This is an easy, reasonably healthy, and absolutely delicious side dish that my husband and I love to add to our dinners.

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Over the past several months, I’ve become an avid canner. I just love being able to make my own delicious jams, sauces, and spreads using fresh, local produce while it’s at its peak of flavor. Right now is a great time to think about canning some delicious apple butter. I made this batch in the fall with apples brought to me from an orchard in southern Ohio. We opened one of the last jars left over the weekend and served it on some hot biscuits for a cozy breakfast.

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In my family, Easter weekend brings with it many culinary traditions:  Easter brunch, sliced, ham, deviled eggs, desserts infused with the flavors of spring . . . But one of those traditions was in danger of coming to an end this year.

Since before I was born, my family has frequented a small, independent bakery in Atlanta for fresh bread, colorful thumbprint cookies, and – an Easter tradition – hot cross buns.  Sadly, our precious little bakery closed a few months ago, as the owner decided it was time to retire.

And so the challenge was laid before me:  homemade hot cross buns!  So I hit the books and started paging through some my my vintage cookbooks.  When I reached my mom’s 1973 edition of Better Homes and Gardens’ Homemade Bread Cook Book, I found one of those wonderful little newspaper clippings that get forgotten, lodged inside of forgotten cookbooks.  The clipping came from the March 27, 1983 issue of Atlanta Weekly.  Glancing over the recipe, I knew this one was The One.

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Looking for that perfectly balanced combination of savory, sweet, and snacky-licious? Well, you have met your match. Popcorn bark and pretzel bark are so easy to make – a wonderful kitchen project for kids – and satisfyingly balanced in their combination of sweet-and-savory goodness!

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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.

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