One of my favorite luxury dishes is shrimp and grits. Why do I consider it a luxury choice? Because it's usually loaded with fat and calories. If you make shrimp and grits in your home kitchen, you can reduce the calorie content while still keeping that flavor POW! My usual version of this dish has ... Read more
Tidbits to Pair with Wine
You are invited to attend Rootstock, on July 11th and 12th, the virtual music, wine and food festival hosted by my friends at Château de Pommard! Remember the event is FREE! Click HERE to get your passes. Plan to prepare a few special bites to enjoy along with the wine and music. This is what ... Read more
Music and Wine Make Magic
Although we can't travel to France right now; I am thrilled to invite you to a very special weekend event. ROOTSTOCK, the 4th annual music, wine and food festival hosted by my friends at the world-renowned Château de Pommard promises to amaze and they've made an incredible offer just for ATOP followers. The festival usually ... Read more
Cream Cheese and Cherries-Oh My!
Sometimes you just want something sweet! I LOVE fresh cherries. I would eat my body weight in them every year if I could! One of the first batches of cherries this year were so tart, I couldn't eat them. Rather than toss them, I decided to craft a pretty little tart with on-hand ingredients. Let ... Read more
Succulents to LOVE!
It's no secret that along with millions of others, I love succulents. It all started when my children were very small and I discovered the tightly woven, textural, rosettes called echeverias. Back then, I spent hours crafting and caring for living wreaths. These days, I prefer no-fuss projects with a sure outcome and it doesn't ... Read more
Apricot Jam
This week, I have been posting about the classic French breakfast. ON weekdays, the French rarely splurge on croissant or pain au chocolat, but opt for a reasonable serving of bread, butter and jam with coffee of course. The inspiration for this week's posting of the classic French breakfast came from a gorgeous display of ... Read more
Cultured Butter
We are not talking about butter that has been well-bred but butter that has been well made! There is nothing like the rich flavor of European style cultured butter. In the US we are accustomed to sweet cream butter, which is also wonderful, you really can't go wrong with butter. However, European butter, is made ... Read more
Classic French Breakfast
This week I am publishing a series on a classic French breakfast. I have written recently about MY favorite French breakfast, pain au chocolat, but the typical French breakfast is simple; bread, butter and jam. When I say bread, butter, and jam, of course I mean the very best bread, the very best cultured butter ... Read more
Quiche Lorraine with a Twist
Quiche Lorraine is French comfort food at its finest. In France, eggs are not for breakfast but rather lunch; and this recipe served with a simple green salad, really makes a lovely midday feast. No one loves a ham and cheese sandwich more than moi, so having the ingredients on hand to make this simple ... Read more
Garden Lanterns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIWbFUKO37A As promised, I'm showing you how to make one of my favorite garden projects; creating planters out of candle lanterns. I've spent many hours in the garden this season; it's been wonderful to reconnect with nature, to get my hands and feet in the soil and to see the fruits of my labor grow ... Read more