Welcome To My Picnic Life

Grandma Glienke’s German Honey Cookies

German Honey Cookies (Lebkuchen) are soft and chewy with a hint of cinnamon and cloves. Keep reading to get the recipe, the history and the reason I treasure these cookies.… Continue reading →

December 6, 2018December 10, 2018

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

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Recipes

Tis The Season

Grandma Glienke’s German Honey Cookies

German Honey Cookies (Lebkuchen) are soft and chewy with a hint of cinnamon and cloves. Keep reading to get the recipe, the history and the reason I treasure these cookies.… Continue reading →

December 6, 2018December 10, 2018

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Pomegranate and Rosemary Moscow Mule

Lift your holiday (or ordinary day) spirits with this beautiful cocktail starring a ruby-red simple syrup. Pomegranates, oranges, lime and a hint of rosemary are a perfect combination for a twist on the traditional Moscow Mule.… Continue reading →

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Everyday’s a Holiday Pomegranate Fruit Salad

Fresh fruit salad gets a holiday makeover with a touch of a tangy pomegranate and orange syrup. This recipe is sure to be a success at any holiday, special occasion or weeknight meal!… Continue reading →

November 13, 2018

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Turkey Poblano Chili

Everybody has their favorite chili. It’s one of those “my mom’s better than you mom” kind of things. For the record … MY mom makes THE BEST chili. This is not up for discussion. Maybe your mom didn’t make your favorite chili (shhhhh … I won’t tell). Maybe your favorite chili comes from a spouse or… Continue reading →

February 2, 2018

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

French Dip

This sandich has an American origin and a European name but its the leftovers that make it out of this world!… Continue reading →

January 21, 2017December 19, 2017

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

A Handful of Mixed Nuts

Three variations on an old-world classic cookie … everyone has a favorite!… Continue reading →

December 18, 2016December 19, 2017

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Fudge and the Blue Bowl

Patience and simple ingredients make this fudge rich and creamy!… Continue reading →

December 7, 2016December 19, 2017

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Be Foodventurous!

Foodventurous: Miami

September is not the month this Iowa girl would pick for a trip to Miami. Cooler temps and turning leaves typically have me pulling out flannel shirts and making chili and molasses cookies. However, when an opportunity to spend a few days in southern Florida presented itself, I pulled out my swimsuit and sunscreen and… Continue reading →

October 4, 2018

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Foodventurous: Wallace Country Life Center

If you grew up on a farm in the midwest, chances are one of the publications prominently displayed in your home was Wallaces’ Farmer. If you are a history buff, the name “Wallace” triggers thoughts of Vice Presidents and Secretaries of Agriculture. Go to college in the late 70’s or early 80’s? Remember punch cards… Continue reading →

May 29, 2018

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Foodventurous: Mankato

If I invited you to share a picnic with me and gave you the opportunity to choose one of the following settings, which would you choose? Wine & Live Music Waterfalls & Pie Military Tanks & Beef Jerky Did you think I was going to make it easy for you to choose? What if I… Continue reading →

April 23, 2018

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Foodventurous: Olive Oil in Lazio

Which travel personality are you? Are you the laid-back, we’ll-figure-it-out-as-we-go type? Or are you like me … Type A, FOMO (fear-of-missing-out), Google-obsessed planner? You can imagine then that a trip to Rome as the master-planner for 6 people might send me into overdrive. It did. Prioritization became a must … “everyone pick ONE thing you… Continue reading →

February 7, 2018February 10, 2018

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Foodventurous: Rome

Just how exactly does one put Rome into words? Even if I narrow it down to “food in Rome”, it is still an overwhelming task. Having just returned from a week in Italy and placing a magnificent check-mark next to one of my upper-tier bucket list items, I find myself trying to pick just the… Continue reading →

December 1, 2017December 4, 2017

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

Farm Crawl 2017

Whether you consider it a “crawl” from farm to farm because of all the gravel roads and traffic, or a “crawl” because that’s all you can do at the end of the tour, it doesn’t matter. A beautiful fall day spent touring farms showcasing Iowa agriculture, arts, people and food is a good day. I… Continue reading →

October 8, 2017October 25, 2017

Anita Hinkeldey McVey

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