Sharon Shaw's Poppyseed Bread is a favorite recipe from my dear friend. It freezes well, and is a perfect choice for your next brunch! What a delicious tradition from Sharon's kitchen! Ingredients: 3 eggs 2 1/4 cups sugar 1 1/8 cups oil 1 1/2 cups milk...

My daughter, Erin, recently told me about these pastries that are very trendy on the New York scene. After doing some research, I found that people are willing to wait in line very early in the morn just to get one! Only 200 made daily, and a limit of two per person...just too interesting for this doughnut maker and bread baker not to try in Kelso!...

It's summer and that means blackberry cobbler! I grew up picking blackberries, and having an abundance of chigger bites as well! This cobbler was made for Rodney Sievers, since he offered a large container of blackberries to Glenda. All he asked for was one cobbler!...

Memories of my mother, Ruth Nations, fill the kitchen when making this pie! I am so fortunate to have garden fresh rhubarb from Judy Heisserer! My mother's recipe remains a treasure, of course, but I became curious to see if there were any new trends in making this vintage pie...

I love experimenting in the kitchen, and creating recipes in honor of someone special. Melissa Bain gave me the kefir grain while here, with the Soles4Souls University RV tour, a few weeks ago. Using a probiotic in bread making is an adventure for me! It's amazing to me, that it's much like the sourdough I make, without using a starter. This makes approx. 8 loaves of bread, so I hope you'll share with others!...

No "doughnuts in the snow" this past winter, so I had to come up with something as I await the snow to return. So, beignets seemed to be the obvious choice! Most recipes, on the web, are quite similar and easy to make. Because the dough can rise over night, in the frig, you can enjoy fresh beignets with your coffee on a Saturday or Sunday morning!...

This elegant dessert may appear to be a bit too labor intensive, when reading the recipe and steps involved, but it's so worth your time and effort! Best of all, it can be made a day ahead of your summer dinner or celebration, and is guaranteed to impress!...

This is a vintage recipe that everyone will enjoy! I suggest a double batch, as I assure you it won't last long! If you must, you may pop the popcorn in the microwave. How many peanuts? I'd say about a half a can. (I'm not known for measuring, by the way.) Your kitchen will smell so wonderful while the caramel corn bakes! So, maybe you can mix up a batch with the kids, or share it with your neighbor. Perhaps it's time for a new tradition!...

On a warm summer weekend, what could be better than some fresh baked whole grain crackers, paired with a nice bottle of homemade wine, and cutting into a block of farmhouse cheddar cheese? The cheese was waxed yesterday, so the aging process has commenced. Farmhouse cheddar is usually ready to savor after aging for four weeks. Since I tend to enjoy a rather sharp cheddar, we'll wait for seven or eight weeks before serving. For now, I watch and wait!...

The next time you fire up the grill, I suggest you grab a pot, a few ingredients, and stir up a batch of this simple, great tasting barbecue sauce! Bob Fleming, and his fabulous recipe, rolled into town more than 30 years ago. My family is still making this sweet, smokey sauce and serving it with pulled pork, ribs, and grilled pork steaks. ...

My sister-in-law, Glenda Nations, recently made this elegant dessert and received rave reviews. I've included the angel food cake recipe to encourage you not to use a cake mix! The link, to Emeril's cake is below, but we prefer using this tried and true angel food cake recipe. Happy Easter ~ Happy Baking!...

On a weekend morning in Kelso, you'll smell espresso brewing, bacon frying, and Sunday Morning Pancakes! This has been a tradition in my kitchen for years! These pancakes are best with blueberries stirred into the batter, of course. The recipe originally came from Guy Brown, years ago. Try this simple recipe, and you'll see that Bisquick isn't needed after all...

Maybe you have a tried and true never-fail pie crust. You may be using an egg, maybe vinegar, or even oil. I can't explain why, but the vodka makes a big difference! Here's what Chris Kimball, Cook's Illustrated publisher, had to say about this pie crust in November 2007. "It's a brilliant recipe...the secret ingredient? Vodka."...

Martina Peetz Fluegge left a legacy behind in her kitchen, and in our hearts. She was such a blessing to us all! Oh, if the walls of that kitchen could talk! The walls are filled with memories, and smells, of wrapping salt cured hams each spring, baking bread, shelling peas, breaking beans, making noodles from the fresh yolks of butchered hens, and Grandpa dunking his coffee cake, in his old coffee cup...

In years past, I'd only hold a cup of coffee to keep my hands warm in winter...never, ever think of drinking it! I've long loved the aroma, just not the bitter taste. However, I had a sudden change of heart when I discovered a whole array of specialty coffees waiting for me at Panera or Starbucks, all fantastic. ...

A new holiday tradition evolved, in 2007, when I decided to create my own version of panettone. Kelso Panettone has become a favorite of family and friends, and I'll be making this moist, flavorful bread tomorrow morning! This recipes uses apricots, dates, currants, white raisins, and lemon zest soaked in orange juice, with a splash of Cointreau. The Fiori Di Sicilia is available from King Arthur, and I've included the link below...

Fresh peach crumb pie, that is. Here's a recipe filled with tradition! Norma Haertling, in her New Wells kitchen, really knows how to spoil her family on a hot summer day, by serving this seasonal favorite! 4 cups peeled, sliced peaches 1 cup sugar...

Strawberry shortcake, strawberries and ice cream, strawberry preserves, strawberry and rhubarb pie, chocolate dipped strawberries, and the list goes on and on! I love this time of the year! If you haven't enjoyed strawberries this season, now is the time! The strawberries in our local grocery stores have been very nice lately, but there's something so special about having homegrown strawberries...

Friday evening, I shared a blender of this cocktail with my dear friend, Judy, and we decided it's going to be a new summer tradition for us! Here's some history and my updated version of an old favorite... The Pina Colada was made famous thanks to a song that was released on 1979 although it was famous in Puerto Rico because it has been Puerto Rico's official cocktail since 1978, but it wasn't known as much as it is today since Rupert Holmes released his song "Escape" commonly known as "The Piņa Colada Song". ...

While everyone was eating in the gym at St. Augustine School on April 11th, the real moments to savor were happening in the kitchen...at least for me! There's so much rich history in that buzzing kitchen, and it could easily go unnoticed with the dumplins rolling, the dressing baking, and the veggies cooking...