Recently I had a couple of situations when I needed to make an appetizer for a party or event. The ask came up last minute, and so I needed to scramble to find something that would be quick and easy. I have two quickies for you. Sandwiched between the recipes, I figured that some of you may still have some shopping to do for your mom. I have a few affordable wine gifts for your last minute Mother’s Day shopping. Easy Appetizer: Velveeta Sausage Dip I am sure that everyone has seen a recipe like this one. My sister really likes to…
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The Munch is all about the things I make, bake, create and cook. Sometimes it is a simple little thing and other times a complete meal. If it’s worth making it is worth sharing.
I grew up in a time when the casserole was king. Lately, I have been nostalgic for my mom’s Tuna Noodle Casserole. This meal was always one she could put all together in the morning and bake it off later after volunteering at the community center with her friend Phyllis, selling pool memberships. We all loved this dish so much. It is so simple and filling; just what she needed when raising four kids. Gary was also craving it which meant I had to swap out the mushroom soup with other complementary flavors. I used Cream of Onion and Cream of…
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Don’t you just hate it when so much is happening that it feels like you can never get caught up? Such is where I am today and have been for the past couple of weeks. So yes, I know it has been over two weeks since the Dinner for Ten, but I have to tell you about my all green salad which was the perfect accompaniment to the rich and cheesy lasagna. It is a simple salad with flat leaf parsley as the star of the show. I get so excited when I can make a salad where lettuce takes a back seat.…
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Last Saturday, it was my turn to host a group of friends who gather to drink wine and have dinner at each other’s home. I bumped up attendance by adding my two sisters and Bryan & Craig, so instead of the usual six, we had ten. With wine school that morning I knew that my time was going to be restricted, so I needed to make a one-pan dinner and lasagna is always a great dish to serve. My sisters also volunteered to assist. One did appetizers, and the other did dessert. Whew, that saved me a tremendous amount of time.…
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I know it has been a couple of weeks since the Charleston Wine and Food Festival ended but I still wanted to share my experience in the Culinary Village because it is such an essential aspect of the festival. So here is my take on the Village. Let me say from the outset that I had a blast on Sunday and I will definitely be back next year. There are a few aspects of the Culinary Village where I offer what I hope is seen as constructive criticism. That by no means is a bad thing just my humble opinion…
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…When There is No Time Last Friday, Gary and I had our neighbor and dear friend Natalie over for Happy Hour. It had been months since we had some quality time with just her. But On Friday, the planets aligned and we had nothing on our schedule, and she was kid and boyfriend free. Now don’t get any ideas her kids are amazing, and we love them like our own, and we like her boyfriend too, but we were craving some “Nat time.” So the three of us got comfy in our three season room (aka Church of the Screened in Porch)…
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Last week I shared with you the French Onion Panade which was the first course in my Dinner for Six. Below are the other two dishes that I prepared. This chicken recipe is super easy and because it needs to marinate you can get started on it the day before. And those wedges, OMG, they also could not be easier. Both dishes are perfect with the yogurt sauce. Yes, there is a salad on the plate as well. It was just mixed greens and sliced pears. My vinaigrette was olive oil, lemon and white balsamic vinegar with a smidge of salt.…
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This past weekend Gary and I had two couples over for dinner. I had several recipes I wanted to try and needed a few guinea pigs. Enter Bryan & Craig and Shawn & Michael. For me, this was an all-day affair as I just decided what yo make on Friday morning and I needed to get to the store asap. But my Friday was a hot mess with a wine delivery by UPS that I had to sign for so I could not leave the house until it arrived. And that was at 4:30p and I had to pick Gary up at…
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