Thai Chicken Salad and Parcel Post Bars

Now you know what my family will be eating for Christmas dinner. Well, at least some of what we’ll be eating. The following simple recipes are ones I plan to make and take to a Christmas potluck we’ll be attending later today. The first dish is a hearty salad that you could easily eat as a main entrée or contribute to a potluck. Most of the ingredients are ones you likely have in your kitchen right now, which means you could whip together this dish on a moment’s notice. The other dish is a dessert (who goes anywhere on Christmas … Continue reading

Affordable Asian-Inspired Meals

One of the best parts of going home to Hawaii is that I get to eat as much Asian food as possible. Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai restaurants can be found on practically every street corner throughout the state. The food is unbelievably delicious and the portion sizes are generous. Plus, there is nothing quite like dining on authentic Asian food in a tropical setting. Now that I’m back in the Artic… I mean, Wisconsin, I am once again reminded of how much I am missing back home. To console myself I have been making very inexpensive Asian-inspired meals in … Continue reading

Quick and Easy Party Dishes

My daughter’s playgroup meets this week for our Halloween bash (eight moms and 12 kids under the age of four—so it’s not a huge gathering). Since we are celebrating a holiday we decided to forgo our usual small-snack-only rule, instead each mom is required to bring one main or side dish. Since I am not hosting the party (whew) it means I need to find a versatile dish that will travel well. The following are some of my tried and true party/potluck dishes. I will be making and taking one of them along on Tuesday (I haven’t decided which one … Continue reading