October 2011

Trick or Treat! A Keurig Giveaway! (Winner Announced)

October 31, 2011 |

UPDATE: The winner of the Keurig is: #1,705 – Lauren: “My favorite Halloween candy is usually Twix.” Congratulations Lauren ! You should have already received an email from me; make sure you reply with your flavor choices! Thanks everyone for entering, be on the look out for more giveaways as the holidays draw near! Happy [...]

The Weekend Dish: 10/29/2011

October 29, 2011 |

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How many of you are waking up to snow this morning?! I couldn’t believe when I looked at the forecast yesterday that there was 1-3 inches of snow forecasted for Pittsburgh today. It came out of nowhere! I hope everyone has power and can stay hunkered down if the roads are treacherous. A perfect weekend [...]

Favorite (Hardcore) Chili

October 27, 2011 |

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Behold the absolute, without question, best bowl of chili I have ever had. I’ve had this recipe bookmarked since the January issue of Cook’s Illustrated showed up in my mailbox. It was their “favorite” chili, and included a few “secret” ingredients – things like cocoa powder, molasses and beer. It uses dried chiles ground down [...]

Creamy Potato & Leek Soup

October 25, 2011 |

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A handful of years ago I was at a wedding that served a Cream of Potato & Leek soup as part of the meal. It’s one of the most memorable food items I’ve ever had at a wedding… maybe the most memorable. It was delicious – thick and hearty, creamy, and full of flavor. The [...]

35 Awesome Halloween Recipes

October 24, 2011 |

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Halloween is one week from today, are you ready?! I feel the same way I always feel when Halloween is approaching… meh. For as much as I love Christmas, I have about the opposite level of enthusiasm towards Halloween. I think I ceased trick-or-treating after 5th grade, I hate scary movies, I’ve never been inspired [...]

The Weekend Dish: 10/22/2011

October 22, 2011 |

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Happy Saturday everyone! Did you all have a good week? I took a nice little mid-week, one-day road trip out to the middle of Pennsylvania. Driving the turnpike from Pittsburgh, the trees were absolutely gorgeous – a million different shades of red, orange and yellow. I love this time of year. My Chief Culinary Consultant [...]

Skillet Apple Crisp

October 21, 2011 |

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I absolutely love fruit dessert that end in “pie”, “cobbler” or “crisp”. I love flaky pie crust, light-as-air biscuit topping, and crunchy streusel toppings. It might even be a fair statement that I love all of these things even more than the fruit fillings. Hey, you like what you like and you can’t help it! [...]

What’s on Your Holiday Wish List?

October 20, 2011 |

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I know, I know, it’s not even Halloween. I’m one of those people that takes mental notes of gift ideas throughout the year, and then once fall hits I’m like a little kid waiting for the holidays to roll around. I’m also one of those people that will watch the movie Elf in the middle [...]

Salted Caramel Popcorn, Pretzel & Peanut Bars

October 19, 2011 |

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Let me introduce you to Rice Krispies treats on crack. Or steroids. Pick your poison. These are insanely, dangerously addictive. There aren’t even any Rice Krispies in them. Instead, we have a mixture of popcorn, pretzels and peanuts. And you know the whole butter and marshmallow mixture that traditionally binds everything together? Forget about it. [...]