Art of Natural Living

Enjoying the Green Life

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

By Inger Sep 18, 2023 Cooking & Recipes, Main Dish, Pasta 14 Comments

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara blends cheesy tortellini and creamy parmesan sauce, then flavors everything with bacon and garlic. It’s a richer knockoff of the classic Pasta Carbonara!

Extra bacon. Extra Cheese. Because.

It was a family vacation that inspired me to make Cheese Tortellini Carbonara. We had rented a timeshare in beautiful Captiva, FL and brought along three kids and a boyfriend. Pretty near a dream vacation except for one problem–how to make food that would please everyone.

Creamy pasta is always a crowd pleaser—and even my picky daughter would eat mac ‘n cheese three times a day.

I just needed an adult version. With major flavor. Yes, food bloggers tend to raise kids with… expectations.

This dish cooks up fast with just a few ingredients, so it’s a near perfect vacation entree. And in the end, the creamy rich pasta was the hit of the week. Read more

Tasty Apple Scones

By Inger Sep 15, 2023 Breads & Muffins 4 Comments

With chopped apple, (optional) cinnamon chips, brown sugar and half whole grains, Apple Scones are flaky, tasty, and perfect for fall!

Recently, a Facebook reader described my Maple Pecan Cherry Scones as “Summer Meets Fall!” I loved that description and decided that today we are having “Fall Meets Scone” with Cinnamon Apple Scones.

Now just like my Cherry Scones, these are just a little more wholesome than your classic British scone. But they are still totally flaky and delicious.

Yes, these scones are made with half white whole wheat flour for some extra fiber and nutrition. But the texture is still flaky and the cinnamon and apple flavors totally ring out!

It’s almost like taking a bite of fall.

Apple Crumble Muffins

By Inger Sep 9, 2023 Breads & Muffins, Cooking & Recipes, Desserts & Snacks 15 Comments

With flavors of apple and fall spices, plus a tasty streusel topping, these moist and delicious Apple Crumble Muffins will rock your fall!

What would fall be without apple treats–complete with spices like cinnamon and ginger? And these Apple Crumble Muffins are so yummy they will bring the best of fall into your life from breakfast to dinner.

Yes back in the day when I first made Apple Crumble Muffins, I knew I was onto something good. That week, my mother and stepfather kept stopping by for different reasons and finally confessed they were after my muffins!

Driving across town for more delicious muffins? I totally get that! Read more

Canned Pears in White Wine Syrup

By Inger Sep 8, 2023 Condiments & More, Fruits & Vegetables, Pears 19 Comments

Sweet and fruity, with a nuanced flavor from wine, ginger and vanilla, Canned Pears in White Wine is a fun way to have summer all year!

In the balmy late days of summer, don’t you sometimes wish things would last forever? The clear blue skies, the soft lake breezes, the bountiful fields, the fruit trees heavy with fruit… A paradise!

But time marches on. And happily the fall has its own delights! But you can preserve some of the spirit by canning pears. And this recipe is especially tasty prepared in a lightly sweet white wine syrup. Read more

« Previous