Even as an adult I get excited on snow days … and still let off a little squeal on the inside when I get the word that Noodle’s school is closed. Then, when the university I work at closes (which is rare), it’s a double fun day. Noodle let of a loud squeal this morning…
Are you tired of eating Thanksgiving leftovers? Most of mine went into the freezer … which is great because I’ll be hungry for it all again in about … next year! Seriously, I love having food in the freezer for weeknight dinners in a pinch. I also love recreating leftovers because MPG and Noodle hate…
It might seem odd that I’ve been married almost 12 years and never, until today, hosted a family Thanksgiving. It’s pretty simple, my Mom had the monopoly on that and wasn’t giving it up … nope, never. At least not until she had the chance to do a kitchen remodel. I’ve hosted plenty of…
I am going to admit something. I strongly disliked cranberry sauce when I was a kid. I always pressured Mom into buying jellied cranberry “sauce” in a can to put on the Thanksgiving table. I can still vividly hear the “swoosh thump” sound it makes as it slides slowly out of the can and lands…
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays … and it is, of course, all about the food! Okay, it’s not totally about the food. Our family has a lot to be thankful for and we celebrate that on this holiday by coming together and taking time out just to be with each other. There will…
I grew up on potato leek soup; a traditional Scottish dish. My family recipe has been passed down from traditional Scottish grandmas … and grandpas … for at least 4 generations that I know of. I had “create” this recipe, because it’s one of those meals I just make … no book, no recipe card, nada. So, I…
[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Spaetzle with Onion and Mushroom Sauce – – butter, onion (sliced), mushrooms (sliced), Marsala wine, cornstarch (optional), chicken stock (optional), spaetzle, Melt butter in skillet, add onions and cook until they begin to brown. Add the the mushrooms and Marsala and continue cooking until the wine begins to thicken – this only takes a few…
By some grace of a higher power, I was able to catch The Pioneer Woman while the show was actually airing on the Food Network over the weekend … I usually have to catch the DVR version because cartoons and football take precedence in my house! The episode title was Old Friends, New Friends and Ree…
I’m continuing with my spaetzle (spätzle) adventure! After a bit of research on how this dish is typically served in Germany, I decided to mix the variations and … well … do my own thing! Cheesy Spaetzle After you make your spaetzle, melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet and add your…
I remember the first time I saw my mom make spaetzle … I wasn’t quite a teenager … and I wondered what I had done to deserve such punishment! Spaetzle wasn’t something I was overly fond of as a kid, I much preferred spaghetti and meatballs as my pasta of choice. I wasn’t old enough…
When I think of all the food my daddy loved best, “one-potters” and steak, specifically prime rib, are at the top. Daddy first introduced me to prime rib when I was about 8 years old. This wasn’t something we had very often because of the expense, so it was a true treat when we’d have…
Horseradish has nothing to do with horses and it isn’t a radish … just through I should clarify! What we consume is a root; the plant is actually related to mustard, which makes it cousins to the milder flavored cabbage, kale and broccoli. The “horse” refers to the size and coarseness of the root and…
Or, rather … Happy HOWLoween party! Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday … I get it honestly. My Daddy always loved Halloween and loved seeing all the neighborhood kiddos all dressed up in their costumes. Of course Trick-or-Treating was awesome, but when I outgrew that, Daddy started cooking chili in the driveway so all my…
Every year when MPG goes deer hunting, he manages to bring back more than just a freezer full of venison. Usually the bounty includes feed sacks full of turnips that I end up sharing with everyone I know … seriously, nobody can eat that many turnips! Last year, he brought home a turkey breast that…
About three weeks ago, my mom left a very large box of sweet potatoes on my front porch. It was definitely a surprise and treat! I love these red-orange beauties … any way I can get them. I wasn’t sure, however, how I was going to fix them all and not have Noodle and MPG…
I must confess, I have an addiction to cookbooks, especially those published in the 19th and early 20th century. I love how they are written – the language is beautiful – and they are so simply done. The recipes and the narrative around them give us a glimpse of what life was like during a…
I’m knee deep in apples right now, so I decided to do a quick round-up of some of my favorite apple dessert recipes from around the Web. Now, maybe I can use up all these apples! Enjoy! Dutch Apple Pie with Oatmeal Streusel from Ginny at allrecipes.com This is the perfect cross between apple pie and…
I’ve been doing a lot of reading about historic food preparation in the US … you know, colonial and pioneer days. I love books that explain cooking methods used by early settlers and talk about all the foods they had at their disposal. The First Pumpkin Pie When we first learn about Thanksgiving, we learn how…
I love fresh-baked bread, but I am not very good at baking much of anything let alone bread. However, beer bread is simple because it does not require yeast. The yeast in the beer is all you need. One day when Chili and I were sitting in a doctor’s waiting room (of all places), I…
The Apple Festival is a long time tradition in the small town of Murphysboro, Illinois. It is the oldest and largest festival in Southern Illinois and the Grand Parade is considered to be one of the best … it’s certainly the longest. I know … I’ve marched it many times in my life, most recently…
German wurst (or wurste) can be loosely translated as sausage … and sometimes cold cuts. There are many different varieties of wursts, but only a few are readily available to us in the US. That’s too bad, because they’re all pretty amazing. My grandpa used to eat blood sausage (blutwurst), and there was pretty much…
I loved spending the night with my grandparents when I was a kid. Actually, I was well into my 20s on the last occasion I spent the night in their house! They lived in a small house that Grandpa built a few years after they were married in 1940. Other than adding a bathroom and…
I read a lot of food blogs, but these are ones I keep going back to again and again. Enjoy! Back to Her Roots All about getting back to basics with food and personal health. A combination of clean recipes and wellness expressed by a very funky and fun author. Everything…