In December of 2019, I set out to highlight some of the more interesting First Ladies of the USA and their roles as official White House hostess. The women who run the social aspects of our Nation’s capitol fascinate me. Seeing how traditions evolved over time through these articles lays bare some interesting stories of…
How does coconut pancakes topped with Bananas Foster and whipped cream sound for dinner? It sounds pretty decadent, doesn’t it? I thought so, too. While searching the internet for a new pancake recipe, I ran across this one for Homemade Coconut Pancakes from The Spruce Eats. I adjusted the recipe a bit based on our…
It’s September, which means pool season is over for me and I’m mentally moving very quickly into Fall. This week, I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving. I’ll blame the Food Network App for that because I keep watching turkey videos. Alas, it will be here before I know it… so, I think I’ll focus a bit…
I have a rather large cookbook collection, especially if you include all the digital cookbooks I have amassed for pennies in the last few years. While I have many that I love, there are few modern cookbooks that sit at the top of my favorites list. My top 5 (okay, 6) modern cookbooks are below…
Do you know what Hygeia salad dressing is? Neither did I until I saw it referenced in several salad recipes in a 1910 cookbook and went on a hunt to discover its ingredients. Eugene and Mollie Griswold Christian In 1910, Eugene and Mollie Griswold Christian published “250 Meatless Menus and Recipes”, one of several healthy…
My Grandma Raines and her kitchen have a very special place in my heart… and stomach! I could tell you multiple stories about her cooking and our time spent picking vegetables from the garden. I could also tell you how loud she hollered every time I let one of Grandpa’s hunting dogs in the house!…
February 16th is nearing and I’m excited! Outlander season 5 premieres that night! I was a latecomer to Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, reading the first novel, Outlander, over 20 years after it first published in 1990. I was hooked. As a result, I spent the better part of the following two years reading through all…
I grew up eating this cucumber salad with creamy dill dressing never knowing that it has a strong connection to my German heritage.
I have always enjoyed participating in Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. This year, I’m putting a food heritage spin on the 2020 themes and writing monthly instead of weekly. Week 3 of this year’s 52 Ancestors challenge is “Long Line”. This, like many of the weekly themes, can be interpreted in…
Have you ever wondered what we ate 100 years ago? These loaded twice baked potatoes are topped with a gooey cheese sauce remade from a frugal 1920 recipe.
Many years ago, I ran across the Antique American Cookbooks collection printed by Oxmoor House in 1984 when I discovered one of the eight volumes in a resale shop. Since then, I grab one up every chance I get – they aren’t easy to find. One of my favorites is Mme. Begué and Her recipes:…
Thanksgiving is nearing and I, like many, am in planning mode. Admittedly, I’m a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving foods. For me, Thanksgiving is a time for taking in the sights and smells of Autumn … a time when pumpkins, apples, sweet potatoes, and winter squash are in abundance. These are the flavors and…
This is the time of year when guests descend on our homes in the form of family, friends, friends of our kids, and neighbors. Having a few snacks and easy “on-hand” treats ready to go if unexpected company arrives can save time and create a stress-free zone for entertaining. Spicing up some nuts – read…
A combination of sweet grilled corn and spicy jalapeños with an herbaceous creamy dressing, this salad is perfect as a side dish for your next backyard bbq.
A few weeks ago, my daughter and I took a trip to our local bookstore. She wanted to check out the Stephen King section and I had an urge for a new cookbook. She was standing beside me as we flipped through a cookbook that looked promising when we came across a beautiful photo of…
One of my favorite things about doing cooking demonstrations at the Murphysboro Farmers’ Market is creating something on the fly with ingredients the vendors provide. This warm green bean salad is a perfect example of “off the cuff cooking” – using what you have to create a new dish. Enjoy the recipe! Read on below…
I count myself blessed to live in the same place my ancestors settled over 200 years ago. Just a short drive south of my hometown are rolling hills and fertile fields. Each time I make the drive, I realize why my ancestors chose here to settle and build their lives and families. This region is…
My favorite summertime side dish is cabbage slaw and I have a new favorite vegetable to add – flower sprout! Slaw is one of the most versatile sides I know. Any shredded or chopped vegetable can be tossed in with the cabbage. Any type of dressing is suitable. You can also top the slaw with…
One of my favorite things about doing cooking demonstrations at the Murphysboro Farmer’s Market is arriving, gathering up goodies, and coming up with a recipe somewhat on the spot. It can also be a challenge. A few weeks ago, I concocted this scrumptious pasta salad with kale, onion, and broccoli from Homer Grown. I decided…
I will be hosting cooking demonstrations at the Murphysboro, Illinois Farmers’ Market two Saturdays a month this season! This is definitely something that has been on my bucket list. I enjoy helping folks learn what to do with our local produce which, in turn, entices them to shop and eat local. I am very blessed…
Wilted lettuce was my daddy’s favorite salad. He was definitely one who believed adding bacon make everything better. In this case, adding more bacon makes wilted lettuce even better! We ate this as a side dish in the summer at least once a week and it is one of my family’s favorites, too. The bacon…
I was immediately smitten when sous vide circulators appeared on Food Network’s Iron Chef in 2010 because I had never seen one before. At that time, home-use circulators weren’t on the market … that took a few years. Even the first ones were around $500 and definitely out of my budget. As with any new…
When I cook my Grandma’s red cabbage recipe, it always brings memories flooding back of times long forgotten. We didn’t eat it a lot – it wasn’t a favorite, in all honesty. As an adult, however, it is one of my go-to recipes when comfort food calls. It is also a recipe that reminds me…
My girlfriends and I took a weekend trek to Tennessee to visit part of the whiskey trail. On a weekend trek, we only managed to get to two distilleries! We were in the Fayetteville area the weekend of their Host of Christmas Past event and spent time wandering the town square eating from every food…