Washing machines are one of life’s greatest inventions in my book (imagine washing clothes by hand with a wooden scrub board with buckets of steaming water - yuck), and yes, they need routine maintenance - washing machines need to be washed too. Dirt, residue, build up and even mold or mildew can accumulate over time in your washing machine if left unmaintained- but fear not, periodic cleaning of this key appliance is all it takes to keep it running in top form and sparkling. How to clean your washing machine: 1) Run a hot water cycle (empty - no clothes) with two...

School starts for my kids this Thursday (who thought starting before Labor Day was a good idea? Clearly I wasn’t consulted). Anyway, we have started getting ready over the past week or so, so we are organized and the kids can get excited for the new school year. Here are some things we do at my house to get ready for “back to school”: Start school night bedtimes before the night before the first day. As the summer went on, my kids were staying up later and later, to the point I was going to bed before them. A few nights ago we...

My neighborhood farmer’s market was literally overflowing with fruits and vegetables this weekend - peaches, lettuces, tomatoes, squashes, raspberries, green beans - it was beautiful. I was surprised to see blueberries were still available, so we picked up two pints. I make a lot of blueberry muffins and freeze them and am a little tired of them, so I thought I would try an old coffee cake recipe that I had and adapt it by adding some blueberries, lemon, and vanilla. It was delicious - moist and sweet - and it would be just as good for dessert or a snack as breakfast. Blueberry Coffee Cake Ingredients: For cake: 1/4 cup...

I got a little sick of making chocolate chip cookies (I know, I wasn’t thinking straight when I said this), so I decided I would go off base and make something different to have around the house and I chose to make Peanut Butter Cookies, thinking it might be a little healthier because of the peanut butter (another poor rationalization, but it was late at night when I had this thought).  So I consulted my trusty Joy of Cooking and found this recipe: PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES About sixty 1 1⁄2-inch cookies For those who dote on peanut butter cookies, try these rich and...

Solving BBQ problems is not usually part of my job description. Generally, I have my own to deal with. Like - how can I get more of it? But when The Vertical Smoker, A/K/A the New Jersey Nudnik, called me up and asked what to do about his ribs, I couldn’t refuse him. The Vertical Smoker is an stand-up guy. I’ve known him for years. He’s tall (hence his name) and he uses an odd stand-up contraption to cook his ribs in. I will say in favor of the Vertical Smoker that he’s always done things the right way, despite his...

Dear Cooks: I cannot drink wine of any kind because I have a really bad reaction to it. A lot of the recipes I see that sound so good require wine as an ingredient. Is there something I can substitute that won’t alter the recipe too much? Sincerely, Joy Dear Joy: The alcohol cooks out of wine when you use it in a recipe, so if it is the alcohol you are sensitive to, keep this in mind. In most recipes you can substitute chicken or vegetable stock or broth or even water for the wine. There are non-alcoholic wines available, but aren’t necessary when substituting...

I have never tried Indonesian food, but tonight, in Amsterdam, I had one of the most delicious meals EVER. I would say that the taste is kind of cross between Thai food and heaven. Believe it or not there are tons of Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam because Indonesia until 1945 was occupied by the Netherlands. We headed to a restaurant called Bojo, one of our guidebooks called this place “delicious and affordable”…say no more. And before we knew it we were hoofing it crosstown via foot and tram to this local spot. When we arrived the restaurant was so quaint,...

I try to eat well, I do.  I succeed most of the time, I think.  But every once in a while, a fattening, but artisan piece of cheese sneaks into my diet or a perfectly cured, homeade sausage.  I don’t feel guilty about those things because they are natural, traditional, and probably made with love and amazing ingredients.  And then there’s the Oreo Truffle.  The two words don’t even go together-”Oreo,” a common store-bought cookie, and “truffle”, a fancy dessert usually reserved for the likes of Jacques Torres. I don’t care what you call it, people have you tried these? ...

It was our fourteenth wedding anniversary this week and my husband and I celebrated at home - with a delicious dinner of steak and salad capped off with these adorable mini cheesecakes. These are the perfect serving size and you can make them a day or two ahead and just pop in the fridge. Super easy and they look impressive - give them a try. Mini Marbled Cheesecakes Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups softened cream cheese 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 2 eggs 6 tbs. chilled heavy cream 1 tsp. vanilla 16 individual-sized prepared graham cracker dessert shells prepared hot fudge sauce Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine cream cheese, sugar...