This year I am cooking my way through some of my favorite recipes in the family cookbook and enjoying the happy memories they evoke. The memories aren’t always specific – like a party or a family gathering. The memories are of my mother in the kitchen and...
“Eat your vegetables” was a commonly heard phrase when I was growing up. I don’t remember outright refusing to eat something (did I have that option?) but there were times when it was a struggle to finish what was in front of me. I was a typical kid, veggies did not...
Alliteration aside, these scones are perfect to serve on your breakfast table or as an afternoon treat. They are easy to make and in all likelihood you have the ingredients on hand in your pantry and fridge. Start-to-finish you could have freshly baked scones on the...
Beyond the global events that shaped 2020, this has been a reflective year. And while I feel the connections from past generations slipping away, I am forever grateful that one link remains that connects the past to the present to the future, that of food. In a...
This recipe from John Hinterberger, a beloved food writer for The Seattle Times, is a family favorite and is made from ingredients commonly found in our pantry. With the addition of a salad and nice crusty bread, we have a delicious and satisfying family meal on the...
a.k.a Julie's Chicken This recipe is so embarrassingly easy it's almost a non-recipe. I got it years ago from a co-worker as a base for chicken fajitas. The funny thing is I never made fajitas, we always just grill the chicken and eat it with rice and other...
Kung Hee Fat Choy! Happy Lunar New Year! Chook is not specifically associated with the new year celebration but I wanted to share it in honor of my popo. Chook is a rice soup and is also known as congee. It's an everyday comfort food in Chinese homes. One of my...
Happy New Year! I decided to start off the year with an easy but satisfying recipe. A Dutch Baby (or a giant oven pancake) is a dramatic dish to bring to the breakfast table. Like a soufflé you want to be sure everyone is awake and at the table when it comes out of...
Years ago (we're talking 20+ years) a friend shared this recipe with me. I think it came off the label of a can. It's been a reliable, go-to recipe and I haven't changed anything over the years. It's easy to pull together and more than likely I have the ingredients I...
Updated: January 2022 When you hear me speak of influential women in my life, at the top of my list is my Mom followed by my maternal Grandmother - Popo Chock. You rarely hear me speak of my paternal Grandmother - Popo Char. Although she lived with us for a time, we...
For the second year in a row I participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. After participating last year I couldn't wait for this year. It's a great opportunity to discover new blogs and learn great new cookie recipes. But most importantly the event...
Updated September 2021 Due to work and school schedules, when we visit Disney World it's often in the heat of summer. If anyone has experienced Disney World in the summer you know that you are in for hot, humid weather with daily thunder storms. One respite we found...
Oven-Baked Cornflake Chicken When I lived and worked in Hawaii there was a local, family-owned lunch spot that had Cornflake Chicken as one of its weekly specials. That and their roast turkey lunch were some of my favorites. Unfortunately the restaurant is gone and my...
I love eating salads but I don't love making them. I don't know what it is but if someone else makes a salad, it's amazing. If I make a salad, it's just meh. Not sure why that is and I know I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Thankfully, this Mandarin...
It's been many years since we lost our Mom. I think of her often and am glad that I have so many wonderful memories of her. Not surprisingly a fair number of memories are connected to food and the kitchen. As Mother's Day approached I kept looking for the one recipe...
I love bananas but no matter how many or how few I buy, I always seem to have one or two that end up overripe and mushy. Sometimes I peel them, break them into pieces and freeze them to use in smoothies. Other times, when I don't have time to bake, I'll freeze them...