Several years ago, we stopped in a fudge shop when visiting Monterey. Now why we stop in fudge shops I don’t know because my husband and kids pick their favorite flavor, and then complain while eating it that it doesn’t taste like my fudge or my peanut butter fudge. I never buy fudge; I alwaysRead More
Pasta with Vegetables and Alfredo Sauce
Homemade Alfredo Sauce is so much tastier and so much less expensive than sauce from a jar. It is easy to make and can be made in the time that it takes to cook the pasta. My husband and kids do not like parmesan cheese, so when I make Alfredo Sauce I only use mozzarellaRead More
Beef and Cabbage Soup
This beef and cabbage soup recipe is a hearty recipe for cold evenings. This is the first recipe that I created on my own. As a teenager, I lived with my Dad and he and I would take turns cooking. He always improvised and I tended to rely on family recipes and prepackaged mixes. MyRead More
Quinoa Salad with Chicken
This quinoa salad recipe is made with chicken, apples, red onion, and pecans. It is topped with a tangy dressing. Last month I saw several delicious salads that used quinoa as a main ingredient. I did not have the exact ingredients for any of the recipes, so I decided to experiment and ended up creatingRead More
Mashed Red Potatoes
I love being able to walk out to the garden and dig up some potatoes for dinner! Today I am making my mashed red potatoes recipe which is a favorite with my kids. Have you ever eaten a potato that is so fresh the skin is still paper thin and fragile? New potatoes need toRead More
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cauliflower
This Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cauliflower recipe has a savory blend of spices making it a delicious side dish any time of year! This recipe was created out of my desire to use up some vegetables before they turned. I like roasted sweet potatoes and I like roasted cauliflower, so I decided to combine the two. MyRead More
Roasted Eggplant Hummus
When I was at Trader Joe’s last week I noticed that they sold eggplant hummus. I just happened to have excess eggplant from my garden and this seemed like a delicious way to use it up. I picked up some tahini sauce and decided to try my hand at making homemade roasted eggplant hummus. I placedRead More
Marshmallow Mixed Berry Pie
This Marshmallow Mixed Berry Pie recipe takes a little bit of time to create, but the effort will be greatly appreciated by your Little Bear! My youngest son formerly spent a large portion of each day pretending to be Little Bear. For many months he even called me Mother Bear instead of mommy. He oftenRead More
Cowgirl Caviar
Black-eyed peas are usually associated with Hoppin’ John, which is a traditional New Year’s Day meal in the South. On the first day of the year, you eat “poor”, so that you may eat “well” the rest of the year. However, black-eyed peas are so delicious and nutritious that I don’t think they should beRead More
Frugal Meatless Meals for Economic Vegetarians
Fifteen years ago my husband made a career change. When negotiating his salary he did not take into consideration the increase in living expenses of the new location. And while on paper it looked like he got a raise, in actuality he barely made enough for us to scrape by. Now I am not goingRead More
Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
The chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies are one of my childhood favorites! I usually enjoy baking for my family, but today it was 101 degrees and I did not feel like turning on the oven. Even on hot days, my children require a bit of sugar to keep them sweet, so I made these easyRead More
Chicken and Rice Soup
This chicken and rice soup recipe comes together quickly by using leftover chicken and rice. Chicken and Rice Soup is my favorite remedy for a cold. A bowl of soup, a cup of tea, and a good book makes a cold almost tolerable…almost. This recipe comes together quickly when you use leftover chicken and rice.Read More
Pasta Bake Recipe
My daughter thinks the name Pasta Bake sounds too boring for such a delicious meal and keeps suggesting alternatives like “cheesy, tomatoey divinity”. My youngest son calls this dish a Pasta Melt because of the melted cheese on top. No matter what name this casserole goes by, it is sure to be a hit withRead More
Easy Way to Roll Out Shortbread or Sugar Cookies + Shortbread Recipe
The great thing about Shortbread, besides the fact that it is made of pantry staples, is that your children can pretend it is Lembas Bread. The bad thing about shortbread is trying to roll it out! After discussing the problems of rolling out shortbread with a friend, I decided to post pictures of how IRead More
Pork, Sauerkraut, and Sweet Potatoes – Pressure Cooker Recipe
I combined elements of two of my favorite pork and sauerkraut recipes, impulsively added sweet potatoes and in the process created a new family favorite. Pressure Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut Recipe with Sweet Potatoes While the meat is browning, I chop the vegetables. After the meat is browned, put it in the pressure cooker (Read More
Tomato Soup Cake
This old-fashioned tomato soup cake recipe tastes like a spice cake. You can cook this vintage cake recipe in a loaf pan or in a cake pan. First let me say, this cake tastes much better than it sounds! This recipe originated in the late 1920s or early 1930s. It was enormously popular throughout theRead More
Easy Applesauce Bundt Cake
This semi-homemade applesauce cake is made by doctoring a plain white or yellow cake mix. What do you do when you want to make a cake, but you don’t have a lot of time? make a bundt cake. They are elegant and you can get away from putting a simple glaze on top and callingRead More
Crock-Pot Split Pea Soup
This Crock-Pot Split Pea Soup recipe is enhanced by the addition of sherry and ham. Whenever we have ham, I save the ham bone and freeze it. What looks like trash to some people is the perfect flavoring for Split Pea Soup. You would be surprised at how much meat is actually on that hamRead More
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Pulled Pork and Barbecue Beef or Chicken are really easy in the crock pot. So easy, that I feel real guilty when people compliment me on it. I make all of them the same way, but since I have a picture of Pulled Pork that is what I am going to talk about. Ingredients: 3Read More
Easy Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
This Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe is made with a boxed cake mix, chocolate pudding, and chocolate chips. Two weeks ago I hosted a dinner party for 15. On the day of the party, we had 80+ wind gusts that did significant damage to both my backyard fence and the pasture fences. Instead of makingRead More
