I love color in food, in my kitchen, on plates, throughout my house, on walls, carpets, bathrooms, especially the garden, (where I grow an abundance of flowers and vegetables), wherever I ramble, play or work, my eyes open wide for color. Color at the grocery store, such as fruits and vegetables call to me; I…
Author: Marilyn Raff
Marilyn Raff is the award-winning author of The Intuitive Gardener, plus the author of two other garden books, Shrub Roses: Paradise in Bloom, and Ornamental Grasses for Western Gardens. For a decade she wrote a garden column for The Villager newspaper. Her poetry has been published in over twenty literary magazines, and Finishing Line Press has published her two poetry chapbooks—In the Palm of the Land, and Until Class Ends. Finally, her artwork, jewelry, and sometimes baked items are on displayed and for sale, at The Blue Chair, an art gallery and furniture store at 3473 S. Broadway, Englewood, Colorado 80113. With affection, Marilyn continues her passions of baking, cooking, painting, decoupage, sewing, gardening and making jewelry.
Streusel and Chocolate Chip-Stuffed Banana Bread
Even though my loving father died shortly past my tenth birthday, and that Dad was barely home – working tirelessly at his bakeries – in spite of this–his smiles and baking endeavors have resonate in me for decades. All aspects of baking flash before me, daily; they hound me to bake something, anything. I love…
Pork, Peppers, Pasta and Broccoli – A Skillet Dinner
For some reason, which feels a bit murky to me, our family didn’t eat many fresh vegetables, and that tradition stayed with me for decades and decades. Naturally we ate high quality Le Sueur canned peas, since our maid, directed from Mom, I suppose, bought only the best quality, at least with the peas. Deep…
Steamed Salmon in Foil with Garlic, Lemon and Herbs
Salmon is refreshing and light, a big change from eating heavy meats with sauces and vegetables. I like its thin fatty skin, plus its tenderness and flavor as it easily flakes apart. And I like seeing its attractive ruby-pink color, For years I use to eat salmon simply sauteed with vegetables stove top in a…
Favorite Meatloaf
Like many people, my memories of meatloaf go back to childhood. My mother never cooked, instead, we were blessed with a housekeeper you tended to all our food desires. Meatloaf was a regular dish for dinner. I must have watched Ann occasionally, since, once married, I started my meatloaf recipes rather traditionally, as I…
Shrimp, Broccoli and Pasta Swirl
Leftover spaghetti is boring! It’s hard to make it tasty the next day; it’s so plain. I enjoy freshly cooked spaghetti, but leftovers are not for me!. I often end up tossing leftovers in the trash, saying darn that so much has gone to waste! However, it was fun using up leftover spaghetti recently, from…
Chicken Noodle Casserole with English Peas
I love chicken like mom did. I like it cooked just about any way, however, mom liked it simply boiled, very plain, her thin fingers picking meat off warm bones, which happens to be a method that is not a favorite of mine; there are so many savory recipes that top that. She was big…
Chinese Style Roasted Chicken Thighs: Cabbage, Garlic and Vegetables
I ate chicken often as a child; my mother did too, but not because she cooked it, we were fortunate and had a housekeeper who cooked and shopped for our family. Mostly I recall eating chicken as a leftover in such dishes as chicken a-la-king over rice, probably served with a variety of canned veggies…
Stuffed Jumbo Shells, 4 Cheeses, Layered with a Meaty Marinara Sauce, Baked
Pasta for lunch, usually curly kinds or other elbow shaped varieties were common in my childhood. That’s what our live-in maid/housekeeper cooked for us, ( my 3 younger siblings and I) often with butter swirled in, plus a smattering of American cheese scattered from above. As an adult I’m still fond of that meal, but…
Creamy Baked Chicken, Rice and Vegetables
Chicken and rice sounds so passe, normal, average, but it may be however, it’s truly more than that too. Cooking this dish gave me an opportunity to use my skills, talent, create something delicious, extrodinary, a stick-to-your-ribs-meal that, with some of it, the ideas and ingredients, and part of the process just popped into my…
