An easy no-muss method for making homemade yeast rolls with my mother's favorite bread recipe and favorite bread bowl, a plastic ice cream pail! ~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~ Bread & Recovery When my mother was 35, she and her mother were diagnosed with breast cancer only days apart. Luckily, they had survivor genes too. Both recovered and lived long, full lives. While Mom was recovering from her mastectomy, she made bread every few days. Years later, she confided that despite the pain it caused, making bread was get-well therapy. Her chest and shoulder muscles needed exercise and her family needed nourishment. By making bread, she accomplished both at once. Still, I remember her standing at the kitchen counter kneading the dough, pain etching her face, tears on her cheeks. Modern-day bread machines are ever so convenient and when a hot loaf of bread pops out, it’s just magic! But I’ll likely never have one, in small tribute to my mom and the way she endured pain...

There's a certain romance about a big pot of chili simmering seductively on the stove all day – except when it's a busy weeknight, no time for thinking, let alone tending the stove. This is a chill-blasting chili that cooks in 20 minutes, start to finish. The recipe uses a couple of favorite convenience products, black beans and salsa, both easy to keep handy in the pantry. This column was first published in print in 2003 and was published online for the first time in 2011. March days can chill our bones! We are so ready for spring but winter somehow just hangs on. And on and on. And on. For a fast warm-up, turn to Twenty-Minute Beefy Black Bean Chili for supper some damp, cold night. It requires only 20 minutes from stove to table so is also a good choice for a last-minute supper. If you like the recipe, keep the ingredients on hand in the pantry and freezer so you can cook up a batch at a moment’s notice. ALANNA's TIPS After draining the first can of bean...

A fruit salad for the months when fresh fruit is scarce, a combination of fresh, frozen and canned fruit, brightened with lemon peel and Grand Marnier. Winter Fruit Salad is a beautiful fruit salad for buffets, brunches and other family gatherings. Early Easter, anyone? Homemade Fruit Salad, Bright & Colorful. Potluck & Party Friendly. Scales from Small Plates to Large Platters. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free.

Heads up, coffee lovers! You'll love these bite-size barely sweet cookies, each bite delivers distinctive coffee flavor, thanks to the strength of instant coffee or instant espresso granules . The cookie dough mixes in minutes and is peppered with dried currants (similar to raisins, just smaller and less sweet) or if you like, mini chocolate chips. These cookies are plain in appearance but memorable in taste, no wonder they've been a personal favorite for two decades. Simple, Sturdy Home-Baked Cookies, Strong with Coffee Flavor. Sweetened with Powdered Sugar not Plain White Sugar. Budget Friendly. An Unusual But Welcome Choice for Cookie Gift Boxes & Cookie Exchanges.

Lavosh is a cracker bread, crisp, slightly sweet and (if I may say so) addictive. It's handy to have on hand and keeps for several weeks. Lavosh is pronounced LAH-voshe (though my family calls is la-vosh, no accent) and is some times spelled in other ways, including lavash and lahvosh. This recipe comes from my dear Auntie Gloria, she's been making lavosh for many many years, it's definitely a family favorite! It's easy to make and keeps for weeks. COMPLIMENTS! "Yummo! ... Definitely a keeper." ~ LeAnne via Facebook Ever tried a new recipe and liked it so much you made it again right away? Such was the case for my mom’s family’s version of lavosh, an Armenian cracker bread. While there are other recipes by the same name that call for yeast and thus yield a result more-bread-than-cracker, this is a true cracker, thin, crunchy, a tiny bit sweet. And did I mention addictive? That too. Serve lavosh with cheese and fruit or alongside a hearty...