Eliza Cross

Eliza Cross is an author and food blogger who enjoys helping busy people with easy recipes and tips for gardening, holidays, and home. She is the founder of BENSA Bacon Lovers Society and Happy Simple Living, and the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks.

Fall-Off-the-Bone Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

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  One of my family’s favorite dinner treats is a rack of delectable, meat-falling-off-the-bones, sticky, messy baby back ribs. Fortunately, this BBQ ribs recipe also happens to be incredibly easy. Most of the cooking time occurs in the oven, where the ribs cook nice and slow until they’re rendered tender and juicy. Then they’re brushed … Read more

Sticky BBQ Sauce, Beaches, Bubbly and a Blunder

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grilled chicken with barbecue sauce

 

Dear friends,

Here are 7 Good Things I’ve recently discovered that you might enjoy, too:

1. Just in time for Father’s Day on June 16th: Check out this sweet, sticky barbeque sauce recipe from The Kitchen Whisperer – perfect for grilling ribs, brisket, chicken or chops for Dad. The Fresh Cooky’s Cowboy Baked Beans are the perfect accompaniment!

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Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

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In the name of research, I felt it was my duty to investigate an outrageous cookie claim made by Bon Appetit magazine. The editors described their Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies as “insane” and even said the recipe “ruins every other chocolate chip cookie recipe.” For real? If Bon Appetit was to be believed, … Read more

Goodbye, My Telephone

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telephone poles

 

All those telephone poles.

I notice them now as I drive around Denver, pole after pole after pole—soldier straight timbers strung with wires and pigeons, some topped with cell phone towers, and others festooned with garage sale signs and lost pet flyers.

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Hash browns, fluffy bunnies and good books

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Cheesy hash brown casserole

Dear friends,

Here are 7 Good Things I’ve recently discovered:

1. Are you cooking for Easter? My daughter and I are making this Copycat Recipe of Cracker Barrel’s Hash Brown Casserole from Spend With Penny’s. Two other favorite brunch casseroles are Southern Living’s Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole and The Fresh Cooky’s Mock Eggs Benedict Bake. Yum!

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My 17 Hour Experiment in Paying Attention

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Dark sky with stars

 

Dear friends,

For some reason I woke up at 5 a.m. last Monday, so I decided to get up and start the week. As I stepped on the back patio to let the dogs out, I noticed the sky at the western horizon was lighter because the moon was setting behind the mountains. The air was crisp and fresh.

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The Beautiful Gift We Give By Not Comparing

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Sisters

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt This week I’ve been percolating about what happens when we weigh one person’s attributes against another’s. Every day we see examples of people being compared to others. Media outlets analyze the differences between Venus and Serena Williams’ achievements. Reviewers debate the acting performances of Josh Brolin … Read more

Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puffs and Other Treats

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Wisconsin cream puffs
Wisconsin cream puffs

Dear friends,

Here are 7 Good Things I’ve been exploring recently:

1. I learned from NPR that when attending the Wisconsin State Fair, one must try their signature giant cream puffs. My sister-in-law in Milwaukee confirmed that, indeed, the crispy, fist-sized puffs filled with sweetened whipped cream are legendary. Until we can visit, I’m going to try Shirley’s Copy Cat Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puffs recipe from her delectable Anns-Liee blog.

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1 in 20 Will Say “Yes”

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Nineteen No phrases and one Yes

 

Dear friends,

I used to sell ads in magazines for a living. The job was a lot of fun, and at times it was also very demanding.

One of the most challenging aspects was cold-calling prospects by telephone. You know that dreaded feeling you have when a telemarketer calls? Then you can imagine how most of the business owners responded when I called to talk to them about advertising.

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