I have to admit that I am not a big fan of watermelon myself, but it is a summer staple so I have been playing around with it a bit this summer. The more recipes I create, the more that I am enjoying it. So now I'm actually eating watermelon sometimes. I never thought that would happen. I've always loved the synthetic watermelon flavor in gum or candy, but not the fruit itself for some reason. One of the things that I like about watermelon is that it has a subtle flavor so it

This is a flavor packed sweet potato recipe that I make every summer. I often make it for the 4th of July and it gets gobbled up. Not only is it easy and filled with flavor, it can also be enjoyed both cold or warmed, so really this is a great year round dish. It is based on a Bobby Flay recipe that I found years and years ago. If you don't like vinegar, cut back, because this is a vinegar forward dish. Feel free to sub in red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar as well if yo

This was a recipe that I created many years back. Well before becoming a personal chef. Since then, my family takes it upon themselves to throw this together for every family occasion throughout the summer. It is a recipe that fits many dietary restrictions, which makes it perfect for a summer or football potluck. Many people do not like coleslaw or at least the flavor of the sauce. I am one of those people that is very particular about my coleslaw. Since I love cabbage and

I started making this pasta salad more than 10 years ago and I still enjoy it today. I have made it recently for wedding showers since a makes a great addition to spring and summer buffets. It is also great for a tea party affair if you want something a little more substantial for your friends to enjoy. Want to add even more flavor to this salad? This is a meatless dish, but you can add 2 -3 cups of shredded cooked chicken and it can be more of a main dish. If you have the ti

This recipe came about when I had a client request a grilled peach salad and with summer peaches around the corner, I thought this was a great time to share it. My client had previously had a grilled peach salad that she loved, but could not tell me what was in it. So I started searching through the internet to see what other people were throwing in their grilled peach salads. I came up with this delightful combo and topped it off with my Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette. I must ha

With spring time comes the beautiful cherry blossoms. We are lucky to live close enough to DC that we can enjoy the cherry blossoms when they are in full bloom. In fact my husband proposed to me after running the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. Unfortunately that year the cherry blossoms were blooming later then expected so not many had oped up yet. OK, back to the topic at hand. After the cherry blossoms are gone, we of course get to enjoy delicious, juicy and healthy cherries. Che

There are so many wonderful things about spring. The smell of the thawing ground and blooming flowers, those bright colors, the warming weather and of course getting to enjoy fresh vegetables for the first time in months. Gone are the days of winter squashes and potatoes. Instead we get to start cooking with fresh, flavor packed vegetables and fruits that bring brightness even to a simple dish. Let's take a look at what vegetables and fruits are in season right now. There are

As you may or may not know, I have another blog that I started a while back called Cooking With Coupons. It is a budget recipe blog where I create recipes and meals based on the food items that were on sale each week and coupons that you could find in the paper. I still get a chance every now and again to post on the site, but not as often as I like. So I thought I would bring some of my favorite summer recipes from that site over here for you to take a look at. I recommend a