When I go shopping, I shop mostly for items that are versatile and can be used in a variety of different recipes for a variety of different dishes ( except for the training pants I still buy, which are only good for one thing). I also try to spend as little as possible while still being reasonably healthy. But like most people in the world I am also busy ( or lazy on occasion) ...
Pizza Pie in the Sky
Ah...New Years Eve. A night of revelry, drinking and general celebration. Unless of course you have kids, then you are probably like me and will be sitting on the couch with your nice cold beer ringing in the new year with Dick Clark ( is he still alive?). That's assuming of course that you can make it that long. Because we all know that no matter how late you stay up and ...
Last Minute Gift – Chunky Chocolate Cookie Mix
Here it is...crunch time. The day after tomorrow is Christmas and the excitement in the air is nearly palpable. The tree is trimmed, the turkey is thawed, the gifts are... CRAP! GIFTS! I forgot to get a gift for my neighbor/cousin/UPS guy/hairdresser/random person at my door! I need something quick, something that doesn't require a trip to a store. Food! I am NOT baking ...
Bad Excuses and Butter Bars
It's been a long time. Too long. I could give you all kinds of excuses. I could tell you that I lost my part-time gig and had to pick up the slack ( and a couple extra side jobs) to make our ends meet; I could tell you that my kids had their first big birthday party for their 3rd birthday last month at the house,; I could mention that it's nearly Christmas and we all know what ...
Squash,Apple,Onion and Blue Cheese Galette
This post has gone through a couple of updates y'all. Well, this week I made a big decision in my grocery budget and decided to join a co-op. Every week I will be splitting a whole order of mostly local, fresh organic produce with my friend Dawn (who has 18 month old triplets). I have actually been toying with this idea for a while. I love produce and I love to try new foods ...
An Italian in a Blanket
It has been a while since I have posted anything. My life has suddenly become a whirlwind, but in a good way. All the little side businesses that I have been working on have become much busier and I welcome the work and the money. Unfortunately, my cooking has really fallen by the wayside. I haven't actually cooked anything in weeks. My husband has been really getting into ...
Shredded Beef Fajita Tacos
I love it when a plan comes together. It rarely happens to me. Things always change or something unexpected pops up, but every now and then everything turns out just as good as you wanted them to, maybe even better. It is a wonderful feeling, even if that plan is only dinner. So the plan was to cook the Braised Beef in Red Wine and then follow that up with some shredded beef ...
Beef Braised in Red Wine
I know what you are thinking. "Why in the world is she braising anything in August? It's hot outside!" Normally I would agree with you, but the last few days have been unseasonably cool. Mid 70's all week! Weather like that just gets me thinking about autumn which is probably my favorite season. And where there is autumn there is pot roast! And I LOVE pot roast. But I don't ...
Baked Feta Chicken & Broccoli with Red Peppers and Goat Cheese
You know what my favorite aisle in the grocery store is? Nope, not cookies (that's my 2nd favorite). The Specialty Cheese aisle. Do I ever buy anything in the specialty cheese aisle? Umm...not really. Unless of course they have something there on manager's special or on a really good weekly special! This week it was feta cheese. It seems no one else is springing for the high ...
Cowboy Casserole
Post number 98!! Hard to believe it has been almost a year since I started this blog . I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every comment from all of you! I have recently started gaining a few more followers and I am so excited to see some new faces around here. I am planning a giveaway for my 100th post that's coming up. I hope you will all enter and tell your friends to stop by ...
Quick and Easy Summer Pasta
Does this ever happen to you? You are busy all day going from here to there picking up carpet cleaners and putting up with kids and suddenly it's 5 o'clock and you don't have a clue what to fix for dinner and you already had spaghetti this week and everything is frozen. Toddlers are now standing at the kitchen gate demanding outrageous things for dinner like Popsicles and ...
Fried Okra Patties
Fried Okra Patties are the easiest and quickest way to make fried okra happen in your life. These patties are quick to make and totally addictive to eat. If you are overrun with okra this Summer, this okra recipe should be in your arsenal! It doesn't get much more southern than okra. Originally okra was brought to America by slaves where it weaved itself into Southern culture. ...
Orange and Ginger Chicken Wings
Today is my kind of morning. It is currently just after 8 o'clock and everyone, even the kids, is still asleep. The only sound is the gurgling of the coffee pot and the sound of me pecking on the keyboard. Ahh....peace and quiet. It's a commodity in my life. So hard to come by in fact that some days it never actually happens. Somedays the kids wake up grumpy and don't actually ...
Ah…Sweet Revenge
I think anyone who has children has sacrificed countless hours of sleep, suffered immeasurable amounts of pain, and generally kept their sanity together with a shoelace. And all of those people would say that it was worth every minute. But even the most saintly of those parents have exacted some kind of revenge for the sacrifices they have made. That was me yesterday. As I ...
Much Ado about Leftovers – Pork Fried Rice
Busy has been the name of the game this summer and I have been finding it very difficult to get anything done, nevermind dinner. I'm sure you have all had very similar experiences. I will say that I have accomplished one major milestone this summer...my daughter is finally potty trained. It took all summer, but she is now one independent potty-go-er. I couldn't be happier, ...