Morsels of Megret

And to celebrate our first "chilly" morning (at last!), I made a batch of Cooking Light's pumpkin muffins. Oh, wow. PUMPKIN MUFFINS 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup canned pumpkin 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream 1/3 cup fat-free milk 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg 1 large egg white Cooking spray 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine pumpkin and next 6 ingredients (pumpkin through egg white); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and brown sugar; sprinkle ov...

I have the simplest of the simple for you....an Italian dish at its very best, making everyone wonder what all is in it even though a myriad of just a very few ingredients is all it takes. I crave it every so often....especially in the early fall. I even craved it when I was going through morning sickness and nothing else sounded good at ALL. (Man, it HAS to be good.) No formal introductions this time. Just a pure and simple, healthy, delicious entree. So easy, you'll feel guilty afterwards for the little bit of time you spent on it. Cappellini Pomodoro (inspired by my favorite dish at Olive Garden) 2 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste) 2 pounds plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (or 1 lb. fresh tomatoes, and 1 (28 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained slightly) 1 ounce fresh basil leaves, minced 1/2 t. salt 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 ounces Parmesan cheese 12 ounces dry angel hair pasta, cooked 1/4 teaspoon pepper Heat olive oil and add garlic. Cook until garlic turns ...

Cooking Light has done it again....created a light, omega-3 rich salad dressing that tastes fresh, vibrant, and flavorful. This versatile vinaigrette can go over a salad, cooked vegetables, or in my case for today's lunch, tossed with boiled red potatoes for a scrumptious, vinegary potato salad. Fantastic. Honeyed Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped red onion 2 tablespoons capers 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons honey 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup boiling water 1/4 cup extravirgin olive oil Combine first 12 ingredients in a blender; process until mixture is smooth. Add water and olive oil; process until well combined. Note: Refrigerate vinaigrette in an airtight container for up to five days, and stir well before using. Yield: About 1 1/2 cups (ser...

If you like down-home, Southern-style cornbread, I have the ultimate recipe for you. This one is a version for which you can pull out and dust off your old cast iron skillet....no other baking dish will create the notorious crispy crust like it can. This recipe is taken from "The Joy of Cooking," but I have amended it a little bit for our tastes (in parentheses). This cornbread is wonderful served straight up....or with red beans and rice....or gumbo....or Brunswick stew....or with a bowl of chili before a football game....or with a meal of all vegetables....or heaped into a tall glass with milk poured over it (Ken's favorite). You get the picture...it's just a well-rounded, all-occasion cornbread. Enjoy. (I know that "cracklin'" actually means that melted beef or pork drippings have been added to a dish, but I don't do that to my cornbread. I just think the "cracklin'" best describes the crust of a dense, moist cornbread, and so ...

I made a favorite dish of ours yesterday....meat loaf. Now, I am not one of those moms who has a signature meat loaf. Gardner will probably never be able to say, "That tastes like 'Mom's meat loaf.'" I probably have seven or eight rotating meat loaf recipes in my repertoire. I find that subtle changes in the mix of ingredients can make a different dish entirely....one we will never grow tired of (and to which our kids will never turn up their noses). I give you a newly found favorite version....called, coincidentally, "Mom's Meat Loaf." It comes from the spectacular array of ingredients put out by Whole Foods Market. I think it's called this because it sneaks vegetables into something you can get your kids to eat. Now, our boy eats veggies because he loves them anyway....but this dish will suit any picky kids' (or adults') tastes. Hot from the oven, warm even....even cold and sliced thinly for a meatloaf sandwich for the next day's lu...

I wanted to brag a little bit on the cake made by Ken's mom for Gardner's party. She found out that the party was a jungle animal theme, with a focus on giraffes (Gardner loves giraffes). Well, here's what she whipped up in the kitchen. 100% adorable! It went perfectly with the napkins I had chosen. Everybody loved the creative details, such as the Whoppers placed just so at the tips of his antlers (is that what they are....antlers?). Props to "Grandmama" for making such a spectacular and memorable cake!

Dear Self: When you go to great lengths to prepare Overnight Apple Oatmeal.....when you dice season-fresh Gala apples in pieces small enough for your one-year-old son to enjoy with you and Ken....when you measure out the ingredients with precision.....when you splurge and use your 100% organic whole rolled oats AND your 100% organic cow's milk.....when you add a dash of nutmeg along with the usual cinnamon for an extra, spicy twist....when you carefully separate the raisins you add so as to not cause clumps which are hard to break up later.....when you even DREAM about how good that oatmeal will be in the morning, then awake to imagine how delicious it will be when you go in there and scoop out a bowlful..... ....just be sure you remember to turn on the power to your slow cooker. Otherwise, all of your efforts will be in vain and you will be terribly disappointed. Sincerely, Self

Looking for another version of rolls for dinner a couple of nights ago, I stumbled across a Southern Living recipe for Oatmeal Dinner Rolls. I usually make whole wheat rolls for nutrition's sake, but oatmeal was a good alternative. I set to work, and as I prepared for the 2nd dough rising, it became apparent that the "balls of dough" weren't balls at all, but merely awkwardly-formed heaps of mountain-peaked stickiness. Hm. Oh, well. I always say that although my food tastes good, it sure does look strange. This will fit right in. Forty-five minutes later, though, I pulled two pans out from the oven, holding golden, fragrant rolls that tempted the tastebuds. One taste....oh, wow. These are on my permanent rotation list now. The sugar content, however, makes me a little wary....but I'm sure with trial and error I could use honey with some success. I made one pan for our dinner (which stretched to the next evening), and then froze the 2nd pan for an easy bread option...

I saw where Paula Deen is coming out with her own magazine. I received a promo offer for it in the mail yesterday, and it gave away some recipes as samples of what to expect if you subscribe. The recipes, however, were ones which are regularly available on the Food Network's homepage. Why subscribe to a magazine for recipes that you can get free on her section of the FN webpage? Maybe a majority of the recipes published on the pages will be new and novel ones which aren't on television or in her cookbooks....I don't know. If someone does know, please tell me. I might be interested in her magazine if it is another place for her new ideas.....but if it's just a printed version of what's already out there, my $19.95 can be spent better elsewhere.

I got busy at the end of last week and didn't post anymore about the wonderful things my dear husband created in the kitchen. One night, he prepared Chicken Scallopini, a pan-fried dish of chicken with capers, lemon juice, and white wine....mmm. He served it over crisp-tender broccoli stalks and alongside roasted red potatoes with parsley. Another night, he recreated a soup that we found and fell in love with while honeymooning in Portsmouth, New Hampshire....West African Peanut Soup. Sweet and savory, comforting and heavenly. Thanks, Ken, for a week of rest from the kitchen. You never fail to impress me with your culinary know-how. I am thankful to have you. (And don't hit me through the screen, everybody, but I would like to announce that he told me yesterday that he'd happily do the same thing again this week if I wanted/needed him to. I told him thanks but no thanks....I kind of miss the kitchen, plus, he can just surprise me with another week like that later on ...

What you're seeing is an extremely close-up shot of my husband's latest culinary jaunt.....Red Velvet Cheesecake. I came across it in a Southern Living Christmas issue, and dogeared the page for later revisiting. For this week's theme (at home group) of "must use red" night, this seemed like the perfect choice. Of course, Ken's the chef this week, so I had to get his approval and agreement. He took on the challenge with utmost confidence. After all, in our dating years, cheesecake making was one of his fortes. Four hours and two entire bottles of red food dye later, this emerged from the kitchen and intrigued our friends. We smiled with pink teeth, and enjoyed it over coffee. I can't wait to see what else he creates.

So, this week, my husband, Ken, has offered to do the unthinkable.....to take over all menu planning, shopping, and cooking dinner for the week ahead. WHAT!!?? He was an absolute genius to have proposed such a servant-like offer. I am astounded, relieved, grateful, in awe. I watched him yesterday as he sat on the floor, papers strewn everywhere, laptop open....planning the menus he would attempt for the weekly lineup. "Boy, this is harder than I thought," he commented. I stood by the phone as he went to Publix to purchase all of the groceries.....he only called twice (with very legitimate questions). He returned with only one item which was not on the list....not bad. Even I am known to throw in a box of Whoppers when I'm feeling like splurging. Last night, he created a side dish circa 1938....BBQ Lima Beans. Reminiscent of Brunswick Stew, it was fabulous. After dinner (and until 1 am) he worked on a cheesecake intended for home group tonight. Any man who's ma...

I know, I know. I like to talk about far-reaching epicurian attempts on this blog, things which I whip up which take a lot of forethought, concentration, and time. Yet sometimes, one needs simplicity to enter in. You crave nostalgia. You miss the way life used to be, as a kid, when things seemed simpler and less complicated. Enter in a dessert which has captured my heart years ago, but that I've shoved aside on my agenda for loftier recipes.....parfaits. Just the word sounds cute, doesn't it? And they are cute....individual servings of layers of creamy goodness. Light and refreshing for a hot day.....easy for kids, and fun for adults. Parfaits. I have made numerous parfaits over the years....banana pudding parfaits, chocolate pudding parfaits, key lime parfaits, even butterscotch parfaits. I have made them with pudding, yogurt, and also jell-o. I have made them with fruit, with chocolate chips, and crumbled vanilla wafers. I've made them with granola, and also wi...