Hi Colleen!

Thank you! I forgot how much I enjoyed this as an outlet. Take care!

Pomegranate Sauce for Lamb

We had lamb for Easter and cooked enough to feed a small army--very small. So small Rhode Island could beat it in a war. Making this quick sauce put a tasty twist on leftover lamb.

Pomegranate Sauce for Lamb

1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/3 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. flour


1. Saute onion and garlic to pan.

2. Add red wine; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

3. Stir in broth, juice, and sugar; bring to a boil.

4. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

5. Add flour, stirring until smooth; bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat and cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce with lamb.

Make it a meal: Serve over lamb with steamed green beans and roasted potatoes.

Wine: Shiraz or Pinot Noir

Healthy Hash Browns

I'm back, dah-lings! It has been a while, and in my world you have all been terribly worried about me.

I could eat this dish everyday. It can be as easy or time-consuming as you want. I had a little time, and I actually grated two potatoes for this. It took all of seven minutes, but I kept banging my giant pink sapphire ring, and I don't like that. I may use frozen next time. I did use leftover previously frozen spinach.

My husband said there was too much spinach in this, but he hates vegetables in the morning or in eggs or on pizza or anything else! Surprise, surprise, he thought it needed more bacon. Absolutely hopeless.

Make this for when the girls are coming over for brunch.

Healthy Hash Browns

3-4 slices bacon or turkey bacon
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 cups chopped spinach
2 cups russet potato shreds (about one 2 medium potato's worth), thoroughly patted dry
3 Tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, patted dry, chopped
Dash salt
Dash black pepper
3 dashes garlic powder

1. Cook bacon, cool, and crumble. Drain most of the fat.


2. Add onion and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.

3. Add spinach to the skillet, stir often, about 3 minutes.

4. Add cooked bacon, potato shreds, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the skillet. Mix. Evenly spread out the mixture in the skillet, and gently press down with a spatula.

5. Without stirring, cook until potatoes have browned, 5 - 7 minutes. (Use a spatula to check under the edges for browning.)

6. Working in sections, flip mixture over in the skillet with the spatula so the other side can brown. Cook for another 3 - 4 minutes, until thoroughly cooked and browned.

Options: Serve with low-fat sour cream and or hot sauce. I use both. You know me, too much is just enough.

Make it a meal: Serve with an egg on top--poached is nice is someone poaches it for you (too messy for me).

Wine: Champagne or Mimosas, Dah-ling!

Chicken Sausage Pasta with Pesto and Spinach

This simple meal made my man happy. Divas love a happy man. Happy men buy diamonds, emeralds, and Marmot ski jackets for their beloved.

Chicken Sausage Pasta with Pesto and Spinach

2/3 box whole wheat penne

1 package of chicken sausage (4)

1 handful of grape tomatoes, halved

fresh spinach

2 spoonfuls store-bought pesto

1 handful Parmesan cheese

Cook penne and drain.
Meanwhile, saute sausage and tomatoes.
Set aside.
Add spinach to saute pan and heat with a bit of olive oil.
Combine spinach, cooked penne, sausage, and tomatoes.
Mix in pesto.
Mix in Parmesan.

Make it a meal: Serve with bread.

Wine: Chardonnay or Pinot Noir

Oven-Baked Apples

Many recipes I see for baked apples call for the apples to be peeled. I prefer the skins on, in this case, because I like the crunchy texture next to the soft, baked fruit. Sometimes a diva likes skins off, but not here.

I cannot resist this dessert in the fall with the variety of apple types. If there is anything a diva knows about, that's variety. If there is anything a diva fails at, that is resisting dessert. Add resisting variety. Indeed, a diva craves variety.

Oven-Baked Apples

5-6 medium to small apples, diced
¼ cup brown sugar blended
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 squirts lemon juice
½ stick melted butter
½ cup golden raisins, (soaked in rum for 30 minutes optional)
¼ cup pecans, crushed

Toss the apples in a bowl with sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and melted butter.
Add raisins and pecans.
Let sit 3-4 minutes while the oven heats and absorb flavor.
Pour apples into baking dish and bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Apples are done when apples are tender but hold their shape.
Serve as is or with heavy cream, sour cream, whipped cream, Greek yogurt or ice cream.

Make it a meal: Serve after a lovely harvest meal of Butternut Squash Pasta (see recipe)

Wine: Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

I love the flavor of buffalo wings, but I hate gnawing at them in public. I also can't stand that they are basically skin and fat. This is a bit healthier version and a hundred times less messy than the original.

I hate touching raw meat, so my man did all the heavy rolling. The original recipe I saw made 16 meatballs out of 1 pound of meat. My man made big manly-sized balls out of it. There were only seven. Bless him.



Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

1 lb. ground chicken

3-4 cloves garlic

2-3 slices onion, chopped

a bit of Italian-style bread crumbs

some fresh chives from the garden

buffalo sauce (I use Texas Pete's)

a few pads of butter

Mix the chicken, garlic, onion, bread crumbs, and chives together.
Form into meatballs and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and put in a crock pot.
Cover the meatballs with the sauce and butter.
Cook on high for about 30 minutes.
Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Make it a meal: Serve with celery and carrots.

Wine: Beer

Garlic-y Crab Dip

A bit of garlic and Old Bay make this dip divine. This conjures up images of foamy ocean waves and salty skin. Oh my. Serve it quick, before summer is over.

Garlic-y Crab Dip

8 oz. cream cheese (I use light)

1 can of crab meat

1 big spoonful of mayonnaise (more light)

1 spoonful sour cream (again with the light)

3 pinches of Old Bay Seasoning

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire

2 dashes hot sauce

Mix all the ingredients together and serve at room temperature.
Serve with crudités (raw vegetables) or crackers.

Make it a meal: Serve with a bunch of other appetizers. It's too hot for an entire meal.

Wine: Chardonnay