Crockpot Heirloom Chicken

Is it at all concerning to you to cook a chicken breast and it may or may not be bigger than yours?  Breast, that is.  Not trying to get personal here, but gees, chickens are small animals and their parts shouldnā€™t be bigger than mine. So, I heard about Heirloom Chicken sold fresh at Trader […]

Summer Days

Did anyone else think May felt a bit funky?  I canā€™t exactly pinpoint it, but it wasnā€™t the fantastic month I thought it would be.  There were most certainly very high points like Mt. Rushmore and a sister visit.  But.  There was work drama, travel drama (I got clunked very hard on the head on […]

Vegetarian Lentil Soup in the Insta Pot

Iā€™m still figuring out the Insta Pot and Iā€™m still figuring out what fiber-rich dishes I can add back into my eating routine.Ā  Soup is always high on my list of favorites, so Iā€™m using up that bag of lentils in the pantry and trying out a new recipe. Delish.com has been a reliable recipe […]

Valentine Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Valentineā€™s day is coming right up and it seems like a good time to think of doing a little something special for those you love.Ā  Even if the one you love is yourself. How about chocolate molten lava cake?Ā  For one?Ā  Yep, itā€™s a mug cake. For our Valentineā€™s celebration, Iā€™m going to whip up […]

January in Scottsdale

We have had some glorious days here and are enjoying January like crazy so far.Ā  Except for, ummm, you know what.Ā  If this is what January in Scottsdale is like, sign me up.Ā  Oh, yeah, I already live here.Ā  Well, close enough – about 30 miles away. We have rarely left our town, but we […]

First Quarter Plans

I know that sounds a bit like a business briefing.Ā  Well, business is my background, you know.Ā  Hard to change these stripes.Ā  But here we are in the first quarter and Iā€™m making some plans.Ā  Not resolutions, mind you, plans and I’ll be sharing over the next week or so. The holidays were used for […]

Simple Mimosa Bar and Bloody Mary Bar

Putting together a simple mimosa bar and bloody Mary bar adds fun and several options to a brunch menu with very little effort. A very casual Sunday brunch has become our quarantine habit this year.  After our early morning Sunday pickleball match, our small group all contributes to brunch afterward ā€“ usually at the pool. […]

Instapot Refried Beansā€¦.And the Gym

It isnā€™t easy to fit both of those subjects into one post.  Or into one body, for that matter.  But the fact of the matter is that I love both of those things and both of those things have been restricted for me. But. Iā€™m easing back into both of them.  Hereā€™s the situation.  A […]

Instapot Boiled Eggs

For perfect boiled eggs, and more importantly, for the slickest easy peel ever, use an Instapot.Ā  I was reluctant to purchase an Instapot because I didnā€™t really see the value in one more expensive appliance in our smallish kitchen. Especially for the main purpose of boiling eggs. But John was really convinced when DF Barb […]

Fall-Themed Backyard Games and Chili

We decided to shake up our normal Sunday routine with a fall-themed backyard games and chili get together.  This is what we came up with for an easy and fun Sunday afternoon. Evite Sending invitations from evite.com is free and easy.Ā  It allows all the invitees to see each other, to respond, to comment, to […]