Simply excellent! The combination of avocados, grape tomatoes and cannellini beans is like a marriage made in heaven, and the green onion provides just enough interest. Bright and beautiful, with fresh, flavorful ingredients. The lemon juice and olive oil dressing is light and understated, the perfect complement. I SO appreciated that this wasn't bogged down with heavy seasonings! Just before serving, I topped the salad with some freshly shaved Parmegiano-Reggiano and it was a nice addition. Now this is the "Mediterranean Style" way of eating exemplified. Good and good FOR you!

This turned out to be one of those happy surprise kind of recipes. You expected it would be good or you wouldn't have made it, but it turns out even better than you expected! I made the recipe as written, no changes. However, as I do with all cookie doughs made with butter, I let the dough chill for an hour or so until somewhat firm. I used a medium sized cookie scoop (about 1/4 c.), flattened them slightly, and baked on UNgreased cookie sheets for 12 minutes. Buttery, Oreo-y delicious. Crispy on the edges, soft and chewy in the middle. When I make these again I will fold even more Oreos in at the last, left in chunkier pieces. I can't wait to share these!

Please read the one, two and three star reviews - I found my experience with these muffins to be the same! While I wouldn't call them a failure, they didn't deliver the exceptional results I was expecting from them either. To address a few issues: olive oil is very well-suited for this recipe, so it is not a mistake or something weird. Extra-virgin olive oil, however, is generally NOT suitable for baking because its flavor is too strong. "Pure" or "light" olive oil should be used here. In addition to the cinnamon I also added a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice but it did little to give these the flavor boost I had hoped for. As for the "filling," which really is a topping, I increased the brown sugar to 1/3 cup and was glad I did. Similar recipes call for 1/3-1/2 cup sugar as opposed to this recipe's mere 3 T. But the "filling" was a disappointment, not making the statement I had hoped for or expected. Summing it up, these were a fairly flavorless muffin with a barely noticeable cream cheese topping. The recipe made 24 acceptable, but not outstanding muffins.

Yes, the name is a bit misleading, as these are not bars, but cake. The only reason this matters is that these "bars" are best served like a sheet cake, on a plate, with a fork. I wouldn't call these a grab-and-go type thing. Nonetheless, I was entirely pleased with these. While I do like pumpkin bars/cakes made with vegetable oil, I did appreciate that this was made with butter and the taste difference is noticeable and pleasant. I'm not a big fan of nutmeg, and the recipe seemed a little short on spice, so in addition to the cinnamon I substituted 1 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice for the 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. And, because I'm kind of tired of the same ol' cream cheese frosting I made a caramel frosting instead, and sprinkled some crushed cinnamon cookies over the top. It was a great flavor combination, but this cake is so moist and flavorful it would be great with no frosting at all.

Delicata squash is so beautiful with its variegated colors that I thought it a shame to peel and slice it as the recipe directs. So I cut it in half lengthwise, then baked it cut side down in a little water in a shallow roasting pan - 375 degrees, about 25 minutes. I then drained the water and returned the squash to the pan, cut side up. I filled the cavity with melted butter I had infused with fresh, minced garlic, and freshly ground pepper, then gave it a sprinkle of paprika for color. I returned it to the oven for another 5 mintues, then sprinkled it with the fresh parsley. I served each plate with an unpeeled half and it was SO pretty! I love squash, both summer and winter varieties, but had never had delicata. Hubs, on the other hand, doesn't really care for it - until now. We found this to be similar to butternut or acorn squash, but drier, not as sweet and with somewhat nutty undertones. We both loved it and, to my surprise, hubs said he wants to go back to buy three more!

To make these more intensely chocolate I used part black cocoa for about a third of the cocoa called for. The parchment worked like a dream and the cookies, which I coated heavily with powdered sugar, were beautiful. However, hubs said this wasn't his favorite cookie because it tasted like a moist, fudgey brownie. I guess that makes these 5-star cookies.

The combination of oil, cream of tartar and confectioners' sugar in a cookie recipe is a dead giveaway for a cookie that is light and crispy, almost "sandie" like in texture. This was just what I was after with these sugar cookies, and this is exactly what I got. I omitted the nutmeg but otherwise followed the recipe just as written. Delicious.

The idea of raw shallots didn't appeal to me, so I sauteed them briefly in the bacon fat. Aside from that I prepared these as the recipe directed with its interesting and different ingredients. Unfortunately, neither hubs nor I cared for the tang of the vinegar and would have much preferred this without.

This recipe has some weaknesses which, with a little tweaking, easily becomes a 5-star recipe. I couldn't see the point of coating both sides of the chicken before stuffing and rolling it up, so I held off on that until the chicken was rolled and secured with toothpicks. The chicken itself calls for no seasoning, explaining why other reviewers found it bland. I had some leftover lemon vinaigrette in the fridge, so I marinated the chicken in that, then seasoned it with Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning once I had the chicken breasts pounded out. I used Boursin garlic and herb cheese spread and rolled up the chicken burrito-style to ensure the cheese stayed put. I used homemade toasted bread crumbs to which I added freshly ground pepper, some chopped fresh parsley, and minced garlic along with the Parmesan (the good stuff!). As others have noted, half the amount of crumb mixture is all you need. To finish, I served this with a drizzle of homemade marinara sauce. The chicken was SO flavorful and tender! And the marinara was the perfect complement to the rich, cheesy filling. I served this with a side of spaghettini and fresh grean beans - a beautiful and delicious meal fit for a king!

Used this recipe to make cupcakes and made no changes save for omitting the nuts. They were perfectly spiced, moist and with a nice, homey pumpkin flavor. While a cream cheese frosting would be the classic complement, I frosted these with "Wedding Cake Frosting," also from this site.

Four stars only because I believe the amount of sugar needs to be reduced to six cups. As I always do with frostings calling for shortening, I used hi-ratio shortening which is far superior to the grocery store variety. I also added 1/4 tsp. salt to heighten flavor. I didn't measure the milk, just added it little by little until I had the consistency I wanted for piping onto cupcakes. Just reducing the sugar alone makes this a 5-star recipe.

Since my kids are long grown and gone I haven't made these in ages, but when I found strawberry flavored marshmallows on the store shelf I decided to make an old favorite with a new twist. They turned a pretty pink and were flecked with the handful of dried mixed berries I threw in for color and interest. I liked this recipe for its addition of vanilla and for the extra gooiness, as the original calls for more Rice Krispies to the same amount of marshmallows. However, after adding four cups of cereal I agree with some others that it needed another half cup. I used an 8x8" pan for thicker bars. Other than learning I don't care for these made with strawberry flavored marshmallows (tho' I'm sure kids would love it!) these were great!

I agree with others who noted that if this were to be prepared with the amount of water called for it would be soupy mush. Zucchini and yellow squash already contain a lot of water, so to add any is really unnecessary. So I eliminated the water altogether, added a clove of minced garlic and some sliced mushrooms, and cooked this just until done but still retaining its shape. It turned out beautifully and the bacon was a flavorful addition. Five stars just by skipping the water!

As others have noted, there is far too much wine called for in this recipe. If prepared as written, the shrimp would be swimming in it rather than being nicely baked. The amount of butter, on the other hand, is more flexible and depends on how you intend to serve this dish. Since I used this as a main course served over linguine, a little extra butter was nice. So, if one was to prepare this exactly as written it probably would be very disappointing, and only worthy of a weak three stars. Having said that, however, since recipes are only guides anyway, it would be a shame to knock this down a star or two just because of measurements easily adjusted to taste. I didn't measure at all - just arranged the shrimp in a baking dish I had greased with olive oil. Poured in just enough wine to basically cover the bottom of the dish, which I would guess was only a quarter of what was called for in the recipe. I crushed some croutons for the bread crumbs, then mixed them with enough melted butter, parsley, and garlic to the consistency I wanted, just so that it looked kind of like a coarse, wet sand. I dribbled a little extra melted butter around the shrimp in the dish, baked for the recommended baking time, arranged it over the linguine, and let me tell you it was five star delicious!

Just average. While I wanted something more subtle to go with the main dish, I still was looking for something more flavorful than this. Surprising, since one would have thought that since I used a flavored, specialty orzo medley along with the onion, garlic and chicken broth, that wouldn't have been the case. Definitely needs a hint of seasoning of some sort. Still, a perfectly acceptable companion to a heartier, more robustly flavored main dish.

Just passable for us. Left out the vinegar and used a nice Tuscan seasoning blend for the rosemary and tarragon. The whole tomato/onion/mushroom/herbs thing was just too much going on for the mild and delicate shrimp and scallops, and they kind of got "lost in the show." Also, didn't care for the small, cooked shrimp. Would have liked to have seen larger, chunkier pieces. Served this with Sarah's Rice Pilaf but it was just a ho-hum meal.

Nice, rich, flaky pie crust and a great choice for fruit pies, just as I expected it would be when I saw the addition of sugar, egg and vinegar. The sugar, of course, contributes sweetness, the egg makes this a richer, somewhat more tender pastry, and the vinegar is an age-old secret for flakiness. As others have mentioned, because of the fair amount of sugar in this pastry, great care must me taken to prevent overbrowning! Watch baking time closely, cover loosely with foil mid-way through, or lower oven temperature if necessary! Makes more than enough for a 9" double crust, with plenty of leftovers for "Pie Crust Treats," also from this site! Lovely recipe!

VERY good and, with just a couple of minor variations, nearly identical to the filling in the "Scotch Apple Pie" Mom and I have made for decades. Rich, sweet, sort of butterscotchy, slightly tangy (vinegar could be used for the lemon juice too), and deliberately without cinnamon, this is a unique twist on the classic apple pie filling. Cooking time will vary depending on the firmness of the apples you use. I again used this filling today for a 9" pie, using "French Pastry Pie Crust," also from this site. Good, homey memories associated with this one!

I made this exactly as written and found the amounts of lime juice and water to be perfect. However, I really didn't notice the honey at all and, given the title, "HONEY Limeade," I found that disappointing. Next time I'll add more honey and reduce the amount of sugar. I want to taste that honey in there! As written, this is a good, but average, limeade recipe.

Too light, sweet and moist - not a sturdy bread at all. Kind of like Wonder Bread (do they still make that?), which wasn't what I was looking for. It also rose higher than I would have liked even though I increased the salt to 1-1/2 teaspoons. In addition, even though I used two teaspoons of dried dill the flavor of it was faint. Had great hopes for this - all the right ingredients were there, but it proved to be disappointing. Were I to make this again I would reduce the sugar to 1-1/2 tsp. and continue to use the increased amount of salt at 1-1/2 tsp. I'd also increase the dillweed to a full tablespoon. But I doubt I'll try it again. Maybe this would be better baked in the oven.