Ever look at a recipe with equal amounts of skepticism and intrigue? Your initial reaction is that the results of the recipe can’t possibly be any good yet you’re drawn to it and just have to give it a try? Seems that is the course I’ve been on lately and the results have been tasty….
Author: Jacky Hackett
Happy Chinese New Year
Exploring Chinatown with the kids has been on our to-do list for years. We finally did it this weekend. You can see the kids way over there on the other side of the street. We headed right to Emperor’s Choice for lunch, it started with hot tea. Of course we ordered far too much food. …
A Running Start
I did a good job at not letting the holidays (they seem so long ago now) interfere with my workout schedule and runs. I was committed to start strong well before the holidays, I didn’t want to start the new year behind. The mild Winter has of course made it easy to get out…
Smokin’ New Year {2012}
I am finally feeling back to normal after all the holiday cheer. We had a great Christmas and New Year but I am ready to take on the new year. And get back on the wagon. It has been a busy 2012 so far but we’ve managed to kicking it off in a delicious and…
My Holiday Plate
Plate as in plates. Lots and lots of plates. Whole lot of eating going on this holiday season. Friday was the family celebration and traditional Pierogi Fest. Homemade and fried to perfection. A delicious way to kick things off. Actually we started with lots of appetizers too. My husband’s liver pâté and I brought these…
Christmas is Coming
Spiced Nuts are the first sign of the holidays in our house. Other signs that Christmas is near… The husband making his famous liver pâté. I don’t want to know what is in it, self-defense mechanism. It is delicious and I want to keep enjoying it. Cookies dough being rolled out and cut with cookie…
Holiday Tradition Redo {Spiced Nuts}
Nuts and the holidays go hand in hand to me. Growing up a bowl of shelled nuts and nut crackers were a fixture on our table beginning at Thanksgiving until the New Year. Their role was multipurpose serving as decoration, conversation piece and belly filler. It was a good excuse to make a mess…
Swap-O-Rama {Chicago Food Swap}
A few weekends back I attended the first food swap in my area put on by the Chicagoland Food Swap. It was held at a favorite local store of mine. I have read about food swaps in other cities the past year and have been anxiously awaiting one to start around Chicago. What is a…
Extreme Mac N’ Cheese
Extreme as in extremely delicious. I ran across this recipe for butternut squash mac n’ cheese with caramelized onions, apples and bacon and knew I had to give it a try. I had a handful of butternut squashes collecting on the counter from our CSA, caramelized onions in the freezer, few leftover bacon slices that…
Salted Caramel Bars
If the salted caramel sauce didn’t do the trick to winning friends and influencing people you may need to try these… Salted Caramel Bars Recipe Type: Dessert Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour 10 mins Serves: 30 This recipe requires all your attention, it is best to have all…