We have a new farmer's market close to us and it is my new favorite past time is to go every Wednesday and see what they have. There is one man there who sells nothing but blueberries and they are delicious! Blueberries seem to be pretty much the only fruit my son will eat, so I bought 3 pints and whipped up this Blueberry Sauce for our ice cream. This would also be delectable ...
How to Peel a Tomato
Should you ever try to can tomatoes or make salsa or spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes, you will have to peel your tomatoes first. Just the thought of having to tediously peel tomatoes with a knife is enough to deter anyone from the task. Lucky for us, some genius discovered this very easy method to peeling tomatoes. This also works for peaches, grapes and those tiny little ...
Squash Casserole
Squash Casserole is one of those dishes that Southerners seem to eat a lot of. Everybody knows the recipe by heart and pretty much everyone loves it. Which is a good thing because there are very few recipes for canned/cooked squash and the garden always seems to put out more than anyone can eat in one summer. Please keep in mind that this is one of those dishes that tastes ...
Under Pressure: Canning Part 2
Okay, you have collected all of your items on the canning checklist and you have a bushel of vegetables washed and prepped. Many vegetables require pressure canning in order to be stored safely. These foods are low in acid and have to be processed at higher temperatures in order to kill any harmful bacteria such as botulism. These vegetables include green beans, squash, ...
You Can Can-Can Too!!! Part 1
This post contains affiliate links I'm sure you have all been desperately worried about where I have been ( can you detect the sarcasm?), but I assure you that I am perfectly fine. I have been out of town for a while hanging out with my parents in Tennessee and learning a very valuable life skill; how to can food. We country folk like to call it "puttin' up" and it was ...
It’s all Greek to Me – Chicken Souvlaki
For some reason, there are several foods that I only really enjoy when made into something. For example; I'm not a big tomato eater, but I love tomato sauce; I hate cabbage, but I could eat sauerkraut everyday; I think raw cucumbers are unappetizing, but I could eat enough tzatziki sauce to make me Greek. I'm weird, what can I say. So, anyway, if there is any culture that is ...
Kebaaaaaabs
For some reason, whenever I talk about kebabs I always seem to say it with a Jersey accent. I don't know why. It just sounds nice...kebaaabs.Anyway, summer is the perfect time for kebabs. They are the perfect grill food. A great way to feed many or just a few. They can be marinated and assembled earlier in the day and then thrown on the grill for dinner. I like chicken kebabs ...
Mmmmm…Donuts
Sometimes, inspiration hits me late at night. Actually, most of my good ideas hit me at night sometime after the kids have finally gone to sleep and I have relaxed a little. Anyway, last night I was thinking about the big wad of refrigerator dough I had in the kitchen and what exactly I should do with it. And then it hit me, DONUTS! And they would be healthy ( sort of) because ...
Whole Roasted Herb Butter Chicken and My First Giveaway
Well, the end to a long and busy week has come and gone. The craft show is over and my life can now get back to normal. Which means I can now get around to posting this whole roasted chicken I made last week! This is not the first time I have made this chicken, I have made it several times and I also make my Thanksgiving turkey in the same fashion. If you can get over the ...
Thunder Chicken – A request from the Hubs
Usually when I ask my husband what he wants for dinner I get one of two replies; "Whatever reheats well" or "I don't care, baby". So, you can imagine my shock when he actually requested something specific and it wasn't tacos. He requested "Thunder Chicken". Now, I don't know what in the hell "Thunder Chicken" is, so I googled it ( like you do) and here's what I ...
Memphis Memories – Homemade Bar-B-Q, Sauce and Spicy Slaw
I would like to start off this post by letting everyone know that my husband and I are BBQ snobs. The Hubby is from Memphis, born and raised, and I spent the first part of my adult life there and consider it my home ( maybe not born and raised, but I certainly found myself there). If you have ever been to Memphis then you know 2 things; 1 - never leave valuables in your car, ...
Tandoori Inspired Chicken with Spiced Saffron Rice and Roasted Asparagus
Sometimes I get a wild hair and feel the need to really do something different. I get sick of Southern cooking or typical Meatloaf Monday fare and I really just want to branch out and experiment. It usually comes during a long week ( or month) when my stress level is high and I just want to get away. I think a week of potty training twins and trying to get ready for this craft ...
Grilled Squash
Finally! Spring is here! It's time to plant flowers, clean the house, and fire up the grill. It's also time to try to fit back in those shorts from last summer. So that means more veggies! When it comes to veggies I like simple. Fresh produce has a lot of flavor and I don't like to compete with that too much. A simple sprinkle of olive oil, salt and pepper is all most veggies ...
Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
Ahhh, stir-fry. Possibly the world's quickest cooked dish and one of my favorite things to eat. This is a simple dish with lots of flavor and lots of veggies. I know this is a keeper not because I loved it so much, but because my 2 year olds ate every bite. Even the broccoli.1 pound chicken breast (about 2 breasts), cubed3 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle2 ...
Beans, Beans, Good for Your…Pasta
Let me tell you a little about myself. I love tulips, trashy novels, my kids and beans. Especially white beans. I could eat them every day and have been eating them every day for the last week. I made a BIG pot of white beans from dry beans and have been using them in cooking all week. Pretty soon, I ran out of ideas. I was digging through the fridge to see what I had for ...