Chicken Salad with Pears & Traverse City Cherries

Having grown up just 30 miles south of the self-proclaimed Cherry Capital, I’m no stranger to the sweet and tangy world of cherries. Traverse City is located in the upper western part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. It’s proximity to the Great Lakes and access to Grand Traverse Bay makes this thriving area a perfect growing [...]

Tossed Green Salad with Peanut Dressing

There’s nothing quite like diving into crisp salad greens with crunch fresh vegetables. Just like my friend likes to say, “Sometimes I could use a good walk and a nice salad.” This salad was a quick dinner using several bits and pieces found in my fridge from recipes past. I’m a huge fan of chicken [...]

Radish & Spinach Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

I felt like a corporate domestic goddess while sifting through my large stack of food, home and business magazines. As I was tearing out the recipes that inspired me, I was immediately taken back by the simplicity of this salad. True to the photo in the Food & Wine Magazine, this salad was ambrosial in [...]

An Amazing Pumpkin Mousse

When I think of “pumpkin” and “Thanksgiving”, I immediately think of pumpkin pie. I suspect having a slice for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past three days was a clear indication I got that recipe down. Now it was time to turn to something a little lighter….well, in texture…not in calories. This pumpkin mousse [...]

Coconut Raspberry Cake

Fluffy flakes of snow fell from the heavens outside my kitchen window as the mixer hummed early Saturday morning.  I watched as they danced in the air from the crystal blue sky to the dormant grass of my front lawn.  Each flake seemed to carry a uniquely complex design that was delicately beautiful and pure [...]