Just~One~Donna

Does fall make you crave all things pumpkin spice?  Or is it all things pumpkin you crave?  My guess is your cravings are instigated by the aroma and flavors of the spice combination that makes up our traditional pumpkin spice mix. What is that mysterious blend of spices we call pumpkin spice? It is definitely a sign of the fall season and is not just for pumpkin pies. How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice Mix

Do you love salsa? This easy salsa recipe is for you. We've been on a Mexican flavors kick the past couple of weeks, so much so that we went to the same Mexican restaurant two weekends in a row.   You know the kind of restaurant.  It's where they bring a big basket of warm tortilla chips and spicy salsa as soon as you sit down.  It's where you can get your margaritas frozen or on the rocks, with salt or no salt on the rim.  Just keep them coming!  There's something terribly addictive about those spicy, salty, limey flavors.  Oh, yes! How to Make Salsa at Home My Favorite Salsa Do you crave salsa and chips? Salsa helps satisfy my craving for Mexican flavors.   Luckily I have a favorite salsa recipe that is quick and easy to make.  The ingredients are readily availa...

Have you started thinking about your holiday baking yet?  You'll want to start getting organized well ahead of the holidays.   Today I'm sharing tips to get you give you a head start when preparing for baking this holiday season, beginning with your pantry essentials.   I'm also sharing four favorite recipes that can be made ahead and frozen. Holiday Baking Essentials This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  I receive compensation when you purchase using these links. Let's begin with the items that are baking staples in my pantry.  By staples I mean these are my go-to items.  We're not talking gourmet items here.  These are the products I don't want to be without.  When my pantry is stocked with my staples I find I am ready to cook a meal or bake a dessert without having to run to the store for ingredients. Today's focus is on the holiday baking essentials in my pantry.  You can  get my free chec...

I don't know what I would do without my pantry.  It is because of my pantry that I can whip up meals for my family relatively quickly any day of the week.   Regular followers of Just One Donna  know that my recipes are straightforward, flavorful, and simple to prepare.  Good food, prepared simply is my goal day in and day out.   A well-stocked pantry will help you to do the same.  September is a perfect time to update your pantry in preparation for end-of-year holidays and family gatherings. A Guide to a Well-Stocked Pantry (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  Purchases made through these links will help support this blog.) What is a Pantry? For me, the term pantry refers to the places in your kitchen where essential meal-planning ingredients and tools are stored.  When I use the term pantry I am talking about the ingredient cabinets and refrigerator space in my kitchen. The most important space I have dedic...

It's grilling season!   During the heat of the summer, my grill works overtime and I'm happy to find marinades that turn a simple grilled beef dinner into a delicious treat.  This savory beef marinade is our favorite for beef tips. While I use this marinade for my grilled beef tips, you can use it for any cut of beef you want to marinate. Grilled Marinated Beef Tips (This post contains affiliate links.)   What Are Beef Tips? You might be wondering what exactly are beef tips?  The beef tips I buy at my local grocery store are tenderloin tips.  They are pieces of beef cut from beef tenderloins that are being trimmed. Unfortunately, this is not standard across the United States, so your best bet is to ask what cut your beef tips come from at your local market.

This Southwest Seasoning Mix is a go-to seasoning in my kitchen. I think you'll love it, too. My love for this Southwest Seasoning Mix began long ago with a recipe that paired a roasted chicken that was rubbed with the seasoning mix and chipotle barbecue sauce .  I couldn't get enough of that yummy combination.   Make Your Own Southwest Seasoning Mix The truth is, this Southwest Seasoning Mix is always on hand in my kitchen.  I use it on all kinds of meats and seafood.  Vegetables go from bland to heavenly with just a sprinkle or two.

This tomato and corn quiche is a delicious summer dinner. Use Fresh Tomatoes in a Delicious Summer Quiche (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. The compensation I receive when you shop using these links helps support the costs for this blog.)  Tomato Quiche  Today's quiche is inspired by my friend Lydia Walshin's recipe for tomato pie that you can find in her book, 25 Tomatoes: Easy year-round recipes using fresh, canned, roasted and sun-dried tomatoes from the Perfect Pantry kitchen .

Chicken and Stuffing As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter here in the Northeast I find myself migrating toward recipes that are comfy, cozy and homey.  Chicken and stuffing as a name for this recipe really doesn't do it justice.  The chicken is moist, tender and very flavorful because it is cooked on the bone.  The stuffing is moist and filled with the flavors of herbs, onion and celery.  Bringing the two together is the mushroom and wine sauce made from that old standby, cream of mushroom soup.  Don't judge me, now!  You know you have some in your pantry for dishes just like this one. The great thing about a recipe like this one besides its homey deliciousness is that it can easily be scaled to serve a few more, or many more.  It takes about 30 minutes to prepare and an hour to bake.  That means it won't work as a last minute weeknight dinner, but consider adding it to your menu rotation for the days when you have a little ex...

The other day was busy as all get out for me.  I found myself running late and unprepared for dinner.  Do you ever find yourself in a similar situation?  I know you do.  That question was really rhetorical.  Life often gets ahead of us and we find ourselves scrambling to catch up, right?  What does one do when facing a day like that?  Well, I turn to my pantry to see what I can pull together. Pantry Shrimp Pasta and Sugar Snap Peas A quick check of my pantry and freezer revealed the following ingredients: The Pantry Ingredients 1 pound linguine extra virgin olive oil 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, frozen fresh garlic fresh sugar snap peas fresh spinach white wine, Sauvignon Blanc shredded Romano cheese salt and pepper to taste fresh parsley, chopped, about 1/4 cup fresh baby spinach (an afterthought) I was relieved.  No need to worry.  I was confident I could turn those ingredi...

Are you ready for another installment of the well-stocked pantry?  This week we're talking about essential herbs, of the dried variety, and spices.  Herbs and spices are the elements that deliver flavor to your recipes.  They are what turn the "ho hum" into the "more please" dishes.  I need herbs and spices.  You need herbs and spices.  We all need herbs and spices.  Herbs are usually the fragrant leaves of a plant while spices come from the harder parts of a plant; from the bark, seeds, roots or fruit.  Sometimes a plant provides both an herb and a spice, like cilantro. My Spice Cabinet I keep my dried herbs and spices all together in one cabinet in my kitchen island.  I do most of my food preparation on the kitchen island that is right near the stove.  This makes the location handy for the prep and in process cooking steps of recipes.  Do you keep your herbs and spices in a handy location near your stove? You'll ...

Today's post is the third post in my well-stocked pantry series.  Previously we talked about selecting the right space for your pantry and the baking essentials.  Today let's focus on the essential pasta, rice, and bread products you'll want to keep on hand. Remember, creating your well-stocked pantry is a function of the foods you and your family like to eat.  No two families will have the same well-stocked pantry and that is exactly as it should be.  I'm sharing this look into my pantry as a starting point for those of you looking for help in getting your pantry organized.  If you already have a fully stocked pantry it may be fun to compare and contrast how we are alike or different. The Roll of Pasta, Rice, and Bread in a Well-Stocked Pantry A Glimpse of My Pantry Let's see what is on my pasta, rice, and bread shelf... The Pasta Essentials I like to keep on hand the various pastas I use to make most of the soups and main dishes my famil...

A well stocked pantry can be a great time saver as well as the key to making a wide variety of meals with very little planning.  We have all experienced a time when we were in the midst of making a recipe only to find out part way through that we were missing a critical ingredient.  Do you run to your neighbors or stop the preparation and run to your local grocery store?  What if neither is an option?  My well-stocked pantry came to be out of necessity.  As a working mom who traveled a great deal for my work I had precious little time for shopping, or even planning meals.  There was definitely no time for running to the grocery store in the middle of a recipe preparation.  I learned that my life would be much easier if I just made sure I had what I needed on hand. So, how do you get a well-stocked pantry in your home?  Here are five steps to get you started. Five Steps to a Well-Stocked Pantry 1.    Identify a loc...