I have lots of childhood memories of getting stung by stinging nettle – I grew up in Germany and the stuff is seemingly everywhere! Being the adventurous, outdoor-loving child that I was, getting stung was just inevitable. But in spite of its viciously stinging tendencies, stinging nettle is one of nature’s powerhouse herbs and well worth the effort of harvesting. Benefits of Stinging Nettle The leaves, stems and roots of the stinging nettle plant all have medicinal value....

Hot Buttered Rum This non-alcoholic hot buttered spice drink is Hot Buttered Rum’s tamer sister; although truth be told, this version is pretty awesome with a splash of rum added as well. The first time I made this non-alcoholic version of our Hot Buttered Rum, my kids went crazy over their warm spiced drinks. They’ve declared this treat “better than hot tea, and hot cocoa, and probably better than coffee” (not that they would really know about that one)....

If you’re traveling to Bermuda, St. George’s is an absolute must. Indeed, St. George’s is enough reason alone to travel to Bermuda in the first place. The oldest surviving English town in the New World, St. George’s is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a historical treasure. Todd and I got back from our trip to Bermuda a few weeks ago and haven’t been able to stop talking about it since....

Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake is a rich, moist, and indulgent chocolate cake. It’s typically darker and more chocolatey than regular chocolate cake, with a slightly reddish hue. The name “Devil’s Food” is thought to have originated in the United States in the early 20th century. The term “Devil’s Food” is used to describe rich, dark chocolate cakes that are moist and velvety in texture. It’s believed that the name was given to this type of cake as a contrast to “Angel Food Cake,” which is light and airy....

Sooooo Applebee’s. Love it, hate it, never been? Personally, I really like Applebee’s restaurant, they make a portobello chicken to die for and I’ve been known to order their massive appetizer sampler all for myself. I mean, it’s my entire meal, not a precursor to a regular entree, I’m not that nuts. But my husband, meh, doesn’t really love Applebee’s. He thinks the service is sub-par. As with any restaurant (or anything for that matter) you’re gonna have lovers and haters, but I’ve never met anyone who didn’t enjoy Applebee’s blondie dessert....

Hello all, I hope you all are in good Shata. Many of you have been asking me to post more Navpadi ayambil recipes on the blog. I will definitely try to post a couple of recipes this week. Ayambil oli – This is a Nine-day festival that comes twice in the year when the devout Jains do a special type of fasting. They eat only once in a day. Food is prepared with only legumes and whole grains....

Fresh strawberries and blueberries are tossed in a light balsamic vinaigrette and then sprinkled with fresh basil to make this summery fruit salad. I like to make this salad right before serving it. However, any leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two. This salad is at its prettiest immediately after tossing it with the vinegar and oil. The berries will begin to soften after a few hours in the refrigerator....

If you love all things bananas, you’ll also want to try my recipes for the Best Ever Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies, my Banana Nut Smoothie Bowl, or my Banana Bread Pancakes. Banana bread is wonderful. We eat it all the time, it’s so easy to put together, and we almost always have bananas in the house. Though, honestly, they’re usually gone before they get to the brown stage. Sometimes I have to remember to buy double the amount so that I have enough to let go brown to make yummy banana baked goods....

Who doesn’t enjoy a good stir-fry? One of the things I about Chinese food, aside from the fact that it’s delicious, is that it’s generally so doggone quick to make. Really the only time involved is the prep work – the chopping. The actual cooking takes less than 5 minutes because you’re cooking so fast at high temperature. And as for the prep chopping, that can be done way in advance and then all you have to do is throw the ingredients in the hot wok and dinner is on the table in 5 minutes....

For more mayo-less, lettuce-less salads like this one, try my Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad, my Broccoli Apple Salad with Poppyseed Dressing, or my Grilled Corn Salad. That got me to thinking outside the leaf (of lettuce). Inspired by my friend who uses up her abundance of garden cucumbers and peppers in the summer by using those as a base for her salads instead of lettuce, I sought to continue my salad-eating streak sans the typical leaves....

Can’t get enough of this recipe? Try my Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork, Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken, and my Shredded Chicken Sandwiches. Craving more pork recipes? Make plans to make some of my other popular recipes like these Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce, this Island Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes, or these Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos. You know how sometimes a recipe doesn’t really feel like a recipe?...

Muffin lovers will also enjoy these Bran Muffins, Carrot Cake Muffins, Zucchini Muffins, and Blueberry Muffins. More Easy Breakfast Ideas Easy Sheet Pan Breakfast Freezer Friendly Breakfast Burritos Banana Nut Smoothie Bowl Baked Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches Homemade Sausage Breakfast Casserole Biscuits & Gravy Breakfast Casserole Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo of your CDLC creation – I love to see what you’re up to in the kitchen!...

Have you ever been to Applebees restaurant? They have really really good spinach artichoke dip. Oh my gosh it’s so good I could eat it for. e. verrrrrrrr. But that’s not what I was going to tell you. Applebees has this amazing blondie on their dessert menu with white chocolate chips and they usually serve it with ice cream and a hot maple sauce. It is pure heaven on earth I tell you....

This cake will stay fresher longer because of the high sugar content available in the raisins and fig. Buttermilk Fruit Cake is excellent warm from the oven or at room temperature. You can refrigerator it for about a week. I used golden raisins, but you can also use black raisins. **I used curd / yogurt(homemade). You can use store bought buttermilk also. Please don’t use very thin buttermilk. Christmas is coming....

Want more Italian dishes to enjoy? Try my Shrimp Alfredo, Easiest One Pot Lasagna, and Spaghetti Carbonara. For more Cajun-inspired dinner ideas, check out my posts for Cajun Grilled Salmon, Chili’s Cajun Alfredo Chicken Pasta, and Grilled Cajun Lime Chicken. Fettuccine alfredo is one of my most favorite pasta dishes. Shrimp is one of my most favorite seafoods. Cajun seasoning is my most favorite of seasonings…can you see where I’m going with this yet?...

Easter bread is typically shaped into a braid or a round coiled loaf and decorated with the holiday symbols such as eggs or sugar crosses. Step-by-step: Easter bread recipes Wet ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine warm milk (110 F), yeast, sugar, and eggs. Dry ingredients – Add the bread flour followed by the salt. Combine on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes....

A creamy chowder packed with chicken, asparagus, bacon, roasted red peppers, potatoes and corn…chowder just doesn’t get any better than this! Your next family favorite! Another déjà vu recipe creation experience. I had a bunch of asparagus that needed to be used. I was in the mood for a soup, but had already made cream of asparagus soup with the previous batch. I also happened to notice a bottle of roasted peppers....

Was there ever a better way to use those ripe bananas on the counter than by making a loaf of mouth-watering banana bread? Sometimes, I find myself buying more bananas than I need so they’ll be sure to ripen before we can eat them and I’ll have an excuse to make a loaf of banana bread. I know I’m not alone in this! There’s hardly a more comforting smell than that of banana bread baking....

The rave reviews of these brownies have been nonstop, my friends. I’ve made them a few times now to make sure the recipe is perfect and it truly is. Side note: it turns out that these brownies are my kryptonite. I force myself to give away half the pan every time I make them because I can not stay away from them if they’re in the house. I tested a few different fudgy brownie recipes (heaven knows that there are a LOT of brownies here to choose from) before I settled on this ultra-fudgy flourless brownie recipe....

Serve this pasta warm or at room temp for an easy lunch or dinner. Pasta salads are my favorite kind of meal for summer lunches and dinners. And this one is an awesome dish for potlucks and barbecues because it holds so nicely at room temperature. I typically serve this pasta room temp, but we’ve learned that the leftovers warm up beautifully as well. My boys ate this for lunch and for dinner a couple of meals in a row....