for pie, parfaits, pavlova and even (yummm) plain Hey, Pie People! The base recipe for Banana Cream Pudding works in so many ways, just by making easy adjustments to sweetness and thickening. For example, a traditional Banana Cream Pie needs less sugar but more cornstarch but Banana Cream Parfaits and pudding served "plain" all by itself need more sugar but less cornstarch. See? Easy changes! One Recipe, Several Variations. Homemade Banana Cream Pudding, Made from Scratch. Real Food, Fast & Family-Tested. Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Naturally Gluten Free.

How to make preserved lemons, a cornerstone ingredient in Moroccan cuisine and an easy way to jazz up everything from salad dressings to stews. The salty-sour essence of preserved lemons, it's truly special. Preserved Lemons Made from Scratch, Spiced & Special. Year-Round Kitchen Staple, an Ingredient Often Called for in Mediterranean Recipes. Budget Friendly. Easy DIY. Keeps for Months. Naturally Gluten Free.

My favorite night for dinner? Pancake Night! A stack of homemade pancakes is just minutes away, either traditional sweet pancakes with butter and syrup but also, my favorite for dinner, savory pancakes. Here you'll find my collection of pancake recipes, tools and tips. Fresh & Flexible. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special.

The Recipe: An icy-cold raspberry slushee for grown-ups. Just three ingredients and because it's a granita, you don't need an ice cream maker, just a freezer and a fork! “What?! You don’t have an ice cream maker?” asked my mom’s friend in surprise more than ten years ago. Phyllis knew I was a foodie, her food sensibility had long inspired me. (Naturally, there’s a story, see Cold & Creamy Cantaloupe Soup .) Trusting her judgment, I set off to find one and the same ice cream maker has been a workhorse ever since. But last summer, the bowl lost its freeze mojo, something I learned, naturally, right in the midst of making what was supposed to be Raspberry & Red Wine Sorbet. So instead, I turned the mixture into a “granita” – that’s an icy form of sorbet from Italy. You don't need an ice cream maker to make granita, just a freezer and a fork! The result was so icy and refreshing, I’ve made it three times and never once pulled out the ice cream maker to...

Easy homemade crackers made with almond meal (also called almond flour) or a mix of almond meal and pecan meal or almond meal and flax meal plus pantry ingredients – that's right, naturally gluten-free and no hard-to-find ingredients to invest in. Using nut flours instead of wheat flours means the crackers are low-carb but contain protein too. Real Food, Fresh & Flexible. Great for Lightweight, Healthy Travel Snacks. Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Carb. Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real .

Meatloaf cooked in a cast iron skillet, tender, moist and full of flavor thanks to milk-soaked bread crumbs and a pile of chopped vegetables that texture-wise, "melt" into the meatloaf. This is my go-to recipe for meatloaf, the one I make again and again. Great for meatloaf sandwiches? You bet! But here's a question. Would you (do you?) serve meatloaf for company? Homestyle Meatloaf Made from Scratch. "Plain" But Perfect, Moist & Tender. A Long-Time Family Favorite. Hearty & Filling. Great for Meal Prep. Potluck & Party Friendly. So Good!!

Four ways to make Orange Julius Drinks with just two ingredients, fresh oranges and extra protein. (Two are recommended, two are definitely not – I include them because some times knowing what "doesn't" work is just as useful as what "does work".) By all rights, these are Orange Julius "style" Drinks because they are made without frozen orange juice concentrate and without added or refined sugar, usual ingredients in copycat orange julius recipes. Fresh & Seasonal, Perfect for Winter Citrus. Just Two Ingredients! Weekday Easy, Weekend Special. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free.

Why pay $1 or $2 a bar when it's so quick and easy to whip up your very own energy balls aka DIY Power Balls? Just 7 ingredients, 15 minutes and spiked with espresso powder for a caffeine kick. I've been making them in 100-calorie and 50-calorie energy balls. And yes, DIY Power Balls look ... and taste ... like truffles. But y'know what? A spoon works just as well. It's the ultimate healthy snack. Real Food, Portable & Convenient. Low Carb. Naturally Gluten Free. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Great for Meal Prep & Travel Snacks.

And so yet another year draws to a close, all year I found myself writing or doing the math on "2004" – then feeling puzzled why it didn't look quite right. Oops. It's the week when many of us reach out to say thanks to those who bring meaning to our lives and I've been grateful to hear from so many of you in the last while. So please, let ME say thanks. I'm grateful for your time, your consideration, your comments, your emails, your likes, your shares, your PINs – and most of all that you invite me into your kitchen, trusting me to inspire the meals you prepare for those you most love, the shared curiosity for seasonal ingredients and healthy techniques, the ideas and pleasures that make the kitchen table the gathering place in so many homes. Kitchen Parade is fast approaching 500 columns, a body of work that gives me immense pride. But it would be mere pixels careening about the internet without all of you. I thank you, I thank you. Your Favori...