The Golden Nugget Gourmet

For Morgan's third birthday (yes, this post is a little late :) we decided to throw a party at one of his favorite places, Clark's Elioak Farm in Ellicott City, MD. We invited his future preschool class to join us as we thought this would be a great opportunity for everyone to meet each other before the school year started. The farm is truly a magical place as it houses several classic childhood storybook characters that were rescued from the Ellicott City's famous Enchanted Forrest. It reminds me of going to StoryLand in Glen, NH as a kid, but in a much smaller, more intimate setting. Although they have birthday packages available, we were going to have a small enough party that I thought it would be easier to go a la carte and just wing it. Prices at the farm are extremely reasonable so as party favors we paid for admission, provided feed for the petting farm and had tickets for everyone to enjoy the various rides. Morgan loves riding the ponies! The C

Bobby Flay's  Lemon Rosemary Marinated Grilled Halibut recipe  came highly recommended from my soccer friend Little Lisa. She has very good taste in EVERYTHING so I knew I had to try it after she raved one night before stepping out on the field. Easy to make and bursting with flavor, this fresh fish dish is a keeper!

Ready to go in the oven! There's nothing like walking into a home where Maine Baked Beans have been slowly cooking in the oven all day. The sweet and savory aroma of molasses and salt pork starts to permeate the kitchen almost immediately. Growing up in Maine, baked beans were a staple. Whether we were having a traditional Saturday Suppah with Red Snappers and brown bread in a can, breakfast with eggs and homemade Bakewell bisquits, or sitting poolside with Cartly Bryer's Wicked Good Baby Back Ribs , Potato Salad , and Coleslaw , there was always room for beans. This recipe is slightly adapted from " Memories from Brownie's Kitchen " a must have compilation of recipes from Orono's one and only Mildred "Brownie" Schrumpf. Brownie graduated form the University of Maine in 1925 with a B.S. in home economics and became local legend with her popular food column in the Bangor Daily News and a highly recognized volunteer for several organizations in t

Banana Pancakes Does making homemade pancakes seem like a daunting task that you only attempt once in awhile on the weekends? When we are always on the go we can easily find ourselves reaching for the ready-made processed foods to get us out the door on time. I'm not going to preach that you have to serve everything homemade... all the time... because I believe in moderation and balance. But, if you are looking to find ways to cut down on processed foods then you are going to love this breakfast trick. With 10 minutes of prep Sunday night, you and your family can enjoy fresh homemade pancakes all week long! Use this quick and easy pancake recipe to make your batter, store it in an airtight container, give it a quick stir each morning and you'll have those pancakes on the table in a flash. You can customize your pancakes each morning by throwing in bananas, chocolate chips, blueberries, etc.

On our way home from a fantastic weekend camping at Janes Island State Park we made a quick lunch detour at Jimmie and Sooks in Cambridge, MD. This stop would have been a total shot in the dark because we were unfamiliar with the area but we once again relied on our handy dandy mobile Yelp and Urbanspoon applications to steer us in the right direction. Wow, what a find! We started with a cup of their award winning Cream of Crab Soup. Scott got the Jimmie Club, a crab cake and bacon sandwich that proved to be a winning combination. I went for the Fried Oysters. Oh my, they were cooked to perfection. They literally melted in my mouth. We ordered Morgan their grilled cheese, and even that was gourmet! You can see his little fingers anxiously waiting to dig in. I can't wait to go back and try their Prime Rib! What is your favorite restaurant on the Eastern Shore?

Looking for something quick and easy for dinner tonight? This delicious pan roasted chicken thigh recipe  from Bon Appetit Test Kitchen produces the perfect combination of crispy skin and tender meat that's ready to be devoured in half an hour. I look at this pic and immediately crave whipped mashed potatoes! What favorite side dish pops into your mind?

My son Morgan loves popsicles! At the beginning of preschool he got hit hard with the croup cough that was going around so we spent four days managing the fever that came with it. Giving him popsicles was a great way to help keep him hydrated and cool. I started thinking about how I could make healthy popsicles at home and then I came up with the idea throwing Lifeway Kefir and fruit in a blender. Voila! A tasty frozen treat packed with probiotics and vitamins that is 99% lactose free as well as gluten-free. They taste just like frozen Chobani Champions Yogurt Tubes! If you want them a little sweeter add a little honey to the mix. Probiotics are thought to have several health benefits including: preventing or reducing the severity of colds and flu, treating eczema in children, treating irritable bowel syndrome and several other digestive and infectious problems you can learn about  here .   Looking for popsicle molds? I love my Tovolo Star Ice Pop Mold that c

One of the first times I remember eating whole cloves of roasted garlic was while visiting Marni, one of my BFFs, in Alberta, Canada for Thanksgiving. At the time she was working at the golf course at the Delta Lodge in Kananaskis and I was going to school (where we met) at Burman University in Lacombe, Alberta for Adventure Based Counseling. I was lucky enough to accompany her to a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner held at her friend Matty's house and roasted garlic was one the menu. Wow! I never forgot how amazing it tasted, how elegant it looked, and how simple he said it was to make. Next time you are having guests over, get a fresh baguette and throw some cloves in the oven, and you will no doubt dazzle them with this simplistic hors d'oeuvre. When trying it on my own for the first time I followed this recipe from Simply Recipes . Catching Up 2011 After a few years of being apart we were finally reunited for Marni's beautiful destination wedding at the Sandos Pla