This is perfect for cookouts, potluck gatherings or really just to eat at home because it’s one of Marlin’s favorites 🥰

It reminds me of the essence of Summer and being by the pool. Smelling burgers being cooked on the grille. Ok I’m getting a little excited about Summer coming, can ya tell??!!

It’s such an easy recipe to make especially if you are in a hurry. I’m also going to share with you my personal favorite recipe for Red Wine Vinaigrette salad dressing to go with it which I know you’ll just wanna drink by itself – it’s THAT delicious!

Cucumber, Tomato & Onion w/Red Wine Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 Large Cucumber, thinly sliced (I used the seedless, much easier!)

4-5 Tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 Large Onion, thinly sliced

1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons vinegar of choice (balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar. I used red wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (I used honey)

2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced (I omitted the garlic – still tastes delicious!)

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine all of the ingredients (minus the cucumber, tomato’s and onion) Stir well with a small whisk or a fork until the ingredients are completely mixed together.

Taste, and adjust as necessary. If the mixture is too acidic, thin it out with a bit more olive oil or balance the flavors with a little more maple syrup or honey. If the mixture is a little blah, add another pinch or two of salt. If it doesn’t have enough zing, add vinegar by the teaspoon.

In a separate bowl, add the sliced cucumber, tomatoes and onion. Pour the vinaigrette over and mix thoroughly.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the vinaigrette, immediately use or cover and refrigerate for the future. Homemade vinaigrette keeps well for 7 to 10 days. If your vinaigrette solidifies somewhat in the fridge, don’t worry about it—real olive oil tends to do that. Simply let it rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes or microwave very briefly (about 20 seconds) to liquify the olive oil again. Whisk to blend and serve.

I used the recipe from Cookie + Kate. Make sure to look at her website for more delicious recipes!

As I was looking through old recipe books trying to figure out what to do with a few leftover apples…I went to my “go to” Betty Crocker recipe book that was given to me as a Christmas gift in 1998. This book is near and dear to my heart with all of my finger smudges from baking in the past and all of the sweet memories of being a young wife and mother. You can tell the recipes that I had made the most with all of the pages folded over…flour still sticking to them like a ghost from times so long ago.

It’s so easy now to just “google” a recipe or follow a blog (like mine!) but there is nothing more treasured than an old cookbook – it’s like a visit again with an old friend. My husband’s family still has a few of his mother’s recipes on old index cards with her thumbprints and finger smudges. The writing is now a little faded. But it’s a treasure. A keepsake that can never be replaced.

Now onto this wonderful Apple-Cinnamon Bread.

It’s delicious. It’s simple. It’s timeless.

Apple Cinnamon Bread 🍎

Ingredients

2 Medium Cooking Apples, chopped (I used McIntosh)

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Shortening (I used a stick of unsalted butter)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts (I used Pecans)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

Grease the bottom of a loaf pan

Cut the apples into fourths, then core, peel and chop to measure 2 cups.

In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, combine the sugar, shortening (or butter), vanilla and eggs. Mix thoroughly.

Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix very well until smooth. The batter will be thick.

Stir in the chopped apples, walnuts (or pecans) and raisins (optional)

Spread the batter into the greased loaf pan.

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon together. Sprinkle over the batter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick test (from the center of the bread) comes out clean.

Immediately remove the bread from the pan to a cooling wire rack. Cool. Store the bread tightly covered.

(Recipe Source: Betty Crocker’s Best of Baking: More than 350 of America’s Favorite Recipes, 1997)

I was trying to think of something delicious to make for an Easter dessert and what better dessert to make than Lady Bird Johnson’s Lemon Cake!

Easter has always been a very special time in our family. It started in my childhood with my mother taking me shopping for a new “Easter” dress each year. Each dress had to be accessorized, of course, with small white gloves, white patent leather shoes, a matching hat and purse.

It was a day of going to mass at Saint Thomas More Cathedral in my hometown of Arlington, Virginia and then proceeded with Easter dinner with family. The dinner was always a baked ham and all of the delicious sides (macaroni & cheese was my favorite!) and of course yummy desserts.

Lemon Cake was always a favorite. It always reminds me of Springtime and a time of renewal. The aroma of lemon is so refreshing to the soul!

I hope that each and every one of you have a wonderful Easter and enjoy the special day with family and friends. For me, as a Christian, it reminds me of all that Jesus did to sacrifice for us when He died on the cross. It also reminds me of times long ago with my mother. How I wish I could go back to the simpler times and the excitement of shopping for that new dress with my mom.

Lady Bird Johnson’s Famous Lemon Cake

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Softened Butter

1 1/4 Cups Sugar

8 Egg Yolks

2 1/2 Cups Flour

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Cup Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Rind

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325° F. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until light and lemon colored. Blend into the creamed mixture. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Resift 3 times. Add the sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk. Beat the batter thoroughly after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, lemon rind and lemon juice. Beat for 2 minutes. Bake in a greased Bundt pan in the oven for 1 hour or until the cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting. Serves 6.

Lemon Icing

Ingredients

2 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar

1/4 Cup Softened Butter

Grated Rind Of 1 Lemon

2 Teaspoons Cream (Or More For Spreading Consistency)

Directions

Combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter and grated lemon rinds and beat. Add the cream until desired consistency.

I used the recipe from Tiny New York Kitchen

Searching for something exciting to eat for breakfast that’s delicious and better yet…healthy? Try these yummy breakfast cookies! It sure beats the usual healthy cereal or a hard boiled egg 🥚 (no offense to you boiled egg lovers out there!)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup of packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup whole wheat or all purpose flour (I used all purpose flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup dried fruit like cranberries, raisins or cherries (I used cranberries)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, pecans, or almonds optional (I used walnuts)

PS. I also added 1 cup of dark chocolate morsels at the very last minute. Dark chocolate is healthy, yes? 🥰

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease your cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, use a mixer to blend the butter until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and cream the butter and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly until completely combined.

In a separate medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the other bowl. For the last step, stir in the oats, fruit and nuts (plus, we added the dark chocolate) to the mixture and thoroughly combine.

Scoop 1/4 cup of the cookie dough into mounds on the cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Let cool on a bakers cooling rack. Enjoy!

Today in American history…Sandra Day O’Connor was born on March 26, 1930 in El Paso, Texas and grew up on a cattle ranch near Duncan, Arizona.

“I wanted to be a cattle rancher when I was young, because it was what I knew and I loved it.” – Sandra Day O’Connor

She would make history when she became the first woman nominated AND the first woman to be confirmed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States on January 25, 1981. She was an Associate Justice until she retired on January 31, 2006.

Happy National Waffle Day! To celebrate, we made waffles this morning using President Kennedy’s favorite family recipe. The waffles were so delicious, light and airy. I believe this to be our family’s “go-to” waffle recipe from now on 👍 It’s also really wonderful just to eat something President Kennedy once enjoyed ❤️

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 egg yolk

7/8 cup milk or one cup buttermilk

1 cup and one tablespoon of sifted cake flour

1 pinch salt

2 stiff beaten egg whites

4 teaspoons of baking powder

Directions

Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolks. Beat. Add flour and milk alternately. This may be done at any time.

When ready to bake, fold in egg whites, and add baking powder.

Mixture should be thick and fluffy.

Bake and serve with hot maple syrup and melted butter.

Come visit the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Strasburg, Virginia next Saturday and have a fun filled day at Vintage in the Valley Festival 2023.

P.S. I’ll be walking the runway at 1PM for the annual Fashion Show! (the picture is of Marlin and I from the very first festival in 2019).

To be honest…Angel Food Cake isn’t one of those that I tend to go towards first. Now put a White Cake flavored with almond + almond buttercream icing? I’m all over that bad boy! But…Angel Food Cake is healthy. Spongy but healthy. Did I mention it’s spongy 😳

To make it more tantalizing to my tastebuds, instead of layering it with just Cool Whip topping – I add a twist and mix Greek vanilla yogurt in with the Cool Whip. Plus, ya gotta throw some fresh berries on it too! Makes it extra delish and healthy for you. Pretty too!

It’s so easy. I just used a Angel Food Boxed Cake Mix (my grandmother Marini would be frowning over the boxed cake thing. She totally looked down on THAT but hey…I’m in a hurry, Grandma!)

Bake the cake according to the box directions. Let it cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix 8 ounces of Cool Whip with 8 ounces of vanilla Greek yogurt (btw you can use other yogurt flavors too – get creative and make it your own thing!)

Spread the mixture on the first layer. Add the mixed berries. Than spread on the top layer and add the rest of the berries. Refrigerate until ready to use.

If you have any cool whip/yogurt mixture left over, save it to use to dip your fruit in the next morning with some added granola or better yet…just take a spoon and eat it right out of the bowl!

As many know, I am not a very healthy eater. I would rather grab a donut than a handful of kale. So in order to entice me to eat healthier, it’s gotta have some sweet and crunch to it. Oh and throw some cheese in there too!

This Kale and Apple salad is so delicious that I believe I could actually pass on eating that donut (well, maybe not so fast!) but really. It has everything in it that has my tastebuds salivating and makes my heart skip-a-beat. Plus, everything in it is so good for you and the best part…it’s so simple to make.

Kale & Apple Salad Recipe

Ingredients

3 TBSP lemon juice

2 TBSP olive oil

Kosher salt

1 bunch kale. Remove the ribs and tear apart the kale into small pieces.

1 cup dates, chopped

2 Honey crisp apples, sliced into thin matchsticks

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup gated (or chopped into small pieces) Romano cheese. You can really use whatever cheese you prefer – blue cheese sounds delicious too!

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

So my husband has requested more of ummmm…healthier treats. I’m such a load em’ up with butter, sugar and eat icing from a bowl kinda girl so to try to even wrap my brain around healthy desserts is a foreign concept. But I’ll try! Why not?

So while researching healthy alternatives to my favorite desserts I came across a few tasty ideas. So I figured I would try em’ on my Mr “I’m gonna eat healthy” husband. The first one I tried was Frozen Yogurt Bark – and he loved it! Score points for me 👏 👏

This was so easy to make. You have to try it! And even though it’s yogurt and not the traditional sweet vanilla almond bark? It’s so delicious!!

Directions

Line a cookie sheet with waxed or parchment paper. It’s so important that you do this to make it easier for you to remove the frozen yogurt bark when ready.

Spread out two cups of yogurt evenly onto the cookie sheet. Spread out the fresh fruit and walnuts (or granola).

Put into the freezer for about 4 hours.

Note: Store in the freezer and enjoy a piece whenever you have a sweets craving 👍