Most of my cookie recipes make several dozen cookies, which is a good thing since I live with several cookie monsters. The problem lies with the fact that I only own 2 cookie sheets. After removing freshly baked cookies to a cooling rack, I wash the cookie sheets in cold water and thoroughly dry itRead More
Brazilian Rice with Green Peas
I have been harvesting peas a handful at a time. I wanted to use them in our meals, but I needed a recipe that did not require a large amount of peas. Then I remembered a rice and pea recipe that a friend gave me years ago. If I save up my peas I shouldRead More
Menu Plan -Week of July 22
I am going to take advantage of the abundance of vegetables growing in our garden this week. On Monday morning I am going to broil a couple of pounds of chicken, chop it up, and use it cold in salads. I am hoping that the variation in the salad seasonings will distract my family fromRead More
Cooking with Lavender
I love growing lavender, but I am not really a potpourri person. Loathing for anything to not be used to its fullest potential, I did some research to find alternative uses for lavender. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it can be used in cooking! I found some heavenly scone recipes at Hood RiverRead More
Pepsi-Cola Throwback Cake
I modified my favorite cake in honor of PepsiCo’s decision to bring back Pepsi-Cola Throwback. When I was growing up, we called this Rocky Road Cake, but I discovered that it was also called cola cake when I lived in the south. It is extremely decadent; after looking at the ingredients you will tell me thatRead More
Dinner Menu for the Week of 6/15
I replaced last week’s scrambled eggs night for frittatas. I found the frittatas recipe on The Frugal Engineer and felt it was more conducive to using up leftovers than scrambled eggs. And you know how I like using up leftovers! Monday – Teriyaki Chicken, Brown Rice, Glazed Carrots Tuesday – Use leftover chicken and carrotsRead More
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Nothing says Chocolate Cake Quite Like a Zucchini! Earlier this week Angela at My Year Without Spending put out a request for zucchini recipes. Everyone who responded offered a delicious and nutritious way to serve zucchini; I recommended cooking it in chocolate cake! It is easy to eat zucchini sauteed with onions and garlic inRead More
Flowering Tea
I love Numi’s flowering tea gift set and have given this to a couple of the tea drinkers in my life. Of course, I also bought one for my daughter and I to enjoy! It comes packaged in a nice bamboo box. Inside the bamboo box is a glass tea pot and a box ofRead More
Reusing Butter Wrappers to Grease Pans
Revisiting the Idea of Reusing Butter Wrappers: I know you are thinking, “can’t she just throw some things away”. Well, actually, no I can’t. At least not without thinking hard about any potential uses the item might have. When baking I set the butter (or margarine) wrappers aside and use them to grease theRead More
Earthquake Cookies
This molasses cookie recipe has been handed down from my husband’s great-grandmother. I do not know by whom or when they started being called earthquake cookies. Ingredients: 2 cups flour* 1 Tablespoon ginger 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teasppon salt Mix the above dry ingredients together. 1 egg 1/2 cup molasses (IRead More
Kitchen Garden Skillet
I don’t know the real name of the recipe that inspired Kitchen Garden Skillet, nor do I recall the name of the book that contained the recipe. The book was published in the late ’60’s or early ’70’s and our copy was lost in a fire in the mid ’80’s (It was not a cookingRead More
Dinner Menu Plans
Monday – Roast Chicken, brown rice, corn, and garden salad Tuesday – Use leftover chicken in tacos, use leftover brown rice to make Spanish rice, refried beans Wednesday – Use leftover chicken in taco salad (I also will toss in any leftover chicken and Spanish rice) Thursday – Kitchen Garden Skillet (This was a hitRead More
Hooked On Making No/Low Sugar Jam
This is a repost with an update. I decided to try Ball’s Natural Gel No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin ($1.56 at Walmart. There is a .50 cent coupon inside, so you can buy one then use the coupon to buy the next one if you like it). With this pectin adding sugar is optional. YouRead More
Raspberry Lemon Scones
My daughter will be hosting a Jane Austen themed tea party for her college friends later in the month. We have been reviewing recipes trying to finalize the menu for her tea. There are many decisions still to be made, but Raspberry Lemon Scones already have a spot reserved on the table. I adapted thisRead More
Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce
I made pork chops with mustard sauce this evening. I did not have time to take a picture of our entire meal because we were running late for a graduation party. I quickly took a picture of a leftover pork chop, so you could see the consistency of the mustard sauce. It is lovely andRead More
Dinner Menu Plan
Monday – Grilled Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, and Peas with Basil. I was supposed to make this yesterday, but I decided to stink up the entire house baking Salmon for my husband instead (I am such a loving wife). Tuesday – I am not sure what I will make. I want toRead More
Baked Chicken With Rhubarb Sauce
I modified this recipe from one that I found on The Rhubarb Compendium. The Rhubarb Compendium is a wealth of information on growing rhubarb and includes a large selection of delicious rhubarb recipes. Baked Chicken With Rhubarb Sauce Recipe Ingredients:6 chicken breasts, trimmed2 Tablespoons butter1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon nutmeg2 Cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch thickRead More
Strawberry Cream Pie
This pie is my daughter’s specialty. We frequently ask her to make it for us. We feel a little less guilty about eating pie when it is filled with fresh strawberries. She adapted her Strawberry Cream Pie from a recipe she found in the June/July 2007 Taste of Home Magazine. Strawberry Cream Pie RecipeRead More
The Secret to Creamy Mashed Potatoes
I learned the secret to creamy, lump-free, mashed potatoes from my mother-in-law. The secret? She doesn’t mash potatoes, she rices them. Scoop a couple spoonfuls of cooked potatoes into the ricer and then squeeze. Repeat until all of the potatoes are riced. Stir in butter, milk, and pepper to taste. That is it! It isRead More
Menu Plan
Monday – Garlic Chicken (I am going to bake this the night before according to the directions and then have my husband “grill” it to heat it up and put stripes on it on Memorial Day), Roasted Potatoes, Baked Beans, Strawberry Spinach Salad, and Corn on the Cob. (I am making lots of side dishesRead More
