Rick Griffin

Martina McBride’s Martina’s Kitchen Mix cookbook kicks the beloved Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich up a notch with a hint of Blackberry Jam. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high 8 to 9 minutes or until crisp; remove the bacon, and drain on paper towels. Top with the blackberry jam mixture, cheese, bacon, and pickled jalapeño peppers; top with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides up. Cook the sandwiches in a nonstick skillet or preheated panini press over medium 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

100 Photos from Our Dreams of Tahiti Adventure with Windstar Cruises Island hopping in the South Pacific aboard a luxury yacht is a Bucket List item that I’ve always dreamt of but never seriously thought I would get to experience. So when Windstar Cruises invited to host me on their Dreams of Tahiti cruise aboard the Wind Spirit, I had to pinch myself. What I did not expect was how much I would enjoy experiencing the Polynesian culture, soaking in the sunsets, encountering wildlife, and just being aboard the Wind Spirit. Once we boarded the Wind Spirit we sailed from Papeete to Moorea to Radiate to Motu Mahaea to Bora Bora to Huahine and back to Papeete.

9 Reasons Why a Viking River Cruise Should be on Your Bucket List Viking Cruises recently hosted my wife, Denise, and I on their Rhine Getaway cruise. As our embarkation date approached, we received an email from Viking notifying us that low water levels on the Rhine River would likely impact our itinerary and that we would have to do a mid-cruise “ship swap” to bypass the affected area. If that weren’t enough, when we disembarked to load the motor coach for the trip to board the ship that would take us on the rest of our journey, I was greeted by the ship’s program director who handed me our passports and said that we had left them in the safe on our first ship. Unlike many ocean ships where you don’t learn your way around the ship until the day you disembark, Viking’s European river ships only have three levels so you pretty much know your way around on day one.

I inevitably find myself at a party, watching the game, and succumbing to peer pressure by indulging in pizza, beer, whoopie pies, and football-shaped Cocoa Krispies treats. Whenever I find myself in a party situation, I gravitate toward the low-carb food options. While at a tailgate party earlier this year, I discovered a warm Buffalo Chicken Dip that was a perfect pairing for football festivities. 8 Chicken tenderloins 2 packs cream cheese 2/3 bottle of chunky blue cheese salad dressing (or Ranch dressing – whichever you prefer with buffalo wings) 12 oz bottle of your favorite buffalo hot sauce 1 cup of your favorite shredded cheese 2 sliced jalapeño peppers (optional for extra heat)