Made from scratch green beans with a simple recipe improves the texture and taste. Returning to college after Thanksgiving, during my freshman year, I first learned that Green Bean Casserole was not a secret family recipe. I was a little crushed, and a lot embarrassed that I never noticed that the recipe is plastered on…
Month: October 2020
Farm Newsletter October 29, 2020: Super Greens Harvest for Good Health
Just when the weather cools off and the winter season is getting close, mother nature gives us greens. These green vegetables come in all shapes and sizes, but they all like the cold, and if we had more sunlight, they would flourish through the winter. The greens are where the photosynthesis happens, and the green…
Baking in Small Quantities: Scones for Two
A dozen is nice but not for your waist. Scones are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They’re one of my favorite baked goods. If you think that you don’t like scones, likely, you have never had one fresh from the oven. I love sweets in all their forms. But I have…
Parchment Paper: Your Cleaning Partner
There are very few items I consider essential in the kitchen. As a minimalist, I kept my kitchen equipment to the bare bones when I was single. My husband, on the other hand, now finds something that I must have and purchases it for me for birthdays and Christmas gifts. Some women get jewelry. I…
Ranch Dressing: This isn’t a secret recipe.
About 10 years ago, I moved in with my now-husband and wanted to get everyone eating more vegetables. Knowing that carrot sticks are a gateway vegetable, that was where I was going to start my introduction. Of course, I would serve them with Ranch. The classic buttermilk dressing that is now famous in the United…
Dry Beans: Save the cans for the apocalypse.
I somehow made it through culinary school without cooking a pot of beans. I guess we were more interested in haute cuisine than a simple, inexpensive dinner. I did, however, get an excellent bean cooking education at Rubicon, one of the first fine-dining establishments I worked. Stuck in the pantry station for a year I…
The Simplest Way to Cook Vegetables
A pan, butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes are all you need. So, I just told you the secret recipe. (If I believed in secret recipes.) When someone sees a vegetable that they are unfamiliar with, there is a typical first question: How do you cook it? My answer is almost always: Sauté it with…
Oatmeal: Healthy, Inexpensive and Tasty
Do you need to save a little money? Do you need to eat a little better? Today I’m going to introduce you to oatmeal. We as Americans are used to having choices, and the breakfast cereal aisle is the epitome of choice. So much so that in the movie The Hurt Locker, when James comes…
Coffee: How to Make a Good Enough Cup
Since millions of people are learning to cook right now, I have felt a little overwhelmed with where I can start helping. So, let’s start with what I start my day off with every day, a cup of coffee. I have to be honest, and I would never have thought this would be necessary until…
How To Make Popcorn, The Cheapest Snack Food At The Store
Save money and make this healthy snack yourself. When people talk about the high cost of food, I can’t disagree. No one wants to waste money, but prepared foods at the store will start to add up fast if you are not careful. I’m not always in touch with grocery store trends, but after seeing…