IN MY KITCHEN- November 2026

I'm back in Florida, back in my Florida kitchen, and ready to share what's happening! After being away for 5 months, it's always fun to get settled back in and re-discover my own kitchen. 

Since it's the beginning of the month, it's also time for Sherry from Sherry's Picking monthly In My Kitchen blog share which I'm joining.

Florida has been very hot and humid. I have not been doing any real cooking. Instead I've been focusing on salads and light eating. The other day, we participated in a pot-luck dinner and I made a delicious quinoa salad with scallions, lemon, pine nuts, and slivered almonds. 

Quinoa with scallions, pine nuts, and sliced almonds

This recipe came out really good and leftovers tasted even better the next day directly from the fridge. I'll post the recipe in another post. 

You may remember that we have a flower truck that stops by our complex in Florida every Friday. The flowers are brought straight from the airport that morning and sell for $20 for 2 dozen gorgeous roses. I kept half of the two dozen, and gave the other half to my neighbor for her 82nd birthday!!

Since we do a lot of entertaining, I picked up some pretty cocktail napkins at Home Goods this week that I will use for company over the next winter months. 

Also while in Home Goods, I picked up this salad bowl and servers. It will be perfect for when I need to bring my pot luck dish to friend's home without worrying about breaking my glass bowls. 

I was surprised that the Christmas and Hanukkah displays were already out in Home Goods! I loved these colorful candles that I'll use for Hannukah!

Olives are a staple in our kitchen, so I'm starting with a large jar to begin the season. 

I took a run to Aldi for some chocolate. The sea salt with caramel chips are my favorite; my husband likes the plain or creme filled varieties. 

I found these dried baby bananas from Trader Joe's in our closet left from last season. The expiration date is still good, so we will be opening them soon. 

I made these Halloween vegan stuffed peppers in my Pennsylvania kitchen before we left for Florida.

My husband picked up this coconut milk at Costco... I don't usually use it but I do have some recipes I could try with it ... a case of 4 was on sale for only $7.99!!

That's it. Hope everyone has a great week! 

IN MY KITCHEN- JUNE 2026

What's in My Kitchen This June ? Ants!

ai drawing from chat

We returned to our Pennsylvania home about two weeks ago, and before we had even unpacked a single box, I spotted a few ants on the windowsill and kitchen counter. I was surprised because there wasn't any food in the house.

Within a few days, those few scouts turned into an invasion. Suddenly, there were armies of ants marching across my countertops and parading along the windowsills.

In My Kitchen December 2025- Florida

Yikes. It's December already? Where is the time going? 

I'll be joining Sherry at Sherry's Picking and other bloggers for her IN MY KITCHEN  share... where anyone can join in.

Here's some of what's been happening in my kitchen this past month. 

In My Kitchen - IMK Sept 2025

I'm happy to be joining the In My Kitchen (IMK) monthly roundup, kindly hosted by Sherry over at Sherry’s Pickings!

We had friends visiting from Florida who stayed with us for six days, which meant lots of meals, laughter, and impromptu get-togethers with mutual friends. It was busy—but in the best way!

The Bees and The Wasps Need Some Love

Do you love flowers but hate bees and wasps? 

Flowers are blooming everywhere during the summer, and the markets are full of fresh fruits and veggies. It’s such a vibrant, colorful time of year. But while we’re enjoying all that beauty and flavor, most of us aren’t exactly thrilled to see bees and wasps buzzing around.

Still, here’s the thing — without them, we wouldn’t have nearly as much to enjoy. 🐝 and they are in danger. Why? 

IN MY KITCHEN - APRIL 2025

It's the first of the month and time to give you a peek at what's in my kitchen where I will join other bloggers at sherry's monthly IMK blog share. 

I'm going to be taking a vacation in Europe in May. Being gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan makes it difficult to sometimes find good meals. I'm looking into protein bars to keep as a back up. So far I've tried these three bars. I think I'll be buying a case of the no cow bars. They are vegan, taste good, and lowest in calories but high in protein. 

IN MY KITCHEN - MARCH 2025

I'm in my Florida condo for the winter season. I cook about 4 nights a week, and we eat out about 3 nights a week. It seems to be the way everyone socializes (and puts on weight). Of course the weather is warm, so it makes it easy to be out and about and even walk to some of the restaurants.   

I'm joining Sherry and other bloggers for In My Kitchen monthly blog share hosted by Sherry's Pickings where any blogger can join in! 

This is what has been going on in my kitchen this past month. 

History of Valentines Day- How Did it Come To Be

The History of Valentine's Day:

Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th, is a day synonymous with love, flowers, chocolates, and romantic cards. It has become a worldwide celebration of affection.

How Did It All Begin? 

The history of Valentine’s Day is a blend of ancient rituals, romantic legends, and a few events that have shaped it into the holiday we know today. 

IN MY KITCHEN APRIL

I'm joining Sherry at Sherry's at Sherry's Pickings Blog for IN MY KITCHEN April 2024 . 

What's IN MY KITCHEN this month? 

A friend came to visit and brought me a lovely white serving dish. I also covered some of the food I made .

Pumpkins and Mums, But Where is Fall?

I'm starting to get ready to pack up for Florida for the winter. 

We will be leaving in 3 weeks, so I'm really hoping to enjoy some fall weather here in Pennsylvania before we leave. 

I bought 3 pots of colorful mums today for our front porch and one for under our tree. The rust colors and bright yellow and golds feel like fall. 

My New Great Niece- Welcome

My new great niece, Ellie Marie, is one month old and in our tradition, that is when we have a baby naming ceremony to announce her name formally and say some prayers and blessings for her good health and entrance into the community.

read on about the party 

Morning Walk Sharing Nature's Beauty +Recipes

I'm back to taking my morning walks. I'm trying to be mindful

while I walk and observe the natural beauty along the way. I'm sharing some lovely sights with you from my walks in my neighborhood. 

continue for pics and recipes

Happy May and Joyful Flowers

                April showers bring May flowers. 

Hopefully all the rain has passed and we will be enjoying some nice sunny warmer dry weather 

Being in Florida, I miss the blooming of all my spring flowers back in Pennsylvania such as lilacs, crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths, peonies, etc. 

Today I'm posting floral photos from the past when I was home in the spring and a link to some foods I cooked last May. 

Beauty, Peace, and Flowers

Today I am sharing some peaceful and beautiful scenes. 

Flowers- These are some flowers from my garden last summer

Nature- I spend winters in Florida at the beach

 

Sending notes of acknowledgement for no reason- a meaningful thing to do to a beautiful you !

My sister in law sends beautiful acknowledging supportive notes for no reason at all. She just tells or sends notes to friends and family saying how special and wonderful they are- sometimes on Facebook, sometimes by sending a card, and sometimes in an email. I am a visual person so I love to read them. I keep the notes because they make me feel so loved and supported. 

I started to think about who I could send some notes. I think I should start with my with my sister in law. 

Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Ukraine!

Mango/Peach Salsa

I love this mango/peach salsa recipe (recipe link)

Sharing this post on Image-in-ing 

IN MY KITCHEN - January

It's time to take a peek into my kitchen

 to see what's doing for January. I'm in Florida.

I'm joining Sherry's IMK (In My Kitchen) "blog share" for the month of January. IMK, as the name implies, is an opportunity for bloggers to give readers a peek into what's going on in their kitchens. 

Storage Bins for a Small Refrigerator

My refrigerator in my Florida kitchen is small (22 Cu/ft) and is a side by side. I have difficulty fitting everything into it. 

I bought little bins to hold my fruit and it seems to help. Those two bins take up an entire shelf in the refrigerator.

Dried Olives From Turkey

Next, we are enjoying these dehydrated dried black olives. They are extremely tasty and come from Turkey. 

Organic Non GMO Popcorn Kernels

I do like to eat popcorn but the small microwave packets contain a chemical that releases with the steam that is bad for the lungs. I buy these popcorn kernels at Whole Foods- I pop the corn in the microwave in a bowl. They are organic and Non-Gmo and pop easily.

Higher Protein Chickpea Pasta 

I bought a box of pasta made from chickpeas at Costco.

 It contained 5 packages of 8 ounce pasta. I made a pasta and mushroom stir fry this week.

Food For Traveling - Rice and Bean Pouches 

I store two microwaveable packages in my pantry for a just in case meal. If I need to be out for the day or even travel, I need to bring food with me since I am not only vegan- I am also gluten-free. It's really difficult for me to find healthy food that meets my criteria when I'm traveling. These packages do not require refrigeration and can be heated in the microwave in minutes for a filling satisfying tasty meal. Both have no oil added. Black beans and rice anyone?

My Birthday Flowers

My husband got me flowers for my birthday at the end of December, which are still hanging around my kitchen! 

My favorite color is pink and especially mixed with white baby's breath. This combination seems soothing and pretty to me. 

Wordless Wednesday Thanksgiving 2021

        Celebrating Thanksgiving at the beach in South Florida