“Peaches now!” The handmade sign on foam board leaning against the pickup in a mall parking lot declared we are in peach season. Everyone is looking for great recipes to use the bounty. This spicy peach salsa fits the bill and is absolutely gorgeous! The combination of deep colors is beautiful, The delicious blend of […]
Easy Baked Ziti
Baked Ziti is one of those classic, “everybody makes this dish” – but I never did until I saw this super simple recipe. You can add herbs of your choice, if you like. Add some Italian seasoning if you want. Or not. I used ready made spaghetti sauce with basil and garlic, and with the […]
Crispy Candy Easter Baskets
Our Easter dinner had three attendees – Wheels, Bytes and me. That was okay. We had celebrated a couple of weeks before with a big egg hunt for the littles and a potluck for thirty –ish people at my sister Bee’s home. For our dinner, I planned ham – but glazed ham balls instead of […]
Baked Honey Lemon Chicken
Tender and delicious, from Grandma’s favorite cookbook, this is a can’t miss recipe for serving 8-10. Grandma started with a whole chicken – but you can pick up a package of sliced chicken breast and have it in the oven quickly. It bakes for an hour, which gives you enough time to scrub 8 medium […]
Creamy Wild Rice Soup in the Slow Cooker
This supremely satisfying Creamy Wild Rice soup is comfort food. The wild rice is filling, while the finely minced and chopped vegetables give the soup consistent flavor. Healthy, nutritious and earthy good. Beans aren’t usually on the menu at Chez Charlene’s. Hearty Calico Beans, of course, which uses kidney beans, lima beans or navy beans. […]
No Noodle Chicken Lasagna, Low Carb High Protein
No Noodle Chicken Lasagna saves you the time needed for cooking and placing the noodles used in a full out lasagna. But you still get to enjoy the creamy deliciousness of the lasagna filling topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. And it is delicious! Quick too. No one step that takes way longer than […]






Welcome! I’m Charlene. I love to share quick and easy recipes, whatever I’ve learned in our last DIY project – anything that helps make life easier, better and more fun!! I hope you will find inspiration and add a pinch of joy to your day!