It's Not Just Chicken

C - that's the way it begins

H - I'm the 2nd letter in

I - I am the 3rd

C - I'm the 4th letter in this word

K - I'm filling in

E - I'm near the end

For C-H-I-C-K-E-N that's the way you spell chicken!

One of the best chicken dinners I have ever had is from a restaurant in Vancouver, BC called Hydra in the Exchange Hotel. Jeff travels to Vancouver frequently for work, and we arrived tired and hungry. We just went to the hotel restaurant and were pleasantly surprised. Chicken dinner sounded like comfort food, and to our surprise, it was more than comfort—it was a wonderful experience. The chicken came on a large board surrounded by buttery potatoes, a variety of in-season vegetables, and a rosemary broom for the amazing chimichurri sauce.

So off to my kitchen table to recreate this masterpiece, or at least do my own take on it. Let's face it, anything on a board is fun and it tastes better! Another plus that I had to have was the chimichurri sauce complete with a broom of rosemary. My chimichurri sauce I put on steak, chicken, eggs, and even bread.

In conclusion, to impress your guests, put a good roasted chicken on a board with some great sides. A must-have is the chimichurri sauce and a rosemary broom. This will be a culinary experience shared by all.

On a side note, I love Jamie Oliver's roasted chicken or Ina Garten's. Or if your grandma has a great recipe, use that one!

Remember, it's not just chicken—it's an experience!

“Chopping the Chocolate Chip Cookie” or “MMMM this could be the best Chocolate Chip Cookie”

A battle of the standard chocolate chip cookie. It’s not really a battle, because let’s face it, any chocolate chip cookie and a cold glass of milk is the best. My sister makes a great cookie, but the recipe is a mystery. Zoë Francois from Zoë Bakes makes a yummy cookie, and Sarah Kieffer’s cookies are amazing. I took bits and pieces from the best and created what I think is a pretty good one. Again, my recipes are just to inspire your own — or follow it and enjoy.

The best part of this recipe is picking out really good chocolate. I love to go to this really great store called the Garden Market, where they have their own chocolate room. It is magical, especially during the holidays. I love dark chocolate, so that’s where I usually head. Another key to this recipe is to chop the chocolate small, but leave some big chunks for the top. This creates a pool of dark, chocolaty yum — just like Willy Wonka in cookie form.

Another fun thing I do, thanks to Sarah Kieffer’s method, is slapping or banging the pan midway through the bake to get a ripple effect. It also can be a great way to take out frustration — or have fun. You choose, because either way it’s creating a really good cookie.

If you can, let them cool when coming out of the oven. Enjoy the smells of childhood, favorite bakeries, or a little bit of heaven in the kitchen. Cooling time can give you a moment to grab that glass of milk, take that first bite, close your eyes, be transported to a great sweet place, and enjoy!

Green Chili-the other Condiment

Let's continue with the Mexican food theme. Growing up in Colorado having Mexican food at least once a week was a must. We went to Pobre Pancho's in Ft. Collins, Colorado, which sadly is no longer there. I still dream about the paco machos. The paco macho was a cheese enchilada inside a bean burrito smothered. Now when I'm in Colorado, we go to Maria's in Grand Junction, and I get the amazing stuffed sopapilla smothered.

Smothered, what does that mean? It’s green or red chili ladled on top. It's the ketchup to French fries, it's the gravy to Thanksgiving dinner. It means if you have Mexican food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, green chili (in my case) is present. When I moved to Boston, I was shocked to realize they didn't know what green chili was. UGH! So I set out to come up with my own recipe. After combining a recipe from a great Colorado cookbook and a restaurant in Denver called Sam's #3, and adapting it for my vegetarian daughter, I think I got it. Here's what I came up with. Again, adapt it to your liking, make it your own. My recipes, as always, are mere suggestions.

So take this wonderful condiment and:

Top a burrito
Make pozole soup by adding hominy to it
Dunk your chips or taquitos in it
Make huevos rancheros

I guess what I'm trying to say is squeeze it, ladle it, dunk it, or just eat it with a spoon!

Side note: If in Colorado, go to Maria's Mexican Cafe in Grand Junction, Sam's #3 and Brewery Bar in Denver and Los Dos Potrillos in Centennial.

Beans Beans Beans

Beans Beans Beans The more you eat…

Ugh, someone had to say it. Truth is, beans are a very healthy food. They are high in protein, fiber, iron and antioxidants. So why wouldn't you eat them and get excited about it?

One of the best gifts Jeff and I ever got was from some great people from Ohio. The gift was a box of beans from Rancho Gordo. www.ranchogordo.com Their website is amazing. It's full of recipes. You may not have all the ingredients and that is OK. I am going to say this over and over: Use what you have, be creative and make it your own! Their recipes are wonderful but we may not have the exact spices they are calling for. For example, if I am making Mexican food I use cumin, oregano and always garlic. Oh and salt and pepper.

I saw their recipe of their Christmas lima stew. I didn't have caraway seeds but I had dill with celery seed. I topped the stew with olive tapenade, onion jam and chimichurri. I used their idea, made it my own and it was delicious.

I made a pot of pinto beans that I made into the light version of refried beans. These can be used for burritos, tacos, tostadas and taquitos. They can also be on a great avocado toast and huevos rancheros. All can be delicious because beans were made from scratch with your flavors. It takes a little more time but tastes so much better.

So let's get on the Bean Train- Toot Toot!

Marvelous Molli and her Many Pancakes

April 2025

I’m a little late with this huge shoutout to my incredibly creative daughter, Molli, who encouraged me to start this blog!

Back in 4th grade, Molli decided to become a vegetarian, which was a bit of a challenge at first—but we all learned to love eating her way too. All three of my kids have become amazing cooks. Molli can cook, but her true specialties are art, creativity, and web design. If you’d like to check out her work, visit www.mollimorris.com.

Molli and her father made these pancakes for our family Christmas cooking competition. She put her creative skills to work and—rather than using the suggested ¾ cup of blue cornmeal—she added an entire bag. The recipe was meant to serve four, but we ended up with enough pancakes for 50! Luckily, they were delicious…and we had leftovers for days.

Artistic spark at age 3

Sunshine on a Plate

March 2025

Morning Glory
Up and at ‘em!
Wake up, Sleepyhead!

I love breakfast, and I love going out for breakfast. One of my favorite spots in Victoria, BC, is the Blue Fox. Their savory dishes are amazing, but I always have to end my meal with Oranges del Sol—pancakes or French toast topped with oranges, vanilla bean cream, pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It’s pure heaven on a plate.

I could probably eat these flavors every day, but I don’t want to be that person who goes to a restaurant daily. (Starbucks doesn’t count!) There’s just something magical about these flavor combinations.

So, I started experimenting with different variations using the same flavor profile. I even made everyday oatmeal with oranges and pecans—YUM! But my absolute favorite so far? My French toast and oatmeal cookies.

By the way, Oranges del Sol translates to Oranges of the Sun.

So go ahead—take a bite, close your eyes, and let the flavors whisk you away to somewhere sunny, tropical, and magical.

Trust me.

Many Recipes One Family

March, 2025

Family—it’s the foundation of society, traditionally made up of two parents raising their children. But it can also mean a group of things connected by common characteristics. These are just a few definitions from Merriam-Webster.

What is a family? It’s difficult to define and highly subjective.

In many ways, family is like a recipe. Sometimes, a family recipe needs to be adjusted—whether to accommodate different ingredients or individual tastes—but its foundation remains the same. I have three wonderful children, each with their own unique personalities and preferences. Even though they come from the same family, they each bring something special to the table.

That’s why I’ve taken a classic M&M cookie recipe and adapted it to fit their tastes. Hopefully, you’ll give it a try or even create your own version! The base recipe is already pretty delicious—so have fun and enjoy!

Themes

March, 2025

I’ve always loved a good theme! Growing up, Halloween was always a big family affair, and every birthday party had a theme too. It became such a thing in our family that Jeff once gave me a homemade jelly roll—along with tickets to a Jelly Roll concert! This Valentine’s Day, I kept the tradition going by putting my own spin on Zoe François’ pavlova recipe to make the day extra special.

Pavlova

February, 2025

Bake pavlova recipe from Zoe Bakes Cakes.

When assembling, I make mine into a hear shape

After cooled put her lemon curd on the pavlova, leaving 1 inch edge

On top of the lemon curd is my new favorite whip cream invention

In a stand up mixer with wisk attachment add one individual serving of lemon yougurt, add lemon zest, a teaspoon of honey.

Start the mixer on low. Slowly add a cup of real whipping cream

Increase the speed until soft peaks, the consistency of whipping cream

Spread whipping cream on top of the lemon curd and arrange fresh berries on top in a decorative manner

Yummy!

Add any left over whipping cream to berries and granola for a breakfast parfait

PccC