An Oktoberfest Bratwurst Vegetable Supper

Here it is the end of October already and I have yet to share an Oktoberfest meal with you. To be honest, I don’t know much about Oktoberfest except that in Germany it is a big deal and here in America it is like Saint Patrick’s Day – an excuse to drink beer. Still, I wanted to do something colorful and festive for my family that involved beer – as in something cooked in beer. The solution? Bratwurst, of course.

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Spicy Beef and Butterfly Pasta is Oh So Good

Although this dish is not a Hamburger Helper meal, it truly is in the spirit of whip it up delicious. The Cheddar Cheese Soup and Hot Salsa just wake up your taste buds. Served with a quick salad and it’s an easy meal for our hectic lifestyles.

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Broiled Asparagus with Lemon-Tarragon Dressing

Isn’t it amazing what a little char can do to change the textures and flavors of food? I especially love the nutty earthy flavor a little char will bring to a stalk of asparagus. Wow.

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Popcorn Chicken with Garlic Aioli Dipping Sauce

There are so many things that I love about this time of the year. I like the smell of wood burning. We live in an area that has nearby farm houses. These are old homes that burn wood for more than just ambiance. We are surrounded by orchards. The old, less producing trees become firewood. I love the smell.

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A Spooky Goblin Supper in Three Courses

We have all seen the “snacks” for Halloween. Most of these are cute and kid-friendly. My Fun Party Foods for Halloween from last year is a prime example. We had fun with Barbecued Bat Wings (crock-pot chicken wings in a barbecue sauce), Deviled Spider Eggs (deviled eggs decorate with black olive spiders), and a Witches Broom Platter (string cheese brooms with pretzel broom handles). Cute, fun and all easy to assemble.

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Seared Scallops Over Squid Ink Spaghetti

While strolling through the ales of my local World Market one day, I spotted several interesting pastas of the dried variety. One in particular that really got me excited was the Squid Ink Spaghetti. Wow! I’ve always wanted to try squid ink pasta. Here was my chance.

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Sweet Georgia Southern Pecan Cornbread

Call me a Southern Gal at heart, I love my cornbread. And Southern Cooking. I love pecans in my ice cream or as part of a cake. However; I might be southern raised but I’m a Northern born, so you won’t find a lot of Pecan Pie in my kitchen.

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Balsamic Red Wine Chicken Fit for Company

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are always a healthy choice. However; on their own, these breasts can be fairly bland. Let’s face it, there’s healthy eating and then there’s boring eating. Life is too short for boring.

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Louisiana Slow-Cooker Baby Back Ribs

The best part about living in Central California in October is the weather. The days are pleasant and there are street fairs everywhere. Take a drive up through the foothills, look at the colors of the trees and attend a dozen little small town events in a single weekend.

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One-Pan Mediterranean Baked Halibut with Vegetables

After my bypass surgery, the discharge nurse went over the restrictions and recommendation for a healthy recovery and longer life. One of the recommendations was “heart healthy” eating. When I asked just what do they consider “heart healthy”, the nurse shrugged as though uncertain and replied “Oh you know, Mediterranean.” Really? That’s a pretty broad answer. With the internet and everything under the sun searchable, it’s up to us to do the leg work and become our own advocates.

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Fall’s Apple-Jelly Glazed Pork Loin

What do you like most about fall? Is it the crispness in the air? The foliage in all its golden beauty? The sweetness of biting into a a just-picked apple? For me, it’s all of the above. I can remember “hunting” for fall with my children when they were small as we searched for leaves that were beginning to turn. Even now, fall makes me all emotional inside.

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United Nations Day in Six-Courses

United Nations Day is a part of the larger United Nations Week, which begins on October 20 and ends on the 26th each year. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 24 as the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations. United Nations Day was officially established. Five years later, my parents were married on that very day.

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Quick Spaghetti and Meatballs with Garlic Bread

Okay folks, this is a hack to end all hacks and a cheat to end all cheats. If you can boil water and turn on the oven, you can have a fast and filling Italian Feast. The key here is quality over quantity.

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BLT Soup with Sourdough Croutons and Arugula Pesto

Don’t let the name fool you. This is NOT a Bacon-Lettuce-Tomato Soup. The BLT stand for Bacon Lardoon Tomato. This wonderful Tomato Soup hails from Trio Restaurant in Jackson Wyoming and is considered to be a favorite recipe from the Cowboy State.

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Easy Gordito Ground Beef Taquitos

Today I’m going to share with you what I consider to be a work in progress. While these Taquitos are good, with just the right amount of crunch, there’s something missing. It might be years before I declare these Ground Beef Taquitos to be perfect. In the meantime, we’ve got good.

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