Category Archives: Holidays

One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions from my childhood was getting up early to help my mom prepare all the food.  We’d spend hours in the kitchen chopping vegetables, assembling casseroles, prepping the turkey (one in the oven and one on the grill), and baking pies.  We would clean up and get ready for the day while everything was baking in the oven, then we’d wait for company to arrive.  It was the best! This year, I’m thinking of changing the plan.  Why not do something a little simpler and less time consuming so we can enjoy each other’s company and spend the day with family?  The holidays are busy enough without spending hours in the kitchen, so I want to create a menu that is delicious but also fairly quick to put together.  At least that’s what I want my thought process to be going into the holiday season!  … Continue reading

Posted in Dessert, Holidays, Poultry, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Terrific Turkey Dinner

With the temperatures starting to drop I’ve been craving something warm and hearty for dinner.  My criteria is the dish has to be hot, filling, seasonal, and something good enough (and big enough) to have leftovers.  I ended up with the following: Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Apple Cheese and Beer Soup Banana Cookies with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting   The Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are homemade.  Sure, you can buy store-bought rolls if you prefer but there is something about the smell of bread baking in the oven that gets me every time.  The bread is fresh (literally right out of the oven), warm and so easy to pull apart to eat. I recommend using a stand mixer to make these rolls but it’s OK to mix by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer – you’ll just get quite the arm workout! Heat the milk in a microwave safe … Continue reading

Posted in Dessert, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Perfect Fall Meal

Sliders are a great way to keep everyone happy whether you’re hosting a football party, entertaining with appetizers, or trying to be creative with school lunches.  They really are a crowd pleaser with so many different flavors!  I recently tried 3 different kinds of sliders and want to share them with you today.  Each is delicious in its own way and something I will definitely make again! Sliders are incredibly easy to make.  You slice the rolls in half, layer the ingredients, place the other half of the rolls on top, brush with a buttery topping, bake, and enjoy! Caprese Sliders Pizza Sliders Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders   Caprese Sliders are light and refreshing.  The combination of fresh sliced mozzarella with tomatoes and basil is perfection!  Next year, we plan on using the tomatoes and basil from our garden to make these sliders – it doesn’t get any fresher than … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Party, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Slider Sandwiches 3 Ways

Summer is finally here and now it’s time to look ahead to the 4th of July.  Can you believe it’s only a week away?  We plan on celebrating with family and friends – backyard bash, BBQ, yard games, drinks, the whole shebang!  If you are as unprepared as I am, you are probably in need of a few quick and easy food options 🙂 First up is Buffalo Chicken Firecrackers.  These are fun to assemble and a great themed food for your spread.  Feel free to use your favorite homemade Buffalo Chicken Dip if you prefer but I like to order fresh from the deli.  Saves me some time and effort, and it’s delicious!  Plus, any leftovers can be set out to enjoy with the rest of the food. Start by laying out wonton wrappers on the counter.  Place a spoonful of the Buffalo Chicken Dip on each wonton wrapper.  Then … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 4th Of July Entertaining

Margarita Chicken is one of my new favorite dishes.  It’s quick and easy to make, healthy, and a tasty meal you can enjoy all year round.  The chicken is grilled to perfection, then topped with melted cheese, pesto, tomatoes, and basil. The recipe can be found here. Here’s how you make it: Start by combining the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a bowl.  Add the chicken and toss to coat. In a separate bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil and lemon. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat.  Cook the chicken on each side for about 8-10 minutes.  I like to cook the chicken low and slow, so I don’t burn the meat if the chicken breasts are thick.  You can always cover the skillet to help evenly distribute the heat.  If you are better with a grill it’s OK to cook the chicken that way too! … Continue reading

Posted in Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Poultry, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Margarita Chicken

Some of our fun Valentine Showcase – We’ve got everything from meals, to desserts, and even flowers.  Check out our entire ad to see what specials we have available this week for Valentine’s Day! If  you are looking to cook with or for your Valentine, we’ve got a number of specials this week for you including our Special Rib Eye Sweetheart Steak or our mini Seafood Sale – featuring, crab, lobster, shrimp, scallops and more!   We’ve got our Mini Sweeheart Cakes for Two – Available in-store or to reserve online here! We’ve also got Red Velvet Heart Cakes and Curly Cakes – both Classic Chocolate and White Vanilla Bean!     In-store we’ve got a variety of treats for you including Frosted Brownies (without nuts), Cream Puffs, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries ( February 12-14th ONLY)   We’ve got all sorts of cupcakes for you as … Continue reading

Posted in Holidays, Valentine's Day | Comments Off on Valentine Eats & Treats

When was the last time you ate a Sloppy Joe?  It’s not a common meal in my house but there is something about a Sloppy Joe that reminds me of family dinners as a child.  I wanted to create a new version of a Sloppy Joe that combines another favorite food of ours – buffalo chicken.  The result was a Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joe.  It was amazing! These Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joe’s have enough heat without being too spicy and veggies hidden within the meat that add great flavor.  I recommend drizzling some ranch or blue cheese dressing on top to offset the heat.  And because who can enjoy buffalo sauce without ranch or blue cheese?  It really completes the sandwich! The recipe can be found here. Let’s get cooking!  Start by doing all the prep work.  I like to chop my veggies, measure out my dry and liquid ingredients, … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Party, Poultry, Super Bowl, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joe’s

Do you ever crave those soft, chewy, irresistible smelling soft pretzels you get from street vendors or mall kiosks?  If so, you’re in luck!  I have a recipe for Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites that is a perfect replica. These Homemade Pretzel Bites have a perfectly doughy center, crispy crust, and buttery and salty flavor.  They are fun to make and fun to eat.  Great for dipping – the perfect finger food!  A bit of work is required to make these but it’s worth it.  They are SO good right out of the oven. The recipe can be found here. Start by preparing the dough.  I recommend using a stand mixer if you have one.  You can mix the dough by hand, but your arms will be quite sore! Add the water, brown sugar, yeast, and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes.  Add … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July, Halloween, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Super Bowl, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

For many years I thought the word “slider” meant a tiny hamburger, but boy was I wrong!  Sliders are small sandwiches made with slider rolls that come in a variety of flavors, and they are all the rage.  Think meat and cheese melted together in the oven on a crisp roll – yum! I can attest that all the recipes I’m about to share with you are not only delicious but easy to make.  You can even customize for various occasions – Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders for a Kentucky Derby Party, Apple Turkey Cheddar Sliders using the apples you purchased at the Apple Orchard, Chicken and Waffle Sliders when hosting brunch, etc.  You get the idea 🙂 Ham and Swiss Sliders are probably the most common slider (in my world at least).  These are filled with juicy ham and Swiss cheese nestled in a Kings Hawaiian Roll.  The tops of … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July, Christmas, Halloween, Holidays, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Poultry, Super Bowl, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sliders

Friends and family will be coming together with Christmas right around the corner.  Are you ready for all the festivities?  Are you hosting a party?  It can be stressful preparing for a get-together with a house full of guests, but it doesn’t need to be.  Some people have multiple places to stop in one night while others have one stop to make.  Whether your guest are coming and going or staying for the evening, you can serve a simple menu of appetizers. I think this is a great idea because 1) your guests can eat as much or as little as they like, 2) you can have a large variety of options to choose from, and 3) you spend more time socializing with your guests than you do in the kitchen. Here’s what I plan on serving: Burrata with Cranberries and Ciabatta Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes Chicken Parmesan … Continue reading

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Holiday Hosting with Appetizers