New on Parade Magazine‘s blog this week:  12 BEST FALL MUFFIN RECIPES… inspiration for weekend breakfast baking!

Another new one to share:  25 BEST WEIGHT WATCHERS SOUP RECIPES… because it’s getting colder outside and because we want to eat light so we can fit into our winter clothes from last year!

More new! » 15 WAYS TO EAT PUMPKIN PIE FOR BREAKFAST… without actually eating real “pumpkin pie,” of course!

And one last new one to share:  THE WORLD’S BEST GLUTEN FREE BROWNIE RECIPES… because I have so many friends and relatives who need this!

My RecipeBoy has been crazy busy with school and tennis team, but he managed to get into the kitchen and bake these EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS.  They were really good.  We put them in little zips for his lunchbox- perfect!

Here are two recipes I spotted that look like good ideas for a family friendly dinner this week:

Stuffed Shells Beefy Tomato Soup

Spotted this week:  KEYBOARD SHAPED WAFFLES.  Fun idea for computer-obsessed people, right?!

And I’m completely obsessed with this recipe spotted on the internet:  FIREBALL WHISKY APPLE PIES.  Yummmm!

This is a delicious discovery… thanks to my friend Shawn from the blog:  I Wash You Dry— Sabra’s Cucumber Dill Greek Yogurt Dip with Salt and Vinegar Chips.  You can buy it at your local market near the hummus.  So good!!

And finally, here is my labradoodle Tessie (pic from SandyCoughlinRE’s Instagram)- she’ll be one year old in a couple of weeks.  They grow up SO FAST!

title: “Stuff I Ve Gotta Share And You Ve Gotta See Recipegirl” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-25” author: “Sharon Taylor”

Here’s my latest post on Parade Magazine‘s blog:  16 Family Friendly Dinner Recipes Your Whole Family Will Eat.  I’ve gathered a bunch for you to browse, and I tried to choose things that would be appealing to both adults AND kids!

Another post I shared on Parade‘s blog:  Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms (seriously good!!)

My wicked smart RecipeBoy landed a partnership with Flatout Flatbread this week.  He’s sharing the details of his partnership on his blog > HERE.  The folks at Flatout are sharing samples of their breads at Walmart this weekend, so you can stop by and give them a try.  RecipeBoy is also sharing a link to a coupon for buying Flatout.  Give him a visit!

On KitchenAid’s blog- Kitchenthusiast, I’m sharing a peek into my kitchen and my KitchenAid refrigerator:  Healthy Staples to Keep in Your Refrigerator.  Come see what my go-to, healthy items are in my fridge!

One of the new features on my newly designed site is slideshows of some of the best recipes on RecipeGirl.com.  You can check out all of the slideshows I’ve created so far on the SLIDESHOW PAGE, or click the photo above to see an example of how my slideshows work!

As always, here’s a photo of my little cutie: Tessie the Labradoodle.  She’s 16 weeks now!

Everyone has been talking about THE DRESS!  What colors do you see in the dress on the left??  I see gold and white clear as day.  My husband sees blue and black.  The dress on the right is the actual dress in question (I can see blue/black on that photo), which can be purchased HERE.  There’s some scientific reason why people are viewing the dress photo differently- my son says it’s something about some people’s retinas not functioning as strongly as others.  Crazy, huh??

I traveled to San Francisco this weekend for a social media meeting of sorts, and I stayed at this beautiful place overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge:  Cavallo Point.  It’s a fantastic culinary-focused resort in a gorgeous setting.  My room was relaxing, spacious and quiet.  They have a hosted wine hour in their lobby every single day (with good wine!)  The food at their restaurant was delicious and interesting.  I plan to return with my husband one of these days for a special weekend.

Here are a few of the fabulous bloggers I met this week at my event in San Francisco.  I feel so lucky to be able to meet so many interesting people who live all over the world.  Check out their blogs by clicking on the titles- they’re all experts at what they do!

Cookie and Kate:  Kathryne blogs from Kansas City.  Her blog focuses on Vegetarian, whole-food, healthy eating. Fake Ginger:  Amanda blogs from Colorado Springs.  She shares a variety of delicious things on her blog! Living Locurto:  Amy blogs from Dallas.  Her lifestyle blog focuses on crafts and entertaining. Best Friends for Frosting:  Melissa blogs from Sacramento.  Her lifestyle blog covers DIY, recipes, entertaining, style and beauty. The Rebel Chick:  Jenn blogs from Florida.  Her lifestyle blog covers travel, food, entertainment, beauty and more.

 

Here’s a little girl I saw speak this weekend at the meeting I attended in San Francisco: Vivienne Harr. She had an idea to raise money for fighting childhood slavery: work a lemonade stand every day for a year. She ended up raising more than $100,000. The fundraising continues as she and her family have worked together to create a company behind the cause:  Make a Stand. Vivienne is 11 years old.  She’s amazing!!

title: “Stuff I Ve Gotta Share And You Ve Gotta See Recipegirl” ShowToc: true date: “2022-01-29” author: “Terrance Barna”

I shared this on Parade Magazine‘s blog, and it is getting lots of buzz around the internet:  15 DELICIOUS WAYS TO EAT CAULIFLOWER.  You can use cauliflower in place of carbs to create some pretty delicious low fat, low carb, diet- friendly recipes. Cauliflower can be used to replace so many things- it’s fabulous!

I shared this one on Parade‘s blog too:  FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES.  The recipe comes from comes from a new cookbook called, Chocolate- Covered Katie- over 80 delicious recipes that are secretly GOOD for you by Katie Higgins.  Dessert recipes in this book call for only real ingredients- no artificial sweeteners, and no fake “diet” foods.  I was really, really pleased with how these cookies turned out- SO good.  The only fat in the cookie is a little bit of coconut oil.  Oats are used in place of flour.

My son Brooks (RecipeBoy.com) made this super yummy AVALANCHE POPCORN recipe from a cookbook called Party Popcorn by Ashton Swank (more commonly known by her blog, Something Swanky).  This popcorn was so good that we polished it off rather quickly!

My family has driven all the way across country and back TWICE.  We had a great time doing it too!  HERE’S A MAP showing you a cross-country route you can take where you hit all the major landmarks.  I love this!  Now I want to drive across again.

Click the photo above to see my latest slideshow of 15 of the VERY BEST BROWNIE RECIPES!  Yes, it’s time to bake some brownies.

Here’s the most recent photo of our new puppy:  Tessie the Labradoodle.  She’s 18 weeks!  She’s the most cuddly, sweet, fun-loving, soft and fluffy dog.  We love her so.

I think I’ve had my last day of skiing for the season in Lake Tahoe.  This is a peek at the lake from the top of our local mountain- Mt. Rose.  The days are getting warmer now, and the snow is getting soft and a bit slushy in parts.

And finally, I need to share with you a fundraiser for a fellow foodblogging friend’s family.  Ashley of the Center Cut Cook blog has been going through some tough times lately.  Her husband Ryan (age 29) is fighting stage 4 colon cancer, and their new baby Miles needs a liver transplant.  They’re a beautiful family, and they need all the help they can get right now.  If you are able to contribute anything to help them out… anything at all… I know it will be much appreciated!  Their fundraising page can be found HERE. Thank you dear readers!  Until next week…

title: “Stuff I Ve Gotta Share And You Ve Gotta See Recipegirl” ShowToc: true date: “2022-04-23” author: “Johnny Pearce”

My latest post on Parade may come in handy this week as you plan your Easter meal:  10 BEAUTIFUL CAKE RECIPES TO MAKE FOR EASTER.  A few of them are from RecipeGirl.com, but I mixed in more from some of my favorite, very talented baking bloggers too.

And this post will come in handy all year long!! > 10 FAMILY FRIENDLY CASSEROLE RECIPES TO MAKE FOR DINNER.  These are dinner recipes for things your kids will actually eat, so please check it out!

Here’s what my son Brooks (RecipeBoy) baked recently (which is why I’m eating rather light this week, lol!):  PEANUT BUTTER CUP CHEESECAKE PIE!  Needless to say, this pie is good stuff.

I just ordered some of these funky headbands from HippieRunner.com.  My hair looks absolutely horrible when I get all sweaty and gross while I’m working out.  So I’m hoping these will make me look cute- ha!

I enjoyed reading this feature on Yahoo Food this week:  THE BEST WAFFLES ACROSS AMERICA! Sadly, I haven’t been to any of the places mentioned, but I’m going to make it my mission to hit at least a couple of them one of these days.  I love waffles!

Here’s a slideshow for you to browse:  the MOST POPULAR COOKIE RECIPES on RecipeGirl.com… all gathered in one place for you to see.  Choose one to bake this weekend!

I spent a few days last week in Pajaro Dunes, CA with a few of my blogging friends.  Pajaro Dunes is smack dab between Santa Cruz and Monterey- it’s a beautiful vacation spot.  We had lunch in Carmel-By-The-Sea at La Bicyclette, which was AMAZING.  If you happen to eat there someday, order the Butternut Squash Pizza!

And finally… this photo gives you an idea of how giant my lacrosse-loving (almost 14-year old) son is now: 6′ 2″ tall!  (This photo was taken on St. Patrick’s Day, obviously.  Oh, and you can see how much my sweet Tessie the labradoodle has grown too (5 months old now).  My babies are growing up so fast! Have a terrific week, everyone!

title: “Stuff I Ve Gotta Share And You Ve Gotta See Recipegirl” ShowToc: true date: “2022-01-01” author: “David Gonzales”

On Parade Magazine‘s blog this week, I shared 10 DELICIOUS WAYS TO MAKE PUMPKIN BREAD– featuring recipes from some of my favorite blogs.  Click through the slideshow and figure out which one you’d like to bake first!

Also shared on Parade‘s blog:  a recipe for PUMPKIN- CRANBERRY CORNBREAD MUFFINS.  These are good muffins for dunking into soup and chili, and they make a good breakfast muffin too- warmed up with a little butter and honey.

Are you lucky enough to have a Natural Grocers in your town??  I attended the grand opening of the store that just opened in Reno, Nevada and got a tour.  I love it!  They have a very impressive amount of organic, nitrite and antibiotic free foods both fresh, frozen and packaged… along with gluten free products.  Everything they carry in meat and dairy comes from Grass Fed Cows.  The produce section is small but gorgeous.  Their prices are pretty good too!

This is a WINE PURSE!  I’m not sure I’d buy it because it’s designed so that you can stuff the bag from a boxed wine into it (and I don’t do boxed wine…), but in reading through the reviews it looks like it might be possible to use a disposable bag inside instead.  Why would you want it?  Tailgating… picnicking… sneaking into the movie theater??  🙂

Good to know!

I thought this was holiday timely since there is such a local food movement going on these days! It’s almost Halloween!  Here are a couple of last minute Halloween ideas for you:  FRANKENGUAC is a cute and easy appetizer shared by my friend Kristen from the Dine & Dish blog.  My PUMPKIN PIE POP TARTS would be super cute to serve up on Halloween morning!

I guess this is a “leftover Halloween candy idea!”  Major Candy Overload Cake!  

I’m currently obsessed with Andie Mitchell’s completely amazing WEIGHT LOSS STORY.  Andie is the author of the blog, Can You Stay for Dinner.  If you read anything today, read here weight loss story on her blog.  It’s totally inspiring!  Her memoir is coming out in January, and I’ll definitely be reading that.  She’s a great story teller.

I cannot stop watching this video!  It’s a smooth jazz cover of Meghan Trainor’s smash hit song “All About That Bass” by Kate Davis.  Her voice is perfect for this song, and I actually enjoy it 100% more than the original.  Nice job with this one from Postmodern Jukebox!

title: “Stuff I Ve Gotta Share And You Ve Gotta See Recipegirl” ShowToc: true date: “2022-07-20” author: “Louise Grandfield”

On Parade Magazine‘s blog this week, I shared this major chocolate-lover’s recipe: Triple Chocolate Cookies. They’re a big-time YUM for people who are way into chocolate.

I also shared a recipe from the new Red Velvet Lover’s Cookbook by Deborah Harroun:  Red Velvet Muffins.  These are such a delicious choice for holiday mornings!

I’m absolutely dying over this recipe (meaning:  I must make it!!):  Jalapeno- Bacon Cheese Ball by The Recipe Critic.

This post will be helpful for you if you’re in the midst of holiday baking:  5 Christmas Cookies Recipes You Should Make This Year

GIFT IDEA:  My friends Mary Platis and Laura Bashar have published this cookbook:  Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil.  These girls are the experts on all things “olive oil,” sharing their knowledge and serving up food and olive oil samples at olive oil shops everywhere!  This book would make a nice gift paired with olive oil purchased at a gourmet olive oil shop, wouldn’t it?  My favorite recipe picks in the book:  Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Artichokes, Fresh Tomato Risotto, Sockeye Salmon with Spinach and Beet Greens, Mussels with Lemon-Saffron Broth, Kalamata Olive Bread with Rosemary, and Olive Oil Sugar Cookies (I bought a bottle of lemon olive oil with the purpose of trying these out!)  A hardcover version of the book can be purchased HERE.

GIFT IDEA:  my favorite air popcorn machine + Party Popcorn by Ashton Swank.  This book includes 75 recipes for gourmet-style popcorn.  Your at-home family movie nights will be transformed with popcorn that is anything but ho-hum.  Recipes like Cookies and Cream Popcorn, Bacon-Ranch Popcorn, Balsamic Salt & Vinegar Popcorn, Scotcheroos Popcorn and Honey Roasted Peanut Popcorn will have you wanting to make popcorn often!

ONE LAST GIFT IDEA:  Pizza Scissors + Pizza Baking Stone.  Pizza scissors are for cutting pizza!  They work so much better than the usual pizza cutting wheel.  And I have this baking stone too- great for making pizza at home!

I plan on seeing a LOT of movies over the holidays.  These are 4 that are on my list.  Have you seen any of them yet? If you love Steve Carell and Jimmy Fallon as much as I do, this will make you laugh 🙂 Until next week, my friends!  Have a good one.

title: “Stuff I Ve Gotta Share And You Ve Gotta See Recipegirl” ShowToc: true date: “2022-06-03” author: “Arthur Tenbusch”

I’m crazy about making breakfast casseroles for visiting guests in my home.  Here’s something I shared on Parade magazine‘s blog recently:  5 Overnight Breakfast Casserole Recipes.  You’ll want to bookmark these for times when you have a lot of people in your home to feed.  It’s so convenient to make breakfast the night before and then just pop it into the oven the next morning!

I know there are some of you who are probably wishing to begin the New Year on a healthy note.  Here are 6 Healthy (Better for You) Soup Recipes that you should check out!

Before the holidays began, I snuck in a 5 day juice cleanse from Suja.  I’m a fan of doing occasional juice cleanses (they just make me feel good), so I was excited to try one that I had not tried before.  Although I caught the flu in the middle of doing my cleanse, I really enjoyed the juices… they made me feel great… I wasn’t hungry… and I’ll do another cleanse with Suja sometime after the New Year when I’m not in the middle of being sick!  You can find their juices at Whole Foods, but they also have a mail-order delivery juice cleanse available.

Here’s a product I was super excited to discover over the holidays:  Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets.  They are folded pieces of parchment that unfold flat and fit your cookie sheet pans perfectly.  I love them, and I will keep them around for cookie baking!

Remember that juice cleanse that I told you about above???  I also ate donuts over the holidays (OOPS!)– something I never… EVER do.  But we had family visiting… and it was a fun surprise to bring home some donuts.  Of course, I couldn’t resist.  My favorite:  maple bars.

Tahoe has tons of snow!  I’ve been up skiing once so far, and the snow was perfect.  Come ski in my neck of the woods!

Here’s a recipe my sister and I tried over the holidays that was really yummy! » Escarole and Brussels Sprouts Salad from Food and Wine.  We actually used baby kale in place of the escarole and we were very happy with the result.  It was delicious and different!

Here’s an appetizer I shared with visiting relatives over the holidays:  Chutney Baked Brie.  It’s SO good, and it’s only 4 ingredients.  YUM.

And finally… this was my Christmas gift this year:  Tessie the 7-week old Labradoodle!  My husband came home on the 23rd with her in a box, and he surprised me and my son.  My son was excited.  I cried.  She’s an adorable, loving addition to our family.  She’s our first pet! Hope you had wonderful holidays, and Happy New Year!

title: “Stuff I Ve Gotta Share And You Ve Gotta See Recipegirl” ShowToc: true date: “2022-06-24” author: “Steven Robinson”

Have you ever thought about doing a 3-day juice cleanse?  They’re not for everyone, but I seriously love how they make me feel.  I’ve done several… from a few different companies.  It’s helpful to get feedback from others on the various cleanses available out there.  On Parade Magazine‘s blog last week, I shared 6 REVIEWS TO READ BEFORE YOU CHOOSE A JUICE CLEANSE.

A friend of mine- Carrie Vitt-  just had her 2nd book published:  The Grain-Free Family Table.  Carrie shares an amazing story on her blog (Deliciously Organic) and in her book about how she was able to manipulate her diet to manage her autoimmune disease and get herself healthy and feeling good.  I shared a recipe from her book on my latest Parade Magazine post: BUTTERNUT SQUASH, TOMATO & ZUCCHINI GRATIN.  It’s a delicious and easy-to-make side dish recipe.  I served it with roast beef last weekend, and we loved it!

My son Brooks (RecipeBoy, of course), woke up on Saturday morning and said, “I think I’ll make us Croque Madame’s for lunch!”  What sort of 13-year old does that??  My boy.  Yes, he’s a foodie for sure.  He researched how to make them, and then he made them and shared them on his blog:  HOW TO MAKE A CROQUE MADAME.  It’s of French origin:  basically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a creamy sauce and an egg on top.  I had one when I was in Paris, and this one was just as good- maybe better!!

The final playoff games are TODAY!!!  I’m so excited.  I really hope to see a Patriots vs. Seahawks Super Bowl.  Are you rooting for anyone?  Regardless, you need to plan to make some FOOTBALL STRAWBERRIES for the big game. Tuck this idea in your pocket for Super Bowl Sunday!

It was REALLY COOL to see that I was featured on Buzzfeed for this article:  27 PINTEREST ACCOUNTS FOR FOODIES EVERYWHERE.  I spend TONS of time on Pinterest sharing every delicious thing I find on the internet.  It was nice to be recognized.  Follow me, and I’ll deliver you some yummy things! I have a product recommendation:  the Measupro Instant Read Cooking Thermometer.  I just bought one of these, and it’s a LIFESAVER for getting meats that are roasted in the oven to come out at the perfect temperature.  I made pork tenderloin the other night, and my husband commented how delicious and juicy it was (not dry and overcooked)… that’s because I used this tool.  You just stick it in the center of your meat, and since it has a long wire… you just set the gauge outside of your oven.  It beeps when your meat reaches the temperature that you set.

I’m craving: Grape Jelly Meatballs (from the blog:  Buns in My Oven) and Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies (from the blog:  Chocolate Moosey)

Here’s an updated picture of our cute, new labradoodle puppy:  Tessie (10 weeks).  She’s learning potty training, sleeping through the night, and is the most loveable little puppy ever.  So much fun!  And so much work, lol!

We have a puppy who is quite the voracious eater!  She scarfs down her food in nothing flat. A friend recommended this SLOW FEEDING DISH, and it has been such a valuable purchase.  Tessie now takes about 15 minutes to eat her food.  I’m guessing it’s much better for her digestion to eat more slowly.  Yay!

title: “Stuff I Ve Gotta Share And You Ve Gotta See Recipegirl” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-31” author: “Stefany Wayne”

On Parade Magazine‘s Blog I shared 10 Recipes for Using Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles!)  Zucchini noodles are all the rage right now since so many people got Spiral Vegetable Slicers for Christmas.  There are some delicious recipes featured here!

Also shared on Parade’s blog:  Ten Recipes for 3-Ingredient Appetizers.  These are great for easy entertaining- each recipe has only three ingredients!

And one more recipe from Parade:  Mile-High Diner Style Biscuits (low fat!)  I made these for my family, and I’m embarrassed to say that we ate all the biscuits.  The recipe makes perfectly flaky and buttery and wonderful biscuits- yum!

Yankee Candle stores are selling Girl Scout Cookie scented candles.  Cute, huh?

My son RecipeBoy (Brooks) shared these bacon-lover appetizers on his blog recently:  Bacon-Wrapped Crackers.  The recipe is originally from The Pioneer Woman.  They were pretty amazing- a once-in-a-while treat, for sure!

I spotted this earlier this week, and I fell in love with these hippos!  The Handmade Charlotte blog shares how to make these cute hippos made out of bread dough.  When you pop them into soup, it looks like they’re just hanging out.  Cute!

New flavor… what do you think?

I love this idea for Valentine’s Day (for the wine lover in your life):  Wine Gummies!  And yes, they’re made out of wine. I have to end with Tessie:  our (now) almost 14-week old labradoodle, otherwise known as the 3rd love of my life (behind my husband and son, of course!)  We very easily potty trained her using this Housetraining Dog Doorbell.  In the beginning, we just brought her over to the door, jingled the bell using her nose, and then took her outside to go to the bathroom.  Any time she has to go, she smartly goes over to the door and leans against the bells to jingle them.  This is a signal that she wants to go out to do her business.  Such a smart puppy!

Oh, and we might as well have called her RecipeDog!  She snuggles up next to me on the couch and watches me write my blog.  And I found her cuddled up to one of my cookbooks the other day too!  Puppies are so much fun 🙂