About Morgan Wood

Author Archive | Morgan Wood

Scramble {a.k.a. Chex Party Mix}

chex mix - clear bowls sunlight copy

I have a confession to make. I’ve been on a farmers’ market health kick. {That’s not the confession.} In addition to trying to eat well, I’m working on stocking up on foods made with my fresh-finds. Today I had a big block of time to tackle my organize-the-extra-freezer project. So I juiced a mango, apple, cucumber and a handful of fresh spinach and pridefully made my way to the freezer with my energizing green drink to begin.

The goal was to inventory what I had, ditch anything I didn’t recognize, organize said freezer so that stuff would be easy to find, and make room for new creations. That meant pulling everything out. There were meatballs, enchiladas, oven-roasted tomatoes, pizza crusts, pesto…

It was all going fine until I pulled out a one-gallon Ziplock bag of Scramble. Continue Reading →

Organizing :: Magazine Recipes

recipe org - mags

A few months back, I shared my addiction to food magazines here.  I’ve not done the math on what this little indulgence costs, but hey, I’m subscribing, and not paying newsstand prices, so that’s good, right?  More than once I’ve been asked how I organize the {seemingly} hundreds of recipes I tear out of them. Continue Reading →

{Best Ever} Chicken Piccata

chicken piccata

One of my goals is to try at least one new recipe each week. And not just to stave off meal-time boredom. I figure it also justifies the growing list of food magazines I subscribe to! Sometimes these experiments fall flat, but sometimes they’re a hit on the first try. Like last night’s Chicken Piccata…

Continue Reading →

{Naughty Alert!} Cinnamon Swirl Bread

cinnamon swirl bread - with text

One of the things I love about our annual vacation in Idaho is that I can start each day at my own pace. And that usually means quietly enjoying a cup of black coffee and a piece of toast. {Contrary to popular opinion, I’m a  simple gal.}

This year though, the toast was anything but ordinary. I’ve already shared how generous some of my new girlfriends from the ranch are, having shared the fruits {well, vegetables} of their gardening labors.

Enter Tanya.

Continue Reading →

Favorite {food & entertainment} Apps

favorite apps2

It’s no secret that I’d rather spend hours in a kitchen store than five minutes in a jewelry store. {Lucky for my husband – he gets to reap the benefits AND it’s so much cheaper… in the long run!} I used to be a bit of a kitchen-gadget addict, but our remodel gave me the opportunity to purge anything that good knife skills could replicate. Now, several of my favorite kitchen tools don’t take up any drawer space at all – they’re all on my iPhone. Here are my current favorite food and entertainment apps: Continue Reading →

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Cilantro Oil

red pepper soup - 1

I may have been a little over-zealous at the farmers’ market when I saw how gorgeous and inexpensive the sweet peppers were this past weekend. I can’t recall my thought process, but apparently, I had in mind making stuffed peppers, Pad Thai, fajitas, AND some sort of slaw, in addition to eating them raw for a snack. It would be pepper-MANIA in our kitchen!

What was I thinking? I failed to take into account that we had company coming, and back-to-back events that gave me little time in the kitchen for the next several days. So there they sat.  Continue Reading →

Baked Zucchini Fries

baked zucchini fries

I love the generosity of gardeners!

Take, for example, my new friend Peggy. Besides being an all-around wonderful gal, she’s a fabulous artist and a horse lover… she’s also a terrific gardener. In the short time we’ve been in Idaho, she’s delivered gorgeous onions, cucumbers, beets, purple potatoes and state-fair-worthy zucchini. {I’m not kidding, you could use them for batting practice, they’re so big!} Continue Reading →

Strawberry & Basil Infused Vodka

Michael Boeckmann / pixelfarm.com

Photo courtesy of Michael Boeckmann / www.pixelfarm.com

Eating great food with great friends always makes for a terrific evening, but when you add a totally new experience to the mix, it becomes an adventure! That was certainly the case when our friend Cynthia invited some friends to join her at the recent Pop-Up Dinner in White.

Never heard of it? I hadn’t either, but it’s a wonderful concept! The dinner organizers secure a secret location and provide tables, chairs and a band. That’s it. Attendees bring in everything else needed to enjoy a gourmet dinner under the stars.

The caveat? It’s an all-white event… our clothes, the table linens, plates and flowers were all to be white. Continue Reading →

{Saving Grace} Very Good Cookies

very good cookies

Does anybody say grace before a meal anymore?

Growing up, this was a ritual that occurred at our dinner table. Every. Single. Night.

I’m sure the intentions for starting this tradition were admirable, but by the time I was a teenager, singing grace at dinner {yes, there was a tune to ours} was a rote exercise. Continue Reading →

Summer Squash & Red Quinoa Salad :: Picnic Perfect!

summer squash & red quinoa salad - on Platter

When my friend Kasey served this Summer Squash & Red Quinoa Salad, it was a “get out the cell phone and take a picture” moment.  Besides that, it was delicious!

I don’t know about you, but by this time in the summer, I’ve had enough potato- or 7-layer salad to last me awhile. I want something different! Mix it up a little! And how about something that’s healthy, fairly simple to throw together, and gorgeous? Is that too much to ask?

Continue Reading →