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How Grammie Got Her Groove Back
We officially have one more family member in the house. Our daughter had her beautiful baby girl on October 28th. Needless to say, we have been in a time loop ever since. We are all extremely sleep deprived, but madly in love with sweet little Penelope. Spending time in the kitchen has definitely taken a back seat to helping with the baby. Thankfully, we have been blessed with meal deliveries from church friends and family. That has been amazing. As we have been slowly starting to get a routine, I have been trying to squeeze in some of our holiday favorites. I made some Slow Cooker Applesauce, and a batch…
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Never Too Many Cookies
Freshly baked cookies are one of the most comforting treats around. I have tried many different cookie recipes over the years and cannot recall being disappointed by a single one. We do have favorites, but I always like to try new types of cookies, especially cookies that get a lot of press. One such famous cookie recipe is Former First Lady Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookies. These cookies were originally made famous when the magazine Family Circle pitted Laura Bush’s cookie recipe against Tipper Gore’s ginger snaps. Laura Bush’s cookies won, as did her husband’s bid for office. That was obviously a long time ago, but the recipe still gets occasional…
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A Honey of a Cake
The beginning of September marks the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. I am not Jewish, but I love any celebration that centers around food. So, that’s pretty much any celebration. Anyway, over the last couple of weeks, my inbox has been flooded with recipes for Honey cake, which many Jewish families make to bring in a new year of hope and sweetness. I am all for that. We need more hope and sweetness right now and if it comes with a cake, that’s even better! The recipe I decided to try comes from www.epicurious.com. The list of ingredients seems a little daunting, but the cake comes together very easily. It…
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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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Upside Down Cake for Upside Down Times
We are getting used to school at home, though it does feel a little like we have fallen through the looking glass. Everyone is up early in the morning, rushing to get to school – at their desks 2 feet from their beds. A few hours later, they come tumbling down the stairs to scavenge in the kitchen for lunch. Then they run back up to finish out the day, leaving a wave of kitchen destruction in their wake. I know this is the same story for most homes right now – upside down times, indeed. So, while feeling very upside down, I thought I would try my hand at…
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When in Doubt, Bake
Our family is especially fond of rhubarb, that strange vegetable/fruit that looks like prehistoric celery. Technically, this is rhubarb season, though it doesn’t grow well here in North Carolina. About this time of year, my mom makes rhubarb freezer jam for our families. It is a family favorite and the only jam my father can safely eat, as he is allergic to most fruits. When we lived in the Midwest, rhubarb was plentiful and fairly cheap. Now we have to special order it through a fruit wholesaler. But it is well worth it. If you would like to know how we make the jam, you can find my blog post…
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Rolling with It
I had a different plan for the blog this week. But as we muddle through this strange time, I am learning to embrace each moment and let go of the things that really don’t matter. Just this morning, my dad and I donned face masks and gloves and braved a trip through BJ’s for paper goods and a few other essentials. Our face masks were from a protective set I bought at Home Depot a few years ago and never used. They were closer to the N95 type than a fabric mask and I must say the experience made me greatly appreciate the healthcare workers that have to wear them…
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Blueberry Buttermilk Biscuits
When we first moved to North Carolina, we were introduced to the Southern delights of Bojangles’. This delightful fast food restaurant that started in Charlotte, NC serves spicy fried chicken, chicken strips and biscuits. They make savory breakfast biscuit sandwiches and our personal favorite, BoBerry Biscuits. BoBerry Biscuits are a flaky biscuit bedazzled with blueberries and topped with a vanilla glaze. They are a delicious treat we get occasionally on weekends or on road trips. Since I recently started making biscuits in my cast iron skillet, I began to think about making my own blueberry biscuits at home. We could have them anytime and make a good thing even better!…
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Peach Bourbon Tart
Last Saturday, I had a a breakfast gathering, and wanted to bring something fruity and seasonal to share. I had a bunch of gorgeous farmers market peaches begging to be the star of the dish. Naturally, I turned to Pinterest for an easy, delicious option. I found a recipe for Peach Tart, using pre-made puff pastry. I used the recipe from www.womanscribbles.net exactly for the dish I shared at the breakfast, and everyone loved it. I liked it, too, but also felt I could improve on it a bit. I ruminated on it while I made lunch for my family, thinking on what might make the peaches really sing. I…
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Cla-Who??
A couple of years ago, I stumbled onto a recipe on Pinterest for clafoutis. Say what?! Pronounced KLAH-foo-ti, this French dessert looks quite impressive and complicated. In fact, it is quite simple and extremely delicious. It is a cross between a custard and a flan in texture, and is a great way to incorporate summer fruits. Traditionally, the French make clafoutis with unpitted black cherries. The theory behind this is that the pits contain benzaldehyde, which lends an almond flavoring to the dessert. The idea of spitting pits out while eating dessert is less than appealing to me, but maybe someday I will experiment with this – after everyone has had…
