Hazelnut & Brown Sugar Roasted Hens w/ Butternut, Grape & Sage Stuffing

After the spending an abundance of summer days in front of the barbecue, there is nothing that the hubs and I enjoy quite like a roast bird.  Not only does it make an excellent and super fancy-shmancy dinner, but the oven also helps heat the house.  Cooking absolutely has its perks.  Warm home, delicious dinner...that's a win-win combo.

Spinach Dip Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

There are many things I love about my husband.  He considers rollerblading aerobic exercise, has read the entire Harry Potter series and sings 80's hits to our pup, substituting her name into the lyrics.  But perhaps the best part of all is the fact that he can cook.  The man makes an amazing pork roast, perfect pad thai and his lava cakes are to die for.  However, we have very different opinions when it comes to meatloaf.  Having grown up eating my mom's to-die for recipe, I have insatiable winter craving for this dish while the hubs, a natural-born Canadian, never at it growing up.  Perhaps that's why I was so giddy when he offered to make Spinach Dip Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf for me last week.  Oh joy!

Baked Tilapia with Kale & Mushrooms

Do you ever get fed up with doing the dishes?  What am I saying...of course you do, because dishes are the least fun part of cooking.  I have yet to meet an individual who can't wait to throw on their rubber gloves and bust out the liquid soap after a good meal, particularly if they've been cooking all day (all day = even more dishes = boo).  Perhaps that's why I'm so terribly fond of one-dish meals, the recipes that require a single dish, a cutting board and a knife to prepare.  They're so darn considerate after a day of excessive cookery.  Or on a day when the dishwasher is studying full.  Or a day that you really don't feel like cleaning.  Come to think of it, they're always great.

Adobo Double-Cornbread

Soup, stew and chili are all wonderful in their own right, but they're not complete until they have a big, bready accoutrement to accompany them down the hatch.  Crackers are lovely for their crunch, baguettes for their chewy texture and breadsticks for their dunk-ability.  But perhaps my favorite of all carbs to serve alongside a big bowl of *insert soup here* is cornbread.  There is something about that crumby, grainy, subtly-sweet and corny bread that feeds my soul in a way no other can.  And this little adobo cornbread is without a doubt my new favorite.  Move over, ciabatta....momma's got a brand new bread (recipe).

Pumpkin Macadamia Muffins

Nothing says good morning quite like a freshly baked muffin.  They're just so perky and cheerful, the perfect companion to a steaming mug of coffee on a cool fall morning.  Or around 10:30.  Or maybe 2:45.  Let's just say good morning all day long to this muffin, because it's so darn tasty you'll be eating it around the clock.  I speak from personal experience, folks.  

Yellow Coconut Curry w/ Bok Choy & Shiitakes

I have an unhealthy obsession with coconut oil.  At any given time, we have several containers floating around the house.  There's a jar in the kitchen devoted to baking and frying while another resides in the bathroom for face washing, hair conditioning and moisturizing.  Thankfully, it's a heart-healthy ingredient and a happy obsession.  But as I eyed the five cans of various coconut milks and creams in my pantry last week, it became evident that I was sliding the dangerous slope and becoming a coco-hoarder.  That meant one thing - it was time to get cooking with coconut.

Grilled Salmon Cream Cheese Sandwich

Grilled cheese is one of the meals that would appear on just about everyone's top 10 comfort foods list.  Warm, toasty bread and melty, chewy cheese delights foodies from two to ninety-two.  Growing up, Tillamook cheddar was my mom's grilling cheese of choice.  I still love those strings of orange goodness stretching between two triangles of golden brown bread...yum.  Yes, melting cheeses are the traditional favorite when it comes to a grilled sammy or panini.  But....I have a confession to make.  I have not remained loyal to my mother and her good friend cheddar, having become absolutely obsessed with soft cheeses in grilled sandwiches.  Cream cheese and boursin are where it's at.  Feel free to call me crazy at this point, because that just means you've never tried either and have earned my pity.  But you are sooooo needing to try grilled cream cheeses...starting with this sandwich.

Cranberry Brie Burgers

Dried fruit has always been one of my absolute favorite snacks.  Sweet, chewy and shrink-packed with flavor, these little tidbits cannot be beat.  Cranberries and prunes (yes, you read right) are two favorites that we always have on hand.  A few of these as an after dinner snack always hits that sweet spot oh-so-well (plus they're a great warm up for dessert).  Since I typically nosh on these post-supper, these burgers are like a two-for-one special in the evening.  The snack and the meal are combined into one delectable dish.  So efficient.

Pumpkin Shortbread Bars with Candied Pecans

You know it's fall when pumpkin hits the market.  Be it carving, cooking or canned, pumpkin is the symbol of the season.  There's nothing like a piping hot bowl of creamy pumpkin oatmeal to start your day, tender roasted pumpkin meat tossed with pasta and goat cheese or a freshly brewed pumpkin latte from your favorite mer-coffee-maker.  And of course, there's the all time rockstar of pumpkin - the pie.  Problem is...I have a teensy problem when it comes to eating pumpkin pie on pre-holidays.  Post-holidays or the fête du jour itself, no sweat.  But before the holiday....I don't think so.  The hubs does not share my opinion and his sweet tooth would be hard pressed to wait until the end of November for a pumpkin dessert.  Luckily these delightful Pumpkin Shortbread Bars are the perfect tide-us-through dessert until the turkey hits the table.

Puyallup Fair Scones

September is the month where harvest festivals, hay rides and state fairs abound.  As temperatures relax and cool evenings sneak up on us, you throw an extra blanket on your bed and are finally able to wear all your cute coats into work again.  Thank goodness.  I love the crispness of fall - the apples, the weather, the crunchy orange leaves - all of these things make it my very favorite season.  Growing up, the September event I looked forward to more than anything was the Puyallup Fair, now the Washington State Fair.  (Everyone stop and try to pronounce "Puyallup"....very good!)  My grandparents lived about two blocks from the fairgrounds, and every year we were there like freckles on a red-head (I'm allowed to say that cuz I'm a ginger).  Three things were required every year:  a thorough perusal of Hobby Hall, at least an hour in the stables staring longingly at all the horses, and Fisher's Scones.  Ahhhh....the scones.