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Perky, Peppy, Pickled Vegetables
We have been lucky enough to have some food adventures lately. One such fun adventure was to celebrate birthdays for my husband and one of our best friends at Carolina Grill and Tiki Bar in Carolina Beach. It was the perfect evening to sit on the dock sipping amazing drinks and eating salty food. One of the dishes we ordered was Pimento cheese with pita chips. That was amazing in and of itself, but it was served along with pickled vegetables that were out of this world. I could have happily eaten a plateful of those alone. This got me to thinking that I should make some pickled veggies at…
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“Salad” for Dessert
We are into our 4th or 5th gallon of strawberries from our local farmers. I am actually having to swoop in to grab enough for any recipe before they are gone. It’s kinda nuts up in here. But every year, around this time, I see people popping up on social media requesting recipes for Strawberry Pretzel Salad. I was intrigued and decided to investigate. Said salad is not a salad at all. It is a delicious creamy dessert. The question arises, why in the world is this called a salad? I think it goes back to the days of church potlucks, where jellied “salads” brought together gelatin and fruits, sometimes…
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A Celebration of Strawberries
It is finally here! It is officially strawberry season in North Carolina. We had to wait a couple extra weeks due to a few cold snaps. But it was worth the wait. The berries are huge, sweet and oh so delicious. Our local fields officially opened last week, and we are on our second gallon bucket of berries already. They have been eaten straight out of the bucket, some have topped oatmeal, and others went on top of ice cream. But that still leaves lots of berries waiting for other yummy recipes. Last week, we took a shopping trip to Wegman’s and bought their delicious New York bagels and a…
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Pineapple for Dinner
I could always go for Chinese take-out. I love dishes that combine spicy and sweet, served with delicious chewy rice or satisfying noodles. When I found a recipe for Pineapple Chicken from www.delish.com, I knew we had to try it. This recipe is a relatively easy weeknight dinner, which makes it an automatic winner for me. I usually have chicken on hand, and we are huge pineapple fans, so this seemed like a great option for us. I decided to make it one evening when our youngest daughter had her boyfriend over for dinner. This was potentially risky, but I went for it anyway. Delish uses chicken thighs for their…
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Spring Delights
We have finally reached the best part of Spring here in North Carolina. The weather has warmed up, birds are nesting, everything is in full bloom and best of all, the blasted pine pollen is finally gone. We have the windows wide open and we are loving it. Along with all the sights and sounds that herald Spring, there are certain flavors that represent Spring. One of those flavor combinations is lemons and blueberries. Maybe it’s because the flavors are so bright and cheerful on their own, but together tangy lemon and sweet blueberry are amazing. As I looked through my many saved recipe files, I realized I had saved…
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A Perfect Classic
If you were a child of the 80s, you may have fond memories of Sloppy Joe sandwiches. You might have had them at the school cafeteria. You may even be familiar with the ode to Sloppy Joes and lunch ladies made famous by Adam Sandler. If not, Google it. The song may forever be stuck in your brain, as it is in mine. Sloppy Joes, Sloppy, Sloppy Joes…. Anyway, the origins of the tomato sauce-based minced meat sandwiches can be disputed, but many of us grew up with the Manwich version. A can of Manwich sauce could elevate a pound of ground beef and make a fast and satisfying weeknight…
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Recipe Repeats
Time flies, as they say, and I realize that I have been writing this blog for almost 3 years now and have yet to repeat a recipe. I am not saying this as a point of pride, but rather an observation. Many food bloggers are great at repeating content, and changing and improving recipes at they go. Since Easter is this week, we will be having our traditional family meal of baked ham and Potatoes Romanoff. I have shared this recipe before, as we also have Potatoes Romanoff for Christmas. So, I thought I would revisit the recipe with one small tweak. Potatoes Romanoff is a deliciously rich dish of…
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Puffy, Cheesy Breadsticks
I first learned about Halloumi cheese a couple years ago from a fellow food blogger. It is a delicious Mediterranean cheese that is salty, chewy and very versatile. It is widely available in Europe, but thankfully, it is becoming more popular here in the US. I have been able to find it consistently at Wegman’s, but recently I found it for significantly cheaper at Lidl. Our favorite way to eat Halloumi is to slice it and fry it in a pan with just a little bit of olive oil. This turns it into an upgraded snack, or a great addition to a salad. But a few months ago, I found…
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Is It Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie?
I am a day late and a dollar short on just about everything lately. I skipped the blog entirely last week, so I missed the opportunity to talk about all things Irish for St. Patrick’s Day. I did, however, make a meal attributed to the Irish for this week’s blog. While Shepherd’s Pie popped up on all kinds of food sites last week for St. Patrick’s Day, it is actually thought to have originated in England or Scotland as an economic meal and an easy way to use up leftovers. Shepherd’s Pie comes from sheep country and traditionally contained minced lamb. The recipe I used to adapt my own calls…
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Last Minute Goodies
I must confess, March sure did sneak up on me. One minute it was wet and rainy February, then suddenly it’s March, with daffodils blooming and the sun shining – finally. With the first week of March comes my birthday, which also sneaks up on me faster each year. We are a little stir-crazy in our house, as we are still doing school virtually and my husband has permanently moved his office into the house. So, we are getting away for my birthday and I am very much looking forward to it. So much so, I almost forgot to cook something for the blog this week. Oops. I thought I…
