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Picnic Perfect Macaroni Salad
In an era of gourmet pasta salads…you know the ones, with over the top ingredients, exotic herbs & seasonings, and pasta varieties that make you go hmmm…is there room for a good ol’ Macaroni Salad? Completely rhetorical. Hell yes there’s room!! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE every kind of pasta. I appreciate and (on occasion) aspire to create a unique and intriguing ‘Pasta Salad.’ Yet they will never make me as happy as Macaroni Salad does.
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Egg Salad {an exercise in love}
Egg Salad. Made with love. Really, is there any other way to make it? Finely chopped hard-boiled eggs tossed with celery and scallion that’s been given equal attention, blended with mayonnaise, salt & pepper. Simply love.
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Braised Rack of Lamb
Braised Rack of Lamb. Lamb is such a treat for me, especially when it gets special braising love. We found a gorgeous 8 rib rack at our local wholesale club. We promptly cut it in half. Two meals are better than one when you’re Cooking for Two.
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Bean With Bacon Soup
Bean With Bacon Soup. Reminds me of a joke….
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Mushroom, Sausage & Sage Quinoa Stuffing
Mushroom, Sausage & Sage Quinoa Stuffing. I could make a meal out of stuffing. In fact I’m sure I have on more than one occasion. This particular recipe was exceptional. It had some key ingredients like lots of celery, carrots, and onion. But it also had some special flavor boosting components.
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Italian Bean Soup with Mini-Meatballs {Pasta e fagioli inspired}
Italian Bean Soup with Mini-Meatballs. I intentionally did not call this a recipe for Pasta e fagioli, although it was clearly my inspiration. Pasta e fagioli is traditionally a meatless dish, comprised of pasta and beans in a tomato base. When I did my standard recipe research I had a hard time avoiding the bazillion copycat recipes for Olive Garden’s Pasta e fagioli. We may be the only family I know who has not had a bowl of Olive Garden’s Pasta e fagioli. I’m sure it’s delicious but I chose not to compete with the masses.
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Snow-Day Chicken Pot Pie
Snow-Day Chicken Pot Pie. We were snowed in again and completely made the best of it. Let me remind you we live in the sunny south, so snow days are few and far between. Stranded at home is my excuse to turn to my fridge/pantry for inspiration.
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Going Green Smoothie {a Trial Run}
Here’s to a fresh and healthy start to the New Year. I’ve only had my new Vitamix blender for a few days now but I’m certain I’m going to love it. I’ve made Orange Vanilla Vinaigrette and Thai Pumpkin Soup using recipes from the Vitamix cookbook. Both were delicious. This morning I made this Going Green Smoothie without a recipe. We’ll call it a trial run.
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Slow Braised Beef & Barley Soup
Our Slow Braised Beef & Barley Soup began by slow roasting some short ribs that were taking up space in the freezer. Yes, I have once again vowed to stay out of the grocery store for at least a week. You could easily use leftover steak or roast beef or stew beef and achieve the same tender beefy goodness. The trick is to not be in a hurry. We brown our beef in a little oil before adding braising liquid to the soup pot, in this case we used beef broth. Throw in a bay leaf, thyme sprig, and fresh cracked pepper and let her go low and slow until the meat…
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Turkey Noodle Soup {with Thyme Roasted Veggies}
Turkey Noodle Soup {with Thyme Roasted Veggies}. Okay, we’re in this together. We’ve all got a partially carved turkey, wrapped in a wad of foil, taking up way too much space in the Frigidaire. Let’s break it down. I know, it seems like work to pick the bones of the good meat, trash the fatty stuff, and cram a carcass into a big stock pot. But let’s do this.
