I love decorating cookies with my children. In fact, our oldest son was probably just 2 years old when I decided we’d decorate cookies together every year. So, for more than 20 years we set aside a day in December to make cookies and decorate them. Now that my kids are older, not everyone participates … Read more
{Warning:: In this post I’m sharing the similarities of baking with three different flours, gluten free flour being one of them. If you are making a gluten free dish to serve to people who are on gluten free diets, please use proper protocol. Everyone reacts differently to gluten and some people have a very severe reaction, … Read more
Oh, have I got a treat for you today. The first time I had chocolate chip peanut butter cup cookies was at a baby shower our church had for me when I had Phoebe – yep, 14 years ago and I still remember how amazed I was by them. {don’t laugh, this was before pinterest and blogs when … Read more
For me, cookie making isn’t about the cookies, it’s about spending time with my children making memories. I learned a long time ago that I would need to have a relaxed view of cooking making if this was going to be an enjoyable experience for all. Keep it simple, let the children come and go as … Read more
Fall has come to some areas of the country, I hear. We’ve had a few mornings that the temperature has just barely dipped into the 60’s and you should hear all the clamoring for hot chocolate for breakfast. We have a couple of favorite ways to make hot chocolate but we also have a favorite … Read more
Did you know that October is National Cookie Month? Well, it is and we are celebrating. But we’re not celebrating with hard, dry cookies from a package. Oh, no, we’re making all kinds of family favorite cookies this month. Like Sunbutter cookies dipped in chocolate….yummm… When I make cookies I mix the wet ingredients first and … Read more
Every Christmas we make a family favorite cookie from Carl’s childhood. We call it a cookie, but really it’s a candy. It’s so fun to see Carl’s parents and brother oooh and aaah over them and hear the stories that get told about Christmases long past. My children have stories of their own pertaining to this … Read more
My boys have been getting quite a few calls to mow lawns now that the grass is growing again. That means I need more snacks on hand than I need in the winter. I really like to keep a variety of homemade waffles, banana muffins, peanut butter treats and granola bars in the freezer for … Read more
We call these peanut butter balls or peanut butter treats, but most people call them no-bake peanut butter cookies. Since I don’t flatten them, they don’t really look like cookies. We also don’t eat them like we do cookies, these no-bake cookies are packed full of nutrition so we use them for snacks and packing … Read more
Mulberry pie is one of the mulberry recipes we always try to make during mulberry season. With a little lemon juice to enhance the mild flavor of the mulberries, this mulberry pie recipe will remind you of the not-too-sweet fruit pies our Grandmothers used to make. While mulberry season is quite long, 3-4 weeks in … Read more
If you’re looking for authentic, southern fig preserves, this is the recipe you need. This spiced up version of the traditional preserved fig recipe turns fresh figs into a super flavorful treat that can be enjoyed all year long. I’ve included safe canning instructions but you can also make this recipe in a small batch … Read more
Lemon curd is for more than just topping scones, although that’s delicious, too! Use homemade lemon curd to make all kinds of delicious desserts and savory foods. Using simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, this list of recipes that use lemon curd is all you need to please the lemon lovers … Read more
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Shortbread cookies are a super versatile and easy to make cookie using just a few pantry staples. These grapefruit shortbread cookies are a fun twist on the classic buttery cookie. I’ve been making the same shortbread recipe for most of my adult life (a long time) and I love it. It’s buttery and not very … Read more
Tired of overly sweet fruit pies? Then try this sweet and tangy mango lime pie! I discovered mango pie when I over bought mangoes and had several mangoes getting very ripe on my kitchen counter. I love it when I make delicious mistakes like that. Everyone in my family loves mangoes…except me. So when I … Read more
Lemons (and other citrus) are so very wonderful, they’re bright and cheery and are in season in the middle of winter when not much fruit is available. It’s such a treat, especially if you try to eat seasonally. My favorite citrus is the Meyer lemon and fortunately we can grow them. We preserve most of … Read more
I had never heard of Meyer lemons until we moved to this area. It seems every street has at least one Meyer lemon tree growing in someone’s yard. It’s a really great thing! Meyer lemons are larger than regular lemons, have thinner skin, a sweeter flavor, and more juice than regular lemons. This makes them … Read more
I don’t know much about apples, except that they taste really good and are really good for you. There’s also about 5o million varieties so surely there’s a variety for everyone. Apples are one of those fruits that I’ll buy year round (along with bananas) but when they’re in season and the price drops I’ll … Read more
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How much is enough? And what does enough mean anyway? These are questions that often go through my mind and I wonder if they go through yours too? A few years ago I was talking with a lady from church about canning the elk her husband had brought home from a hunting trip. She later … Read more