Simple Girl

I've been testing out a few recipes to go with my Super Bowl Chicken Taco Bar this Sunday and this one came up a winner.  It's easy to put together and ads a fresh, flavorful and healthy element  to the lineup.   Black beans and corn come together with a sweet and spicy kick.  It's so good, you won't be able to stop eating it! It's also extremely versatile.  Use it in place of chicken for a tasty vegan taco filling or add two cups of the salad and one cup of your chicken taco filling to a quart of chicken stock and you have instant Chicken Enchilada Soup! Go ahead.  Pile it on! Black Bean and Corn Salad adapted from This Recipe at The Food Network 2 - 14 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained 4 cups frozen corn kernels 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 red onion, chopped 1 tablespoon cumin 2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes) 1/4 cup canola oil hot sauce to taste (I prefer Frank'

Do you remember the movie Grumpy Old Men?  What?  Eh?  You're too young to remember the 1993 classic with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau?  Some of the funniest scenes take place out on a frozen Minnesota lake.  Ice Fishing. Ice fishing in North America may have begun as a sport of survival, but it has turned into a cultish pastime with its own sub-culture.  In freezing climates, it has become just one more reason for men to get out of the house and divert their domestic responsibility.  Or maybe it has been promoted by women who prefer their men to play cards in their own house on the weekends.  Whatever its origin, modern day ice fishing does not seem to base its success on the catching of fish.  If you've never been ice fishing before (ahem. me.) the first point of fear is driving your car out on the ice.  I mean, are you really going to trust the weatherman who is announcing the ice safety conditions from his heated rooftop garden?  There is defin

Now that we are back living in The North, I'm starting to remember why, prior to my life in The South, I had only had a handful of pedicures and didn't own any sandals.  Exposing one's feet presents health risks.  Like frostbite. Groundhog's Day (February 2nd) is just around the corner. At this time, as legend has it, the groundhog will either emerge from its hole on a sunny day, see its shadow, get scared, and hide leaving us with six more weeks of winter, or it will emerge on a cloudy day, see nothing noteworthy and predict an early spring.  Sunny or not, a package of Pepperidge Farm Milano's was all the inspiration I needed to celebrate the impending season. When I first saw these cookies in Family Fun magazine, I immediately tore out the page. How cute are these groundhogs?  The actual assembly is a bit tedious, but the eager anticipation of the recipients makes it all worth while. Begin with some Milano cookies.  Use sliced almonds for the

You don't have to be a Vegan to enjoy these delicious chocolate cupcakes.  In fact, why even put the word vegan in the name? Let's just call them super moist and deliciously rich chocolate cupcakes.  With no eggs and hardly any saturated fat.  My grandma used to make a similar cake growing up.  She called it Crazy Cake because it didn't have any eggs and she just mixed all the ingredients together right in the 9 x 13" pan!  Who knew she was so ahead of her time? Vinegar steps in for the eggs to give the batter a lift (honestly, you won't taste a thing). I took a tip from my good friend Ina Garten who has proven that chocolate tastes chocolatier when you add a little coffee to it and substituted coffee for the water.  Really, I'm her friend.  She just doesn't know it yet. See how beautifully these little eggless cuppies rise? If you are really a Vegan, you can buy these Vegan Carob Chips which are completely dairy free.  I tried them a