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We've tried a bunch of potato salads but nothing comes close to our family favorite recipe for Sweet Pickle & Bacon Potato Salad. My mom makes this as a side dish to grilled brats. It is the perfect barbecue side dish. Enjoy!


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Today I have a family recipe that my mom has been making a long, long time. Layered Pea Salad, which is so delicious that people usually go back for seconds or thirds.  This is a recipe that she has made so many times she doesn't need to use measurements, but I finally demanded that she write it down for the blog. Enjoy!

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This Yule Log cake isn't just for decoration. It is fantastically delicious. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was blown away by how light and delicious this dessert is. Great for Christmas when you have had a big dinner and want something that isn't too heavy for dessert. Make this a new Christmas tradition at your house, it is amazing!

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These tender Cherry Almond Cookies are a favorite every year at Christmas. They are pictures above with the cherries.

My mom always made them as sliced cookies and rolled the roll of cookie dough in chopped walnuts that had been colored green with food dye. I'm not sure where that came from, it's just always how she made them. Many thanks to Spice Gals for this recipe. They were very tasty cookies. Enjoy!

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This is the chocolate cake recipe we have made for probably decades. It is made for birthdays, holidays, or just because someone has a craving. For the frosting, we have tried different recipes here and there, but the one we are using now from Tasty Kitchen is by far the best.

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I've tried quite a few Upside Down Pineapple Cake recipes. This recipe, courtesy of Simply Recipes, is hands down the best. The cake itself is heaven and the topping is rich and delicious. It is divine when served with whipped cream.

A few notes:  There is an option of using either all purpose flour or using a mix of all purpose / cake flour / ground almond.  I have always used just the regular all purpose flour and the cake turns out incredible.

In the original recipe, the brown sugar mixture for the topping is prepared on the stove and brought up in heat until it is bubbling. I usually just melt the butter and brown sugar, stir well, and call it good, either in the microwave or on the stove top. I just note this now if you were wondering if you could save a few minutes to skip that step. I do and it turns out great anyways.

The rest of my notes are regarding to how I prepare the cake.The original recipe uses a 2 inch deep cake dish. I prefer a thinner cake so I split the batter in two and use two slightly smaller cake plates (1 1/2 inch deep plates). Since I split the cake in two, I double the topping and divide it between the two plates.

My cook time is less than the original recipe because my cakes are thinner. If you prefer to only make one large, extra deep cake, please follow the original recipe at Simply recipes.

Overall I just like making two cakes instead of one because I feel like the cake to topping ratio is perfect that way, and you also have one cake to keep for yourself and one to give away to a friend. Enjoy!

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This recipe for Shrimp Salad Sandwiches comes from my mom. It doesn't have specific amounts for the ingredients. It is more of a throw it all in a bowl, mix it up, taste it and add the seasonings you like. It is similar to shrimp pasta salads in flavor, but we have omitted the pasta component and serve it on soft sandwich rolls. Enjoy!

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This recipe comes from my mother. It is nothing fancy but it is a standard side dish at our house, particularly during the Summer. It is refreshing and tasty. Enjoy!


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I have found my most favorite fudgy brownie recipe, courtesy of Cookies & Cups, a wonderful dessert blog you should check out when you finish reading this post. What gives these a unique and delicious flavor is the combination of milk and semi sweet chocolate chips that are melted and added to the brownie batter.

The texture was perfection, gooey and delicious. I have held out for a long time used boxed brownie mixes because I never liked a from scratch recipe all that much. Not anymore! This recipe is incredible. Enjoy!

Note: I was out of baking spray for the baking pan, so I lined the pan with parchment paper, with the parchment coming up over the edges so I could easily lift the cooled brownies out of the pan. It worked great. Just be sure to wait to lift the brownies out of the pan until they have cooled.


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As we are heading towards Spring and Summer, I wanted to include a quick recipe, if you could call it that, for Macerated Strawberries. If you are wondering what Macerated means, Cookthink has a good description.

"To macerate something is to soften it by soaking it in liquid. You usually hear the word used in recipes that include fresh or dried fruit. Macerating fresh fruit releases some of its juices, creating a sweet syrup." - Cookthink

It only takes a few minutes to prepare and makes a perfect side dish for any meal of the day. If your strawberries aren't very sweet it is a quick way to add a touch of sweetness. A tasty addition to this would be a handful of washed blueberries, which we often add.

Note: If your strawberries are very ripe and sweet, you may want to add a bit less sugar, around 1 Tbsp. instead of 2.


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Divinity is another one of my favorite Christmas treats. This is not for the faint of heart. It is sweet and much loved at our house. Most divinities have nuts which I omitted out of preference.

One note about the recipe. It says to heat to 250 to 265. We tried it on the higher end towards 265 and it was just a bit too hard. Next time around I will do 255. Enjoy!

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Besides the famous Snowflake Sugar Cookies, another Christmas cookie staple at our house are Kolachky Thumb Print Cookies. They are tender and sweet and one of our favorites. We also make these using an apricot filling but we decided to be lazy this year and only make cherry. Enjoy!

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I prefer these cookies with no nuts. They are probably my favorite holiday cookie. Even though they only have a few ingredients, the texture and taste is outstanding.

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My gosh you guys, if you like giving out baked goods during the holiday season, you need to add these to your list of things to make. Dried fruits are soaked overnight in Brandy to give a wonderful flavor.

Now if you are familiar with the Williams Sonoma catalog you may be thinking why not just buy a Stollen from them directly. Well for one, they are expensive! $35-$55 per loaf is pretty pricey. Secondly, homemade is fresher and you get three loaves instead of one.


Initially I was afraid the bread might come out dry, but it has such a great texture and best of all it has so much flavor. I had a lot of doubts about how this would turn out and I was taken aback at how delicious and perfect it turned out. Enjoy!



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Thanksgiving just wouldn't be complete without the classic Pumpkin Pie. Serve with whipped cream and enjoy!

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie
Makes one 9" pie

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

1. Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.

3. Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Recipe by Libby's Pumpkin

I know, oysters in stuffing sounds just..weird. I grew up with this, so it never seemed weird to me, just  delicious! Please, give it a try if you are an oyster fan. My favorite way to serve them is with some homemade brown gravy on top. I could eat an entire plate of them served this way...and I just may.



Oyster Dressing
Makes many servings

• 1 extra large loaf of white bread (1 1/2 loaves if using regular sized loaves)
• 1 (8ox.) can whole oysters, do not drain (either canned or refrigerated)
• 2 stalks celery, small dice
• 1 med. onion, small dice
• dried Sage to taste (I used roughly 1 or 2 teaspoons)
• 1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter
• splash of veg. or olive oil

1. Add oil and melt butter in saute pan. Add the celery and onions and cook until soft, but not caramelized (this takes 5 - 10 minutes, approx). In a large bowl tear up bread into bite sized pieces. Add the butter, onions and celery mixture and toss lightly. Add oysters to bread, breaking them up with your fingers into small pieces. Add sage and toss until incorporated. Heat at 350-f until warmed through.

Note: You can also add a bit of melted butter on top of the stuffing so it does not dry out on top while cooking. I covered the stuffing with tin foil while heating to avoid the drying out factor.

Recipe from my mom

Howdy folks! Before I forget, Recipe Sharing Monday will be up shortly so please check back in a bit for that.  Alright, back to Tortellini Pasta Salad. A great thing about a pasta salad like this is you can customize it endlessly to fit your tastes.

Start with picking out a dressing and go from there. Maybe you want to stick with a classic like Italian or Caesar, or perhaps something more unique like a sweet basil or a Parmesan peppercorn dressing.  Once you pick your dressing, add in chopped vegetables, cheese and meats. I'd love to hear what you like to add to your pasta salads, so please leave a comment. Enjoy!

• 1 pkg fresh tortellini pasta, boiled until tender (follow package directions)
• 1/2 cup ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup olives, green or black
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (or chop them however you prefer)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Pepperochini peppers, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/2 cup mozzarella or cheddar cheese, cut into squares
• 1/2 cup salami or pepperoni, diced
• 1/2 cup dressing of your choice (Italian, Parmesan Peppercorn, Caesar or a Sweet Basil dressing)

Today we have one of my favorite dinner recipes. It may not be pretty but it is tasty! A cream based spicy sauce is mixed with sun dried tomatoes and fresh spinach to wilt it, then combined with tender pieces of chicken breast.

So although this recipe has a long name, it is super simple to make. The level of spiciness is up to you. As the recipe is now, it has a little bit of heat. I like to add another pepper with extra Adobo sauce to really spice it up. If you are unsure, start with the called for amount then add more if you'd like. Remember, it is a lot easier to add heat than it is to take it away.

The second time I made this I added in sun dried tomatoes for a little extra flavor, but if you find yourself not having any at the last minute, it tastes great without them too.


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One of my favorite desserts of all time is a family recipe my mom has been making since..well..forever. If you are wondering, jimmies are chocolate sprinkles which are mixed into this moist cake, giving it a hint of chocolate which pairs well with a light coffee flavor.


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