This is the kind of recipe that really speaks to my heart.  It’s simple, it tastes great, it has a lot of flexibility as far as the kinds of ingredients you use and it’s pretty foolproof.  It also happens to use some of my favorite flavors.  I love fresh vegetables and herbs and I eat a lot of them, so anything that calls for onions, mushrooms, zucchini and basil is already something I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy.

But this is where the flexibility of recipes like this really shines.  It might call for dried herbs, but of course you can use fresh ones if you have them.  Likewise, if you’re short on fresh veggies, but have some good frozen ones, use them.  Don’t like canned diced tomatoes?  Dice a fresh one.  Don’t like tomatoes at all?  How about some diced bell peppers?  You get to make the choice.

Recipe is courtesy of Jellyqueen on Food.com

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Quick Tip:  Adding some ready made pesto in place of the dried herbs is really good, especially if you’re serving pasta with it.

My Dad loves banana cream pie, but he’s not interested in the more instant versions of it that a lot of people rely on now.  He wants real bananas, filling made of eggs, scalded milk, and sugar (don’t even think about using a pudding mix) and meringue topping.  He has expanded his requirements to allow for some Nilla wafers if meringue is not incorporated, but only when they’re topped with a layer of hand whipped cream.  No Cool Whip is allowed.  

This strict adherence to high banana cream pie standards has its roots in his grandmother’s kitchen, where he remembers sitting at her big round dinner table with his brother and sister, impatiently waiting as a just made pie cooled enough to eat.  He says they used to sit at the table and peel the bananas his grandmother would slice into the bottom of the pie crust while she stirred the pie filling on the stove – lots of bananas, because she almost always made two pies at once.

Recipe is courtesy of Lennie on Food.com

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Looking out my backyard window, I am impressed to see how much my garden has flourished in such a short amount of time. Soon, it’ll be time to harvest the green beans, and there are many. Whatever will I do with such a generous amount of the long, crunchy vegetables? Make dilly, beans of course!

For a long time, I was only preserving my green beans as-is. Meaning, I was canning them in a non-acidic solution and creating just a regular low-sodium canned preserved green bean. Then, i stumbled across this recipe and my whole world changed in terms of canning green beans. Dilly beans are packed full of robust garlic and dill flavor and taste amazing when cracked open in the dead of winter. Nothing like being reminded of your summer harvest when the snow is falling.

Recipe courtesy of Mother Earth Living.

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Quick Tip: Make sure to follow the manufacturers directions on your canner to ensure safety.

Whenever I hear the term, “lamb chops” I instantly think of fine dining and professional chefs. I mean, it’s pretty much unheard of to make lamb chops in the privacy of your own kitchen, right? Wrong! You too can have a gourmet meal that is easy to make and tastes wonderful and get it with minimal effort.

At first, I was hesitant to even attempt this recipe because I thought that I just didn’t possess the skill level needed. I mean, I’ma  great cook, don’t get me wrong, but lamb chops? Isn’t this a meal that only chef’s like Wolfgang Puck can master? Nope! Any housewife, grandmother, uncle, or father can whip up this delicious meat and proudly serve it to their family and friends. I know, because I did it!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Fig Tree and Olive Branch.

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Quick Tip: Make sure you purchase quality cuts of meat for this recipe. I found the best lamb chops at my local butcher shop versus buying them at a chain grocery store.

I don’t know about you guys, but I absolutely LOVE taco salad! Whenever I go to a party or picnic and I need to bring a dish to pass, I always whip up a batch of this Mexican-inspired treat. The taco chips, spicy ground beef, veggies, and cheese send my taste buds on an escapade of flavor.

This recipe for taco salad is a bit different than the usual as it contains crema. Crema is an authentic Mexican sauce that is comparable to sour cream, but better! I love how it ups the ante on this already amazing side dish. This taco salad is deeply packed with crisp lettuce, seasoned beef, cheese, juicy tomatoes, and so much more. Seriously folks, you’re going to love this!

Recipe and photo courtesy of 12tomatoes.

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Quick Tip: If you haven’t any crema on hand, feel free to substitute with sour cream.

When I was a little girl, I was always intrigued by the story of Hansel and Gretel. I always tried to imagine the types of things they found to eat when they stumbled upon the Witch’s gingerbread house. I envisioned a large, chocolate, Black Forest cake sitting on a graham cracker table with licorice legs. Yum!

Now granted, in my fantasy, the witch wasn’t a witch at all, but rather a sweet little old lady who simply enjoyed making goodies for kids who were out wandering in the deep, dark forest. She would make me Black Forest Cakes all day long and I’d eat them without gaining a pound or getting sick. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? LOL! Now, I make my own Black Forest Cake following this simple recipe, and even though it may make me gain a few pounds if I overindulge, I still eat it anyway.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Simple Indian Recipes.

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Quick Tip: Add applesauce to the mix instead of oil for a super moist cake.

No matter which way you slice it, potato salad has been the staple picnic food for years upon years. It’s filled with savory ingredients that pair perfectly with hamburgers, hot dogs, and grilled chicken. Who doesn’t love boiled potatoes smothered in mayo, mustard, and onions?

This recipe for potato salad is a bit different than the norm. It is actually served hot, rather than cold. You’ll also find bits of crispy bacon lurking in the creamy sauce. MMMM, bacon! Some might even call this version of the delectable picnic salad, “German Potato Salad.” I just call it “delicious.”

Recipe and photo courtesy of Butteryum.

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Quick Tip: Make sure to never over-boil your potatoes as they will be mushy within your salad.