Spinach Pesto Quesadilla

This almost feels like cheating, posting a spinach pesto quesadilla recipe as a separate entry, rather than as an addendum to last week's spinach walnut pesto post.  But it just didn't seem right to relegate this astonishingly simple, yet surprisingly filling and delicious treat to footnote status--especially since quesadillas actually occupy a special place in my proverbial recipe box. Until college, I considered quesadillas to be drab...

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Spinach Walnut Pesto

Do you love pesto, but have trouble keeping basil plants alive?  That's me.  I'm on plant #2, which I adopted from a friend who moved away (thanks, Jen!) and so far, it's doing well.  My last one flourished for a time, then got nibbled down to the stems by bugs, so I'm still deep in the mindset of conserving the precious leaves.  With all the trouble my basil has put me through, I can't even contemplate harvesting the entire...

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Yi Mein (Birthday Noodles!)

Today is my sister's birthday!  She also loves to cook (hi Cheryl!), and while our kitchens are nearly 1400 miles apart, they're filled with little reminders of each other--from last Christmas's rolling pin, to this summer's ice cream machine.  In honor of my sister's birthday, I'd like to share a personal favorite (and traditional birthday treat).  For years I knew them only as birthday noodles; they are meant to signify longevity,...

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Foolproof Coleslaw

Mayonnaise and I have always had a volatile relationship.  When I was young, I was obsessed with the stuff.  It baffled me that my dad would diligently scrape off every last trace of mayo from his McDonald's chicken sandwiches; as far as I was concerned, the mayo was the best part!  The more, the better, was my philosophy.  Of course, that all changed one fateful afternoon when I decided to get a little inventive in the kitchen....

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Apple-Pluot Crisp

Want to know a secret?  I wish I were an extreme couponer… also, I love to eat.  Yeah, I know, that won’t be a surprise to anyone that’s met me.  The real surprise is that I’m starting a blog!  It’ll be a combination of my favorite things—cooking food and saving money.  Because honestly, is there anything better than delicious food that doesn’t cost much? Occasionally, I get outsmarted.  For instance, last week’s...

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