This is my new favorite snack! So easy to make and so yummy. Perfect for parties or a holiday movie night. All you need is:
1/2 cup popcorn (pop it in your air popper or on the stove top in 2 Tbsp oil)
1 package of white candy melts
3/4 cup ground peppermint (grind it in your blender)
Directions (so easy!): After you've popped your popcorn, pour it into a large bowl. Melt the candy melts according to package instructions and then pour over the popcorn and mix. Add the crushed peppermint and mix then pour onto a large cookie sheet to harden. After the chocolate has hardened break into pieces and store.
I made mine the day of our family's part so it would be nice and fresh but this will also keep for several days at room temperature. If you like you can add roasted peanuts to the mix also.
Happy eating!

PUMPKIN CASSEROLE
Here's a fun dinner casserole you can make for your family or for company. I just made this for our foodie group the other night. I'm sad to confess that I pre-cooked my pumpkin a little too much, which is why it looks so sad in this picture. I'm sure you'll do better if, unlike me, you follow the directions!
Ingredients:
1 whole pumpkin 8 - 10 inches in diameter
2 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped (you can also use 1 cup of onion and be fine)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 large cloves, mashed
2 tsp oregano (I used one this last time and that was plenty so experiment with this)
2 tsp capers (this can be optional)
3/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup pimento stuffed green olives
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 lb lean hamburger
3 eggs, beaten
Directions:
Cut a five inch top from the pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and scrape the inside clean. Place in a large pan of salted water and boil until the meat on the sides is tender (30 minutes). Pumpkin should be firm enough to hold its shape. Remove and drain.
Filling: In a large pan fry the hamburger, onions and green pepper. Mix together your spices and add to the meat along with the raisins, olives, capers, and tomato sauce. Cover pan and cook with meat for fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Mix in the eggs thoroughly and then stuff your filling in the pumpkin, packing slightly. Cover loosely with the pumpkin lid and bake in a shallow greased baking pan at 350 for 1 hour. Unless you happen to have over-boiled your pumpkin like I did. Than half an hour should do it. If you like, before serving you can rub butter around the upper edges and then sprinkle with granulated sugar to simulate frost.
One final note. If, like me, things like garlic and pepper are no longer your friends, not to worry. You can omit the garlic and pepper in this and use a yellow pepper and still have a very tasty meal with little risk of heartburn.
Happy Halloween and happy eating.

Don't you love summer and all the fabulous fruits that come with those long, hot days? Watermelons are ripe now and so good for us - a great source of Vitamin C, beta carotene, and magnesium. And it's also a mild diuretic.
Here's a ridiculously easy little goody that will take you all of five minutes to whip up. Fun to serve at a brunch. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
1/2 a small watermelon, cut into pieces
1 cup strawberry flavored Greek yogurt (I love the Greek Gods brand!)
1 Tbsp coconut syrup
Directions:
Mix well in blender for a minute, then chill. You can serve garnished with a mint leaf or just plain as I did.
Happy summer!

It's apple season! This time of year offers so many fun recipes that take advantage of the humble apple. This is one I just made up to serve our lunch company today. It's easy and yummy.
Ingredients:
2 extra large apples, thinly sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup slivered almonds
a handful of raisins
a pinch of cinnamon
Directions: Cut the apple slices in half then "stir fry" in butter on medium heat (don't get it too hot or you'll burn the butter) in a large frying pan for about five minutes. Add the brown sugar and other goodies along with the water, then cover the pan, turn the heat down a little, and let them steam for about ten minutes until tender. Serve warm over ice cream.

When my buddy Jill Barnett and I were down at the beach earlier this month she made an oh-so-yummy peach gillette. It was so tasty and easy I thought I'd share the how-to's with you. Here's what you need: 1 frozen puff pastry, 2 peaches and a nectarine, and some apricot jam. Here's what you do: roll out the pastry and crimp the edges, thinly slice the peaches into it, lining them up in rows like you see in the picture, then glaze with apricot jam. Bake at 350 until golden brown. I think we baked this about 15 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream. Easy, yummy summer dessert!

Our foodie group recently got together and we made the most perfect all-in-one summer meal. I think you'll enjoy it so I'm sharing it here. All you need is a nice long focaccia bread (the kind with herbs in it), a nice cheese that melts well (we used Fontina from Trader Joe's), some ricotta cheese, veggies of your choice (we used asparagus, fresh fennel bulb, bok choy, and small tomatoes) and either pre-cooked bacon or some type of ham. We also added pear halves but if that sounds just too weird you don't have to.
So, here's how to assemble. Grill the veggies on your stove top (my pal Kathy grilled them in balsamic vinegar) and set aside. Next, toast the bread in the oven at 400 for 2 - 3 minutes. Once you've done that spread with ricotta cheese and then put your roasted ingredients on top of that. top with meet and finally cheese and stick it under the broiler until the cheese melts and is golden brown. Easy and yummy and perfect for summer!