Happy New Year everyone! Its New Years Eve, and I am making preparations for tomorrow’s New Year’s Day dinner. We always have the traditional southern New Year’s Day dinner, revamped a bit. We have abandoned the fatty hog jowls for a delicious spiral ham. Actually, my family abandoned the hog jowls, when my grandfather became [...]
Archive for December, 2009
Non Fat Hot Chocolate Mix
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
We have enjoyed lots of hot chocolate this holiday season. We all love to add the miniature marshmallows. I am going to try and attempt homemade marshmallows this week. I have seen lots of great recipes for them, and I can’t wait to give them a try. This is a recipe that I have modified [...]
Ginger Snaps with Tangerine Glaze
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We escaped to a secluded cabin in Tennessee outside of Gatlinburg. It was a wonderfully quiet and uneventful Christmas. We ate at lots of great restaurants, and I came back with some wonderful recipe ideas. We also got to see snow for the first time in years. We [...]
How to Make Gravy from Scratch
Monday, December 28th, 2009
Gravy is something we had with nearly every meal as a kid. And it is something that I continue to make with many meals today for my family. When I was a kid it was almost always a brown gravy, made after frying meat. Other times, it was a milk gravy made with sausage or [...]
Merry Christmas 2009!
Friday, December 25th, 2009
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas, and a joyous new year! We are currently in the back woods of Tennessee in a creek side cabin, hoping for snow. We are snuggling by the fire with hot chocolate and the baby is enjoying his new toys. This cute card and the photos were taken [...]
French Toast
Thursday, December 24th, 2009
This is an easy recipe for french toast with a few popular variations. French toast is a very popular and easy to make meal for anytime of day. According to Wikipedia, it was originally called German toast here in the states before the first world war. But because of anti-German sentiment, the name was changed [...]
Red Wine Mushroom Risotto
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
This is a delicious recipe for the classic Italian dish of red wine risotto. The rice isn’t exactly red, its more of a dark brown, but don’t worry, if you want red risotto, I will be posting that recipe soon. Its a roasted red beet risotto, which is one of my all time favorites. Now [...]
Cranberry Sauce
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
This is a very simple and easy to prepare cranberry sauce recipe. It has added flavor from orange juice and orange zest. I have also made this recipe with just water, and no zest, and it was very good. However the added orange juice really makes it special. Sometimes, I also omit the orange zest, [...]
How to Cook Eggs
Monday, December 21st, 2009
There are many different methods on how to cook eggs, especially scrambled eggs. Many recipes call for adding cream or milk to the eggs to make them fluffier. This does work, but creates a consistency I do not prefer. The methods I have outlined below are the ways I have been taught by my family, [...]
Lasagna Recipe
Friday, December 18th, 2009
This is an easy lasagna recipe that uses no boil noodles. I like to usually use ground turkey in my lasagna. It is very economical, and healthy too. I like to serve lasagna around the holidays. Nothing is more comforting than a big pan of homemade lasagna. There are always lots of leftovers, and I [...]
Blender Hollandaise Sauce
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Traditional Hollandaise sauce is very time consuming to make. You have to manually whisk the mixture for quite a while to get the sauce just right. This recipe makes the process very easy. All you need is a blender to get perfect Hollandaise sauce. This is a super quick and easy version of Hollandaise Sauce. [...]
Zucchini Fritters
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Zucchini fritters are sort of like potato latkes. I have created this recipe with more egg and less flour, which makes them thinner and crispier. They are quick and easy, and very nutritious. They make a perfect fast dinner that is very economical. You can also serve them for breakfast or brunch. They are packed [...]
Buttery Sugar Christmas Cutout Cookies
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
This is a delicious buttery sugar cookie that is soft and chewy, perfect for your cutout Christmas cookies. You can decorate them with a simple powdered sugar frosting tinted with your favorite Christmas colors and sprinkle them with fun candy sprinkles. This is my little toddler enjoying his cookie. He helped with the kneading the [...]
Italian Sausage, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
This is an easy recipe for a simple and delicious Italian bean soup. I love soups in cold weather. Unfortunately, it is still not that cool here in central Florida. Actually it is still so warm, we are running the air conditioner! Many Floridians here say that they cannot get into the spirit with [...]
Drunken Fruit Cake
Sunday, December 13th, 2009
This is the best fruitcake you will ever have. This recipe has been slightly adapted from the Alton Brown free range fruitcake recipe. Erase any negative assumptions you have about fruitcake from your memory. This fruitcake is what fruitcake was meant to be. It is full of flavorful spices, juicy fruits, and delicious roasted [...]
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Baby Food
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
There is nothing more comforting than mashed potatoes. Adding a bit of garlic makes them irresitable!
Garlic mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
1 lb. idaho or golden potatoes
1 clove garlic
Method
Peel and cut the potatoes in uniform pieces. Then place the potatoes and garlic into a saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to boil over high [...]
Spiced Pears Baby Food
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
Pureed pears with a touch of ginger make a wonderful winter treat for your baby.
Spiced Pears Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb. any variety pears
1/4 teaspoon ginger
Method
Peel, core, and cut the pears into uniform pieces. Then place the pears into a saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Add ginger. Bring to [...]
Nutty Peaches Baby Food
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
Pureed peaches with a touch of almond are an irresistible taste for little ones.
Nutty Peaches Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb. peaches
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Method
Peel, core, and cut the peaches in uniform pieces. Then place the peaches into a saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Add almond extract. You must add the [...]
Mango Dango Baby Food
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
Mangos make a great dessert treat for your baby that is nutritious too!
Mango Dango Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb. Mangos
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
Peel, core, and cut the mangos in uniform pieces. Then place the mangos into a saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Add vanilla extract. You must add the extract [...]
Peanut Brittle
Friday, December 11th, 2009
One of my favorite treats as a child was peanut brittle at Christmas time. It is very easy to make. You can use different kinds of peanuts and different peanut flavor roasts (like honey roasted) in your brittle for variety. My favorite is to use different flavors of roasted peanuts. In this recipe, I used [...]
Pumpkin Puree Baby Food
Friday, December 11th, 2009
Pumpkin Puree is very delicious and nutritious for your baby. Add a touch of cinnamon for more flavor.
Pumpkin Puree Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb. pie pumpkin or 1 15 oz can 100% pure pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Method
Peel, seed and cut the pumpkin in uniform pieces. Then place the pumpkin into a saucepan and [...]
Sweet Potato Goodness Baby Food
Friday, December 11th, 2009
Sweet potato puree is the most nutritious baby food you can give your little one, and its so delicious.
Sweet Potato Goodness Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs sweet potatoes
Method
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into uniform pieces. Then place sweet potatoes into saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to boil over [...]
Summer Squash Delight Baby Food
Friday, December 11th, 2009
Give your baby the taste of summer with this delicious summer squash puree.
Summer Squash Delight Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 lb. yellow squash
1/2 lb. zucchini squash
1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Method
Cut and peel yellow and zucchini squash into small uniform pieces. Then place all squash into saucepan and add [...]
Dill Garden Peas Baby Food
Friday, December 11th, 2009
Give your baby a taste of springtime with this delicious garden pea and dill combination.
Dill Garden Peas Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh or frozen garden peas (no sodium)
1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
Method
Place peas in saucepan and fill with just enough water to cover. Add dried dill and [...]
Oregano Green Beans Baby Food Recipe
Friday, December 11th, 2009
Oregano and green beans is a perfect paring for your little one. Remember to introduce green beans without herbs before pairing the two.
Oregano Green Beans Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh or frozen (no sodium) green beans
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
Method
If using fresh beans clean and snip ends off. [...]
Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
This is a great recipe for how to make southern chicken and dumplings with homemade rolled dumplings. Chicken and dumplings is a classic southern comfort food. Almost everyone has beautiful memories of their grandmother’s chicken and dumplings. I make it the same way my granny use to, and the same way my grandmother did. This [...]
Curry Split Peas Baby Food
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
This was actually my son’s favorite baby food, he ate so much curried split peas, you wouldn’t believe it. It was so funny!
Curry Split Peas Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
1 16 oz bag of green split peas
1/4 teaspoon yellow curry powder (no salt)
Method
Rinse peas in a colander under running water for 1 minute, then [...]
Banana Dream Baby Food
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Why would you ever buy jarred bananas, when making banana dream baby food is so easy?
Banana Dream Baby Food Recipe
Ingredients
1 very ripe Banana
Method
Peel and mash the banana with a fork. If using as a first food you can thin with breast milk or formula.
Baby Guacamole
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
This was one of my son’s first foods. Its great because it is full of fat, great for little babies.
Baby Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients
1 very ripe Hass Avocado
1/2 teaspoon fresh cilantro chopped very fine
Method
Cut the avocado in half and remove the core. Then scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon.
Add chopped fresh cilantro, then [...]
Wine as a Gift this Holiday Season
Monday, December 7th, 2009
Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I find that every year, my friends and family seem to get harder and harder to shop for. As we get older, we accumulate so many things. The last thing we need is another nic nac, or home decor gift. I love to give the gift of food [...]
Persimmon Pudding Cake with Saffron
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
This is a perfectly delicious recipe for persimmon pudding cake with a modern twist of adding saffron. Saffron is not a spice I grew up with, but soon after trying it initially in paella, it was my new comfort food flavor. There is something about saffron that I cannot resist. I find it so comforting [...]
