Just~One~Donna

All of a sudden I got the urge for potato salad today.  I was standing at the deli counter of my grocery store ordering sandwich meat when the potato salad called out to me.  It must be because Memorial Day is this weekend, but whatever the reason I dashed to the produce department to get some red potatoes and dill, two essential ingredients for my favorite potato salad.  A craving for potato salad can not be denied.  There are three things I really love about this potato salad. Red Potatoes   I love the texture of the red potatoes.  Some will tell you that a good potato salad can only be made with russet potatoes.  I disagree. Fresh Dill    Oh, there's just something special about the taste of fresh dill in potato salad. Sugar   The addition of a little bit of sugar nicely offsets the vinegar.  This potato salad in not sweet, but the hint sugar adds balance. Let's make some... Donna's Red Potato Salad Prin...

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies Do you love oatmeal cookies?  Somehow it seems when I eat an oatmeal cookie that I am having a more healthy treat.  Delusional, I know, but if you love a good oatmeal cookie you will enjoy these.  The tartness of the dried cranberries offsets the sweetness of a traditional oatmeal cookie.  Add the crunchy goodness of toasted walnuts and you have a winner of a cookie. Let's make them, shall we? Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 cups old fashioned oatmeal 1 cup dried cranberries 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread one cup of shelled walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven ...

I had some strawberries left over from a delicious spinach salad with strawberries and goat cheese that I made the other day.  When I went to the grocery store the strawberries were on sale, buy one package get one package free.  As a result, I had more strawberries than I needed for the salad recipe.  As strawberry season fast approaches I know many of you will find yourself in the same situation.  Not to worry.  This Strawberry Banana Muffin recipe will help you to use your fresh strawberries in a delicious way. Strawberry Banana Muffins   Makes 12 muffins 1/2 cup canola oil 3/4 cup light brown sugar 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup) 1 cup fresh strawberries (cut into bite sized pieces) 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt Turbinado sugar for topping, optional Directions Pre...

Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese I had a spinach salad with strawberries and goat cheese in a restaurant a while ago and loved it.  It was elegant and special.  I wanted to make it at home Now that I have a garden growing lots of wonderful baby spinach I decided it was time for me to make this delicious salad myself.  You can make it at home as well.  Success is in the ingredients.  This is wonderful salad with plenty of fresh strawberry flavor.  I found flavorful, fresh strawberries on sale at my local grocery store.  What a perfect time of year to make this salad.  Yes, this elegant salad is perfect for serving to guests, but please don't wait for a dinner party.  Treat yourself. Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese The Salad Ingredients Serves 4 6 ounces fresh goat cheese log, cut into 4 1-inch rounds 1 egg, beaten with 1/2 teaspoon water 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs 12 fre...

How to Make the Best Baby Spinach with Garlic and Oil The spinach in my garden has been growing by leaps and bounds.  After a few short weeks I was ready to harvest the first crop from my newly planted raised vegetable bed to make my favorite baby spinach with garlic and oil side dish. Baby Spinach Doesn't it look pretty?  Armed with my trusty kitchen shears, off I went to snip my bounty. Wow, I thought.  All these little leaves really add up!  This Looks Like a lot of Spinach Not so much.  That large colander full of spinach leaves was only 7.25 ounces by weight.  That's an average sized bag from the grocery store. Baby Spinach It's enough for me to make a tasty serving of baby spinach with garlic and olive oil.  Yes, this is a simple dish, but I can't think of a better way to use a fresh harvest of baby spinach.  If you don't have spinach growing in your garden or in a large pot on your deck you can easily find i...

Do you have a gardening To Do List?  It's May and that means there's a lot of activity in my yard and garden.  Here's the list of gardening chores I am working on through for the month of May. May's Gardening To Do List In general, my list is specific to Northeast gardeners because that is where I live. Weed the flower beds and sprinkle with weed prevention.  I use  Preen . Fertilize my perennials and the lawn (Hubby does the lawn).  The lawn was fertilized a few weeks ago and is growing like gangbusters.  We've had to mow every three to four days so far this month. Deadhead bulbs and spring flowering perennials.   The spring bulbs are so cheerful and beautiful.   It's a shame they fade so quickly.  Deadheading helps to focus growth on the bulb for next season.  Don't cut back the greenery yet.  It will need to grow for about six weeks in order to sustain the bulbs.  I'll be cutting mine back in mid-Jun...

Delicious Meringue Cookie Are you wondering what to do with egg whites you have stored in your freezer?  I made these meringue cookies the other day in recognition of National Egg Month .  Yes, May is National Egg Month.  There are just four ingredients and the eggs are the star ingredient.  I had quite a few frozen egg whites that I wanted to use and they worked perfectly in this recipe. These cookies are amazing in their simplicity and are easy as can be to make.  They have a crisp exterior texture,  but are soft and sweet inside. Go ahead, treat yourself! The Meringue Cookie Ingredients Meringue Cookies 3 large egg whites (I used frozen egg whites I had in my freezer) 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 3/4 cup ) superfine sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30-60 seconds in a food processor) 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or almond extract Bring y...