Sunday, March 16, 2025
Lenten Meal Spotlight...Featuring Sizzling Garlic Shrimp #lentenmeals #shrimp #spicy #gulfseafood #fiveingredientrecipe
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Lenten Seafood Dinner...Featuring Baked Crab Cakes with Avocado Crema and Mango-Avocado Salsa #lentenmeals #crabcakes #seafood
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Lenten Meal Ideas...Featuring Shrimp Scampi Grilled Cheese #shrimp #grilledcheese #grownupgrilledcheese #elevatedcomfortfood
Sunday, February 2, 2025
Tutorial: Assembling a Lightened-Up Game Day Taco Bar Stadium for the Super Bowl #superbowlfood #homegating #snackadium #foodietutorial #appetizerdisplay
The Super Bowl is next Sunday. That means cheering...commercial watching...and lots of amazing FOOD!! Today, I'm going to show you step-by-step instructions to create a Lightened-Up Game Day Taco Bar Stadium. These days, I use healthier versions of my favorite taco fixings to reduce fat, carbs, and calories. I do this without sacrificing any of the fun or flavor! I use a football field serving platter I found a couple of years as the taco bar's centerpiece. I'll show you how easy it is to create this simple football-themed appetizer display. My football field tray has sections to hold reduced fat shredded cheese, fresh pico de gallo, and guacamole. Reduced fat sour cream and a trio of healthy sauces are spooned into four smaller sections in the tray's "end zones." The end result is a display with great eye appeal...and taste!
Keep reading for step-by-step instructions to cook and assemble my Lightened-Up Game Day Taco Bar Stadium. I promise it's easy...the entire process of cooking and setup will take you an hour max! To save time, the beef and chicken taco fillings can be made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight. This taco bar display is a perfect showstopping centerpiece for any game day spread.
Monday, January 13, 2025
Perfect for Game Day Noshing: Red Beans and Rice Arancini #gamedayfod #homegating #redbeansandrice #appetizers
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Easy Entertaining with Chef-Curated Boarderie Cheese and Charcuterie Boards #boarderie #charcuterie #easyentertaining #cheeselover
This holiday season, I was introduced to Boarderie, a Florida-based company that offers a variety of creative pre-made cheese & charcuterie boards. These gourmet ready-to-serve boards are sent via free nationwide shipping to serve at a wide range of occasions. I love serving cheese and charcuterie boards when I entertain at home...but not figuring out which cheeses, meats, and accompaniments best pair together. Not to mention taking time to shop for everything and assemble it in an eye-pleasing way. Boarderie does all of that! I only had to open the shipping box, then set up the gourmet chef-curated cheese & charcuterie board I received. Talk about a time saver!
I received a Boarderie Happy Holidays Large Cheese & Charcuterie Board to serve at my family's annual Christmas Eve party. This beautiful board featured a whopping 37 different items arranged on a reusable acacia wood serving tray! There was literally something for everyone: 15 varieties of cheese, four charcuterie meats, eight types of dried fruit, and five different nuts...along with olives, fig jam, candies, and three types of crackers. They even included disposable wooden serving utensils!
My Boarderie cheese & charcuterie board arrived carefully packed inside a cushioned shipping box. It was kept perfectly chilled via two large frozen gel packs. The board arrived sealed and pre-arranged in multiple sections. Each section of the board was also individually sealed for maximum freshness. The entire setup process took about 15 minutes. All I had to do was unwrap the individual sections, open the jars of fig jam and olives, and plate the crackers.Wednesday, December 18, 2024
A Perfect Holiday Dessert: Eggnog Pie with Maple-Spice Whipped Cream #eggnog #holidaybaking #pie #holidaycooking
Thursday, December 12, 2024
2024 Holiday Gift Guide for Food Lovers Part 2 #24holidaygiftguidefood #foodiegifts #2024giftideas #foodgifts2024
It's time for Part 2 of this year's annual Holiday Gift Guide for Food Lovers! From a viral kitchen appliance...to delicious food presents...to healthy gifts and stocking stuffer ideas...here's the rest of my picks for the best 2024 holiday presents for food lovers and cooks. You're sure to find a present that appeals to the food enthusiasts on your shopping list. All items are can be ordered online and shipped...but I also mention retail location options for those who prefer to do their shopping in person.For the Breakfast Lover: Runamok Peppermint Bark Maple Syrup ($19.95). If you have any breakfast lovers on your holiday shopping list, Vermont-based Runamok is featuring a seasonal maple syrup with classic peppermint bark flavors: chocolate and peppermint! This unique maple syrup combines the classic caramelized flavor of maple syrup with notes of refreshing peppermint and rich cocoa. It's the perfect balance of cool freshness and rich sweetness.
This versatile maple syrup definitely goes great with pancakes -- especially if you add a bit of cocoa to the pancake mix! It can also be added to hot chocolate or cold milk for a delicious beverage. I love to add this Peppermint Bark Maple Syrup to flavor my morning oatmeal!
If you prefer a more traditional maple syrup flavor profile, Runamok has two other seasonal options. Glittery Snow Globe Sparkle Syrup and Festivus Infused Maple Syrup, which features warm spice notes. In addition to handy online ordering, Runamok products can also be purchased at select retailers nationwide.
For the Grill Master: Urban Accents Bodacious BBQ Gift Set ($29.95). For BBQ enthusiasts, this Urban Accents collection with BBQ rubs/seasonings and dryglaze blends will be a welcome addition to their grilling spice rack.
This gift sets contains spice blends in a wide range of regional flavor profiles:
- Chicago Chophouse Spice Blend
- Kansas City Classic Rub
- Athenian Herb Dryglaze
- Vermont Maple Dryglaze
- Santa Fe BBQ Dryglaze
Gift Ideas for the Healthy Food Lover. If you're having difficulty shopping for friends or family who follow healthy eating plans, here's a trio of gift ideas just for them!
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
2024 Holiday Gift Guide for Food Lovers Part 1 #2024holidaygiftguidefoodlovers #holidayfoodgifts #foodieholidays
Saturday, November 30, 2024
No-Bake Holiday Treats...Featuring Coconut-Pecan Truffles #nobaketreats #holidaytreats #chocolate #easyholiday
The holiday baking season is officially underway! If you have cookie exchange parties on your calendar -- or simply need an easy holiday treat to serve last-minute guests -- I've got the perfect recipe for you! These no-bake Coconut-Pecan Truffles are made in minutes with a handful of simple ingredients. Even better? These sweet treats can be made up to a day ahead since the chocolate truffle mixture needs to chill before being rolled in crushed pecans. It's the holiday happiness trifecta: quick to make...no oven required...and delicious!
Friday, November 8, 2024
The Perfect Thanksgiving Side Dish: Orange-Maple Cranberry Sauce #thanksgivingfood #cranberrysauce #makeityourself #holidaycooking
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Halloween Fun Week: Featuring Boo-Rific Corn Dog Cups with Green Goo Dipping Sauce #halloweenfun #spookyfood #kidfriendlyhalloween #funwithfood

Sunday, September 29, 2024
Spotlight on Just Meats Cooked Meats: Smoked Texas Brisket...Featuring Streamlined Brisket Queso #justmeats #gamedayfood #homegating #beef #queso
Monday, September 16, 2024
Las Vegas Afternoon Adventure at The Venetian: Black Tap Craft Burgers, The Sphere Experience, and Minus5 ICEBAR #weekendgourmettravel #lasvegas #vegasfun #whathappensinvegas
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Healthy Game Day Snacks: Vegetarian Skillet Nacho Dip #gamedayfood #homegating #healthyappetizer #meatless #vegfriendly
Sunday, August 4, 2024
Fulton Fish Market Spotlight...Featuring Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Taco Salad #summereats #seafood #shrimp #salad #healthyfood
Today, I'm teaming with New York's Fulton Fish Market to share a healthy Summer salad spotlighting their Wild Colossal Blue Easy-Peel Shrimp. Established in 1822, they're the world's largest seafood market by variety. For more than two centuries, their quality seafood was available only to local chefs...and adventurous tourists willing to brave the early morning hours. However, their convenient online Fulton Fish Market now allows seafood lovers across the United States to order their world-class seafood.
My Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Taco Salad is an ideal dinner for warm Summer evenings! It's quick to make, and it doesn't heat up my kitchen. This entree salad also features multiple layers of flavors and textures. It's exactly how I like to cook during the long, HOT Texas Summer.
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Back-to-School Breakfast...Featuring Banana Cream Pie Overnight Oats #backtoschool #overnightoats #nocookbreakfast #kidfriendly #healthyanddelicious

Thursday, July 11, 2024
Healthy and Delicious...Summery Lemon Basil Shrimp Salad #salad #seafood #shrimp #healthymeals #summerfood
Summer is in full swing here in Texas... and we survived Hurricane Beryl this week with only minimal damage! My Summery Lemon Basil Shrimp Salad is quick-to-assemble dinner. This entree salad features a delicious chunky shrimp salad served on a bed of seasonal veggies and heart-healthy avocado. The end result is filling...without leaving you feeling stuff and bloated. To save time, the creamy shrimp salad can be prepared up to a day ahead and stored tightly covered in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the salad.
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Velvet Taco Opens New Location in Webster! #velvetaco #websterdining #theweekendgourmetdinesout
Velvet Taco recently opened a location in Webster, very close to Baybrook Mall. This Texas-based restaurant has a cheeky name...and a menu that features creative globally-inspired tacos. We recently stopped by to try a sampling of their tacos -- along with a customizable appetizer, cocktail, and dessert. Velvet Taco's menu literally offers something for all appetites...including vegetarian/vegan taco options. While we looked over our taco options, we started with their fun Chips & Dip Trio. This shareable appetizer lets you pick any three guacamole, queso, or elote options from their menu. We opted for their Classic Guac, Queso Blanco, and Elote -- which arrived on a large metal tray with each dip nestled in a pile of warm blue tortilla chips. Why pick one dip...when you can enjoy three?!?!? The guacamole was creamy and supremely fresh, and the queso had a nice flavor boost from a drizzle of house-made hot sauce and chimichurri. If you've never tried elote, it's fresh corn kernels flavored with Valentina hot sauce, citrus lime crema, queso fresco, and fresh lime...so good!