Showing 111 Result(s)
chili, chili recipe, chili with beans and corn

Chino House Chili

For several years I have used the same chili recipe that I hunted down from a friend after we had it at an event at church.  I have made several alterations to it so now my recipe is scribbled on quite a bit, plus it is drizzled with red spots.  I added garlic (of course) …

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Chicken Soup with Rice

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

While Simon was under the weather over the school break, he requested a chicken soup with rice.  Like in the book Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak. When I served this one to him, he said that it was good, but it wasn’t really what he was thinking of.  I’m pretty sure he was …

salt dough ornaments, silver spray paint, christmas crafts, christmas with children, handmade christmas ornaments

Salt Dough Ornaments

I made these ornaments as a child with my mother. I think we made 56 snowmen one year. I have been homebound with sick ones this week so instead of attending Christmas school parties we stayed in our pajamas for four days while sorting legos and making ornaments. And watching The Lord of the Rings. …

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

I know mashed potatoes are almost just too easy of a recipe to even post on a blog, but for the sake of my children who will look this up when they go to college, I am going to go ahead and write down the instructions for making mashed potatoes.  Just in case they don’t …

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Pie is probably the most necessary part of Thanksgiving to me. Mother used to make 3 apple pies, 2 blackberry pies and 1 pumpkin pie for the big crowd at our Castle Bluff Thanksgiving gathering. We would leave straight from school and the van would be all packed with pies and food.  One year I …

Grandmother’s Homemade Rolls

My grandmother has been making these rolls since I was tiny.  And her grandmother before her. My mom and my sister have made a few changes to this recipe over the years, so I have noted where we all differ. They also have the rising and baking down to a science.  My mom can even …

sweet potato casserole, healthy sweet potatoes, side dishes, vegetable dishes, healthy eating, beautiful fall table

Not So Sweet Potato Casserole

  Here’s a little secret about the sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving.  I just make them for my mom and me.  Everyone else eats about a tablespoon’s worth of sweet potatoes, but Mama and I eat them like they are the star of the show. I find most sweet potato dishes to be overly sweet.  I …

Sesame Kale Salad

Several variations of this Sesame Kale Salad, which is made ahead so the kale can marinate in a sour combination of lemon juice, soy sauce and sesame oil, have been appearing on our table for quite some time now. I love kale because it keeps longer than salad greens, and this salad is good for …

roasted asparagus, ham, thanksgiving menu, thanksgiving dinner, family dinner, big dinner ideas, easter dinner, christmas dinner, vegetables

Roasted Asparagus

Friends, let’s talk for a minute about vegetables at the holiday dinner. Since we have to take the disadvantages of modern day life such as being constantly connected to everyone, being inundated with information, global pollution and not being able to live you know, in the Little House on the Prairie, then by all means, …

Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving is my very most favorite holiday. To me, it is full of everything a holiday should be. Quiet, gratefulness, stores closed and homes open, family, friends, cold weather, kids piled in spare rooms and basements, couches full to busting, and of course, food. Lots of it. A beautiful table, prepared by hands that have …

Chicken Prego

Cooler temperatures bring heavier sauces and warmer dishes to my table.  In the same way that I cannot get enough salad in the summertime, I am ravenous for platefuls of pasta with rich sauces in the winter. This recipe for a baked pasta with chicken and creamy red sauce fits the bill perfectly for a …

Creamy Pasta with Bacon

My kids’ very favorite dinner is Pasta Carbonara, a creamy pasta with bacon.  They have called it “special pasta” for as long as I can remember.  Somehow we tricked them at an early age to into thinking that this very simple pasta dish is actually a fancy delicacy.  It is repeatedly requested for birthday dinners …

Halloween Spider Web Pretzel Snacks

We made the cutest spider webs out of pretzels for an activity at Literacy Camp this past summer that would be a great Halloween craft and snack. This activity ties in perfectly with children’s book Anansi the Spider, the African folk tale about six spiders with different gifts for helping others.   We also did …

arkansas state cookie instagram, iced arkansas

The Perfect Tailgate Menu

  Truth be told, I have never actually tailgated before.  I’m sure this is partly due to the fact that I also don’t watch football. However, when the Arkansas Razorbacks play in Little Rock, tailgating takes up a good part of the town, as well as the local twitter, instagram and facebook feeds. So in …

fall instagram, pumpkin, breakfast breads, pumpkins, brunch, snacks

Pumpkin Bread

Fall is in the air and I am loving all things pumpkin! I have an affinity for pumpkin recipes that call for an entire can of pumpkin.  They appeal to my practical side.  I don’t love to save a part of a can of pumpkin puree for some undetermined use, one that usually requires that …

stir fry, what's for dinner, yummy dinner ideas

Seafood Vegetable Stir Fry Dinner

Looking for dinner ideas for tonight?  How about stir fry?  You probably already have almost everything you need to make some variation of this meal. I love finding ideas for dinners to make that are super easy.  Fall is so busy for our family and even though we’ve taken some steps to make this year …

Barbeque Chicken Salad

I love a salad that can be the main event. My sister is a master at creating a delectable salad and this one is a keeper of hers. This salad stars barbequed chicken, which I marinated and Taido grilled.  The dressing has a southwestern flare, but it’s really just barbeque sauce mixed with homemade ranch. …

fun drinks, happy beverage, party drink, fruity, summer cocktails

Citrus Sangria

We (and by we I mean, Taido) made this special drink last weekend to go with dinner. Even though the calendar has rolled into September, the summer vibe is still strong at our house. It is still warm enough that you want your cocktails cold, so instead of red wine with dinner we had this …

best ever chocolate cake, fudge icing, pecan fudge frosting

Grandmother’s Chocolate Cake

For as long as I can remember, we’ve been making the same birthday cake in my family. We call it Grandmother’s Chocolate Cake. It is a buttermilk chocolate sheet cake with a pecan fudge icing.  You serve it with vanilla ice cream.  It is even more perfect if you also have a cup of coffee.  …

chocolate, peanut butter, delicious desserts

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

    Chocolate and peanut butter have long been happy companions at our house, so when I saw a recipe in All You magazine for homemade chocolate peanut butter cups, I knew I had to try it.   Ben and Mary Polly were all over this project!  They both jumped in and helped, which was …