Let's face it. Valentine's Day is a woman's holiday. It's something men endure because they love the women in their lives and they don't want to be labelled "insensitive". Do you really think there would be as much of the color pink, red roses and dark chocolate associated with it if it weren't a women's holiday? To be clear, I'm not complaining. Being a woman, I love this time of year and the excuses to eat more chocolate and go out to dinner. And to make cookies like this. Raspberry and chocolate is one of the best dessert combinations I can think of, and both flavors shine through in these...
Heat Oven To 350
Answering the question, "What's for dinner?" (and breakfast, and dessert, and mid-afternoon snack . . .)
Latest Food Blogs from Heat Oven To 350
Lemon Meringue Cake
Have you ever had someone ask you if you were a cake or pie person? The few times I've been asked I've been unsure what to say. After sitting and staring blankly for a few minutes I usually respond, "Ummmm, both?" Does liking them mutually exclusive? I just don't discriminate between my desserts, folk. I'm an equal opportunity dessert eater. There are some people, though, that are definitely more on one side of the fence than the other when...
Southwestern Salmon Cakes
Fish scares me.Not the live fish, although getting brushed by one when I'm swimming in a lake is enough to raise an unearthly shriek from somewhere deep in my gut. No, I'm talking about cooking fish. I know that eating fish can be good for you, and I've been working up the courage to cook it on a more regular basis. (As in, more than once a year or so.) I still find it daunting, though, to walk up to the meat counter in my grocery store and walk...
California Roll Sushi Salad
65 degrees, folks! Amelia and I worked in the garden this week. And by worked in the garden, I mean that I cut down all the dead plants that I should have cut down last fall and Amelia sat on a blanket smiling at every person/animal that walked by and eating as many dead leaves as she could sneak into her mouth without me seeing. Girlfriend won't eat avocado but chomps dead leaves like chips. Figures. Warmer weather always makes me think of...
Green Mashed No-Tatoes
One year on St. Patrick's Day my dad put green food coloring in our milk and all of us kids thought it was the best. thing. ever. Our cereal felt so festive and cool. I thought of the green St. Patty's day milk when I ran across this recipe a little while ago and saved it to make this month. Who doesn't want to have a few cool side dishes in their recipe book? Especially healthy ones like this one. That green color? It's spinach. And...
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Favorite parts of this week:1) Taking Amelia on a walk in nearly 60 degree weather. After a brutal winter, it feels amazing to be outside. Amelia giggled almost the entire time. 2) This conversation with my husband - Husband - Are we doing anything tomorrow?Me - Not that I know of. Why, did you want to go to Costco or something?Husband - Uh, no. It's just our anniversary.Yep, that happened. Four years into marriage and I've already...
Mini Pepper Chicken Nachos
My husband was horrified the first time I made him nachos early in our marriage. I'm not sure if it was because they were microwaved or it was the use of American cheese slices. Either way, he did a double take when I handed him a plate of what we had always called nachos in my house growing up. (I love how being married to someone for even a short time can show you so many reasons that the family you grew up with was not as normal as you...
Cream Cheese Rollups with Cinnamon Sugar
Five points if you can name what the pastry in these cream cheese rollups is made of.If you guessed flattened white bread, you are the winner. If you didn't, don't feel bad. I ate one of these and still didn't know.This recipe is about as easy and foolproof as it comes. I'm a fan of making things from scratch, but I also think every recipe box should have a few recipes like this one. They aren't glamorous, they aren't healthy, but we give them a...
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Days at work when I have something cooking in the slow cooker at home are just awesome. I walk around feeling like I just crossed ten things off my to-do list and fighting the urge to high-five everyone I see. In quiet moments I want to whisper to the person next to me, "Want to know a secret? Dinner is ALREADY DONE."Whether you are a complete food geek like me or not, knowing that dinner will be hot and ready when you get home is a great...
Chocolate Blackout Cake
My husband still talks about this cake. I made it years ago for a friend's surprise birthday party before my husband and I were dating. He was at the party and remembers me, and remembers the cake. I remember the cake. Ever since that time, through our dating and several years of marriage, my husband has periodically mentioned this cake: "Remember that really rich chocolate cake you made for Becky's birthday party before we were...
Jalapeño Cheese Bread
Okay, so I'm embarrassed. Really. Almost as embarrassed as when in ninth grade I pulled out my English book in study hall and a feminine hygiene item came out with it and flew across the room. For real.So you know that little "Contact Us" tab at the top of the page? The one I thought no one ever used and almost deleted a few days ago? It turns out people DID use it, but I didn't know that because I had screwed up what e-mail account I had the...
