picnic Archives • Family Around the Table

Tropical Cheesecake Bars

As the weather warms up it’s time for backyard barbecues. It’s that time when I celebrate the backyard fun with friends and family with some …

7-Up Pound Cake

My husband has a huge sweet tooth. In fact, I might go so far as to say all of his teeth are of the sweet …

Summer Picnic Fare Round-Up

I love picnics. When I was a child growing up in Florida my Mom used to make her famous fried chicken along with potato salad, …

I'm Ellen, a freelance writer, recipe developer and former correspondent for the Tampa Bay Times where I wrote a regular TASTE section feature as well as reviewed cookbooks for more than 15 years. My Mom and my kids are the inspiration for Family Around the Table. My Grandmother too. I remember my Grandmother making fresh pasta for dinner. She was from Italy and a very good cook so I come by my love of cooking naturally. My Mom inherited her cooking skills too.