Super versatile herbed orzo salad.

You’ve had what I call “sad pasta salad” — that takeout deli stuff with corkscrew pasta and way too much bottled Italian dressing. This pasta salad is NOT sad pasta salad! It’s the only pasta salad recipe you need.

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Baked chicken and mushroom macaroni and cheese.

So, hey, yeah … Winter is here, amiright? It’s gonna be crappy again this weekend, so you know what to do: Give yourself a fun cooking project that yields the perfectly carb-y, cheesy main dish for dinner. This hearty Baked Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Mushrooms, Chicken and Fontina is just the ticket. It’s easy, but time consuming enough to occupy an hour of your Saturday afternoon. Get the recipe on writes4food.com.

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Lentil soup with tomatoes and greens recipe

Lentil soup with tomatoes and greens.

After a December full of cookies, Christmas pastries, Reese’s peanut butter cups and too much wine, I always feel like I need to hit the reset button, eating-wise. This Lentil Soup with Tomatoes and Greens, topped with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, is just the ticket (h/t to 101Cookbooks.com). Ready for something healthy but not at all diet-y? Here ya go. Get my favorite lentil soup recipe over on writes4food.com!

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Baci di Dama Italian chocolate hazelnut sandwich cookie recipe

Christmas cookie-palooza: Baci di dama.

Ohohohoh ohhhhh … these are perfect little Christmas cookies. Light and crumbly, chocolate and hazelnut, a match made in heaven. Baci di Dama, which is Italian for lady’s kisses. Definitely my Christmas Cookie of the Year …

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raspberry hazelnut thumbprint cookie recipe | writes4food.com

Christmas cookie-palooza: Hazelnut thumbprints.

Ahhhh … it’s Christmas cookie time, friends! Are you ready? Have you stockpiled your granulated and powdered sugar, butter, flour and vanilla? Refreshed your spice cabinet? Bought all those nuts and dried fruits and sprinkles? Here’s …

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cut out butter cookies with sparkling sugar

Pretty fall cut out cookies.

Thanks to comfortable, albeit dry, weather over the past five weeks or so, fall leaf color around here is amazing. The maples are especially glorious. So naturally they prompted me to bake these: beautiful fall cut …

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