: Archive

Monkey Around With This Recipe

Blame this one on the kids – for Mother’s Day, we love a sweet, sinful cinnamon bun with a steaming cup of coffee or an ice-cold mug of milk. We’re not sure why this is called Monkey Bread, but we’ve monkeyed around with the recipe our mama used to make, so we think the name is apropos. (Or maybe it’s because we have more fun than a barrel of monkeys as we stand in the kitchen and pull the warm...

Apr 28th

1 note

A Different Dish for Easter Brunch

The divas love the springtime ritual of Easter – and, yes, we snitch chocolate, marshmallow chicks and jelly beans from the baskets, but there’s something hopeful in the sunrise that morning. It’s a day for gathering family and friends around the communal table for a late-morning brunch, and instead of casseroles or a pile of ordinary scrambled eggs, it’s fun to let everyone get messy in the...

Apr 3rd

Cookies Without Turning on the Oven

The divas are experts at keeping cool – we love leaving the oven off and making homemade goodies that only look complicated, a splurge with so little effort. This dreamy recipe has a little bit of everything: chocolate, salty pecans, peanut butter and whipping cream – what’s not to love? Forget a bottle of wine as a hostess gift, wrap these bars in a pretty container and share the love. Happy...

Nov 26th

Use Your Noodle

School bells ring and fall arrives this month with promises of cooler temperatures. With visions of delicious Sunday suppers, we’re ready to roll – pasta, that is, a favorite homemade treat in the diva household. Some of our sweetest family memories are rolling out pasta dough on a lazy afternoon. Skinny strands of angel hair; flat, hand-cut pappardelle; hearty fettuccine, and classic strands of...

Sep 3rd

1 note

Summer Supper In a Flash

Raise your hand if you prefer to stay out of the kitchen – for the entire summer, if possible. This quick, light dish takes minimum effort for maximum crunch and sweet, spicy flavor. Grill the shrimp outdoors or on your stovetop, whatever is easiest. Buy wild American shrimp when you can find it, sweeter and more tender than the imported, farm-raised kind (and without the chemicals). And it’s...

Aug 6th

1 note

Father's Day Yum

This Father’s Day, don’t relegate the grill work – play with fire and wow the men in your life. Your guy may reluctantly hand over the tongs, but grillfriends, take over and rediscover the fun of the flames. Whether you’re cooking on a hibachi or a flick-of-the-switch gas grill, sip a cold beer and get into the joys of grilling. If you have to light a match, we’re partial to cherry...

Jun 10th

4 notes

Dreamy Buttermilk Pie

The Divas took a road trip to Charleston, S.C., in search of the world’s best sweet tea and low-country cuisine. We found our share of creamy shrimp ’n grits, fried green tomatoes and she-crab soup. And for a sweet ending, we couldn’t get enough of Hominy Grill’s dreamy buttermilk pie. How do Chaz’ton socialites keep their slim waistlines with this shameless indulgence coming out of the...

Feb 21st

7 notes

Be My Valentine

With financial belt-tightening, it’s a good year for “dinner in” this Valentine’s Day – even though this divine dessert we pilfered from a favorite Disney World chef might have you loosening your belt. Make dinner simple and sensuous, it’s not the night for an exhausting kitchen repertoire. An indulgent bowl of pasta, a perfectly grilled steak, a one-pan dish … then wow your sweetie with...

Feb 4th

3 notes

Happy (Healthful) New Year!

Healthful Diva 101: always have something delish waiting in the fridge, ready to pounce on after a booty-busting workout or a hard day of shopping. We love crunchy, savory, satisfying tastes, and this simple edamame (soybean) salad keeps us happy. Edamame are in the freezer section of your grocery store, still in the pod or shelled. And they pack a powerhouse of fiber and nutrition – a half cup...

Dec 22nd

Divas' Decadent No-Bakes

Visions of sugarplums – or at least sugar, dance in our heads, with dieting on hold for a New Year’s resolution. We box these easy cookies with a pretty bow for the perfect gift for a hostess, a teacher, a senior pal, neighbors and kids. (Quick, give them away so you won’t be tempted.) While baking can be a zen experience, the divas prefer not to turn on the oven during the hectic holidays....

Nov 18th

1 note

For a Sweet Ending...

The divas took a road trip to Charleston, S.C., in search of the world’s best sweet tea and low-country cuisine. We found our share of creamy shrimp ‘n grits, fried green tomatoes and she-crab soup. And for a sweet ending, we couldn’t get enough of Hominy Grill’s dreamy Buttermilk Pie. How do Chaz’ton socialites keep their slim waistlines with this shameless indulgence coming out of...

Sep 18th

5 notes

'Bold & Beautiful' Scallops 'n Salmon Skewers

Like a favorite cashmere sweater and pearls, scallops wrapped in sizzling bacon have been a classic party combo since the ‘60s. But a makeover is overdue. With all the buzz about omega 3s, we look for creative ways to get fresh wild salmon, one of the best sources, in our diets. Scallops, high in protein and low in calories, move over to make room for chunks of bacon-wrapped wild salmon in...

Mar 5th

3 notes

Harmonious Hot 'n Sour Soup

Soup season is short-lived in Florida, even though, like wearing white after Labor Day, we tend to ignore the weather and slurp this spicy bowl of goodness when the mood strikes. If you’re jonesin’ for Chinese, don’t head for your favorite takeout, you can have this on the table in less time than it takes to call and send for pick-up. Vinegar and white pepper add harmonious zing to this...

Feb 18th

Sweet, Salty & Delish

That sound you hear is the crunching of diet-crazed America, at full tilt this month after mindless holiday grazing. We are diving in to fruits and veggies with all the gusto we can muster, amping up flavors with little or no fat. There’s something so satisfying about the sweet-salty flavors of Asian cuisine – and this crispy slaw does it without an ounce of fat. Skinny slices of jicama...

Jan 19th

Diva Nirvana

Diva nirvana is sipping and noshing our way around the globe, and what better in these flimsy economic times than a day at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival: French escargot with Pinot Noir, American lobster rolls with a lager, Spanish crema catalana with sparkling wine. (The annual fest runs for 6 weeks each year.) Our favorite taste was this sensuous stew from Rio de Janeiro...

Dec 7th

Nov 30th

5 EZ No-Bake Cookies

And you don’t even have to turn on the oven! Dipped Apricots 1 (12 ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 (7-ounce) bag dried apricots Sliced almonds In a microwave-safe glass bowl, melt the chocolate, stirring at 30-second intervals until just melted. Stir in the oil. Dip half of each apricot in dark chocolate mixture. Top with almond slice. Refrigerate until...

Nov 30th