Top pita halves with chicken, barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese for a quick busy-night dinner that will satisfy everyone. Add vegetable dippers and you're good to go with minimal fuss. The cost per serving (about $1.20) makes this easy on the wallet as well.

Chicken BBQ Cheddar Pitas

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 15 minutes
Serves: 6 Two pita halves per person

Ingredients:

6 pitas - 6 inch size (I use whole wheat)
1 pound… Read More

These muffins are super-moist and flavorful - the perfect start to any morning, but especially a busy morning. With very little sugar and no white flour, they're also a healthier choice. I'll be making them for Christmas morning in anticipation of a food-filled day. Mixing the dry ingredients the night before helps to speed preparation, and with a 20 minute bake time, they're ready fast.

Morning Muffins

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 25 minutes
Serves: Makes… Read More

The holiday rush is on and before you rush off to grab dinner at a not-so-cheap-or-healthy food joint, consider this quick and easy pie. Not only does it taste just like a burger from the local drive-through, it also happens to cost less per person; about $1.10 per serving. This was a winner with my entire family as long as I used the onion powder option over the real onion. Add a green salad rather than fries and a homemade… Read More

When was the last time you had real hot chocolate? You know what I mean, not that powdery stuff in a packet with crunchy little marshamallows. It doesn't count if someone made it for you, either. I just came off of a quest for the perfect hot chocolate, and it was far closer to home than I'd realized.

My family and I took an afternoon and experimented with as many hot chocolate recipes as we could find. We tried… Read More

Nothing signals the imminent holiday season like baking cookies. I don't think there is another month in the year where cookie consumption is so high. With all the varieties avaiable, it's no wonder. My own family has many favorites, but it seems like the common thread throughout them all is chocolate. This slightly different version of the classic thumbprint is just the ticket. Not to sweet and just chocolatey enough to satisfy.

Raspberry and Chocolate Thumbprints

Hands-On… Read More

When it comes to comfort food the most comforting of all is homemade bread. There is something warm and wonderful about the aroma as it bakes that makes you want to slow down and take the time to savor it. Baking bread can be time-intensive without a machine, and even then it can take longer than anyone wants to wait for fresh-baked bread. No-Knead bread is just as delicious as the kneaded kind and even the kids can handle this… Read More