The first time I made this was at our dear friends home in Connecticut. I have always loved chili. I like chicken chili. I like beef chili, and I really like this Pork Chile Verde. It is another one pot meal, that is really easy to make. It is so easy to put together,…
Scones with Cranberries and Orange Zest
They key to making scones puff up nicely lies in the butter. It’s ALL about the butter! Ideally, when you are working with the dough, you are on a cold surface and are able to work quickly enough so that the butter doesn’t start to melt. The minute you are done cutting, get them in the…
Raspberry Sauce
I made this sauce for a Sunday Sundae party for a friend. My friend said the Raspberry Sauce was her favorite because it was so unique. It can be used for cheesecakes, pound cakes, pancakes, and ice cream too! I reduced the sugar from my original recipe and added fresh lemon juice and cognac at the end. The…
Mocha Bars
I know this may seem like a very different kind of recipe, but, it is easy and it tastes amazing. The crunch of the peanuts, the texture of the angel food cake, the almond flavor from the maraschino cherry juice, creates a flavor that is such a memory from my childhood. My Grandmother, Lois (Toots), who…
Anna’s Banana Bread
Our very special Granddaughter, Anna, is visiting us at Mead Meadow. Anna loves banana bread and we wanted to make one of her favorite things together. We chose banana bread because everyone calls her Anna Banana. She told me to tell everyone she really doesn’t like bananas, but, there is one…
Basil Pesto
Pesto has so many uses and it is so easy to make, I love to have it on hand. I frequently buy a little extra basil so I can make pesto and freeze it. This recipe is another great one from my dear friend Joan. Many years ago, Joan gave me this recipe on a…
Small Chocolate Whoopie Pie
I first tasted Whoopie Pies a few weeks ago, and soon thereafter learned that they are Maine’s official “state treat”. I liked them but I thought I would like them even more if I made them myself. I studied various recipes and this combination is my favorite. It is not as cake-like as others I…
Toffee Bars
This is a family favorite. My grandfather’s sister, Jo, was one of my favorite people. When I was the head cook at the local nursing home in college, Great Aunt Jo lived there and I would stop and see her every day before I went home. I grew up on a farm in the…
Granola with Nuts and Fruit
Store bought granola often has preservatives, artificial flavors, excessive vegetable oil and loads of sugar. Also, most companies add sulfuric acid or sulfur dioxide to help preserve the dried fruit’s vibrant color. We prefer to use unsulfured, unsweetened dried fruit; cranberries are an exception to the unsweetened rule as they are bitter without being sweetened. Homemade granola is one of our…
Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
The lure of comfort food is a force to be reckoned with. Certain dishes evoke nostalgia for not just the food itself but perhaps for a specific person or a special time in our childhood. Like many of you, recipes our mothers made when we were children hold very strong nostalgia…