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Catalina Shrimp on the Grill Recipe
Sweet, tangy, and lightly spicy, these Barbecue Catalina Shrimp are a simple and impressive dish that is perfect for warm-weather gatherings, family cookouts, or a quick weeknight meal. The Catalina dressing creates a slightly sweet glaze that caramelizes wonderfully over the heat of the grill, while Tony Chachere’s seasoning adds just enough Louisiana-style spice for balance. With only a short marinating time and just a few minutes on the grill, this recipe delivers huge fla

Karen Hand Allen
6 days ago3 min read


America’s 250th Anniversary and Fourth of July Flag Cake Recipe
This year we excitedly celebrate America’s 250th anniversary! As we gather in homes, concerts, picnics and fireworks displays, we are all reminded that this year is very special; for two and a half centuries, Americans have had triumph, challenges, and yet we have persevered. With hope and gratitude, we remember our founders and honor the service of millions of people who have preserved our freedoms through their hard work, sacrifice, and commitment to the common good. The 25

Karen Hand Allen
Jul 34 min read


Shrimp Fettuccine with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe
Shrimp Fettuccine is mouthwatering and always the star of the show; it’s one of our most cherished dishes! Its timeless appeal is always welcome at our table no matter the season. During the summer months, when fresh Gulf shrimp are plentiful, this dish celebrates the sweetness and delicate flavor of fresh seafood with a robust garlic Parmesan cream sauce that is both elegant and always a delight for our family and our guests. In the cooler months of fall, winter, and spring

Karen Hand Allen
Jun 264 min read


Charcoal-Grilled Ribeye Steak Dinner Served with Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Kale Salad Recipe
Grilled Ribeye Steak with Mashed Potatoes Recipe Father’s Day is a very special occasion to honor our fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, and father figures who have guided, supported, and loved their families through the years. Across America, families gather around backyard grills, dining room tables, lakeside cabins, and favorite restaurants to celebrate the men who have helped shape their lives. While we may give gifts, our fathers will tell us that spending time together

Karen Hand Allen
Jun 195 min read


Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Garden Vegetables
We love a hearty skillet of beef and broccoli stir-fry loaded with fresh vegetables. Tender strips of beef are quickly browned until flavorful, then combined with crisp broccoli, celery, sweet onions, fresh garlic, and spinach. The hoisin sauce brings a rich, slightly sweet savoriness that coats every bite, while the toasted sesame oil adds a wonderful aroma that fills the kitchen. Served over hot buttered rice, this meal is comforting and healthy, making it perfect for fam
Karen Hand
Jun 154 min read


Easy High Tea at Home: Create a Relaxing & Memorable Gathering
Our High Tea at Home Menu: ~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad ~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches ~Orange Cranberry Scones ~Salmon and Dill Bruschetta ~Lemon and Cream Trifle ~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta ~Triple Chocolate buttercream Cupcakes ~Pecan Bars ~Madeleines ~Mini Palmiers Teas: Blueberry Lavender Butterfly Pea Flower English Breakfast Constant Comment Black Tea Tangerine Hibiscus Earl Grey Decaffeinated Black Tea Decaf PG Tips London Tea Finalizing our
Karen Hand
Jun 83 min read


The Best Hot Havarti Cheese and Applewood Smoked Ham Sandwich on Ciabatta Bread
~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad √ ~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches √ ~Orange Cranberry Scones √ ~Salmon and Dill Bruschetta √ ~Lemon and Cream Trifle√ ~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta√ ~High Tea at Home Continuing our Series on Teatime or Anytime Treats, the feature this week is Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta. These are our family’s all-time favorite sandwiches; we fight over them like cats and dogs! Perhaps it’s the smokiness of the ham with

Karen Hand Allen
Jun 23 min read


Lemon and Cream Trifle for Memorial Day Gatherings and Summer Entertaining
~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad √ ~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches √ ~Orange Cranberry Scones √ ~Salmon and Dill Bruschetta √ ~Lemon and Cream Trifle√ ~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta ~High Tea at Home Continuing our Series on Teatime or Anytime Treats, the feature this week is Lemon and Cream Trifle for this very special Memorial Day to honor and remember men and women of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in service to our country. It r

Karen Hand Allen
May 253 min read


Cream Cheese, Dill, and Smoked Salmon Crostini for Elegant Entertaining
~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad √ ~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches √ ~Salmon and Dill on Crisp Toast Rounds (Crostini) √ ~Orange Cranberry Scones √ ~Lemon and Cream Trifle ~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta Continuing our Series on Teatime at Home: Simple Elegance, the feature this week are Smoked Salmon Crostini, which have been made by my family, in one form or another, forever. You can use a baguette and put olive oil and toast it lightly, which is supergood

Karen Hand Allen
May 183 min read


Mother’s Day Brunch with Orange Cranberry Scones
~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad √ ~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches √ ~Orange Cranberry Scones √ ~Salmon and Dill Bruschetta ~Lemon and Cream Trifle ~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta Continuing our Series on Teatime at Home: Simple Elegance, the feature this week are Orange Cranberry Scones for this very special Mother’s Day to honor those that have cared for us, guiding and nurturing us at our very best, and our worst. Through thick and thin, for every seas

Karen Hand Allen
May 104 min read


Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwich Recipe
~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad ~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches ~Salmon and Dill Bruschetta (Recipe to Come) ~Orange Cranberry Scones (Recipe to Come) ~Lemon and Cream Trifle (Recipe to Come) ~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta (Recipe to Come) Continuing our Series on Teatime at Home: Simple Elegance, the feature this week are Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches, which are beautiful as well as incredibly versatile and can be served in far more settings than teatime

Karen Hand Allen
Apr 273 min read


Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Chicken Salad has been as much a part of my life as any seafood that we made frequently from the Gulf Coast, be it shrimp, snapper, crabs, flounder, or catfish. Our chicken salad recipe was made by my mother, her mother before her, and eons back as far as I can remember. And this wasn’t just any chicken salad, mind you. This was a tradition for every holiday, Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Then there were the family gatherings-reunions, birthdays, baby and wedding showers

Karen Hand Allen
Apr 204 min read


The Grand Galvez: High Tea in Galveston
Galveston beach and her eternal breeze whipped my hair as I entered the expansive grounds of the enchanting and stately hotel that rises along the seawall into The Grand Galvez. Known as “Queen of the Gulf” for generations, its Mediterranean elegance positively glows with renewed life after its renovations. On a perfect spring afternoon, several family members and I set out for The Grand Galvez. I was anxious to see the changes. From the outside, it was all classic Galvesto

Karen Hand Allen
Apr 134 min read


Celebrating Easter with Texas BBQ and Timeless Family Traditions
Easter, for as long as I can remember, has been something we anticipated for weeks to arrive with the first hint of spring. Growing up in the South, the air was still cool, but you could feel summer waiting just around the corner. Our home would slowly transform as plans were made, menus discussed, and small traditions carefully carried out. Fresh flowers always found their way to the table, nothing overly fancy, but always arranged beautifully. We usually picked hydrangeas f

Karen Hand Allen
Apr 53 min read


From Garden to Table: Honey Roasted Carrots
Spring feels like a breath of fresh air as I open windows all over the house. Bright sunlight abounds and birds chatter with cheerful song; the world outside begins to wake up again. In our family, spring means spending as much time as possible outdoors, walking through the yard to see what has survived winter, noticing the first green shoots pushing through the soil, and feeling invigorated. Gardening becomes one of our most joyful rites of the season, as garden beds are tur

Karen Hand Allen
Mar 274 min read


Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe Using Store-Bought Lemon Cake
Strawberry shortcake has long been one of those desserts that quietly marks the arrival of spring. The first bright red strawberries of the season are piled onto a yummy cake with clouds of whipped cream; the result is simple and satisfying. The sweet smell of berries mixed with cream instantly feels like a celebration of childhood with warmer days and the kind of dessert that brings everyone back to the kitchen for more! For many years in my family, strawberry shortcake was

Karen Hand Allen
Mar 162 min read


A Perfect Day in Paris: Notre-Dame, the Seine River Cruise, and the Eiffel Tower
Point Zero, the Center of Paris- Île de la Cité! You know the story, just like Groundhog Day, it’s 4:30 AM, I’m already awake, can’t return to sleep, and am in my polka-dot pajamas standing on my balcony. We’ve seen this movie before. After of days and days of not adjusting to European time, I’ve given it up. Besides, I like it out here on my balcony at this time of morning, I can look down and see the little store where last evening we bought breakfast fruit, plump apricot

Karen Hand Allen
Mar 1010 min read


Beef Stroganoff Recipe with Tenderloin or Hamburger
Beef stroganoff was always a special dish at our house when I was a kid; still is! We salivated when mama started it, searing the meat, onions and fresh garlic sizzling in her big pot. We were a family of seven, so we always made it with hamburger meat, unlike the tenderloin I used in this recipe. No matter what the meat, this was a huge hit, one that always made daddy sit up and take notice. He was such a carnivore. For many years I used hamburger, making it for my family,

Karen Hand Allen
Mar 23 min read


Paris Trip Itinerary: Eiffel Tower, Julia Child’s Cook Shop & a Magical Flea Market
Well, Hello Paris, La Ville de la Lumiere-The City of Light! I still couldn’t believe it, Paris, oh, La La! Four-thirty AM, awake and alert, no joke! That time zone business still biting me, waking me long before the city stirred. My family was zonked like zoo animals, wrapped in flannel sheets and huge comforters, completely out. I stood on my balcony again, totally enthralled by the sleeping city, its indescribably enchanting and fetching life surrounded and captured, as br

Karen Hand Allen
Feb 179 min read


Happy Valentine’s Day Dinner: And an Unexpected Treasure
Valentine’s Day is about doing something that you adore and making a moment in time, then sharing it with those that matter most to you. Food has always done that better than words alone. A shared meal is especially endearing, whether it’s made as a surprise or prepared together for that special occasion and served enthusiastically. This dinner was designed to feel meaningful and unfussy, the kind of meal that invites conversation and remains long after the plates are cleared

Karen Hand Allen
Feb 141 min read
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