Today was a chilly, rainy day in San Diego. The kind where you want to stay in for dinner and have a cozy, simple dinner in front of the fireplace. The good news is that it looks like the top 12% of California seems to be drought-free, yippee! With the amount of rain we seem…
Author: Sunshine and Savory
I love when my house is filled with people, having friends and family over for a meal feeds my soul. There is nothing I enjoy more than preparing for a dinner party, a holiday dinner, or a book club meeting when it's my turn to host ... If I could, I would own a Bed and Breakfast! This would ensure I'd always have someone to prepare a meal for. Being with others and sharing my table is what I look forward to most. I was born in Wisconsin and after I got married in 1987, my husband and I moved west for his job. He had just graduated college and we were married a couple months later. An interesting tidbit about me is that I never cooked a meal before I got married. I taught myself how to cook and found that I really enjoyed it. One of the first meals I made after we were married was a shrimp pasta dish. I made this for myself when my husband was on business travel and I had so much fun inventing this meal - this was the start of my love of cooking. My favorite celebrity chefs are Ina Garten and The Pioneer Woman. I hope you enjoy my blog!
Raspberry Chipotle and Anaheim Chile Flank Steak
Today, while browsing my pantry shelves, I came across a sauce I bought at Trader Joe’s a couple of weeks ago and decided to use it in making my dinner tonight. It is the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. I did buy this at Trader Joe’s, but I’ve seen raspberry chipotle sauce in other brands as well at…
Two Hour Chicken Bake
I was browsing the internet the other day and a recipe popped up for a “no peek chicken” that bakes for two and a half hours. It reminded me of a chicken dish that my mom used to make when I was growing up. This made me nostalgic to have this meal again, so decided to…
Christmastime Mac & Cheese
The reason I decided to name this homemade Mac and Cheese “Christmastime Mac and Cheese” is because once I added a couple of jars of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh thyme, the red and green from the tomatoes and thyme really showed through and it looked pretty enough to serve for a get together near the…
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Soup is always so comforting in the fall and winter months. Even though it was a beautiful day in San Diego, it has been really chilly in the evenings and the mornings as well. I had a hankering for chicken tortilla soup, so that’s what I decided to make for dinner tonight. Kylie was out…
Parmesan, Rosemary, and Garlic Vermicelli
Friends of ours, Kent and Jen – the “Jents” host a fabulous party every November. It is the most fun time! They are absolutely wonderful hosts. You should have seen their wedding, it goes down as my favorite wedding ever. Jen did a wonderful job planning her big day and it showed. We all had such…
Almond, Marshmallow and Apricot Bark with Dried Cranberries Sprinkled In
Tonight, I have a Christmas Cookie Exchange Party to attend. This will be the third year I’ve been invited to this wonderful party. It is always so much fun and so festive. My friend and neighbor, Jane … and her good friend Kelli, are the hostesses – and they do a fabulous job of putting…
Tri-Tip Roast Stuffed with Garlic Cloves and Coated in Dijon, Thyme and Rosemary
On Thursday I received a message from a Jenni, a friend from high school. Jenni was the nicest, kindest, and most genuine of people. She was liked by everyone! Jenni was looking for a way to make a sirloin tip roast, but without using oregano. Her husband is not a big fan of oregano and…
Cranberry, Date and Lemon Chicken in White Wine and Dijon
Last night was a fun night I’ll remember for a long time. My dear friend, Ethel, had a birthday during the week of Thanksgiving. I wanted to throw a dinner party in her honor to celebrate her wonderful self. Ethel is the kindest, sweetest, and most giving friend a woman could hope for. She would…
Chicken Drumsticks in a Honey Hoisin Sauce
It feels like a lifetime since I’ve made a recipe and blogged about it. Last week was super busy – I had the most wonderful Thanksgiving! It couldn’t have been better. I actually made some things that I wanted to blog about, but I was having so much fun with my aunt and uncle and…
Sunshine and Savory 