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For the Sauce: 2 1/2 cups rich homemade chicken stock 1 teaspoon chicken-flavored Better Than Bouillon 1 teaspoon granulated onion with parsley  1 teaspoon freeze-dried oregano leaves 1 pinch red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons cold water For the Chicken: 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to… Continue reading Tuscan Chicken

Florida’s oldest restaurant, The Columbia, in Ybor City is nearly 120 years old — and it is still owned and operated by 4th- and 5th-generation family members of the original restaurateur, a Spanish-Cuban immigrant, Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. Our own very special evening at The Columbia many years ago was absolutely magical — the food, the… Continue reading Paella a la Valenciana

Stuffed bell peppers are just perfect for a football Sunday kind of day! Personally I prefer to use red bell peppers, but my husband likes the green ones better — any color works though! And for those other empty-nesters out there, this tasty dish is very easy to cut down to serve just you, perhaps… Continue reading Spicy Italian Bell Peppers

It’s time for the Seahawk’s first game of the season, and we will be watching the game and cheering them on — which means our dinner tonight needs to be quick-and-easy! 😊 We have some delicious fresh peaches, some Walla Walla sweets, and a big pot of fresh basil on the kitchen counter, so this chicken dish will… Continue reading Balsamic Chicken with Fresh Peaches and Basil

Last night we enjoyed a delightful birthday dinner with wonderful friends — enjoying a beautiful sunset and a Columbia River view for our friend, Bud’s, 75th and my 80th — most definitely an excuse to celebrate! 😊 We only got to share a couple of short days, but it was great to all be together… Continue reading Lemon Meringue Pie 

6 medium potatoes, peeled and covered with cold water  1 small onion, peeled and grated 2 tablespoons flour 4 strips thick-sliced bacon, crisply cooked and chopped  2 eggs, beaten  1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste  Pinch of freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste Pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg, or to taste 2 tablespoons fresh… Continue reading Potato Pancakes (Kartoffel Pfannkuchen)

This is another delicious soup that I just added to my blog at sharyescookbooks.com — it’s so hearty and very tasty, and it really fits right into this fall-ish kind of weather we are having right now. 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 pound lean ground beef 1 smoked kielbasa sausage, sliced — optional 1 large… Continue reading Beef-and-Cabbage Soup

Because our weather has recently changed from hot and sunny to cloudy with perhaps even a little rain, it put my grandson, Griffin, in the mood for some homemade soup — so he asked me for a good tomato soup recipe. This one really fills the bill — it Is creamy, comforting and very easy… Continue reading Slow-Cooker Tomato-Basil Soup

FOR THE SALAD: 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored and shredded 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into eighths 1/2 cup Emmentaler Swiss cheese, sliced and julienned 1/2 cup baked ham, thinly sliced and julienned 1/4 cup pimento-stuffed green Spanish olives (left whole) 2 teaspoons freshly-grated Romano cheese FOR THE DRESSING: 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon Lea… Continue reading The Columbia Restaurant’s Famous “1905 Salad”

If the month of July went by as quickly for you as it did for me, you’ll understand why you haven’t seen a new recipe from me lately! ☹️Here we are though — already well into the month of August! Many of us have been experiencing some really warm weather, so preparing dinner over a hot… Continue reading Mrs. Temple’s Poppyseed Vinaigrette Dressing