encourager of simple eats + happy living
Thanksgiving time is my favorite time of year! I'm not just talking about the third Thursday in November. Nope. That's too limiting. I believe that Thanksgiving "time" starts with the first day of autumn and lasts all throughout winter. So consider this Thanksgiving-inspired pot pie recipe more of a seasonal staple that can last half the year! This post is happily sponsored by Wick's Pies. They have made pie crusts and pie glazes in Indiana since 1944. #WicksPies #TrustTheCrust ...
When I was a kiddo growing up in the 70s and 80s, my mom volunteered at our local food coop. Instead of paying the annual membership, she would show up at her assigned time and break down all the bulk nuts, grains, cheeses, and whatever into smaller twist-tie bags. She’d weigh them and mark the price on the tiny sticker. We’d do our monthly coop shopping when she completed her assigned duties. Well, one small note… when I said she was a volunteer, I also meant that -by default - I was also a ...
To me, travel is all about the food. Months before the unforgettable year of 2020, Dennis and I spent eight glorious days traveling the peaks and valleys of Israel and Palestine. Every moment was overflowing with exposure to historical places we had read about our entire lives as well as an introduction to unbelievable culinary delights. Today I’m tickled pink to introduce you to two of these delights: Shakshuka and Labne. This post is happily sponsored by Karoun Dairies ...
Click here for my video of how to find, prepare, and dehydrate Chicken of the Woods! There is an old tattered book on my library shelf that was written in the 1960s. Every time I pick it up, a distant memory stirs within me. A memory that is partly true and mostly wishful. The book is called Stalking the Wild Asparagus and is written by Euell Gibbons. Here’s a little ditty from the book cover: “A delightful book on the recognition, gathering, preparation and use of the ...
I’ve wanted to write this post for a long time and share simple tips for a perfectly tender steak. If we focus on these two easy things, our steaks will be of the highest quality and deliciously tender. But first, let’s get real. The last few years have been pretty hard on our pocketbooks, haven't they? Meat prices fluctuated all over the place, and frequently beef was hard to buy. And finally, when we could buy steaks at the grocery store, the last thing we wanted to worry about was ...
Howdy! It’s just me, interrupting your day to share a yummy appetizer recipe for garlicky maple ginger chicken wings. Remember when there was a shortage of chicken wings a while back? And, of course, all I could think about at the time was: CHICKEN WINGS! CHICKEN WINGS! CHICKEN WINGS! I WANT CHICKEN WINGS! And now it’s opposite day! It’s hard to find chicken breasts because all you can find are CHICKEN WINGS! CHICKEN WINGS! CHICKEN WINGS! And yes, I (still) WANT CHICKEN ...
Wow. When did February happen? And – for that matter – what happened to January, December, November, and October? Is time going at warp speed right now? When life goes too fast, I slow it down by getting back to the basics in the kitchen. We’ll talk about that in a minute. Wait, isn’t life always going fast? I don’t know if it is just because I am getting older or is life - for everyone - going too fast? I suspect it’s a little of both, honestly. And for those who are ...
This post is happily sponsored by Big Mountain Foods #BigMountainFoodsRecipeChallenge #bigMountainFoods #Veganrecipes One of my favorite movies is Last Holiday, with Queen Latifah and L.L. Cool J. In it, she is a budding chef and the appetizers and entrees she creates throughout the movie are swoon-worthy! This mushroom hash on a toasted baguette is inspired by one of the beginning scenes where she makes a duck hash on toast. You can mentally taste the crunch and imagine how incredibly ...
If I had to choose between a cake and French fries, the answer will always be fries. If you’re in the Northwest Arkansas area, Spud Doctors Food Truck in Bentonville has the answer to all our potato yearnings. For the rest who are not from these neck-of-the-woods, stay put because I share an insider tip on how to prepare the perfect potato wedge. See? I take care of everybody! Because… potatoes. This post is happily sponsored by OnlyInArk.com A food truck entirely focused on ...
This post is happily sponsored by Serious Foodie #SeriousFoodieRecipeChallenge #SeriousFoodie #BitesAroundTheWorld As a home cook, I think it is important to make cooking simple and interesting and this recipe for roasted Cornish game hens with sweet and spicy rub does just that. I love how it incorporates food cultures from around the world for focusing on a key ingredient. The secret ingredient is Serious Foodie’s Asian Fusion Sweet/Spicy Rub mixed with oh-so-wonderfully melted ...
Today we are going to learn how to make wild persimmon pulp. And yes, these instructions also apply to grocery-store non-wild persimmons! Perhaps you’ve seen the beautiful persimmons at the grocery store and wondered, “OOO, so pretty, what could I make with them?” Well, a quick search reveals that most persimmon recipes call for persimmon pulp. You won’t find a jar of persimmon pulp at the grocery store, so it’s up to you to make it. Thankfully, it is quite ...
This post is happily sponsored by Foraged & Found Wild Alaskan Provisions #foragednfoundak #eatwild #wildalaskanprovisions Yep, you read that right! Kelp pesto! I made these grilled chicken skewers with kelp pesto over the weekend and they are soooo good! News on the street - in case you haven’t heard - kelp is the new kale! Mooooove on over, kale! Bring me some sea asparagus pesto baby, because I’M IN LOVE! What’s this about kelp? Okay, let’s step back a few paces ...
Have you ever been asked, "Where is your happy place?" For the last fifteen years or so, Dennis and I try to make at least one trip a year to Vail, Colorado. You could definitely say it's our happy place. It's the place where we can "get away from it all" and relax - because it's just the two of us. No deadlines. No “to do” lists. No worries. It's a place where we reset and just breeeeeeathhhhhe. Aren’t vacations awesome like that? And yes, there has been PLENTY of times ...
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright vintage copper kettles and warm oven mittens. Brown parchment packages stuffed with fish and tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite thingggsssss.” You sang along with me right then, didn’t you? Ever since starting this blog back in 2009, I’ve always wanted to encourage anyone reading to add a little joy to his or her food-life. Whether that means using a pretty ...
Oh, hey! Excuse me if you actually ARE a master and have already learned how to use herbs in your food. I’m actually talking to myself and musing out loud. It’s something I have been pondering this question quite some time. Also, why is it that garden centers at the home improvement stores only stock basic herb plants? Is this something that you’ve noticed, too? I absolutely believe that parsley, cilantro, thyme, basil, and oregano are splendid, splendid herbs. So yes, all the ...
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I fought this habit for way too long. One of the most common complaints when it comes to cooking/baking/meal prep is the number of dishes that must be washed once you’re finished. After all, it’s common sense that we should clean the dishes as we cook, right? Right. So, why don’t we develop this habit? The fact-of-the-matter is that it’s hard. Hard isn’t fun. Hard because sometimes we just did the hard… by making the food ...
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are times when Dennis and I walk into a restaurant, step inside for a few seconds and then look at each other and say, “Nope. Not feeling it.” Yet give us a spot with dim lighting and the perfect moody music tugging at our sleeve and, oh man, we’re ALL IN. It’s no secret that music can evoke certain moods. Whether you want to get pumped up, motivated, or just want to get the right tunes for a dinner party, ...
