Homemade Lemon Cookies

This is a splendidly flavorful, inviting cookie that's bright and cheery during the blistery winter season, yet it's also a cookie fit for those warm summer months where you'll find them reminiscent of a refreshing summer lemonade.

They are fun to finish by decorating them how you like, you can drizzle icing in zigzag patterns over the top or take a spoonful and make a simple circle atop them. And no one said sprinkles are wrong either. However you finish them just don't leave the icing off, it's critical to the abundant lemony flavor of the cookie (as this portion of the cookie calls for the most lemon juice).

If you like a more noticeably yellow cookie simply add a little natural yellow food coloring to the dough to mimic the hues of those sunny lemon peels. It won't affect the taste but I think we tend to eat with our eyes first so a little yellow addition is a nice touch if you have it.

An oatmeal cream pie (also spelled oatmeal "creme" pies) are an old fashioned cookie that's been around for decades and for good reason. We know of the iconic Little Debbie version (I ate far too many as a kid) but now I much prefer them without all the self stabilizing additives, artificial flavors and added color. And of course made with fresh butter instead of various oils is better.

These homemade oatmeal cream pies are a family favorite which makes sense because they are basically an upgraded oatmeal cookie with a frosting filling. They are easy to make and the flavors never disappoint!

With each cookie you get a welcome blend of chewy textures, crisp golden brown edges a soft center (as it should be), with oat-y flavors and highlights warm winter spices and hints of deep molasses. Then for the filling it's a buttery, creamy, frosting type filling, with its sweetness balanced by a small addition of cream cheese (I preferred this option to using cream with the butter and sugar when taste testing).

It's a memorable treat that will always satisfy those homemade cookie cravings. Enjoy them together with family or friends, and serve them with a chilled glass of milk, or warm apple cider during the colder months.

Homemade pumpkin waffles are a seasonal staple. They are so good in fact you may find yourself turning to them year round!

They're crisp on the outside while fluffy, moist and tender on the inside. Exactly as a waffle should be.

They are made with smooth pumpkin, warm spices, flavorful buttermilk, a fair amount of eggs for billowy fluff, and oil for richness. They make an excellent lazy weekend morning treat, and they are even worthy of a festive holiday breakfast spread.

So much to savor in these delectable, pumpkin infused waffles!

If you love traditional pumpkin cookies and cinnamon spiced snickerdoodles then these pumpkin snickerdoodles are must try cookie for you! It's a seasonal spin on a classic.

They have just enough pumpkin to have a noticeable flavor while keeping the texture soft but not overly cakey. The butter lends rich moisture, and the spice blend makes them exceptionally delicious.

Then the cream of tartar, which is a classic addition of to most snickerdoodles, adds a nice faint tang to the cookie to highlight them.

These cookies are simple to make and they'll seem to disappear right before your eyes. So much to love in every bite!

These mini pumpkin pies are an exciting modern day twist on a nostalgic holiday classic! They are baked in a standard size muffin pan instead of as a whole pie. They are easy to make, faster to bake, and they're a tasty treat for people of all ages.

Their flavor is pleasantly pumpkin-y, deliciously sweet, and swirled with seasonal spice. And they have the best blend of textures with a crisp, flakey crust and a velvety, rich custard pie filling.

They are easy to serve and completely fitting for parties. And aren't most desserts just more enjoyable and charming when served in a mini individual serving size? They even seem fancier too.

With their smaller size plan on two of these per person, or even three for a Thanksgiving or other holiday feast. And as always take those classic pumpkin pie flavors up a notch by serving them with a generous swirl of billowy sweetened whipped cream atop.

What are Huevos Rancheros?

Huevos Rancheros is a traditional Mexican dish made up of warmed corn tortillas, a cooked salsa (red tomato salsa or green tomatillo salsa), and fried eggs. It is pronounced way-vows-rhan-che-rohs and translates meaning rancher's eggs.

They are frequently served with refried beans or black beans on top or as a side, and you can garnish them with various toppings.

This version is easy to prepare and is fairly quick compared to other versions. That is thanks to a food processor, because we skip the option of roasting the tomatoes and veggies for speed (though there's no lack in fresh flavor), and here  the recipe calls for ground chili powder rather than managing the steps of whole dried peppers.

This Huevos Rancheros is practically perfect and such a welcome comforting way to start the day. You may even likely find you are craving it for not only breakfast but lunch or dinner too!

Make it a complete meal served with chorizo or sausage, and don't forget that side of beans.

Chilled and Refreshing Cold Pea Salad

Who doesn't love that bacon, cheddar, ranch combo? Even here in this pea salad it works wonders and really builds a basic salad into a memorable side dish.

It's an excellent option for an Easter dinner to serve with a honey baked ham, mashed potatoes, and the best homemade dinner rolls. Then for dessert carrot cake of course!

This pea salad is a much tastier option than serving those frozen peas plain, it's worth the bit of extra effort especially for a holiday celebration or weekend dinner.

It has a tempting blend of textures and well rounded flavor with it's sweet pea freshness, salty bacon, toasty almonds, the depth from the cheese, and a rich creamy dressing to polish it off. It's a salad fit for a feast!

A Fun Christmas Appetizer Recipe

This eye catching Christmas tree cheese ball is decorated with plenty of earthy green minced fresh parsley, dotted with tiny red tomatoes and yellow bell pepper pieces, its swirled with a ribbon of pine nuts, then finished with a vibrant golden bell pepper star practically shining atop.

It's a holiday classic with a sophisticated upgrade thanks to its enhancements of herby flavors and fresh vegetables (or technically fruits), the welcomed bold white cheddar goodness, a pine nut finish, and its impressive unique appearance. No boring typical rounded shape plus pecan coating here.

And even though it's quite large this savory treat will be devoured in no time. This charming centerpiece will be a highlight of your gathering and a new striking way you'll want to make the holiday cheese ball every year!

Easy Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

A charcuterie board has never been so fun to make! Everything you get in a traditional charcuterie board shaped into a festive Christmas tree!

It's simple to assemble, it just takes a little bit of chopping and some basic artistic planning.

This is a family friendly charcuterie board and it's adaptable to swapping out some of the things I've shown here for things you may already have. The idea is just to stick to that simple red, green, and white/yellow theme for those classic Christmas colors. Then of course just keep the "Christmas tree" shape as you go.

A delicious holiday project that may just become a new family tradition at each yearly holiday gathering!

Easy Caprese Salad Christmas Tree Appetizer

Caprese salad is one of the easiest, tastiest Italian side dishes to prepare. And its natural colors just happen to be so perfectly Christmasy too so it only makes sense to bring the two things together for a deliciously festive dish making this cheery "Christmas tree".

This tasty "tree" is party perfect, makes enough for a crowd, doesn't require any special kitchen skills, and only needs a handful of ingredients. It's just a quick and simple, edible art project that will be the talk of the holiday gathering.

It's also a fun thing to do together if you've got friends or family around to help. Someone can slice while the other person assembles. Even kids can help with the layering assembly.

So many reasons to add this easy Christmas side dish to your holiday menu!