I would like to talk to you about something near and dear to my heart. Cast Iron. I love my cast iron.It is an unspoken rule of the South that any woman who is about to be married should receive two very important pieces: a deviled egg plate and a cast iron skillet. I got both. Since I have been married I have added a couple pieces to my cast iron repertoire. Another skillet ...
advice
EOTC goes Disney!!
Last week, my beautiful family and I took a week long vacation at Disneyworld in Orlando, FL. What's crazy is, we never once pulled out the credit card while we were there, and even came back with money left over. And we had a BLAST!!! Oh my goodness, Disney world is so much fun! You can nay-say it all you want but Disney is the ultimate place to take your kids ( or leave ...
My opinion of Clearly Fresh Bags
My garden is going nuts. As long as I can keep the bugs at bay, most of the plants are becoming quite prolific. I get something new out of it everyday, and between my garden, the CSA I split with my Mom, and weekly trips to the farmer's market it's all we can do to keep up! I love it though. There is something very comforting about being surrounded by plenty to eat. The only ...
Garden in the Country Update
I am quite proud of myself. It has been nearly a month since I started gardening and I have managed to keep everything alive. Hooray for me! One month down 6 more months to go. The first bed is flourishing. The strawberries are doing well, and we have already picked a couple ripe ones.. The broccoli and cabbage are chugging right along as well as the lettuce. Every thing seems ...
Thanksgiving: Tips and advice about cooking the big dinner
Thanksgiving is less than 3 weeks away. Can you believe it? I think I am still somewhere in the middle of August. But no matter where I am, Thanksgiving is still just a couple weeks away. This year will be my 7th ( or is it 8th) year hosting Thanksgiving for whoever decides to show up. In those years I have experienced it all; the turkey that refused to cook, the turkey I ...
What to feed a Picky Eater
If there is one phrase I hear all the time, it has to be "I would love to cook that, but my kids are such picky eaters". And I have to tell you that "picky eaters" are kind of my hot button issue. I often hold my tongue about my opinions on picky eaters, but I feel today is a good day to let them loose. So, if you are a parent of a picky eater, I apologize if this makes you ...
Kitchen Essentials
The start of a new school year is upon us and I can't help but think back to when I first left home for college. I had packed everything I thought I needed. Little did I know that I had no idea. None whatsoever. Lucky for me, I had unknowingly been well-prepared. As a child, I was blessed. Blessed with wonderful, intelligent parents who surrounded me and my brother with ...
Controlling the Chaos
At 3:15 PM yesterday afternoon I had had enough. I had had enough of not being able to find what I was looking for; of having to look in twelve different places for the one thing I had lost. I am speaking, of course, about my spices and herbs. I am sure that I have mentioned to you before about my slight obsession with herbs and spices. I have quite a few. The problem was that ...
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 ...
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 ...
Chop Chop! – How to butcher your own chicken
I give you fair warning. If you have a incredibly weak stomach then you do not need to read this entry. Please scroll past it!Okay, fair warning has been given and I can only assume that you have a strong stomach and you have seen a dead chicken before. Whole chickens are cheap. Usually $.99/lb but I have seen them as low as $$.79/lb. Whole chickens are great for a number ...