Behind the Bites

Beef and Bean Chili

There is no better comfort food than a warm pot of chili. It’s also a dish that has unlimited variations – each pot of chili is as unique as the cook and circumstances for which it is made. I prefer chili with no beans, but since I was making this…
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Pineapple Chipotle Lit’l Smokies

This recipe features a homemade pineapple chipotle sauce with two 14 ounce packages of HillShire Farm Lit’l Smokies, heated through in a crock pot. Perfect for any big game or Super Bowl Party. Along with this recipe I present some guidelines for food served at Super Bowl Parties: . THE…
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Deluxe Crispy Rice Treats

No Christmas desert tray was complete in my Mom’s kitchen without the classic “Rice Krispies Treats”. It occurred to me recently that in all my years of cooking I had never actually made a batch of my own. The time has come – I begin my holiday treat extravaganza with…
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Thanksgiving Dinner: Turkey, Broth, Gravy and Dressing

The Heart of the Thanksgiving Feast: Turkey, Dressing and Gravy. This meal features fresh rosemary, thyme and sage as the dominant flavors and a turkey so juicy you’ll think it’s fried!!
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Caramel Apple Dip

There is something more important to share for me than descriptive words about yummy flavors … I have been working this summer on presenting my recipe information graphics in animated form. I still have a lot to learn – Including how to orient the video correctly in the youtube video…
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Classic Hummus

Make Flavor Base In a food processor, blend together tahini, liquid from chickpeas, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and cumin until smooth and thoroughly mixed together. Add Chickpeas Add chickpeas to processor and blend until creamy and a dip consistency is achieved. If necessary, add water to thin…
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The Air Fryer Hero

This is the first time I have used the air fryer to cook egg rolls. The air-fried wrapper was much lighter and more flaky than an oil-fried version – which is the logical result when hot air replaces a scorching oil bath. In the end, this turned out more like a…
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Cranberry Fruit Salad

Over the years my Mom’s Thanksgiving cranberry salad has become the stuff of legend. There have been countless times where I have been asked “did your Mom bring her cranberry salad” or “do you have the recipe she uses?” For me, it has just been a Thanksgiving staple that I’m…
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