Author: Ellen

  • Poached Zucchini with Olive Oil

    Poached Zucchini with Olive Oil

    My zucchini plants are still producing and I share the green and white striped ones with my boyfriend’s mother. The other day she said she was going to fix them in an old Italian way, boiling them and then serving with just olive oil and salt. I was intrigued. I’ve cooked them in many different…

  • Yogurt or Sour  Cream Gingerbread Cake

    Yogurt or Sour Cream Gingerbread Cake

    We had friends for dinner the other night. They wanted to bring the main to cook here so I thought I’d make a dessert, which I don’t do very often.  I’ve been partial to the taste of molasses and hence gingerbread since I was kid and Chowhound’s dish of the month is spice cake so…

  • How to Flash Freeze

    How to Flash Freeze

    Has this happened to you? You get a good deal on something and quickly throw the excess in the freezer–and then you’re stuck with a huge block of frozen whatever.  Learn how to flash freeze items so you can pull out just what you need. And always take a few extra minutes to package things…

  • Easy Sausage, Potato and Cabbage Soup

    Easy Sausage, Potato and Cabbage Soup

    It’s gotten chilly here and my eldest was feeling poorly. She was staying here earlier this week while some work was done at her apartment and asked if I’d make some vegetable soup one evening. I made a version of chicken soup with rice, skipping the chicken and adding some sliced zucchini because I have…

  • Beyond Food

    Beyond Food

    Since I haven’t posted a recipe in a while I thought I’d share a few of the other projects I’ve been working on. Wine Barrel Fountain Most recently finished was this fountain. A neighbor was getting rid of a hanging chair stand and I thought it would make a great base for a fountain. Learned…