While one might stray towards the pre-mixed drinks aisle when prepping drinks for a crowd, I’d like to offer up an alternative to those preservative-laden, electric-hued mixes: make your own Homemade Margarita Mix. Cocktails are not one-size-fits-all when it comes to alcohol content. Here, I’ve created a classic margarita mix: sweet, tart, and flavorful, without the addition of the tequila. The mix, however, does contain some alcohol from the orange liqueur (although I’m offering an alternative for that below), so please remember to designate this classic mix as “adults only” even before the addition of tequila....

So my pathway to moderation is just to not buy the things that I shouldn’t be eating all the time. Or I will eat them all the time. (Here’s the point where I blame my parents, you know, the ones who never fed us enough growing up; of course, when I mention this to them, you can practically see the indignation steaming out of their ears.) Ingredients for Homemade Tortilla Chips Back to danger....

And while I’m the first to dig into a bowl of chowder festooned with meaty clams in their shells, I also make space in my pantry for the canned variety. Bottom line: there’s room for both in your repertoire. What’s in a Can of Clams? The canned clams you’ll find on supermarket shelves are either minced, chopped, or whole baby clams. Other clam products you may discover include smoked clams and bottled or canned clam juice....

Video: How to Grill the Best Steak Grilling the Best Steak I wanted a juicy steak with a nice crust that was big enough to slice and serve family style, and that had a little finesse. While cooking, I basted the steak in an herbed butter sauce. The sauce added a fresh, light flavor that balanced the richness of the meat. In the end, I had a steak everyone raved about, and that felt special but not overly fussy....

This is mostly because tiramisu is one of two desserts that my mom always orders at restaurants (the other being crème brulee; she likes a classic). I’d honestly never encountered tiramisu outside of a restaurant setting! But a few years ago this changed when we hosted our first Christmas dinner and my mom requested tiramisu for dessert. I was definitely a little fearful but went into “what’s the worst that could happen?...

Fresh eggs are also better for poaching because they have tighter whites so they poach neatly. But how can you tell how fresh your egg is before you even crack it? Here’s a quick tip: Simply put the egg in a glass of water and watch how it floats: Eggs start to degrade in quality the moment they are laid by chickens. This is because egg shells are porous and over time an egg will absorb air....

These cookies take some time to make, but they will reward you with their out-of-this-world, tender, and flaky deliciousness. What Is a Butterhorn Cookie? Butterhorns are crescent-shaped cookies made from an enriched, yeasted dough, with a small amount of walnut-meringue filling rolled up inside and a powdered sugar glaze on top. They are very sweet and perfect with a strong cup of coffee. There are three components to these cookies:...

Bonus: I’m also sharing my fast biscuit icing method to cover the entire surface of a cookie quickly and easily, without piping! Icing for biscuits This is the icing recipe for the Christmas Cookies I just shared. The recipe got too lengthy so I decided to split it into two – and also, this is an all purpose icing recipe that is ideal to use for any cookies and biscuits, not just for the Christmas Cookies!...

Make a salad to serve alongside while the pressure cooker does its magic, and you’ll have a complete dinner in less than an hour. Ingredients for Chicken Adobo Sauce The sauce for this chicken adobo is made from a handful of pantry staples you probably have on hand: onion, garlic, white vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns, bay leaves, and a little bit of sugar. The tangy, salty, slightly sweet sauce gives the chicken its unmistakably Filipino flavor....

We love nothing more than a recipe with options: slow cooker, instant pot, or stove top. If you’re like us and have all of the specialty appliances, then you can take your pick and decide which cooking method is most convenient for your family. If you aren’t into the single use kitchen gadgets, we are here for you in this recipe too with stovetop and oven instructions. No matter how you cook this Italian Beef, it is going to be delicious!...

Paleo Caesar Dressing If you look at the labels for store-bought dressings, you will quickly notice it is a rarity to find one that is clean. Since going Paleo, I’ve found that making your own salad dressing is not only easy, but way more delicious than store-bought! The caesar dressing in this kale caesar burger bowl has quickly become a favorite! We made a traditional caesar salad (sans croutons) to take to our holiday festivities, and it was quickly gobbled up!...

In it we have subbed in kale for the lettuce, dried cranberries for the grapes, and hold everything together with a tangy mayo dressing. Why kale? Well, we all know that leafy greens are good for you. But the great thing about using kale in a salad is that you can make it in advance, even a day ahead. A dressing that would quickly wilt into a saggy mess the sturdiest of lettuces, will have a tenderizing effect on kale, making the raw kale deliciously easy to eat....

Instead of thinking, “eating seaweed? PHEW!” one gets a warm glow and a faraway look in one’s eyes thinking, “Eating seaweed? Ahhh. Yummm. Which kind do I want? Some sautéed hijiki? Crumpled nori with sesame and shoyu over rice? How about some silky wakame soup?” So when I saw a kale seaweed salad at a local Whole Foods deli counter, I was all over it. It was wonderful! The kale, ginger, sesame, seaweed and seasoning worked so well together....

I make it in the food processor. Topped with keto whipped cream and dusted with cocoa powder, it’s such a wonderful treat. This mousse is wonderful. It’s very creamy, it has a good chocolate flavor, and it’s not too sweet. Happily, it’s also very easy to make. You simply add your ingredients to the food processor and process for one minute. That’s it! Admittedly, it’s a departure from classic mousse recipes, which typically contain melted chocolate, eggs, heavy cream, and sugar....

Every home needs a quick pasta recipe that would be on the table in less than half an hour especially when time is of the essence. This easy lemon garlic pasta recipe only requires few ingredients but with a promise of fantastic flavour. This recipe is not only great for midweek meals alone, it can also be cooked for two or when hosting friends. This 15-minute pasta recipe is a fresh breath of life to your day....

A homemade buttermilk syrup that tastes just like a cinnamon roll! Take french toast, pancakes, and waffles to a whole new level of yummy!I am about to share one of my very favorite recipes. We call it “liquid cinnamon roll.” We use it on pancakes, waffles, french toast, and sometimes even as an ice cream topping. It tastes exactly like a decadent cinnamon roll fresh from the oven, lathered with a cream cheese frosting....

Just leave your question in the comments section of this post and I will answer it promptly! Victoria COVID Lockdown II Over the weekend, Victoria (the second most populous state in Australia) declared a State of Disaster due to a second wave of coronavirus. Sweeping new restrictions, including night time curfews and strict rules on movements restricted to essentials such as medical, food and 1 hour of exercise per day, came into force last night....

Usually we just buy them at Trader Joe’s, but if you can get a good deal on a lot of peppers, you can easily make and can your own. It takes a while for red bell peppers to fully ripen into their redness, which I suppose is why they cost more than the green variety. Late August is a great time to find them at a reasonable price at a farmers market or the supermarket....

This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”! Mexican Shredded Beef I have a “thing” about shredded meats. I just love how it acts like a mop for sauces, so every mouthful is so juicy. From Shredded Chicken Tacos to Pulled Chicken Nachos, Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta and Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken and Rice Soup to Crispy Chinese Shredded Chicken, if the eating experience is better when the meat is shredded – I shred it....

You could serve it as a starter, hearty appetizer, side dish, or gobble it up as your main dish. I love the versatility. I even snuck spinach in there since I’m always trying to trick my husband and son into eating green vegetables. A mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do. Δ Δ