China Bayles is owner of Thyme and Seasons, an all-things-herbal shop in Pecan Springs, Texas. She shares the space with her best friend Ruby, owner of the Crystal Cave, the town’s only New Age shop. They also have a tea room, cater, teach classes and workshops, run a food delivery service, and they rent out the small cottage on the property.
As if running the Cookie Jar, getting married to the man of her dreams, and planning a honeymoon isn’t enough, Hannah Swenson has been chosen to be the home cook (non-chef) contestant for the Food Network dessert challenge, thanks to her sisters submitting her application without telling her. If everything goes according to plan and if hubby-to-be can go along for the challenge, it will be their honeymoon. The newest challenge is—the Food Network changed the dates which means Hannah will now be getting married after the show airs—if she can pull it all together. Of course, her mom and oldest sister, Andrea, take over, and plan everything.
This week we have recipes from Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne Fluke and Murder Most Wholesome by Staci McLaughlin. At the end of this post are details on how to win copies of both books!
Fondue is one of those dishes that bring you closer to your dinner companions. Not only is there warmth emanating from the candle burning beneath the pot of melted chocolate or cheese, but as a communal meal, fondue magnifies the chemistry between people, whether friends or lovers, acquaintances or family.
Goldy Bear was living in a dream when she fell in love with and married a handsome OB-GYN, looking forward to a life of love, security and comfort. Then to her horror, husband John Richard Korman, devolved into “The Jerk,” prone to rages that devolved into physical abuse. What’s a woman to do when her fairy tale doesn’t come true?
It is possible to have a Thanksgiving holiday that is a happy, celebratory, feast of laughter, good food, and festivity without damaging your heart, elevating your glucose, or adding inches to your waist. It just takes some thought and planning.
So, you probably didn’t even realize it, but you might already have a cook book collection sitting on one of your kitchen shelves. You might own a cook book by Betty Crocker, Fanny Farmer or Better Homes and Gardens that you got for a shower or wedding gift – a good, basic cookbook with lots of how-to pictures. You might have a couple of cook books put out by your church or a local ladies club, and then there are those advertising cook books from companies like Pillsbury, Campbell’s Soup or Jell-O.
I wanted to catch up with a former co-worker of mine, Guiseppe Maione, the founder of Alchemy Creamery which produces vegan, gluten free and kosher ice cream in New York City. This is a very busy season for him, especially with the hot and humid weather that New York has been experiencing recently.
We all know we need to drink more water, but with our taste buds overwhelmed by sugary sodas and juices, specialty coffees, and energy drinks, it can be hard to push yourself to enjoy water as-is. Bottled drinks that are packaged as healthy drinks are usually packed with loads of sweeteners and ingredients that make what was believed to be a good choice, into a bad one, more likely to worsen our health. The truth of the matter is, water is what our bodies need and finding a way to consume more is the key.
Sausage, the precursor of the hotdog, has been around for a dog’s age. Finely chopped and highly seasoned meat stored in clean animal intestines became a clever way to preserve and store meat. This food has been around so long that it was even mentioned in Homers Odyssey written in the 9th Century BC. Italy, Portugal, Greece, France, and Germany all have long-standing recipes for sausages.
