All Day Grilled Cheese

One of my all time favorite comfort foods is a simple grilled cheese sandwich. I doubt I will ever outgrow my love for it, but as I get older and my tastes change, I have come to enjoy more creative takes on traditional recipes. Case in point: while vacationing in Chicago I ordered a very similar sandwich from the hotel's restaurant one morning...and again the next morning...and the morning after that. My husband just shook his head at me but I couldn't help myself, it was heaven! When we made it home the first meal I cooked was this, and once my husband tried it he gave me a telling look that he immediately understood why I had ordered this so many times. This is not much of a recipe, more of a fresh take on the classic grilled cheese.

Winter Squash Soup

This recipe came about entirely because of one afternoon spent studying in a Panera Bread in Minneapolis and my subsequent obsession with their Autumn Squash soup. If you didn't get a chance to try it, it's insanely delicious and seriously addictive. Since all good seasonal items eventually are discontinued, I played with my own recipe for Butternut Squash Soup until I was satisfied that I had created a close copycat version of the original. I'm happy to say it received a very enthusiastic approval from my family when I served it over the holidays, and I know your families will love it too.

No Bake Energy Bites

Having healthy snacks available on hectic days is a must for me. I'm constantly running between the hospital and clinic, so my snacks need to be portable without requiring refrigeration. And even though I firmly believe fruit is the original prepackaged convenience food (seriously, an orange is very portable and even comes in it's own wrapper), it isn't always convenient to carry fruit in the pocket of your white coat. However, these little nuggets of deliciousness fit my lifestyle perfectly.