With the New Year, brings new resolutions.  I have always had a New Year’s resolution of losing weight.  I have been a yo-yo dieter my whole life.  I’ve tried every diet on the market.  Spent a lot of money and did lose weight; but gained it all back and usually more.  

The holiday season is all about getting together with family and friends. Have guests over for a no-fuss, no-stress cocktail party. For a memorable party for you and your guests, serve a festive cocktail and a couple of elegant but easy-to-make appetizers.

This morning when I woke up and seen that it was going to be a chilly 63 in Tucson, I thought it would be the perfect day to make a little ham and bean soup and use up that leftover ham bone that is in the freezer from Thanksgiving.

As the weather in Southern Arizona cools off, I think about the holiday traditions that families have.  Once the weather cooled off, my great grandpa would make a batch of Tom and Jerry batter.  As kids, you could just have a small one fixed in a shot glass; but as adults, I looked forward to making a batch of batter myself and enjoying them all throughout the holidays.

I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  As I get older, I remember family traditions and how they are important to carry on.  When I was a child, we always went to Grandma Peggy’s the night before Thanksgiving.  She would make a feast with ham and turkey, mashed potatoes, scalloped corn, green-bean casserole, stuffing, and lots of homemade pies. It was enough for 40 people because that is how many crammed into her two-bedroom home in Southwest Minnesota.   

Fall and Halloween are my favorite times of the year.  It brings back fond memories of family.  My aunt and grandma have made lasagna for years beginning in the fall.  I can remember trick or treating and stopping at grandma’s for a piece of lasagna and a popcorn ball.  I asked grandma where she ever got the recipe and she found it in the 1950s in the newspaper if you can believe it.  Our family thinks it is the best lasagna we have ever eaten.  

How many of you have gone to the grocery store or the Farmer’s Market hungry and bought lots of those fresh and tempting vegetables?  Then when you got home they made their way to the refrigerator and stayed there until you had to throw them in the garbage?

I just love this time of the year. Fall, it is right around the corner.  The night and morning air gets a little crisper, it’s football season, and best of all, it is the beginning of baking season.  When I think of fall, the first thing I want to make is some apple crisp. 

I love cinnamon rolls, but they are so time consuming to make.  I found this recipe in the “Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics” cookbook, and thought I would share.

Thursday, Aug. 23, is National Sponge Cake Day.  Kind of crazy that they actually dedicated a day to sponge cake. Coming from a family of great cooks, my great grandma used to make a sponge cake that was amazing.  A good comparison would be the Twinkie.  

When August rolls around, I always think of garden-fresh tomatoes.  Growing up in the Midwest, August was the month that produced red, juicy and sweet tomatoes.  I sometimes miss my tomato garden as I would have had lots of tomato plants that produced lots of tomatoes.  I would can salsa, marinara sauce, tomato sauce, whole tomatoes for chili, and the list goes on and on.  

July is National Ice Cream month, which is my favorite month.  I love ice cream.  I think there should be a section on the food pyramid exclusively for ice cream.  

One of the best clubs I have been in was a cookbook club.  I missed this since moving to Arizona so decided to start one up.

With Father’s Day approaching, I thought it would be appropriate to let you know who and what led me to my career as a personal chef.  

The other day I was thinking about what my top 10 favorite foods were?. I decided that nachos were on there.  I recently bought a book called “Macho Nachos” by Kate Heyhoe.  Who would have thought that there could be a 95-page book all about nachos?

I grew up eating potatoes with just about every dinner.  Whether they were mashed, baked, broiled, fried or frozen french fries/tator tots; potatoes were a staple on our dinner table.

Hi ribbers. Growing up in the grocery store watching my Dad cut meat for the meat case, I was fortunate enough to learn so much about the different cuts of meat.

I thought with asparagus being in season, I would share what has become a favorite in our house. Growing up, I just ate pepperoni pizza, and nothing else.

With spring being here, the first thing that comes to this foodies’ mind is fresh asparagus.

With St. Patrick’s day approaching, I thought it would be helpful to distinguish between the different cuts of corned beef. It’s important to know which cut is the best choice, and most important, how to cook the perfect brisket.