The weather has been chilly and I have been home sick for the past few days. So this means I’ll need to drink fluids, take meds, and eat yummy soup! 🙂 I’m sick but that doesn’t mean I still can’t whip up a pot of homemade soup! I love French Onion soup.. my favorites have been at Vie de France and Doughboys Café & Bakery. Hot soup with onions, bread & melted cheese.. mmmmm! There are a lot of recipes out there for French Onion soup– some include sherry, wine, bay leaves, flour & lengthy cooking times. I’m sick and able to cook but that doesn’t mean I want to wait a long time or have to leave the house for more ingredients. I found this really easy & simple recipe. One addition: I added a few sprigs of thyme while cooking the onions. Warm, hearty & cheesy. I feel better already after having my first bowl and knowing there is more to heat up later 🙂 Recipe for French Onion Soup courtesy of: http://southernfood.about.com/od/vidaliaonions/r/bl30220n.htm …

It’s the holidays which means parties, potlucks, lots of yummy food and possible weight gain (or definite). I love going to dinner parties & potlucks– it’s fun to try everyone’s dishes and get inspiration for new dishes. I will be searching for lots of good, easy recipes and here is the first one: Zucchini Parmesan! Maybe you have noticed that I like to eat things with sauce & cheese based on some of my previous posts. I have made eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan, eggplant pizza but did not think about zucchini parmesan until I saw this recipe. It’s bite size and perfect for an appetizer! Recipe for Zucchini Parmesean courtesy of A Cozy Kitchen http://acozykitchen.com/zucchini-parmesan/ Yields 4 3-4 zucchini Coarse salt 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour Olive oil 2/3 cup of your favorite tomato sauce* 1 large ball fresh mozzarella (about 4 1/2 ounces) Small handful of basil leaves, roughly torn 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan (about 2 ounces) Directions: Slice the zucchini into about 1/3″ discs. Sprinkle slices with a small pinch of coarse …

Are you still wondering what to make for Thanksgiving or bring to a dinner party? Butternut squash soup is a perfect dish to serve before a meal. It’s perfect for the holidays.. it’s warm & hearty. Below is an easy recipe to follow. I did things differently though. I roasted butternut squash cubes (Trader Joes has bags of them!) in the oven with sprigs of thyme, olive oil, salt & pepper. And instead of an immersion blender, I used a regular blender to blend everything. But I would like to get one of those fancy blenders someday. You always need a little presentation so finish off the soup with some thyme on top. It would be cute to serve in mugs too! (like this: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/butternut-squash-soup/) Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone! Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup, courtesy of: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/classic-butternut-squash-soup Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 carrot, diced 1 celery stalk, diced 1 onion, diced 4 cups cubed butternut squash, fresh or frozen 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon fine …

This is similar to eggplant parmesan but with a couple differences. Usually when I make eggplant parm, I slice the eggplant into circular shapes but for this pizza, I sliced it the opposite way to get long pieces. Then you spread marinara sauce on the eggplant, add mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil! It’s an easy dish and you can also serve with pasta or salad. I wanted to keep it simple and just add tomatoes for my toppings but I wonder how it would be with more toppings like bell peppers, mushrooms or pepperoni? Let me know if you try it with other toppings! 🙂 Recipe for Eggplant Pizza: Ingredients: 1 eggplant marinara sauce cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella grated parmesan cheese basil, chopped Directions: 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Slice eggplant so you have long pieces. 3. Spoon marinara sauce onto each piece and spread out. 4. Add pieces of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and sprinkle parmesan cheese & basil on top. 5. Bake in oven …

Scrambled eggs, avocado, smoked salmon on toast.  Do I even need to say anything else?  It’s like my favorite things to eat all in one bite. I found this great recipe from Bon Appetit.. it’s easy to make and perfect for a breakfast party or just a meal for yourself. This is pretty cheesy but I found myself so delighted eating this. It was just a great morning as I was doing some work and biting into this deliciousness. Please try it, you will definitely enjoy! 🙂 Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/scrambled-eggs-avocado-and-smoked-salmon-on-toast# Ingredients: 3 tbsp. minced fresh chives, divided 2 tbsp. crème fraiche (optional) 6 large eggs 2 tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter) kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper 4 large or 8 small slices sourdough, whole wheat, or pumpernickel bread, toasted 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled & diced 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 4 oz. thinly sliced smoked salmon Directions: Whisk 2 Tbsp. chives, crème fraîche (if using), and eggs in a large bowl. Melt butter in a large heavy nonstick skillet …

If you haven’t heard about this guy, get to know him now. His name is Erik Sun and his site is called Pursuit of Food. I heard about him before I met him as this guy who hunts his own food & cooks everything. When I did finally meet him, he had a bucket with a dead boar inside and I thought to myself, WHOA, who is this guy! He is extremely passionate about sharing his journeys and showing how a perfect meal comes together from the very beginning– from the adventures of seeking fresh ingredients & pursuing animals in the wild, to making delicious marinades, to adding that last drizzle or sprinkle of something to complete a meal. I was amazed watching him in the kitchen. He thinks of dishes on the spot and just makes everything look so easy and fun. I love food and everything about it but he really knows and understands the entire process of food. Take a moment to watch this introductory trailer about him and his adventures and …