Love gourmet food but don’t have time to fuss with the gourmet process? I hear ya! I am so tired sometimes I almost, that is almost, feel too tired to eat – let alone prepare a gourmet meal. I certainly don’t think eating fast food or a bowl of cereal is [...]

After the fiasco with musical stock pots, it was smooth sailing. There’s something about that “pop” of the lid when you bring it out of the water that is so satisfying. All in all, I think each jar has a value of at least $40, if you factor in all the dang work it took [...]

I love to check out recipe blogs (as well as blogs that just include the occasional recipe). So many very talented cooks and so many incredible sounding (and looking) recipes! Here are five “must try” recipes that I discovered this week: 1. Roasted Radishes with Soy Sauce and Scallions|24Boxes 24Boxes is an interesting blog concept: [...]

It’s morning. I haven’t had coffee yet. I’ve got the heavy stock pot tilted over the sink, draining the water from the tomatoes and onions that have sat overnight. I remind myself that if I DON’T visualize myself losing the lid and an hours worth of chopping down the sink, then it CAN’T happen. To [...]

Several months ago I picked up a book called The Ultimate Tea Diet. While it may sound cliche’, the truth is that this book really did change my life. Not only have I dropped several dress sizes since following the advice of the book’s author, Mark Ukra, but I have made tea (drinking and educating [...]

This is a must read - for those looking for a fabulous hors d’oeuvre, a hearty side dish, or a wonderful vegetable main course.  With a little modification, it could be a fully vegan entrée – so look no further. Filling? Yes it is. Meaty? Uh huh. Flavor? Out of this world, delicious! Right now, is the peak season [...]

It’s a down-east family tradition. Chow Chow. Sweet relish made from green tomatoes and onions. When we were first introduced to it in New Glascow, Nova Scotia, we couldn’t believe we were allowed to eat this sweet good stuff right along side our meat and potatoes. Shouldn’t this be a desert? This year, with the [...]

Cheesy and Creamy, So, So, So Good…  When my kids were growing up I never seemed to know how many to make dinner for. There were always a couple of extra “hollow-legs-syndromed” teens about. This was my salvation dinner.

We have no idea what we are eating. Really. I was recently sharing my weight loss struggles with a dear friend, explaining that I have to be so very careful when eating prepared foods, whether purchased from a grocery store (i.e. a frozen dinner) or enjoyed in a restaurant. The calorie count in prepared foods [...]

Days are getting shorter and cooler, children have started back to school and football will once again reign supreme in houses all across the country. With this, I begin on this long journey of the Eclectic Kitchen™ and wonder where it will take us.