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Outdoor Games for Kids and Adults
Add One of these Outdoor Games to your next Party. The weather is warming up here in NC and it makes me think of things to do outside. Gardening is my first choice, of course, but I also love having outdoor gatherings and activities for them. I grew up in a family of six children […]
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How To Grow Tropical Bromeliad – Aechmea Fasciata
I have loved plants all of my life. For a large portion of it, that meant indoor plants. Now that I have a largish property, it means lots and lots of garden beds with perennials. I don’t have much time to tend indoor plants, but I still like to have a few of them around. […]
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St. Patrick’s Day Recipes – For Good Luck and Cheer
These creative St. Patrick’s Day recipes will help you celebrate in style this year. St. Patrick’s day is a day steeped in tradition. This year, on March 17, millions of people will wear green and celebrate the luck of the Irish at parades, with good cheer and even drinking a pint of green beer. Cooking up […]
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Aloe Vera Plants have Countless Medical Benefits
I have gone through periods in my life when I don’t have many indoor plants or container plants outside. But there is one plant that I have always seemed to have on hand, and that is an aloe vera. This plant has countless medical benefits, and is thought, by those who believe in feng shui, […]
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Cheesy Pasta with Ground Beef – Easy Weeknight Recipe
This cheesy pasta recipe is flavored with ground beef, fresh garden herbs and onions. It is super easy to put together and ready in 35 minutes. Forget Hamburger Helper casseroles. Why put all those chemicals into your body when you can make a hamburger casserole that is almost as fast and twice as delicious. (and […]
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Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream
This recipe is an adaptation of a Julia Child recipe. French cooking at its best. Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I have lightened up the recipe slightly, (less butter […]
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Raise the Bar for These Dessert Bar Recipes
Dessert bar recipes are a favorite of mine. They are usually quite easy to make, and they are also easy to slice, and pack up to take somewhere. What makes bar recipes so great is that you can eat them with your hands, with no utensils. A great tasting, easy to make recipe that is also […]
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Today’s Featured Recipe: Olho de Sogra – Brazilian Sweet
My friend Regina who used to blog at Molly Mell is the star of today’s featured recipe – Olho de Sogra. Regina has been experimenting with Brazilian sweets lately and came up with this scrumptious looking dessert that makes the perfect afternoon snack. Olho de Sogra is basically dried prunes with a sweet coconut filling. […]
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Mushroom and Wild Rice Pork Roast – Easy Recipe
There will be no reason to ask your family to have a seat at the table when you serve this delicious mushroom and wild rice stuffed pork roast. They will come running! The wild rice gives the recipe an exotic look and elevates it from a normal week night meal. Keep reading to find out […]
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Having a Party? Try one of these appetizer recipes
Every party needs great appetizers to start it off well. If you are looking for tasty appetizer recipes, check out this group. Nothing starts a party off on the right foot like a line up for both hot and cold appetizers. Many of these take just a few minutes to prepare but all are delicious. […]
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Viva Italia! Favorite Italian Recipes
Are you ready for some comfort food? Here are a few of my favorite Italian recipes. I am very fond of Italian cooking. It is hearty and delicious and the recipes are normally fairly easy to do. Since I cook with fresh herbs most of the time, I can make use of the oregano and […]
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Tomato Onion & Pepper Focaccia Bread
If you have never made focaccia, you are in for a treat. This Italian flat bread has a consistency somewhat like a pizza crust but the flavor of the dough is just incredible, with the blend of rosemary, oregano and basil. I’m not a huge fan of pizza because it normally has a tomato based […]
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Parmesan Crusted Salmon Fillets with Tarragon
This recipe for Parmesan crusted salmon is delicious, easy to do and baked in the oven to keep the fat content down. Readers of my blog know that I am not a big fish person but the one exception is salmon. I just love the full flavored taste of it and cook it often. Keep […]
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Pecan Crusted Spinach Salad with Grapefruit
Now that my daughter has left home, there are only two people to cook for – me and my husband. But I often make extras of whatever new dish I am cooking at night. I don’t mind left overs, but with a bit of creativity, the extras make great additions to salads for lunch so […]
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Chocolate Brownie Whoopie Pies with Peanut Buttercream Filling
What do peanut butter baking chips, fudge brownies, heavy cream, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups all have in common? They are ingredients in this decadent Reeses brownie whoopie pies. Who knew that a brownie mix could turn into these cute chewy cookies? The main problem with them is that they are so darn good, you […]
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Toasted Marshmallow Martini – Olive Garden Copy Cat
Everyone has a favorite cocktail recipe that they first tried when dining out at their favorite restaurant. This Toasted Marshmallow Martini is one that I had for dessert at the Olive Garden. The Toasted Marshmallow Martini is a sweet and rich cocktail. Every Sunday, I get a night off from cooking. My husband and I […]
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Braised Red Kapusta Soup
My page fans for the Gardening Cook on Facebook are a very active group of people. They often submit recipes, DIY projects and gardening ideas to the page for others to share. This week, we were talking about soup recipes and a fan came up with this kapusta soup. It is rich and filling and […]
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Crock Pot Chicken Tagine – Moroccan Delight
Pear preserves, ginger, cinnamon, and cumin give this slow cooked chicken dinner a savory and sweet Moroccan flavor. Normally, Chicken Tagine uses dried apricots but I did not have any on hand right now. I did, however, have a jar of home made pear preserves and substituted them. The dish came out with the traditional […]
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Ways to Use Grapefruit
Now, I like grapefruit as much as the next person, but I only need a few each week to keep me happy. Imagine my dismay when I got home from the grocery store the other day, with what I thought was a large bag of oranges, only to discover (after I had cut open the […]
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The Secret To Perfect Mashed Potatoes – the ultimate comfort food
Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. We all love them, don’t we? I get asked often for cooking tips, but when people taste my mashed potatoes, they always want to know my tip for making them. So…drum roll… Here we go: How to make the perfect mashed potatoes, step by step. For me, the ultimate […]
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The Garden Charmers Share Winter Comforts
Feeling cold and not too motivated? So are my friends in the Facebook group called The Garden Charmers. This is a talented group of cooking, gardening and DIY ladies who love to blog and also love to share and promoted each others content. We were recently discussing how to beat the cold temperature. We decided […]
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Rich Chocolate Brownie with Pecans – Dessert Anyone?
These rich chocolate brownie is made with cocoa and butter, and filled with chocolate chips and nuts. You can also use white chocolate chips for a change if you prefer. Brownies are one of my favorite sweet treats. I love the cakey texture in a smaller size. And the fact that they normally are […]
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Cheesy BLT with Colby Jack Cheese Avocado & Bacon
This great cheesy BLT recipe combines Colby jack cheese with tangy light mayonnaise and veggies, as well as avocado. It will be sure to satisfy the most hearty eater. I love a traditional BLT as much as the next person, but sometimes I want to take my sandwich to a new level. This version is […]
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My Favorite Egg Recipes – Great Breakfast Ideas
These egg recipes are some of my favorites. Most take no time at all and some are even good alternatives to fast food take away breakfasts. There is nothing like an egg to start the day off right. I love them, especially when the yolks are runny and perfectly cooked. Protein-rich eggs are taking the […]
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Roasted Herb Potatoes With Parmesan Cheese
These roasted herb potatoes with Parmesan cheese make a wonderful side dish for any protein choice. Roasted Herb Potatoes make a Great Side Dish I make roasted herb potatoes all the time. Each time I do them, I do something a little differently with the recipe. Sometimes, they are just roasted with herbs. Other times, […]
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Lightened Chocolate cherry Cheesecake – Decadent Recipe
A normal cheesecake recipe has a lot of calories. This lightened up version of a chocolate cherry cheesecake is just a bit lighter on your hips. Ahhhh, cheesecake recipes. This is one of those desserts that I just adore but don’t eat too often because of the calories. Just by nature, cheesecake screams “I’m going […]