The frying process is a special one. It takes something that might ordinarily be good and transforms it into a deliciously addicting food. Whenever anything is fried, it suddenly becomes irresistible; it’s hard to eat just one! These days, even Oreos are fried! And who can forget about french fries, one of the most popular fried treats. But what about fried pies?

You may have tasted something like Carolyn’s adapted recipe for Fried Pies before, but have you tried them with an Italian twist? In her blog 18thC Cuisine, she even goes so far as to share the recipe in Italian! Making these fruity and fried desserts a European treat that any fan of fried foods can easily fall in love with.

There’s even more to love about this recipe! There are only three ingredients required to put it together! Don’t let the fancy Italian title frighten you into thinking this is a dessert that’ll take all weekend to prepare. This is something you can easily put together after dinner tonight; think of the pies as a sweet reward you’ve earned for making it through a busy week!

One of the things I love about the U.S. is that everyday is a holiday. Well, maybe not the kind of holiday that we all get to take off work for and host parties for, but seriously, there is something to celebrate almost everyday of the year. They might be crazy and bizarre things to celebrate, but they are non-the-less recognized holidays. For instance, on August 8th Mrs. G celebrated national Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day by baking her neighbors a delicious pan of zucchini blondies! I wish I lived next door to her! What a great combination! These moist and delicious blondies would be perfect for bake sales, small gifts, or just your common midnight snack! Miss Ginsu is full of fun food ideas, so be sure to check out her blog!

If you missed out on SSZOYNP Day don’t worry there are plenty of other “holidays” to celebrate. Here is a list of just a few fun celebrations to take part in this month:
Sept. 7th: Salami Day
Sept. 13th: Bald is Beautiful Day
Sept. 13th: International Chocolate Day (definitely worth celebrating!)
Sept. 19th: Talk Like a Pirate Day (arrgh!)
Sept. 26th: Love Note Day
Sept. 28th: Hug a Vegetarian Day
Sept. 28th: Good Neighbor Day (perfect day to make your neighbor some blondies!)

You’d never guess that a blog named Two Fat Als is written by two young gals named Alex and Alanna, but it is! Though their blog’s title might make you giggle, their food is meant to be taken seriously ;). Just kidding! Then again, you’d probably assume that Cucumber Tea Sandwiches are dainty little treats eaten at tea parties by serious little ladies. Again, this is not the case!

Though their Cucumber Tea Sandwiches are definitely light and ‘pretty’, Alex and Alanna actually created this recipe with young graduates and college students in mind. These talented, studious cooks are simply trying to inspire their peers to eat delicious meals that aren’t overly complicated or intimidating! I’ll tell you one thing, I think they’re doing something right because I’d have no problem making or devouring these little sandwiches (probably in a very unladylike fashion :).

But who can resist thin slices of fresh cucumber resting on a bed of cream cheese? Oh, and what about the bagette? We musn’t forget that, or the parsley leaf that gives the sandwiches that extra bit of simple elegance. Recipes like these are great to have on-hand for fun parties or afternoon picnics…or tea parties!

A while back Cindy went to dinner at a friends house, and was pleasantly surprised by his culinary ability. Her friend treated her to a savory pork chop with a special creamy leek sauce along with creamy peas and jasmine rice. What a feast! The overdose of flavors sent Cindy into a welcomed and deeply satisfying food coma. She enjoyed the meal so much that she posted it on her blog Looky Tasty to share with all of us!

Although the pork chops were quite juicy, the creamy leek sauce was the star of the show. With a more delicate and sweeter flavor than onions, leeks add a subtle touch to recipes without overpowering the other flavors that are present. Leeks not only add amazing flavor to dishes, they have incredible health benefits as well. Leeks are thought to lower cholesterol, protect against ovarian cancer, and stabilize blood sugar levels. If you are looking for a healthy recipe full of flavor look no further than Cindy’s Creamy Pork Chops!

The only thing better than a delicious meal is a delicious meal that looks so good, you’re almost afraid to eat it. What makes Ian’s Chicken Sammies unique, fun, and even photogenic (who knew food could be photogenic?!) is the fact that they’re served in a puff pastry.

Where there are onions, mushrooms, and chicken, there is a great recipe waiting to happen. But it’s the extra ingredients in Ian’s Flakey-Bakey Chicken Sammies and that make it a lunch or dinner that’s both flavorful and filling. Creamy? Yes, the sour cream and dijon take care of that. Mouthwatering? Well, the smoked meat and lemon juice will definitely leave you drooling over your keyboard.

Let’s not forget about the classic side dish that gets served with these sammies: a baked potato! Now, this recipe can’t be classified as a simple meat-and-potatoes kind of meal, it’s more than that. Just take a look at all the ingredients… and if you’re self-controlled enough to finish the day at work, instead of running home to fix up one of Ian’s many delicious dinners, then head on over to his blog, The Gallumphing Gourmand, for more inspiring recipes!

Blue Bell’s coffee ice cream is a favorite of mine. I will admit that I am a coffee addict, so this might have something to do with my flavor of choice. Being a native Seattleite, one would think that Scott’s favorite ice cream would be coffee as well, but he confesses that he is not much of a coffee drinker.

He does enjoy a good cup of tea though. Inspired by Portsmouth Tea Company’s Mmmmango tea, Scott decided to turn his favorite into Mmmmango sorbet. On Scott’s Food Blog he says, “Their “Mmmmango” tea is perfectly sweet and just slightly herbal – a great fit for tea-based sorbet.” Sounds like this recipe is mmmm good!

Honey is a healthy natural sweetener that works wonders in baked goods…but what about in fried sweet snacks? I imagine it adds to the deliciousness of the treat, especially if the dessert is sprinkled with walnut halves and served alongside gorgonzola cheese! This is exactly how Jan prepared her pears. She simply asked herself What Do I Want to Cook Today?, then Nigella’s delicious recipe for Marsala honey Pears with Gorgonzola came to mind :)!

Nigella’s recipes are quite inspiring, but it’s not always so easy to replicate what the domestic goddess has already perfected! Well, Nigella might just have to watch out, because Jan’s sweet and savory snack looks pretty close to perfect. Notice how the pears have been served, even after being lightly fried, they still have their shape and are definitely droll-worthy.

Jan’s secret to preparing the perfect honey-sweetened pears might just be to cut down on the amount of oil used to fry them. This truly allows for the marsala wine and honey to bathe the pear slices in a candied syrup that’s undeniably sinful, in the best way possible :)… and let’s not forget about the cheese. I say this is a heavenly recipe, so many delicious flavors in one mouthful!

Some things really do get better with time, as is the case with Katie’s Old Fashioned Cucumber Salad. It’s a recipe that’s been in the family for awhile. In fact, it was passed down from Katie’s grandmother to her mother. Guess what else gets better with time? The actual salad :)! Katie says it’s even better the second day!

Katie’s Old Fashioned Cucumber Salad is as refreshing as it sounds. Like most salads, it’s light, cool, and even green…but the greens you’re getting in this salad don’t include lettuce or spinach. As the title would suggest, crisp cucumbers are what give Katie’s salad its fun color, but they’re not the only ones! Chives, salt, and pepper are also thrown in for good measure. Speaking of measuring, you won’t have to do much of that with this recipe. It’s a salad that contains just a few simple ingredients; a teaspoon of this and a pinch of that!

So when you think it’s Thyme for Cooking something good, head on over to Katie’s blog for more timeless recipes :).

I think we all want to lead more healthy lives. Plenty of exercise and a healthy diet are key, but let’s be honest; some of the healthy diets out there are just gross and no fun at all. I enjoy a nice piece of sushi, but the only other things I enjoy raw are fruit and vegetables. Don’t even get me started on eliminating sugar from your diet. I applaud all of those who can survive without sugar, but I am simply not one of them. I like to think that if I remain active, exercise often, and have a moderate, well-balanced diet I should be just fine.

When Katie and her family made a commitment to start eating healthier, she wanted to make something that was nutritious, but didn’t taste like cardboard. So, who did she look to for a healthy burger? None other than the almighty Oprah. Fresh Everyday published the recipe for Oprah’s favorite turkey burger, and Katie decided she would try it out. Using what she had on hand she tweaked the recipe a bit, but it turned out wonderful! On her blog, Little Spatula, Katie reports, “The addition of my pineapple chutney made these burgers so flavorful and moist that I certainly wasn’t missing the all beef patty I’m used to. This burger had a good balance of sweetness from the pineapple and heat from the Chipotle and ginger. It also felt a little tropical which was fun and interesting.” Health and flavor, maybe you can have both!

Don’t let your eyes deceive you :), these are not the green beans you’ll see on your grandma’s table at Thanksgiving! These are cluster beans that Nags cooks then combines with yams to create a dish that mixes sweet and savory flavors. In her blog Edible Garden, she talks about the popularity of these beans in India. You’ll learn interesting facts about the green beans that aren’t actually ‘green beans’. You’ll read about their different names, and that the water used to cook the beans in shouldn’t be reused because it can be quite bitter, as Nags explains.

Sometimes I forget how much of an art form cooking really is. For instance, combining the sweet with the savory in a well-textured dish makes for a dish that’s a treat for all the senses. Aesthetically, it’s more appealing, and who can deny that the eating-experience itself is enhanced in dishes like these, which include ingredients like coconut and chili powder.

If you’re looking to add a few new ingredients to your pantry, then you’ll have fun grocery shopping for the ingredients that Nags uses in her Cluster Beans with Yam. Coconut oil is what you’ll use to fry up the shallots and garlic; that’s definitely an ingredient I’d like to own. Think of the warm flavor it brings to this dish!