothpick to see if they are done- should come out clean from center of muffin or loaf. Can also be topped with crumb topping (below):

Crumb Topping
Now you’ll need the mixer. Mix 1/2 stick of softened butter, 1/4 c. brown sugar (white will do fine too), and 1/2 c. flour. Mix until crumbly, sprinkle over muffins or loaf prior to baking.
If you try these, please let me know how they come out for you!

Bread and Milk Poultice for Tick Bites

Ticks are crazy here this season! Until now, my last bite was in 1999. Now I’ve had FOUR in just a couple of days-ugh! The latest left a large red lump on my hip that was painfully itchy and sore. When antibiotic ointment did not work, I tried a home remedy that a friend told me about…and it worked! Yes, it sounds insane, but I had almost instant pain/itch relief and now the swelling and redness have been reduced by at least 50%. I’m told this also draws out splinters.

Pour some milk (few Tbsps) into a saucer or cup and heat for 1 minute in microwave. Take piece of bread and soak in the hot milk. Remove, allow to cool more if needed. Place on bite and secure with large bandage. Allow to remain for 8-12 hours (best to do this at bedtime). I’m told this also works for skin infections.

Crab Dip

After a busy day (and not bothering with Weight Watchers), I was really in the mood for some good comfort food, and what better than a fresh French boule with a home-cooked crab dip?

• 2 Tbsp. butter


• 1 large shallot finely chopped


• 1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese


• 8 oz. picked backfin crab meat


• Approx. 1/3 c. white wine (not sweet)


• Approx. 1/2 c. mayo


• Optional: small amount of shredded cheese (cheddar)


• Optional: Old Bay seasoning

Saute butter and shallots over medium-high heat. Do not brown or scorch butter. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add wine, then mayo, continue to stir. Add 8oz fresh-picked backfin crab meat. Stir constantly, allow to bubble, then reduce to low heat. If desired, add cheese and allow to melt, sprinkle with Old Bay. Serve with French boule or another fresh artisan bread.

Note: I added sharp cheddar and the flavor was too much (or I added too much). Recommend no cheese or a small amount of a white cheese, such as Swiss or Gruyere.

Quick Chicken Gravy

Mmmm! What’s for dinner? If it’s a hectic day here, chances are it’s a rotisserie chicken with some veggies. In order to give a homemade touch to this very convenient meal, I experimented with creating my own gravy to compliment the chicken. YUM! I was ready to sop it up with a biscuit (which would be a nice side with this dish). All measurements are approximate, as I do not measure.

• 1 Tbsp. Organic Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base (LOVE this product!)


• 4 oz water


• 6 oz milk


• 3-4 Tbsp. cornstarch or white flour


• Fresh ground pepper


• Fresh or dried parsley

Over medium heat, place liquids and base into saucepan. Stir until dissolved. Slowly add cornstarch or flour, adding only a little at one time and whisking in quickly, getting rid of any lumps. Continue to add until thickened to desired constistency. Remove pan from heat and add pepper and parsley to your liking. Remember, if you add too much thickener and need to thin, use milk and add a little more chicken base.

Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin

I’m fully aware this is comfort food and not on my “diet,” but we’re all ill and I could use some comfort food tonight: meatloaf, green beans, and these potatoes. Yum!

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• dash pepper
• 3 c. milk
• 1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese
• 6-8 small potatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp. real bacon bits

Combine first five ingredients in saucepan over medium heat, constantly stirring. Once thickened, stir in cheese until melted, remove from heat, and set aside. Prepare (butter) 9×13 casserole pan, place half of the sliced potatoes in the pan, sprinkle with half of the onions, and pour half of the cheese mixture over it. Repeat layer, then sprinkle bacon bits over top layer. Cover and bake at 350* for 1 hour, then remove cover and bake an additional half hour. This is well worth the wait and feeds 6-8 as a side dish.

Cake Icing

Yum! Who doesn’t love a tasty icing for cakes and cupcakes? My husband celebrated a birthday this week, so I made Devil’s food cupcakes with homemade icing, then dipped them in jimmies, arranged on a cupcake rack, and added a candle. Here is the recipe I used to make the icing…delicious!

• 1 stick of butter, softened to room temperature


• 1 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened to room temperature


• 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream


• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (use more or less based on your preference)


• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Blend all ingredients except for the powdered sugar. Gradually add in the powdered sugar. Ice your cake(s) and enjoy!

Garlic-Dill Aioli

As my weight-loss quest continues, I am in a constant search for EASY foods that entice my tastebuds, while remaining natural and as unprocessed as possible. My requirement is that I already have most, if not all, ingredients on hand. Returning from the gym today I was craving something that would jazz up my boring turkey sandwich, so here's my creation:

• 1/3 c. olive oil mayo


• 2 cloves garlic


• 1/4-1/2 tsp. dried dill weed (fresh is best, but it is out of season; go sparingly with fresh)


• Twist or two of fresh ground pepper


• Optional: fresh lemon juice (1/2 tsp.)

Note, all measurements are approximate- I don't measure anything! Mix all together, use as a sandwich spread. Store, covered, in refrigerator.