Thursday, November 19, 2015

Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of those dishes that I seldom cook up.  It just doesn't sound very appetizing.  It's a loaf.  Of meat.  Well, let me slap on a feed bag, and chow down!  However, there are few other dishes that are named so fittingly, either.  I suppose because they're usually a little more complicated than a loaf of meat.  
However, meatloaf always surprises me.  I seldom make it, because it doesn't sound very good, but when I do make it, I'm always surprised at how good it is, and find myself saying, "...why don't I make this more often??"

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Cedar Plank Salmon

Hello, everyone!  It's Thursday again, and with the weekend looming, I thought I would give us a healthy supper for today's post!  I do love salmon, so when I saw this beautiful piece of fish on the cedar plank, on sale, I knew I had to scoop it up!  

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

40 Cloves of Garlic and a Chicken

Gggooooodddddd morning, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!!  Today I have another chicken recipe, but this one is one of my favorites (aren't they all my favorite??)  I know 40 cloves of garlic sounds like a lot for a recipe; it sounds like enough to drive away all of the vampires on the planet Earth.  
However, when they poach in the oil, they turn into roasted garlic, and get mild and sweet.  

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Caramel Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

Hello, everyone!  It's the first Thursday of the month, and we all know what that means!  It's cookie of the month time!!  Honestly, I haven't been this excited about a cookie of the month in awhile.  These cookies are amazing, perfect for this time of the year, and, honestly, so simple to make.  They look so fancy, but take very little effort.  Isn't that the best kind of recipe!?  I think so!  

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Simple, Easy, Pasta

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  My husband was traveling yesterday, for work, and my daughter was home sick, so after being with her all day, and caring for her, I needed something fast and simple for supper.  I remembered a quick pasta dish that I haven't made in forever, but comes together in the time it takes me to unload the dishwasher and reload it, with just a few ingredients.  Even better?  It's delicious, and you can easily add things in, if you have a few extra minutes.  Shrimp in this would be amazing, so would some steak, or chicken!  I love recipes that you can easily customize to your taste!

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Hello, everyone!  I was thinking the other night, that with fall fully up on us now, that I wanted to have a simple, flavorful soup that wasn't a chili.  I know, I know, this looks like a chili, but it isn't.  It's a really lovely black bean soup!  Even better, it comes together in minutes, and takes at least an hour or two to cook (even less if you use precooked chicken!).

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Creamy Penne with Chicken

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  Have you ever been in a rush for supper, and have just a few ingredients on hand...you end up standing there trying to figure out what to make of it?  Hahahahahahahahahahaha of course you have!  We all have!  I had this happen the other night.  I was hungry, and I just wanted something to eat!

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Apple Gillete

Good morning, everyone!  Today is Thursday, and let me tell you, it has been one crazy week!  However, who doesn't want an apple pie, that's easier?  Even better, you don't have to use apples!  You can use aaannnnyyyy fruit that bakes well!  Peaches?  Sure!  Plums?  Absolutely!  

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Monster Eye Cake

Good morning, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!!  Today's post is going to be pretty brief; we're winding up for the Holiday season, and with all of the fun that comes with that, that also brings the school projects home.
As I write this, I should be cutting out leaves and two large cardboard waves.  Be jealous of my evening.  

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Pork Chops With Lingonberry Sauce

Good morning, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  I've mentioned before, how much I enjoy seasonally themed food, and this may not seem like it's very Halloween-y, but you could sell this as "pork chops in blloooddddd".  If you wanted to.  I seem to be the only one that enjoys this themed food, so I just kept that gem to myself while serving this to my family.
I tell myself that as my daughter gets a little bit older, she'll get as big a kick out of it as I do!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Good morning, everyone!  We have spaghetti a lot in this house, as its one of the few things we can get our daughter to eat with us, without a fight....or bribery.  She loves everything about spaghetti, and even has the recipe memorized, so...yeah, we have it a lot in our house.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Easy Ice Cream Cake

Hello, everyone!  A couple of weeks ago it was my husbands birthday, and as I have mentioned several times before, he's not much of a sweets eater.  So, this poses a problem for me, since I love to celebrate birthdays with cakes or cookies, or whatever the person likes....last year, I made my husband some rice krispies treats.  Those, he'll eat.  

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Haunted Double Chocolate Cookies

Good morning, everyone!  It's not only the first of the month, but it's also the first Thursday of the month, so, as always, that means it's the cookie-of-the-month time!  I'm hugely into themed food, and with the Halloween coming up, followed by all of the fun holidays...well, we'll be seeing some themed food coming up here pretty soon!
Well, as soon as today!  These aren't really "Halloween themed" per say (nor are they really haunted.  I didn't think that needed to be said, but....just throwin that out there for you), but they're double chocolate, and that's always a good thing!

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Creamy Mushroom and Chicken Soup

Hello, everyone!  I don't know about where you are, but here fall is fully upon us!  Well, mostly upon us...it's still a little bit warmer than I would like, but the cooler temperatures will come!  I made a big batch of this soup the other night, with the feeling of, "If I make cold weather food, clearly the cold weather will come..."

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Paprika and Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  Clearly, I love chicken, and I love potatoes, so when I can combine them into one easy dish, I'm a happy girl. So much of this easy supper can be prepped ahead of time, leaving only a 30 minute cook time!  I love quick, easy weeknight meals!  

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Pan seared catfish

Good morning, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  Today is my husband's birthday, so I figured I would do this post on one of his favorite suppers.  Catfish.  We usually have broiled blackened catfish, but this time I wanted to do something different, so I pan seared it in a cast iron skillet, and we really loved how it turned out!

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Seasoned Potato Wedges

Hello, everyone!  Good morning!  I figured with college football season upon us, I'd do another post on a good tailgating food.
Potato wedges!  I love potatoes, in almost any form I can get them in (for some reason, I don't like mashed potatoes.  I wish I did, they're everywhere.), and this is one of my favorites!  These are fluffy on the inside while being crispy on the outside, it is perfection in potato form!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

No Knead Dinner Rolls

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  As I have stated many, many times before, I love bread.  I don't just love bread.  I adore it.  Every time I walk by the bakery at the store, I have to stop and breathe in the fresh baked bread smell.
If they sold a candle with the fresh baked bread smell, I'd buy those in bulk.  I'm sure they do, but I'm afraid to look, I don't think we could afford to have a spare room full of fresh baked bread candles.

But it would smell amazing.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Kickoff Chili!

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  I don't know if you're aware, but college football has started.  That means, that for the next few months, all of my Saturdays (and, sometimes on Thursdays!) are booked up!  That also means that fall is upon us.  Pumpkin spiced everything, hoodies, crisp air and crunchy leaves....and chili.  Chili in my family was always a big deal, and served at almost every football game!  Load it up with toppings of your choice, and you have a perfect meal to eat while screaming at the TV!  Because, if we're being honest, the team and refs can totally hear us!

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Cream Cheese Cherry Danish

Good morning, everyone!  I hope everyone had a lovely Labor day yesterday!  Today, I'm going to talk about another lovely, easy breakfast!  With the holidays coming up, I thought it would be nice to post about an easy, delicious breakfast for all of the company that will, undoubtedly, come with the holidays!

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Fun Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  Not just Thursday, but the first Thursday of the month, so you know what that means!  It's the cookie of the month!  This month, we're making fun chocolate chip cookies!  

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Baked Spaghetti

Hello, everyone!  Welcome back, and happy Tuesday!  It seems like lately, I have been on quite the Italian kick!  I've done semolina pizza doughsemolina spaghettihomemade cheese tortellini, and chicken parmesan all in August alone!  What can I say?  I love Italian food, and I don't care who knows it.  Although, I don't think baked spaghetti is very authentic Italian, but it sure is tasty!

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Chicken Parmesan

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  The other day, I posted about semolina spaghetti, which I made to go with this: chicken Parmesan!  
What's not to love about chicken parm?  It's fried chicken smothered in melted cheese, served over pasta!  

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  I figured I'd put up one of my all time favorite ice cream flavors today.  Butter pecan ice cream.  Pecans are certainly a southern staple, not to mention a favorite of mine.  And not just because we have big, beautiful pecan tree in our backyard.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Homemade Cheese Tortellini

Good morning, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  Today we're going to go over how to make homemade tortellini!  
As I have stated before, I love making pasta at home, people seem so impressed, even though it really isn't that difficult, or expensive to do!  What's better than that?

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Slow Cooker Shredded Pork

Good morning, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  This is a very happy Tuesday in this house, because it is my daughter's first day back to school!  Hey hooray!  In the spirit of quick and easy meals for those busy week night meals, I have a great one set up for you!  

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Semolina Spaghetti

Hello, everyone!  I have been on a bit of a semolina flour kick lately, and I'm not even going to apologize for it.  I have been dying, for years, to get my hands on some, and unless I order it online, I have not been able to find it in stores.
Until now.  There is a store that I have come across, that sells dried goods (almost like a general store), and they have so many goodies!  I have to walk in with blinders on and zero in on exactly what I came in for, or else I would just go nuts and buy all of the goods!

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Semolina Pizza Dough

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  I adore making pizza at home, who wouldn't?  It's WAY more affordable than ordering pizza in, not that much more effort, and once the dough is made and risen, a lot quicker than waiting for delivery.  How is that not a win-win-win?

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday, and, since it's the first Thursday of the month, it's time for the cookie of the month today!  Since we're going back to school this month (13 days in this house...but...who's counting?  Me!!), I figured we'd do a classic, soft peanut butter cookie.  I made one into a sandwich cookie with some Nutella, but to be even more fun, slap some jelly between two of these cookies, and have a PB&J sandwich cookie!

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Tilapia in Parchment Paper

Hello, everyone!!  Happy Tuesday!  As you're reading this, I'm on a little bit of a vacation, just for a few days, but I thought I would leave you with one of my favorite fish recipes.  It looks pretty impressive, and it really couldn't be much easier.
I put the entire thing together while my husband was putting our daughter to bed the other night.  It took about 15 minutes to assemble, and another 20 or so to cook!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Waffle Iron Hashbrowns

Good morning!  Today's post is going to be more on a technique than an actual recipe, so it will be short and sweet!  Back at the end of the year last year, I posted about making crispy hashbrowns, and while those are lovely, easy and simple, these are nearly foolproof.
I say nearly, because fools are always inventing ways to make something that seems foolproof not work.  But I honestly can't see how someone could mess this up.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

Good morning, everyone!  How does a nice, hot breakfast sound?  Strawberries are definitely the favorite fruit of this house, so I always have a container (or two!) in the fridge!  I have to find different ways to use them, although just eating them straight is always a popular option!

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Honey Pecan Chicken

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  Today we're doing one of my favorite recipes for supper.  Honey.  Pecan.  Chicken.  Yep.  Just let that settle into your brain here for a minute.  Even better, is that it is so deceptively easy to make, that it would be amazing to entertain with!

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Peach Cobbler

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  Summer is about half way over, and the peaches are screaming to be used!  Last summer I made brown sugar peach ice cream which was so lovely, and definitely a favorite in this house, but this year, I've been on a bit of a peach cobbler kick.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Watermelon Granita

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  Is it just me, or has this week just flown by?  My daughter has had swimming lessons all week, so that's probably why it has gone for quickly for me.  
As I have made mention of before, I love making ice creams in the summer, but sometimes I have half of a watermelon staring at me in the face, and no one has touched it for a few days.
I start getting nervous that it's going to go bad before it gets eaten, and I hate throwing away fruit.  Especially watermelon (I know I'm cheap, but common, I can't be the only one that thinks they're expensive...).  

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Microwave Corn on the Cob

Hello, everyone!  Happy, happy Tuesday!  There are few things that scream "summer" more to me, than fresh corn on the cob.  I always scoop fresh corn up when I'm at the store; when it's $.10 an ear, how do I not?
I always had corn boiled or grilled when I was growing up, however a few years ago, I discovered cooking corn on the cob in the microwave.
Yep, the microwave.  This is an appliance that rarely gets used in our house; we use it for holding things, and making popcorn.  That's about it.
Except in the summer.  Oh, no, in the summer, our microwave gets used a lot.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

Hello, everyone!  It's Thursday again, so I figured I'd do a simple, yet impressive weekend breakfast.  Pancakes really are a crowd pleaser, but people rarely make them from scratch, of which I'm guilty, too.  While it's easy to just grab the big yellow box of pancake mix, it is just as easy to mix these up from scratch.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Biscuit Doughnuts

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  There's not much that starts your day off better than a fresh, hot doughnut, am I right?  Yes, yes I am.
However, what are the odds of driving past a doughnut place that has freshly cooked doughnuts, at the exact right time?  Pretty slim, in my case.  Even so, the closest chain doughnut store is about thirty minutes from my house.
I have to be pretty desperate for a doughnut for that.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

4th of July Pinwheel Cookies

Hello, everyone!  Happy first Thursday of the month!  You know what that means...it's cookie of the month time!  Today, I have a variation of one of my favorite Christmas cookies (you can find that here)!
What says 4th of July like, of course, the red, white, and blue colors??  Not much else...maybe grilling and parades...I'll see if I can think about doing a hot dog cookie, or something along those lines for next year.
...maybe not.  A hot dog cookie doesn't sound very good!

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Crispy Home Fries

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday, I hope your week has started off well!  Growing up, my supper plate always had a veggie, a protein, and a starch.  I have carried this tradition over into my adulthood, but sometimes I get tired of the usual starches, so I turn to potatoes.
I kind of consider potatoes to be the chicken of the starch world.  You can do almost anything to them, and they're always delicious.
That being said, a soggy home fry just makes me sad.   There is a trick to getting crispy home fries that aren't burnt.  Curious as to what it is?  Let's get started to find out!

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Grilled Pickle Chicken

Hello, everyone!  Thursday has once again snuck up on us, so I figured I'd do a post on a light and healthy (and quick!) supper option!
I know that the title of this post doesn't sound very yummy...grilled pickle chicken.  What is that?!  However, it's something that my family has been doing for years, and years.  Although we usually bread it and fry it, I wanted something lighter this time around.
So, I grilled my chicken breast on a little grill pan inside, and put it along side a lovely quick salad, which I put together while the chicken was cooking.  Boom!  Supper in about 15-20 minutes!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Smoked scallop macaroni and cheese

Hello, everyone!!  I'm so excited about doing this post today!  As excited as I am, I have been kind of putting it off, because it's going to make me want to make this again.  Like, right now, get up and get into the kitchen and make this again.
This has: scallops, mushrooms, spinach, pasta, and lots, and lots of cheese.  Ooohhhh yeah.  I'm going to make this again very, very soon.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Frosted Lemonade

 Hi everyone!  Happy (hot!) Thursday!  For today, I figured I'd give us a nice, frosty beverage, to help us beat the summer heat!
There is a fast food restaurant that advertises Frosted Lemonade, for the summer only, and I got one the other day.  I wasn't sure how I would feel about it....dairy and lemonade?  How could that possibly be good?
Oh, how wrong was I?
Very.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Chocolate Lavender Ice Cream

Hi there, everyone!  Ever since I made the chocolate lavender cake, I knew I had to make it into an ice cream.  For me, the flavors go together beautifully, and I already knew what chocolate ice cream I wanted to use.
I have been a follower of Alton Brown's for years and years (and years and years...), and too many years ago to count, he showed his chocolate ice cream recipe, and it looked amazing.
Then I made it, and confirmed that it is, in fact, amazing.  It is far from being low calorie, but it is so smooth and creamy, I don't even care.  If you're looking for his original recipe, you can find it here.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Fish 'n Chips

Hello, everyone!  It's Thursday again, and I hope yours is treating you well!  Today we're covering another fish favorite in this house.  Fish 'n chips.  So easy to make, so easy to mess up.  Although, even the worst batch of fish 'n chips can be saved, for me, by malt vinegar.  
As a matter of fact, during our vacation to Alaska, we had fish 'n chips a few times, on varying scales of "goodness".  The ones that ranked lower for me, I bathed in malt vinegar, and went on my happy way.
My husband isn't sure how I can eat fish 'n chips swimming in malt vinegar, but I adore that stuff.
...I feel myself getting a little bit off topic here...

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Honey Lime Tilapia

Good morning, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  We probably don't eat fish as often as we should, but this is one of my favorite ways to prepare tilapia.  There aren't many ingredients, so these flavors really shine individually!  
As much as I love lemon flavor, I feel that lime is a very under used citrus (in my kitchen, anyway), and I'm not even sure why.  It works so beautifully with either sweet or savory dishes.  

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Watermelon Cookies

Hi, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  I'm sorry that this is a little bit later today than usual; my daughter has had a cold going on for awhile, and thought it would be a good idea to share it with me!  Sharing is caring, right?
For this month's cookie of the month, I figured we'd kick off the summer with a cute little watermelon cookie.  This is just a sugar cookie that looks like a watermelon slice, it isn't flavored like watermelon (although that would be awesome!).

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Sauerbraten with Spatzle

Hello, everyone, or should I say, guten tag!  Happy Tuesday!  As I've mentioned, several time before, my husband is fortunate enough to be able to travel to Germany, usually once per year, for work.  While he's there, he tells me about all of the amazing food that he's indulging in, and while I've never been able to go, I like to try my hand at a few staple favorites.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Slow cooker cube steak

Okay!  Hi, everybody!  Happy Thursday, the weekend is close!  I was heading to bed last night, and totally forgot that I didn't have a post set up for today...oops!  
So, I had this one on the back burner, for just such an occasion.  I grew up eating cube steak, but it was never a favorite dish of mine, since it usually is tough.  
A few years ago, I tossed some cube steak in the slow cooker, and I have never looked back.  This method of cooking cube steak always gives you cube steak that is so tender, you don't even need a knife to cut it with.  
Interested?  Let's get started!
Here's your grocery list for this one:
1 package of cube steak
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup*
1 tsp salt
1/4 C water
1/2 Tbs dried oregano (optional) 

*Okay, okay, I know.  I always talk about trying to do things from scratch, however, at the end of the day, I am Southern, so my kitchen isn't complete without a can or two of Cream of Mushroom soup in it.  It is so easy to make your own soup, however, my husband basically guzzles this down, even though he doesn't like mushrooms.  Go figure.  
That being said, homemade is always better, so if you have some homemade cream of mushroom soup laying around, use it!
To get started, put the soup in the crock of your slow cooker, and stir in the water and salt.  You don't need much salt here, and sometimes I've put in 1 tsp of dried thyme or 1 tsp of dried parsley, it's up to you!
You don't want to add a lot of liquid to the soup mix, because as the meat cooks, it is going to release a lot of natural juices, and being that the slow cooker is closed, no liquid is going to evaporate out.  So, if you add a lot of liquid to the soup to begin with, it is going to result in a runny gravy.  Which will still be tasty, but not what you're looking for.

You want this to be still pretty thick, but just thinned out enough so that you can stir it around.  This is the consistency that you want out of this:

If you choose to add in any dried herbs, mix them in at this point, and lay in your cube steak.  

You can see here that there is some overlap, and that's okay.  As it cooks, the meat will shrink a little bit, and you can open the lid quickly, to stir the cube steak around a little bit, so that the gravy can cover all of the meat.  But, to start off with, it is totally fine to have some overlay of the cube steak.





At this point, pop the lid on, and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6-7 hours.  I like to take a fork, and move the cube steak around a bit every couple of hours, just to be sure that the meat is cooking evenly.



I like to serve this with some rice and lemon garlic green beans; my husband smothers his rice with the gravy!  This is a meal that comes together quickly, and, believe me, gets eaten even quicker!  









Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Tie Dye Birthday Cupcakes

Hello again, everyone!  It's Tuesday again, and as some of you know, my daughter's 4th birthday was this past Sunday, and her birthday celebration at school is tomorrow, so, I made up some surprise tie dye cupcakes that I think the kids are going to love!
These cupcakes are made using a white cake mix, because I just didn't feel like making a batter from scratch, and cake mixes come together so quickly!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Pasta with Vodka Cream sauce

Hello again, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  I probably have mentioned how I don't often drink alcohol, but I cook with it frequently.  I find that it really adds a ton of flavor to the food, and that's always welcome!
Since I don't drink often, our liquor cabinet is so sparse, its nonexistent.  We sometimes have a bottle of vodka in the freezer, but we haven't had any in awhile.  On our vacation, my husband picked up a mini bottle of vodka, because he knows I like to make pasta with vodka cream sauce.  He's a keeper!  

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Cucumber feta cheese bites

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  We're back from our amazing vacation to Alaska, and I'm trying, slowly, to get back into the swing of things.  
So I figured I'd start back with a really lovely little snack/side dish, that, as a bonus, doesn't require any heat (with the summer approaching/already here, anything that I don't need to turn on the stove with is appreciated).  
It has a cucumber, so I'm calling it healthy, even though it is almost 50/50% cucumber/feta cheese!  

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  I'm still on vacation, but the other night, I had a real craving for some mac and cheese.  I've been known to grab a box off of the shelf in the pantry, but, honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the boxed stuff.
I like being able to pronounce the ingredients in my food, call me crazy.  But that's a discussion for another day, and sometimes, all you have time for is the boxed stuff, and that's okay, too!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Creamy Fudge popsicles

Hi, everyone!  Today may be Tuesday, however, as you're reading this, I'm on vacation!  My husband and I are off on an amazing adventure in Alaska, somewhere that has been on my bucket list to visit for as long as I can remember!
The other day, my daughter wanted to help me do some work in the kitchen, and I figured with summer coming up, we could make some creamy fudge-y popsicles like I used to love when I was her age.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Coconut Macaroon Cookies

Hello, everyone!  It's cookie of the month time!  I can't believe that it is already May.  Honestly, where does time go??  I'm even more surprised how quickly it has gone by, considering we're going on vacation next week!  My husband and I booked this trip months and months and months ago (seriously, like, August of last year...), and it is FINALLY here!
However, we're not here to talk about that today!  Today, we're talking about the cookie of the month!  A couple of months ago, we made some mint and chocolate macarons, which made me think about making some coconut macaroons!  

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Pulled pork tamales

Hello, everyone!  Welcome back!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Tamales are far and away one of my favorite Mexican treats to make, although they are a little time consuming, which is why this is the one day per year I make these up!
This year, I cooked the pork a couple of days ahead of time, shredded it up and stuck in the fridge, so that when it came time to make these, they came together fairly quickly (for making tamales).  I've made these with ground beef, shredded chicken and now with shredded pork!  I think that this may be my new favorite...

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Beef Empanadas

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  I just realized today that I have Mexican dishes on the menu through Cinco de Mayo!  Yum!  On Tuesday, I did a post about Mexican inspired chicken chili, today we're talking about beef empanadas, and next Tuesday (Cinco de Mayo!), I'm going to be writing about some pulled pork tamales.  Yes.  Ugh, so good.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Mexican inspired chicken chili

Hello, everyone!  It's Tuesday, and for the last couple of days here, we have had SUNSHINE!  It's been raining so much here lately, that I've almost forgotten what it looks like!  However, while the sun has been out, it has been pretty chilly here, which I'm kind of surprised about.  It's almost May, it is supposed to be warmer than 60 degrees outside...although, it'll go from being 60 degrees to 110 degrees in a matter of a couple of weeks, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.
Anyhoo, my husband was out traveling for work the last couple of weeks, and while he's out of town, I just don't cook that much.  I don't like cooking huge meals for just myself (my daughter doesn't care for grown up food yet....she's still happy with a sandwich and some carrots).  So, what I usually end up doing is making a pot of soup to eat off of while he's gone.  
I figured, it's chilly out, so I should make up some chili!

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Arancine (fried risotto balls)

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  The weekend is well on its way, so why don't we celebrate with some fried stuff with cheese?  I don't know if you're familiar with arancine, but these little lovelies are just leftover risotto, surrounding a filling of choice (mine just happened to be little balls of mozzarella cheese), coated in panko bread crumbs, then fried until golden brown and delicious!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Tabbouleh

Hi, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  Today I'm going to make up one of my favorite side dishes, a lovely tabbouleh salad.  If you're not familiar with tabbouleh, it is a quinoa with vegetables and feta cheese!  What's not to like?!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Surprise Lemon Pie with Homemade Pie Crut

I may have mentioned before that I love to bake, but some of my favorite desserts don't require baking at all.  Well, I say at all...there is a little baking, because this is a homemade pie crust, but if you use a store-bought pie crust, then its no bake!  However, since I enjoy baking, I wanted to make my own pie crust, and believe me, this recipe is so easy, and the crust is tender and flaky, everything a pie crust should be!

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Challah Bread

Hello, everyone!  I hope you're having a lovely Tuesday!  On the weekends, my daughter likes to have either pancakes or French toast, so I figured I would take an afternoon this past Saturday, and make some Challah bread for French toast on Sunday morning.  
This bread looks very impressive, but it really was very simple to put together.  The most difficult part of all of this, was waiting for the dough to rise!  That doesn't sound too hard, does it?

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Garlic Chicken Spring roll

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  Today, we're going to make some really lovely, fresh spring rolls!  These little lovelies have raw veggies, chicken, and noodles!  Finish it off with a nice salty dipping sauce, you have a real winning combination!
The best part of this is that you can really customize it.  Don't like chicken?  Swap it out for beef, or shrimp.  Don't like carrots?  Swap 'em out for some bell pepper, or maybe cucumber!  

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Rice pilaf

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  The other day, during my brown rice (beef consume rice) post, I spoke about the boxed San Francisco treat rice that is a very common side dish, and it got me thinking about doing a post on a homemade version.  

Thursday, April 2, 2015

The perfect sugar cookie

Hi, everyone!  Welcome back!  For this months cookie-of-the-month, I thought I would put up the perfect sugar cookie recipe!  These are great for decorating, either with royal icing, or with piping icing!  I decided to frost them, and put some cute little egg candies on the top - my daughter loved this!  

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Brown Rice (Beef Consume Rice)

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  I don't know about you, but I, for one, am very excited to be going through a new week!  I was horribly sick last week, and am very excited to say that I'm feeling much better!  I'm still pretty weak, so I figured I would put together a quick and easy recipe for today's post! 
This is a very easy recipe that is always a crowd pleaser - for some reason, we usually had it on holidays growing up; I still don't make it that often, and every time I make it, I always question why I don't!  

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Peanut Brittle

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  A couple of weeks ago, my daughter was out of school for the day, and, as always, she asked me what we would be cooking up in the kitchen!  I had planned ahead, and had everything ready to go to make peanut brittle.  
Peanut brittle is one of my favorites, although it isn't something I make or eat all that often.  However, honestly, what's not to like?  There's peanuts, and there's caramel!  Count me in!  This is a pretty basic recipe, and you can feel free to swap out the nut for your nut of choice.  If you have a peanut allergy, I think almonds are a safe swap to make, but, of course, check with your allergist or doctor first.  

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Chicken Florentine Gnocchi

Hello, everyone!  Today, I have a really simple treat for you.  Simple, yet tasty (I seem to say that a lot...what can I say, I like foods that are easy to prepare, yet can be dressed up for entertaining!); it is somewhat involved, time-wise, but very, very easy to make parts ahead of time.
I made this in two separate...sections, if you will.  I started off making the gnocchi, popped them in the freezer, then, at supper time, threw the rest of this together.  Each section took about 30 minutes, so even if you wanted to make it all at once, you're looking at an hour, tops.  That's not so bad, is it?

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Chicken Cacciatore

Hello, everyone!  What a crazy week!  Yesterday was my birthday, and it was a really, really lovely day, from the overflow of love from friends and family, down to the amazing weather; hard to ask for a better day!
My husband took our daughter to school with me (she loves when Daddy is able to come with us!), after which he and I went to one of our favorite cafes for a quick breakfast!  
After that, I went over to the dollar store, and picked up a ton of stuff for my daughter's Easter basket!  I love that they have licensed Disney stuff, all for a dollar!  I know Easter is a couple of weeks away, but I'm a big time planner, so I'm happy now that her Easter basket is all together and ready to go!
Wow!  That was a little bit off course from why we're here today, wasn't it?
Anyway, my point is, I had a really lovely birthday, and while I didn't have this for my birthday supper, it is one of my favorite suppers to have.  

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Individual Cherry Cheesecakes

Happy Tuesday (and St.Patrick's Day), everyone!  As you probably don't know, tomorrow is my birthday, so, instead of doing a traditional green something or other for St.Patrick's Day, I figured I would do up a birthday cake of sorts, for myself.
I would love to do a standard birthday cake, but my husband isn't a big cake person, and I don't need a whole cake staring at myself all day!  That just wouldn't do!  

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Guinness Beef Stew

Hello, everyone!  It looks like we're in the countdown to St.Patrick's day, and the internet being filled with green foods and beer.  There's nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to do something slightly more authentic.  This beef stew is really lovely, with the soft potatoes, tender meat and the slightly biter flavor of the Guinness, it is in pretty steady rotation in our house!

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Roasted garlic, Ricotta Cheese and Spinach Ravioli

Hello, everyone, happy Tuesday!  A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were wondering around one of my favorite stores, Sur La Table, and as we were talking with the clerk (after we had finished checking out), I mentioned that I'd been looking more into a ravioli mold.  
I love the idea of making ravioli, and I'd tried once before.  Once.  It didn't go well.  I'm not sure if I didn't get all of the air out, or maybe I didn't seal the ravioli well enough...I'm not sure, but it put me off trying to make them again, when the little beauties exploded as they were cooking.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Mint and Chocolate Macarons

Hello, everyone!  Welcome to Thursday!  Is it just me or has this week gone by equally slowly and fast?  It's weird how that works.  
Anyhoo, French macarons have been exploding lately - you can't turn your head without seeing one.  Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but not by far.  My husband and I were out doing some shopping the other day, and not only did we see an adorable kids apron with macarons on them (which, of course, we had to get for our daughter), but I noticed macarons in two other stores, on clothing prints!  I guess if you can't make them, you can at least wear them.
But, don't worry about that, because they are surprisingly easy to make!

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Chocolate avocado mousse

Hello, everyone!  I went to the store the other day, and on the rack where they keep produce that is coming up to its "sell by' date, they had two large avocados marked down to $1.  At first, I walked past them; I'm not a huge fan of avocados.  If they're on a sandwich, I can make my peace with them, but in general, I'm not going to go out of my way to buy them.  

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  I don't know about where you are, but it is snowing here, and the whole state has lost their minds!  I'm in the South, so we get one, mayyybbbeee two snow days per year, and when we do get snow, everyone panics and buys up all of the milk and bread in the grocery store.
This always baffles me.  Between tonight and tomorrow morning, we're supposed to get between 6-8 inches, and while that is a lot (for us, anyway), it will all be gone in a day or so.  It's not like we're going to be snowed in for days and days.
There have been a couple of times where I've gone to the store, in actual need of milk - I have a kid, we go through a lot of milk, only to either go to multiple store, or debate between getting her buttermilk or a bunch of the single serving containers to hold her over.
Not to mention that I love milk, too, but these are some desperate times!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Honey Loaf Bread

Hello, everyone!  Lately, we've been getting a little stir crazy around my house; it's too cold to go outside and play, and even if we wanted to, there's not even any snow to play in.  It's just cold, and grey, leaving us stuck inside, trying to figure out how to keep a 3 year old entertained.  
However, as we all know by now, my daughter loves to play in the kitchen, so, in an effort to keep all of us on good terms with one another, I decided to have her help me make a honey loaf bread!

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Nutella Strawberry Shortcake

It's Thursday again!  Hello, everyone!  Is it just me, or does 2015 already seem to be flying by?  My husband and I were going over our calendar, and by the time the dust settles around here, it's going to be June, we (for now) have a seemingly slow summer, then the holidays are here again, and it's 2016!  All you seem to hear while you're growing up, "Time flies as you get older!  Just you wait!"   And, of course, as you get older, you want it to fly by...you can't wait to do everything adults do; they make it look so fun.
Now that I'm a full fledged adult (when did that happen?!), I like to look back over my favorite foods as a kid, and try to get some of that time back, even as it whizzes past me at lightening speed.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Chicken Piccata

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  Today we're going to make some delicious chicken piccata!  Who doesn't love this dish?  White wine, capers, lemon, garlic, chicken, pasta...this is a warm, comforting hug on a plate.  It looks very impressive, and it is so, so easy.  Don't worry, if you choose to entertain with this dish, it will be our little secret.  

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Chocolate surprise cake

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  I'm not sure if you were are, but this weekend is Valentine's Day!  Surprise cakes are all the rage right now, and the best part is, they're exceptionally easy to do!  This is a lovely chocolate cake with a perfect little heart in the middle; this can be done with any shape, and any flavor, of course; however, with the upcoming holiday, I figured a heart would be the best way to go.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

14 Bean Soup

Hello, everyone!  We've started another week, and while we're one week closer to spring, we're still in the grips of winter.  As I've stated before, during the winter, I love a nice stick to your ribs meal, that I can curl up and dive into.
Is it possible to curl up and dive into something at the same time?  I'm not sure...I'll say it is with a bowl of soup!

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Iced Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Hello, everyone!  Happy cookie-of-the-month day!  Today we have a cookie that is perfect for February, but once you have the technique down, this can be applied to any time of the year.
Sugar cookies get a reputation for being a very simple cookie, but they are absolutely perfect for decorating and frosting. 

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Chicken 'n Dumplings

Hello again, everyone!  I'm going to let you in on a little secret today.  I hate that my husband travels so much for work, however, when he does, I get to make my favorite dishes that he doesn't like!  
I cannot for the life of me understand what he has against chicken 'n dumplings, but, I guess that's more for me!  The broth is comforting, and the dumplings are tender!  

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Lemon and Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  I love making pork tenderloin, for two main reasons:  they are excellent at taking on flavors, so they can be adapted to almost any recipe, and they are so affordable!  I know, I know, it may not seem like it,on the face of it, but about once per month, one of my local grocery stores will sell pork tenderloins Buy one, Get one free.  I get very giddy when this happens!
Because pork tenderloins come two to a pack, I split them up into their own zip top bag, and pop them into the freezer (sometimes I'll go on and put some kind of a rub, or marinade on them before they go into the freezer, to save myself a step later!).

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Vegan Papaya, Mango, and Lime Sorbet

Hello, everyone!  As I have stated in the past, I love all kinds of frozen treats, ice creams, sorbets, sherbets, you name it, I love it.  As a matter of fact, when my husband goes to the store to grab some of said tasty treat, he'll ask me what flavor I'd like, and I always say, "My favorite!"  Which, of course, means, if it's frozen, I love it!
Another one of my favorite things to do, is to go to the grocery store, and look at what fruits have been marked down for a quick sale, because it is on the cusp of getting to its "sale-by" date.  I have gotten so many amazing deals on produce doing this, and have made lots of lovely dishes (I have used several fruits in these posts: traditional apple piebanana breadmushroom risotto,brown sugar, peach ice cream and my roasted chicken, just to name a few!) by getting fruits and veggies that need to be used quickly!

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Chicken Gyros

Hello, everyone!  This is going to be a continuation of my last blog post, so today, we are going to cover the chicken, olive topping, and the homemade tzatziki sauce and assembling these bad boys!  I'm going to basically jump right into this post, and pick up from Tuesdays post, about the homemade pita bread.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Homemade Pita bread

Hello, everyone!  I am so excited about the posts for this week!  Today,  I'm going to go over making some homemade pita bread, and then Thursday, I'm going to make up the rest of these amazing gyros, with homemade Greek chicken, tzatziki sauce and olive topping.  This has a few steps involved, but they can be done ahead of time, and the end result really is so worth it!

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Banana Nutella crepes

Hello, everyone!!  I'm so excited for this post; I love breakfast, but my family isn't big on breakfasts on the weekend, and that's sad.  I covered this a little bit in my overnight cinnamon rolls post, but, basically, when I come down on weekend mornings, I'll ask my husband what he wants for breakfast, and I always, always get, "Nothing." for an answer.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Hello, everyone!  Wow, what a gray, cold, wintry day we have today, isn't it?  These are the perfect days to toss some supper into the slow cooker, hunker down on the couch with some blankets, and come back a few hours later to a hot and ready supper!
One of my favorite chicken dishes is orange chicken.  This is super easy, and fairly healthy, since I skip the step of frying the chicken first.  This truly is a meal of "toss it in and go", and, since the chicken is cut up into bite-sized pieces, it cooks up pretty quickly!

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Easy Sourdough Bread

I love to bake bread, and I've never had a type of bread give me more problems than sourdough.  Mostly because you have to wait for weeks while you grow a starter, which usually turns out pretty well for me, but when it comes to actually baking the bread, something goes wrong, and it has never turned out well for me.  This recipe calls for sour cream and Greek yogurt (with live, active cultures in it) instead of a traditional bread starter, which I found to be really interesting!
While playing around on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago, I found a pin that claimed to be the quickest sourdough bread recipe you'll find!
It did take a full day, but it is a homemade bread, so they take some time.  However, 99% of that time is just waiting for it to rise, and not actually involved in labor.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Salmon Over a Salad

Growing up, I didn't eat a lot of salmon, and, to be honest, I didn't know what I was missing!  A lot of people will say that salmon has a very strong fish-y taste (which, I've always thought is pretty funny...it's a fish.  That's like saying, "I don't like chicken because it tastes too chicken-y"), but, yes, salmon that has been over-cooked will have a very strong fish taste; salmon that has been properly cooked will not taste fish-y.
There-in lies the problem, right?  How to cook salmon without over-cooking it?  Salmon is a pretty expensive fish, and I know that I, for one, don't want to mess it up!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Frosted Eggnog Cookies

Hello, everyone!  Happy New Year, and happy first Thursday of the month!  You know what that means....it's time for a new cookie of the month!  I figured most of us would have some leftover eggnog after the holidays, so I thought to make a delicate, eggnog flavored cookie for this month!  My daughter and I made these for Santa this year, and, I must say, they were a big hit!