I grew up on sweet tea in the South – the kind that’s made by the pitcher and drunk by the glass all day long. It took me most of my adult life to discover there was a whole world of tea beyond that. Now I plan entire sections of my garden around the herbs …
Being from Texas, Mexican pinto beans are a staple in our home. We serve them with cornbread for a simple dinner, mash them to make bean burritos for lunch or a snack, and serve them as a side dish to help fill hungry bellies. I like to make a big pot of beans and freeze …
This post was originally published in June 2011. A while back I made a great creamy chicken recipe in the crockpot and I loved it. However, I love black beans and most of my family does not. Now, just because my family doesn’t love something doesn’t mean I don’t still make it. You know, because …
There are few meals more comforting than a pot of homemade chicken and dumplings simmering on the stove. This is the kind of food that fills the kitchen with warmth, feeds a family well, and turns an ordinary day into something special. This chicken and dumplings recipe is simple, hearty, and made from scratch using …
This baked French toast casserole is the easiest way to feed a crowd for breakfast or brunch — prep it the night before, bake it in the morning, and enjoy a golden, custardy dish with no fuss. With just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen, you can create an …
Fruit crisp, or fruit crumble, makes a delightful dessert or breakfast. In this four ingredient fruit crisp recipe I’ll show you how to use whatever fruit you have on hand – fresh, frozen, dehydrated, or canned. For years we picked peaches for my Mother’s Day gift. We didn’t always go on Mother’s Day, but that …
Summer is the perfect time for salad. They’re relatively quick and easy, make the most of homegrown and local produce, and can be done (usually) without turning on the oven. Salads, however; are so much more than raw vegetables served over greens. I’m a little territorial when it comes to our little space on the …
Long before “egg bites” were sold at the neighborhood coffee shop, we were making egg and biscuit muffins. These are so handy for a quick breakfast or a protein packed snack. While I do have an exact recipe below, egg bites are really more of a process. This is great because you can use use …
Note: Once a week I share a popular post from the archives. This post was originally published in August 2011. Saturday morning when we woke up was the first day that we were all home, all day together in a long time. My boys were very tired from youth church camp and so they slept …
I have a confession to make. Until a couple of weeks ago I had never made snickerdoodles. {gasp} My family has survived this travesty…but just barely. So when Granite Mill Farms offered to send me a bag of sprouted grain spelt to try, it was the perfect opportunity to put my issues aside and make some snickerdoodles. …
We’ve had a very busy week around here….it’s performance week for our homeschool drama club. This will officially bring our 2014-2015 school year to a close. Oh, we still do math and reading throughout the summer but all of our outside of the house classes and activities are done for a few months. It’s a …
Creamy broccoli soup is comfort food at it’s best. With garden fresh (or frozen) broccoli, cheddar cheese and cream this soup comes together quickly and uses items you probably already have on hand. It’s been months since we picked the last large broccoli head from the garden but broccoli continues to make smaller heads after …
Last month was National Hot Breakfast Month and I participated with nine other bloggers and some amazing sponsors to celebrate. It came at a great time for me. I found that I had gotten into a rut of having the same couple of things over and over each morning. But I really couldn’t think of any …
Welcome to our Wednesday Night dinner preparations – an “omelet bar”, actually these are last week’s but this week’s are pretty much the same. Breakfast foods are usually quick to put together which makes having breakfast for dinner a easy option on a busy night. Wednesday nights we have AWANA and youth group up at …
This year I’m teaching geography at our homeschool co-op and each week two students bring in a food report from the country we’re studying. When we studied Korea a student brought in a traditional snack called Hotteok (Hoddeok) and ya’ll, they were amazing. I made them for my family the next Saturday and they were …
This week for Hot Breakfast Month our theme is “breakfast in a hurry”. Let’s face it, even with the best laid plans, sometimes our mornings are rushed and while I want to make a hot breakfast for my family I just don’t have time. I’m sure you can relate. Sometimes I know a morning is going …
Growing up my mom did many things that I now realize were not the norm for a mom of the ’70s and ’80s. One of those things was making sure we ate a hot breakfast before going to school. That’s not to say we never ate cold cereal but it was the exception rather than …
Being from the South (Texas specifically) we like our biscuits, in fact I had never heard of a scone until I was an adult. Don’t laugh; I lived a sheltered life. But, oh my, the first time I ate a scone, I knew I didn’t want my children growing up quite as sheltered as I …
Note: Once a week I share a popular post from the archives. This was originally published in March 2011. We woke up this morning to a very bare refrigerator. Just a few days ago you could hardly open the door without something falling out, in fact, Sunday something did fall out on me…. twice. I …
Fermentation is an old way of preserving food – really old, as in before refrigeration and before canning. Back in the day, you either dehydrated or fermented food to keep it from spoiling. Fermented foods include common items such as yogurt, cheese, and sauerkraut plus less common items such as kefir, kvass, and kimchi. Years …