Mary Anne here. This recipe brings me back to my own childhood in the ’50’s and 60’s when counting calories was unheard of and comforting cheese sauces topped everything from bread to veggies! This antiquated treasure is the base for the king of all cold comfort foods – mac ‘n cheese – and I assure[…]
Cool Green Bean Salad with Smoked Gouda and Crisp Apples
Mary Anne here. As I write this post, my most beautiful and cherished grandson is exactly 5 weeks old today, and I am The.Happiest. Nana. Ever. As a doting Nana, these past weeks have blown by in a whirl of cooking, cleaning, soothing, and savoring every delicious moment whilst tending to my exhausted daughter as[…]
Chile Con Queso aka Tex-Mex Style Nacho Cheese Dip
Mary Anne here. Super Bowl Sunday is upon us, and this year I may actually watch the game as my New York Giants tackle the New England Patriots! Usually it’s all about the grub…and the commercials. My cheering section of the Ellicott-Rittenhouse team plans to keep up our spirits no matter what happens on the[…]
Finska Kakor, aka Finnish Cakes with Sweet Butter and Almonds
Mary Anne here. Mariel’s BFF is getting married in May, and naturally we’ll be hosting her bridal shower. Mariel’s gal pal is like the second daughter I never had, and so of course I want the party to reflect how much we love her. One of the best ways to express our devotion is through[…]
Crispy Kale Chips
Mary Anne here. This fall, I spent a glorious eight hours up north in horse country with my favorite girl, Mariel. I just love those quiet, mom-daughter days. On this particular adventure, we stopped for coffee on the way and, while sipping from our paper cups, we perused the goodies at a local farm stand.[…]
Baked Onion Rings with Old Bay
Mary Anne here. True, I am an onion ring fanatic, but I believe there is nary a fried food that stacks up to a deep-fried, batter-crisped sweet onion. That being said, while December typically signals a break from bathing suit season, my annual trip to the tropics means I should probably be taking a plunge[…]
Chocolate, Walnut & Coconut Pie Bars
Mary Anne here. Sadly, the Thanksgiving family feast is over and the holiday bustle is officially in full swing. Between Black Friday, which now apparently launches during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (gasp!), to Cyber Monday we are inundated with pressure to buy, buy, buy! Not so fast. I’m still glowing from our unequaled Turkey Day[…]
Glazed Carrots with Ginger and Fresh Orange Juice
Mary Anne here. Mariel is right – when it comes to our Thanksgiving feast, it’s all about the side dishes. I have to admit, I’ve gotten into a bit of a rut in terms of trying out new veggies, but who wants to mess with success and risk disappointing the “kids” on such an important[…]
Haricots Verts with Roasted Shallots
Mary Anne here. As promised, here’s my second installment to a Rittenhouse “Sunday Dinner.” When my eldest son and I went shopping for our Roast Beef, the produce market was touting thin Haricots Verts for a mere $1.99/pound. Usually when I want to treat myself to this crisp cousin of the fatter green bean, they[…]
Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Mariel here. When I was a wee middle-schooler, my best friend at the time used to love making sweet breads. Banana bread in particular was her forte and we spent many an afternoon whipping up a double-batch in the kitchen and then snacking on our own personal loaves while playing Donkey Kong or modeling the[…]
Fresh Summer Fruit Salad Topped with Yogurt and Granola
Mary Anne here. Although the thermometer is taking a much-welcomed nosedive, this fruit salad has been a Rittenhouse family summer staple for years, appearing on our table anytime the temperature lingers above 90 degrees. Recently Mariel has featured a few breakfast-for-dinner treats here at Feast, so I just had to put in my two-cents and[…]
Michael’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Crunchy Scallions and Fresh Cilantro
Mary Anne here. Well, it seems Michael is getting the hang of contributing to our little blog. This afternoon, in preparation for the holiday weekend, he whipped up this salad (it’s become a standard in our home) and actually WROTE DOWN the measurements – yippee!! Michael is a pretty cute guy and I think he[…]
Easy Whole Wheat Mac ‘n Cheese
Easy Whole Wheat Mac n’ Cheese Serves 8 as an Entrée or Serves 16 as a Side Note: Use any combination of your favorite cheeses including mild to sharp cheddar, Jarlsberg, Smoked Gouda, Gruyere or Parmesan. Ingredients: 2½ cups milk, heated to a very low simmer (I used 1%) – stock 1 lb. whole wheat[…]
Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Hash
Mary Anne here. Whether you’re planning a brunch, lunch, or dinner, this leftover-laden creation has to be the ultimate comfort food! I combined the remnants of our turkey with stuffing, boiled potatoes, sautéed onions and gravy. It’s Thanksgiving dinner’s finest transported to a hot pan and crisply browned on both sides. If I had any[…]
French Onion Soup
Mary Anne here. This recipe was created for my youngest son Christopher. Despite his youth, he’s become somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to French Onion Soup…and I mean connoisseur in the sense that he’s tried every variety out there. He’s eaten the weakest, saltiest, rubber-cheesiest charlatans, but so strong is his love for[…]
Homemade Applesauce
Mary Anne here. From the time my children were tiny tots, Halloween and fall festivals were two of our favorite things. Each year, in early October, I chose a crisp, sunny day and trundled my bunch up the highway to our favorite pumpkin patch in North Salem. Running, squealing and tripping amongst the stemmed squashes[…]
Nutty Granola with Dried Fruit
Mary Anne here. Awhile back our friends at Oh Nuts! sent us a generous assortment of dried fruits and nuts, which, upon arrival, I tore into like a kid on Christmas. Thanks to my newfound bounty, I was able to address a long-standing grudge with store-bought granolas. As you’ve no doubt noticed, the price of[…]
Chocolate Cheesecake
Mary Anne here. If you’ve never baked in your life – not one solitary cupcake, nary a Pillsbury Crescent Roll – then I recommend you start with this foolproof Chocolate Cheesecake. Regardless of your prowess with a whisk, this puppy whips up in under 30 minutes and takes about 35 minutes to bake, yet it’s[…]
Root Beer Baked Black Beans
Mary Anne here. Ready…aim…fire up those grills! Labor Day is upon us and those coals will glow red-hot for summer’s last official chow down. My family will undoubtedly be expecting the traditional assortment of Slow Roasted Ribs, Macaroni Salad, Deviled Eggs, Corn Salad, Tomato and Brie and Mariel’s Cheddar Black Bean Cornbread. This year, I’ve[…]
Cool Corn Soup Topped with Roasted Corn Salad
Mary Anne here. Corn – the sweet cream of summer’s crop – has been a steady muse this August. Luscious and versatile, this soup can be served cold, at room temperature, or toasty warm when fall’s chill finally takes hold. If you do serve this warm, I suggest dishing it up alongside grilled sausages sautéed[…]