Just when I feared the world had been overrun with bland skinless boneless chicken breast halves, I came across this recipe that calls for roasting skin-on chicken breasts on-the-bone and slicing off the meat later. If you haven't roasted chicken breasts this way before, give it a try--and you'll suddenly remember what chicken is supposed to taste like. The balsamic vinaigrette makes a flavorful marinade, but you may want to line the baking sheet with foil to facilitate clean-up later. (And remember to let the roasted chicken rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.) I served this with garlic bread on the side, and everyone was perfectly happy with the combo. For dessert, scoops of orange sorbet--drizzled with orange liqueur, if you like--and store-bought almond biscotti.

My 3 year old is a big pancake fan as most kids are, but since I've always been more of a waffle girl myself it takes a very special pancake to grab my attention. This recipe fits that bill nicely, the addition of ricotta cheese makes the pancakes surprisingly light and adds a bit of sweetness as well. Instead of garnishing the pancakes with the blueberries, I folded them right into the batter adding even more sweetness. I think I have finally found the perfect pancake, for me anyway.

I love Tamales, but I think I've only tried my hand at making them once. They can be a little labor intensive and for me corn husks outside of the summer corn season are often hard to find. This recipe is a good alternative, you get the same great flavors as an authentic tamale but with less work. Masa Harina is pretty readily available in most supermarkets these days but if you can't find it look for corn flour which will give you similar results. Also, when going through the recipe I balked at the idea of using vegetable shortening and went on a search for shortening made with Canola oil, not having much luck I had to settle for good old Crisco which surprisingly has been re-worked so that it has no trans fat and 50% less saturated fat than butter. Great weeknight meal and kid friendly.

Cool, refreshing, healthy, and--thanks to the luxurious addition of tender beef--quite a satisfying dinner. The recipe suggests you season the beef simply with salt and pepper, but since I prefer things spicy, I used a store-bought Montreal Seasoning blend for added pizzazz. To the salad, I added a few fresh mint leaves from the garden, and served it with lime wedges for squeezing at the table. I also served a warm baguette on the side, though pita bread or even a simple rice salad would be a nice accompaniment. For dessert, coconut sorbet--au natural, or drizzled with chocolate sauce and sprinkled with chopped candied ginger.