Just~One~Donna

Excitement is growing in our house for the big game.  It's always more fun when your football team is playing for the championship, isn't it?  You can bet New Englanders will be glued to their TVs and eating lots and lots of game-day food.  These Cheeseburger Stuffed Mushrooms are tasty bites, a perfect appetizer for game-watching. They'd also be a great appetizer for a BBQ, but there aren't many BBQs happening in New England in January and February! Cheeseburger Stuffed Mushrooms-A Game Day Appetizer Game Day Cheeseburger Stuffed Mushroom Appetizers These Cheeseburger Stuffed Mushrooms taste just like mini cheeseburgers, without the buns.  The filling has all the good things I like in a cheeseburger.  I added onions, garlic, and chopped mushroom stems with a shake or two of Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste the ground beef. The key with these mushrooms is not to precook the filling.  You want the burger filling to brown in the oven and dev

It has been a while since I have shared a soup recipe with you.  If you are a regular reader, you know that soup is a favorite on the dinner menu in the Just One Donna house.  We really enjoy a bowl of steaming, hot soup and a slice of crusty bread when the winter temperatures drop and the wind is howling outside.  This Chorizo Sausage and Kale Soup is comfort food at its best.  It is flavorful and filling.  As an added benefit, your bowl will be chock full of good-for-you vegetables. Chorizo Sausage and Kale Soup-Perfect for Winter Chorizo Sausage and Kale Soup I made this yummy soup with the odds and ends of vegetables I had in my refrigerator and freezer, and I hope you will do the same.  As I was making the soup, I couldn't help thinking about the story, Stone Soup .  It was a favorite of mine when I was a kid.  The stars of this soup are the kale and the chorizo sausage, but feel free to add whatever vegetables your family likes best.  The more vegetables you add th

There are carrot cake recipes in abundance everywhere you look online.  This carrot cake recipe is the one our family has loved for years and years.  It is my mom's recipe and has become a favorite of many of her grandsons.   For that reason, this cake is usually a required dessert on our holiday table.  At one of our recent family gatherings, I surveyed the family asking what their favorite recipe was.  This cake was one of the top five favorites. A Traditional Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Nana's Carrot Cake You don't need a holiday as a reason to make this carrot cake.  It differs from many other carrot cake recipes in that it does not include raisins or pineapple.  

It never fails that in January, after the holidays and during the height of the dreary days of winter, I begin having thoughts of healthier eating. It could be those extra pounds that were added from all the holiday goodies or it could be the head cold that always seems to appear in early January. Whatever the reason, one of the first things I think about changing is adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet. Smoothies help me do that. A 250 Calorie Blueberry and Mixed Fruit Smoothie  This post contains affiliate links that pay me when you make a purchase. Blueberry and Mixed Fruit Smoothie One of the great things about making smoothies in winter is that frozen fruit and smoothies are a match made in heaven.  It's helpful there is so much delicious frozen fruit available at reasonable prices in grocery stores today.  Visit the frozen fruit section of your grocery store and let your mind wander through all the possible combinations of fruits you can imagine.  Don'

Spiced bacon with add flavor and surprise to your breakfast. Does your family enjoy an occasional bacon and eggs breakfast?  Once in a while, we take the time to have a bacon and eggs breakfast in the Just One Donna house.  We're usually all running in different directions in the morning, so having a sit-down breakfast altogether doesn't happen very often.  When we do have the time, I sometimes like to kick up the flavor and surprise my family with my spiced bacon. How to Make Spiced Bacon for Breakfast A Bacon and Eggs Breakfast with Spiced Bacon It's very easy to make this bacon.  Cook it in the oven on a foil-lined baking sheet topped with baking racks.  The foil makes for easy cleanup.  It will take about thirty minutes to cook the bacon, so you'll need to plan ahead accordingly. If you like a little spice in your life, you'll enjoy this bacon on your breakfast table. Donna's Kicked-Up Spiced Bacon Makes about 16 slices The Spiced Bac

This honey-oat bread has become a favorite at my house.  It's the reason I had to immediately replace my bread machine recently.  Not that a bread machine is required to make this bread.  It's just that a bread machine makes the bread making process so easy there is no reason not to make this bread. A Hearty Honey-Oat Bread Perfect for Toast or Sandwiches This post contains affiliate links.  When you purchase through the links I earn a few pennies that help support the costs of this blog. Honey Oat Bread Be warned that once you start making bread at home you won't want to buy bread at the store ever again.  The cost of a comparable loaf of bread in the store is only one reason. More importantly, one bite of a freshly made loaf of bread is a taste of heaven. Let's talk for a minute about using a bread machine.  Quite frankly, I use the bread machine just to mix and knead my dough.  I prefer to bake the bread in a traditional loaf pan in my oven.

Oreo Balls have been a beloved treat for years, and it's no wonder why. These delightful confections are not only incredibly delicious but also easy to make. Today's post revisits the classic Oreo Balls recipe and adding a modern twist to make them even more tempting.  How to Make Irresistible Oreo Balls Oreo Truffles There are many different Oreo flavors available today you may want to experiment with.  I have tried the mint Oreos and the peanut butter Oreos, but keep coming back to the traditional cream-filled Oreos for this recipe. It couldn't be easier to make these truffles.