I think you can tell from the photograph where this delicious treat gets its name!

This creamy and delicious salad was a favorite in my family when I was growing up.  My mom first found it in The Congressional Club Cook Book (8th Edition, 1970) and it has been a tradition in our house ever since.  We usually have this around Christmas time, ,but I think that it makes a gloriously green addition to any St. Patrick’s Day or Easter table, too!

Sea Foam Salad

1 14-ounce can of pears, with their juice
1 3-ounce box of lime Jell-O
6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 cup whipping cream

Place a strainer over a bowl and drain the pears. You should have about 1 cup of pear juice – if you fall short, just add water until you have 1 cup of liquid. Heat the pear juice in the microwave for about 1 minute. Dissolve the Jell-O in the hot pear juice. Let set until slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, mash the pears with a fork and mix in the cream cheese.

When the Jell-O has thickened slightly, whip it with an electric mixer until frothy. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold all the ingredients together until fully incorporated.

Chill the mixture in one large mold or in several smaller molds. Chill overnight or until set. Turn out of molds, and garnish with cherries or greenery.

So when I went out in search of the perfect recipe for boeuf bourguignon, I knew right where I would start:  Julia Child.  After perusing her flawless recipe, I knew I’d found The One.  I made very few changes to the original recipe, mainly altering a few ingredients for the sake of convenience.

The result?  Boeuf Bliss!!!  Even the husband remarked that it was one of the best dishes I have ever made for him.  The sauce is so rich, each layer of flavor reveals itself to you in turn as you make your way through the dish.  This is no ordinary beef stew.

Boeuf Bourguignon
adapted from Julia Child’s amazing recipe

6 ounces of bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 lbs. stew beef cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups of full-bodied red wine (I used a nice Chianti)
2-3 cups of beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled

18-24 pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof, stove-proof casserole (I used a small dutch oven) over medium heat on the stove. Brown the bacon pieces in the oil for 2-3 minutes. Remove them to a large plate using a slotted spoon.

Next, pat dry your beef and sautee the pieces, a few at a time, until well browned on all sides. Remove the meat to the plate with the bacon.

Finally, sautee the carrot and onion in the same pan, cooking them until slightly soft. Remove these to the same plate as the meat.

Pour off any fat remaining in the bottom of the casserole. Return the bacon, meat, and veggies to the casserole, tossing them together with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the mixture, and place the casserole, uncovered, in the oven for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss the mixture again, and return to the oven for another 4 minutes. This step is important because the cooked flour will help to thicken your sauce – yum!

Add the wine to the casserole. Then add enough of the broth to barely cover the top of the meat mixture. Stir in the tomato paste, the garlic, the thyme, and the parsley. Bring the entire mixture to a boil on the stovetop.

Lower the oven temperature to 325. Cover the casserole and bake so that the mixture slowly simmers – you can adjust the oven temperature if necessary. Allow to cook for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is easily pierced with a fork.

When the meat is almost finished cooking, you can prepare the onions and the mushrooms.

For the onions, combine the butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and sautee for about 10 minutes, so that they brown evenly without the layers coming apart. Pour in the stock, add the pepper and herbs, and cover the skillet. Simmer the onions over low heat for 40-50 minutes. The onions will be very tender, and almost all of the liquid will be gone. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.

For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. As soon as the foamy part of the butter begins to disappear, add the mushrooms. Stir the pan frequently as the mushrooms brown lightly – this should take about 5 minutes. Then remove them from the heat.

To finish off the stew, remove the casserole from the oven. Place a sieve over a saucepan on the stove, and pour the contents of the casserole through the sieve. Wash out the casserole so that you can start with a clean slate. Remove the beef and the bacon from the sieve into the clean casserole. Set the onion and carrot aside (Julia says to throw this part away, but it makes a nice snack for later!!!). Place the mushrooms and the onions on top of the meat in the casserole.

Simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, skimming the fat off the top as necessary. The sauce should lightly coat the back of a spoon. If the sauce is thin, then simmer it until it boils down and thickens. If it is too thick, then add some extra beef stock. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.

Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Simmer the mixture for about 2-3 minutes before serving. Serve in the casserole or on a warm platter surrounded by noodles, potatoes or rice and garnished with fresh parsley. We had ours with buttered egg noodles, and it was divine. Enjoy!

Here is a recipe from my Grandma – my dad’s mom.  Most of my recipes from Grandma are simple, but super-flavorful – and this one is no exception!

Grandma’s Cheese Ball

1 jar Old English Cheese
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 ounces of bleu cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons onion, grated
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 cup chopped pecans
Parsley, for garnish

Combine the Old English cheese and the cream cheese, blending until completely combined.  Fold in the bleu cheese crumbles, the onion, and the garlic.  Place the mixture in plastic wrap, forming it roughly into a ball.  Chill for at least 1 hour, or until firm enough to handle.

Roll the cheese ball in the chopped pecans until completely coated.  Garnish with parsley.

This is a wonderful and (gasp!) healthy dip that features black-eyed peas and other delicious beans in a light dressing tossed with some fresh herbs.  I tasted something similar to this concoction at a party and decided to try to re-create it for myself!  The husband really liked this one . . .

Poor Man’s Caviar Dip

1 14-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15.5-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 14-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked corn or 1 15-ounce can white corn, drained
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
3 shakes hot sauce

Combine all the beans, the corn, the onion, the garlic, and the herbs in a large bowl, and set aside.

In a seal-able container, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and hot sauce.  Seal and shake vigorously until completely combined.  Pour the dressing over the bean mixture.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, before serving so that all the flavors can meld.  Serve with tortilla chips (or just a spoon).  Enjoy!!

It’s that time of year, dear readers: when visitors drop in unexpectedly; when we find ourselves invited to four holiday parties, all on the same day; when neighbors exchange tokens of gratitude; when season’s greetings call to be exemplified in the form of a small gift.  It’s that time of year when having a large batch of Party Snack Mix on hand will save you over and over again.

This wonderful mix is full of flavor, and fun to make.  It’s a great snack to have on hand when guests drop by.  A cheerfully decorated bag of this party treat makes a great hostess gift for all your holiday parties.  Plus, it’s a great token gift for neighbors and friends.

I try to come up with a handy-dandy treat every year to serve as this life-saver during the holidays.  Last year, I made Marvelous marbled Peppermint Bark for my neighbors and co-workers.  But this year, I’m all over the Party Snack Mix.  I  basically worked with the traditional Chex Party Mix but switched it up with my favorite additions (um, hello, you know I had to add Cheez-Its!!!) and my own custom spice blend.  I hope you enjoy this holiday treat!

Party Snack Mix

Inspired by the Original Chex Party Mix

2 cups Corn Chex cereal
2 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 cups Wheat Chex cereal
2 cups plain Cheerios
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup walnut halves
2 cups bite-sized pretzels
2 cups Cheez-Its
1 cup butter
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a very large container, combine the Chex cereals, the Cheerios, the pecans, the walnuts, the pretzels,and the Cheez-Its.

Next, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the oil, the Worcestershire, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, paprika, pepper, and salt, stirring until everything is incorporated.

Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture, tossing lightly until all pieces are lightly coated.

For Microwave: Microwave the mixture (in batches if necessary) for 6-7 minutes, stopping every two minutes to stir the mixture. Spread evenly on paper towels until the mixture is completely cooled. Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

For Oven: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  Spread the mixture evenly on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 60 minutes, stirring the mixture every 15 minutes.  Spread evenly on paper towels until the mixture is completely cooled. Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

The four cheeses in my lasagna are not the most traditional cheeses . . . but they sure are tasty!  I like to use turkey for the meat in this one – there are so many wonderful flavors going on that most people who taste this dish don’t even notice that it’s not beef! Plus, I think the turkey makes it seem lighter, which is a nice balance to the richness of the cheese.

Ellie’s Four-Cheese Lasagna

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. mild italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 lb. ground turkey breast (ground beef works, too!)
1/2 cup diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 24-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley OR dry Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 9-ounce package of no-boil lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated parmigiano regiano cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and the ground turkey.  Brown the meat, stirring occasionally, until completely cooked through.  Remove the meat from the pan and add the onion.  Cook until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the minced garlic, stirring until fragrant.  Next, add the meat back to the pan, and stir in the tomato sauce and the water.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste.  Lower the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a microwaveable bowl for about 20-30 seconds.  Stir in the ricotta cheese until combined.  Add the eggs, the parsley or Italian seasoning, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, folding the mixture together.

To assemble the lasagna, spoon 1/4 of the tomato mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish.  Next, layer the no-boil noodles on top.  Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles.  Spoon over the next 1/4 of the tomato mixture.  Then the noodles again.  Then the next 1/3 of the ricotta.  Then another 1/4 of the tomato mixture.  One more layer of noodles, and one more layer of ricotta.  Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top.  Finally, sprinkle with the remaining cup of mozzarella, topping it all off with the parmigiano regiano cheese.

** Note that at this point, you can either continue, **
** or cover tightly and store in the fridge for up to 3 days **
** or the freezer for up to 3 months. **

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until all cheese is melted and the lasagna is nice and bubbly.  Allow to set for about 5 minutes before serving.

Okay, so I know that I’ve already given you the pretty much perfect, authentically tart and delicious key lime pie recipe, but let’s be honest. Don’t you get a hankering for this stuff even at times when key limes might not be in season? I know I do. Not to mention the fact that I can only really talk the husband into juicing 30 key limes about once a year or else I start to push my wonderful prep chef to his limits . . . So I decided to celebrate this time of year when summer is coming to an end with a super easy “real simple” key lime pie recipe.

Easy Key Lime Pie
adapted from Real Simple

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1 6-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
1 cup heavy cream
Zest of one lime
Graham cracker crust
Whipped cream, for garnish.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft and smooth. Gradually add the condensed milk, combining until completely integrated. Finally, add the limeade, the heavy cream, and half of the lime zest. Beat until the mixture is fluffy and soft peaks form.

Next, pour the filling into the graham cracker crust, smoothing with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. If you have any trouble getting the key lime pie to set, then I recommend throwing it in the freezer for about 2-3 hours before you serve it for a delightfully refreshing (and firm) pie!

Finally, sprinkle the lime zest on top before serving and garnish with a bit of freshly whipped cream!

I, dear readers, like many other home cooks, completely idolize Julia Child. I mean, what American cook wouldn’t want to be her?! Learning to cook in France, bringing a new cuisine to home cooks in America, the whole shebang – she’s pretty much just the best.

Not surprisingly, I, like many other food bloggers, went to see Julie & Julia, the recent film about a blogger who worked her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking – all in one year. In fact, every time the trailer for this film would come on the television, my cute hubby would say, “Wow, that is so you. We’ve got to see that!”

Well, the movie was quite nice – even the hubs enjoyed it. So when we ended up with a bunch of random veggies in the fridge (thanks to our wonderful CSA farm), I thought it was a great idea to use them up by making a classic French-Provençal dish: ratatouille. And of course, whose recipe would I use but Julia’s!?

Well, I have to admit that Julia was right when she said that ratatouille “is not one of the quickest dishes to make.” Although a bit time-intensive, the techniques are not difficult, and the results completely justify the effort. It’s hard to imagine a dish that is this simple in its seasonings and ingredients, and yet this rich in its layers and layers of flavor.

Without further ado, let me give you the recipe, in the words of Julia Child herself. . .

Julia Child’s Ratatouille
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 pound eggplant
1 pound zucchini
A 3-quart, porcelain or stainless-steel mixing bowl
1 teaspoon salt

A 10- to 12-inch enameled skillet
4 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed

1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (makes 1 1/2 cups pulp)
Salt and pepper

A 2 1/2 quart fireproof casserole about 2 1/2 inches deep
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8 inch thick, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. I actually just sliced it in half lengthwise and then cut it into half-moons.

Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices. I cut mine into medallions because we had a really long, skinny one!

Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a towel.

One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and then the zucchini in hot olive oil in the skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish. I found it helpful to add a bit more olive oil with each batch to get them nice and golden brown.

In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste.

Slice the tomato pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated. I tipped the skillet and used a spoon instead of a baster, and it worked very well.

Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. I went with one of my trusty Le Creuset pieces.

Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole.

Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time or serve cold. Yields 6-8 servings.

As soon as I heard that there was such thing as a “beer dip,” I knew I was interested. Two of my favorite things in life are undeniably beer and cheese. Most dishes that bring these two heavenly ingredients together make me an extremely happy camper. After perusing several recipes for this heavenly dish, I decided upon incorporating several of my favorite ingredients into one to-die-for dip.

Beer Dip

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 5-ounce jars of Old English Cheese (or 10 ounces Cheese Whiz)
1 1-ounce package dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup beer (go ahead, you can drink the rest)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Pretzels, crackers, or chips for dipping

In your microwave, heat the cream cheese and Old English Cheese for about 40 seconds on high. This will make it easier to blend them together, using a whisk, with the ranch dressing. Add the beer gradually as you whisk the mixture together, until you reach your desired consistency for the dip. You may not use it all. If so, feel free to drink the remaining beer.

Pour into the serving bowl. Sprinkle your toasted pecans evenly over the surface of the dip. Chill for 1 hour or up to 2 days. Serve with pretzels, crackers, or chips!

Trying to stay healthy but still love the ease and convenience of a nice, hearty crock-pot dinner? Have I got the recipe for you! This is a rustic, hearty, and flavorful meal that slow cooks to perfection but does not include any of those creamy condensed soups that have a tendency to pack a lot of calories and fat. This is also an extremely versatile recipe – your chicken can be almost any cut, even a whole chicken would work. And as for the veggies? Whatever you have on hand can be thrown on in there – we used onions and potatoes this time, but carrots, celery, even green beans would be delicious.

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken

2-3 medium potatoes, quartered
2-3 small red onions, quartered
Carrots and celery would be good, too, but we didn’t have any on hand
2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube/packet (sodium-free)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bone-in chicken breasts (boneless will work, too, but bone-in = more flavor!)

Place the potato and onion wedges in the bottom of your crock pot. Cover with water. Stir in bouillon, poultry seasoning, Worcestershire, parsley, and salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts on top. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the bones before serving (the meat will be so tender that it should fall right off). Serve the chicken and veggies over cooked brown rice or whole-grain pasta, if desired. Pour some broth over the top for extra flavor.