Spring brings wonderful strawberries to the markets. Honey goat cheese pairs beautifully with strawberries and with a hint of honey drizzle, you have a very simple, delicious appetizer (or dessert). Yummy!
1 dozen large strawberries
8 oz. package Honey Goat Cheese (I use Haystack)
Honey
Corned Beef and Cabbage is an Irish-American tradition, not one commonly found in Ireland. None the less, it is a tradition many of us treasure and cook only 1 time a year. I prepare this dish in my trusty Crock Pot and it’s perfect every time. This time I chose to omit the carrots and go with a basic beef, potato, onion, and cabbage meal.
Pair this dish with Irish Soda Bread and a beer (green) and have yourself a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
1 raw corned beef roast (3-4 pounds)
1 head cabbage washed and cut into wedges
8 red skinned potatoes, washed
3 carrots (optional)
2-3 medium onions (optional)
1 cup water
salt and pepper
Valentine’s Day is a day we cherished as children, exchanging Valentines with our classmates, carefully choosing cards for each person. We would spend what seemed like hours on our Valentines for our parents.
Our Mothers would bake cookies to bring to class and we would have a big ‘sugar high’ before our sweet teachers would watch us leave the classroom for one crazy ride home on the bus. 
As I got older, Valentine’s Day became more about romance, setting expectations of what we should give and receive of this day full of cupid, hearts and roses. More often than not, this day was a let-down. This week on CBS Sunday morning I saw one of my favorite comedians, Jim Gaffigan, share his thoughts on Valentine’s Day. He captures it well!
With children, Valentine’s Day would bring me back to my childhood, helping the girls pick out their favorite cartoon-themed Valentine’s, baking heart-shaped cookies, and often receiving the precious Valentines from their sweet little hands.
Today, Valentine’s Day is a day to show love by sharing a gift of food with family and friends, calling a lonely friend, and being thankful and full of love for this precious gift of life….today!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Cold winter days and soup are the perfect pair. I have such fond memories of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from Panera and also from the little luncheonette at my work. With temperatures near and below zero this week, I was craving this savory gem especially after all of the sweets from the holidays. It didn’t disappoint!
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup diced, cooked chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half
2 tablespoons dry white wine (or dry sherry)
minced parsley or chives
The vision of the holidays brings about fond memories, warmth and good cheer. Once they are here, we all seem to hustle and bustle around, becoming too busy to really enjoy the season and remembering the ‘reason for the season’.
As I did my last minute shopping for groceries and gifts, it was easy to see the stress on the clerks faces as well as the faces of the shoppers. It makes me sad. I, too, am guilty of being stressed over the holiday and it is all self-imposed. The perfect Christmas newsletter must be produced (not so perfect this year!), cookies and candies to be made, gifts to be purchased and wrapped, menus planned, etc., etc ., etc.
As I look at the decorations in my house that need to come down and the beauty of the Christmas tree disappearing, I searched for a song about ‘after Christmas’ and discovered this great song by Matthew West. It captures my sentiments and hope that you, too, will keep ‘The Light of the World’ in your heart all year long.
Artist: Matthew West
Album: The Heart Of Christmas
Here comes the letdown Christmas is over
Here comes the meltdown, there goes the cheer
But before we have a breakdown, let us remember
The light of the world is still here
Happy day after Christmas
And merry rest of the year
Even when Christmas is over
The light of the world is still here
The light of the world
Come January I’m ready for summer
The Super Bowl’s over and I’ll settle for spring
Sometimes we all need a change in the weather
But it won’t change the reason we sing
Happy day after Christmas
And merry rest of the year
Even when Christmas is over
The light of the world is still here
The light of the world
The light of the world
The light of the world
So take down the stockings, take back the sweaters
Take down the lights and the star and the tree
But don’t let this world take your joy after Christmas
Take joy to the world and just sing
Happy day after Christmas
And merry rest of the year
Even when Christmas is over
The light of the world is still here
Happy day after Christmas
And merry rest of the year
Even when Christmas is over
The light of the world is still here
The light of the world
The light of the world
The light of the world
The light of the world
The light of the world
The light of the world
The light of the world
Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/matthew-west/day-after-christmas-lyrics/#DfXc2tXWkIsX00G1.99
Christmas morning without Kolaches is like the 4th of July without fireworks. Cherry Kolaches have always been my favorite and, until a few years ago, the only kind I ever made. What to do when your new son-in-law doesn’t like cooked fruit? You can never go wrong with Chocolate.
The first year I was a bit doubtful about the results but I was pleasantly surprised. I took a piece of dough, as I would for the cherry kolaches, but flatten in slightly, pressing 1-2 chocolate kisses in the dough, then pinching the dough closed around the chocolate.
Update January 2021: I have made these every year but have graduated to a higher grade of chocolate, using Ghirardelli chocolate chips or squares.
Allow the dough to rise, per the recipe, and bake. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar when removing from the oven (optional).
See the original recipe on my Cherry Kolaches post.
There is something decadent about chocolate with something salty. Chocolate dipped pretzels are a favorite of mine and last Christmas I made Chocolate Dipped Pretzels Rods in white chocolate and with dark chocolate to give as gifts. Ahem…except for those that didn’t make it past my mouth!
White Chocolate Chips
Dark Chocolate Chips
Pretzel Rods
Sugars and Sprinkles
Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of year with friends and family gathering together, sharing a meal, counting our blessings, and probably take in some football games.
This year I am sharing some of my Fork-Lore.com favorite Thanksgiving recipes that our family has enjoyed for many, many years.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving memories!
Deviled Eggs are an Easter ‘must have’, and this year will be no different. Everyone in the family loves them so as they say in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’…TRADITION! Back in the day, my Mother would make them from the eggs laid by our own hens. The yolks were deep yellow and it was a lucky treat when we would have an egg with a double yolk.
That was the good part. I can’t say that gathering the eggs was a treat since the hens were often pretty fussy about having anyone poking around their nests for their eggs. Then there was the washing of the eggs for our use and sale to others. All in a days work down on the farm.
Today, I usually buy my eggs at the grocery store but found that Chicken Track brown eggs closely resembled the eggs from the farm. This recipe does not include the direct measurements but was taught to me based on feel/texture. The filling should be moist but not runny.
Boiled eggs
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Dill pickle juice
Salt to taste
Paprika
Other Easter favorites:
Kugel is something I have wanted to make (and taste) for years. Our book club was meeting to discuss ‘This is Where I Leave You’ by Jonathan Tropper. We always have a potluck prior to the discussion, typically with a theme from the book. This story takes place during the time this Jewish family is ‘sitting Shiva’, therefore the theme was favorite Jewish foods.
Our potluck including many wonderful dishes including Matzo Ball Soup, Latkes with Applesauce, Bagels and Lox, NY Cheesecake with Strawberries, Mandelbrot, Kugel and fresh vegetables and fruit (to make us feel less guilty about the carb/fat overload).
Kugel was my immediate choice and friend and Grandmother-in-Law, Chris, shared a favorite recipe with me. It is a wonderful recipe, absolutely decadent and worth the splurge every now and again. Sweet, sweet noodle pudding…I love you!
1 lb. egg noodles (broad or medium), cooked and drained
1/2 pound butter, softened
6 eggs, beaten
1 quart milk (1/2 cup less if using creamed cottage cheese)
3/4 cup sugar
2 caps vanilla
1 cup white raisins
1 pound cottage cheese
Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups crushed Corn Flakes
Fork Lore 