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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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Slightly Simplified Lasagna
I love lasagna, but homemade lasagna is a labor of love. There are some good frozen, pre-made lasagnas out there, but homemade is always better. Something about the cold rainy weather put me in the mood to make a nice big pan. While visiting friends recently, our host made lasagna by winging it almost entirely. I was very surprised and skeptical, but it turned out delicious. This made me wonder if I was making it too big of a deal in my mind. Could it be less complicated and pulled together relatively quickly? I admit I didn’t really pay attention to all the steps my friend took, so I poked…
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Warming Yourself From the Inside Out
This has been quite the weather week for most of the country. Thankfully, here in the Raleigh area, all we have gotten is cold rain – LOTS of cold rain. It is the perfect weather for a big pot of comforting soup. We have always liked chicken tortilla soup, especially when it’s creamy. I found a recipe for just such a thing hiding in my saved files and thought we would give it a try. The recipe comes from www.thecookierookie.com. Her recipe can be made with uncooked chicken breasts, or with cooked rotisserie chicken. I had a package of pulled rotisserie chicken I had recently bought at Costco just waiting…
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Comfort Combined
While I may still remain the most unknown food blogger in the world, there are several more successful bloggers that I follow and admire. One such blogger is Julia Frey. Her food blog can be found at www.vikalinka.com. She makes amazing dishes and makes them all look effortless. I chose to cook and review one of her recipes this week that combines two of my favorite comfort foods – homemade macaroni and cheese and Bolognese sauce. Her recipe is called “Layered Italian Baked Mac and Cheese.” I had all of the ingredients on hand and it continues to be cold and rainy here, so comfort is in order. Now, I…
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Good for the Soul
Last weekend, we took a little break from reality and ran away to Disney World. It seems a little crazy, but it really is a good time to visit the parks. Disney is still limiting how many people can enter the park each day and masks are required everywhere, all the time. They are diligent about cleaning, even more than usual, and there are hand sanitizer stations everywhere. Last time we went, our girls were 5 and 3. Needless to say, they were able to enjoy themselves quite a bit more this time around. We were able to conquer all of the roller coasters and experience Galaxy’s Edge, the new…
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Comfort in the Form of Carbs
I hate to admit it, but carbs are my love language. There is nothing more comforting to me than noodles. I guess I am the human version of the Kung Fu Panda. I have noodle dreams way too much. Well, it’s Finals week for our high schoolers, so extra comfort is in order. Whenever I make spaghetti or Bolognese like I made last week, my oldest just wants plain noodles with butter and Parmesan. She is 17 – I can’t explain it. Anyway, I decided to make the grown up version of that as our recipe review this week. I found a recipe for One Pan Garlic Parmesan Pasta from…
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So Many Recipes, So Little Time
So, we have officially made it to 2021, and so far, we are not off to an auspicious start. We still have Christmas decorations up, our girls are taking 1st semester finals next week, and the country has gone to the wolves. It doesn’t feel much like a fresh start. We just keep taking one day at a time. Some people are really into New Year’s resolutions, like working out more, getting better sleep, being more organized. I am not one for making resolutions, as I know myself and do not stick to them. I have, however, set some goals. I am trying to become more active, to shake off…
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Comforting One Pot Meals
It is not quite Fall, but I am already starting to crave warm, creamy comfort foods. While the slow cooker is my good friend for lots of comforting dishes, my Dutch oven is right up there for providing options for yummy one-pot weeknight meals. A couple of years ago, I learned about a dish called Chicken Bog from a recipe in Southern Living. It is a uniquely Southern meal, South Carolinian to be more precise, and more specifically a small region of South Carolina – from Myrtle Beach and Conway, west to Florence. It is made of rice, chicken and sausage cooked all together to create a wetter rice dish…
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The Need for Comfort
Last week, I shared with you some of the reality of this extended pandemic. Nerves have been frayed and patience tested. If you were to go by social media, we should all be enjoying one another’s company, braiding each other’s hair and generally having one great big Hallmark movie moment together. We have indeed had some fun, and at first it was a relief to have a small break from the daily grind and running hither and yon. But here we are, months in. Summer is almost over and now the struggle over what to do for school is looming large. Here in NC, our governor has said kids should…
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A Labor of Love
A few years back, our church started a chili cook off and it has now become a tradition. Usually in late January or early February, it is a great way to break up the winter blues and have some fun and fellowship. In recent years, we have even invited our local firefighters to come and be the judges. This allows us to show our appreciation by feeding them and praying over them while they are with us. This also makes the competition a whole lot more intense. There are prizes for hottest chili, best overall chili and best decorations for the table. I have entered many times, but never won.…
