I got this cookbook when I was a junior in high school. I bought it from my Home-Ec teacher, Mrs. Cole. It’s full of yummy goodness – but most of it is also full of processed ingredients. However, I’ve become quite good at switching out those processed things for homemade things…and now that I’ve said that, my next dish will probably taste like dog food. [Read more…]
I have to tell you something. Come close…okay, ready? Making lists is my happy place. A pen and a piece of paper. A bulleted list. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, yes. It just gives me happy chills all the way down to my toes. Make lists and save the world! Laundry? Check! Beds? Check! Dusting? Who the heck does that? Dinner? Check! Dessert? CHECK! Priorities, people. Lists make priorities.
So, I’ve noticed that y’all like my list posts too: 25 Healthy Cracker Recipes, 100 Days of No Processed Meals, 20 Healthy Granola Bars, and 75 Real Food Side Dishes…and I promise, there are more to come. Because, as much as you like having them – I like making them. Happy place, remember? So, holler at me with some ideas. I love ideas. I love lists too…have I mentioned that? [Read more…]
In my misspent food youth, I was dumb. I didn’t eat certain things. Stuff like salad, cabbage, and salmon were off my radar. Man, how dumb is that? If I could go back and talk to myself, I would smack Misspent Stacy around a little bit.
Dear Missspent Stacy, you’re being stupid. That salad is delicious. And quit being afraid of cabbage – what did it ever to do you? Just eat it. Put down the Corn Flakes and marshmallows (yes, my fave young combo) and EAT A SALAD YOU DORK! Sincerely, Smarter Future Stacy. [Read more…]
Spaghetti pretty much rocks my dinner table – we all love it. It would be sad, sad world without it.
We’ve just started using alternative noodles occasionally. We really love spaghetti squash, and on Thursday I’ll show you how I fix them. It’s fun and crazy stuff around this joint. Added to our “love list” now are these delicious squash noodles. Do they taste like spaghetti? No – it’s a squash, not a miracle. Are they good with pasta sauce? YES. I think I even like them better – they don’t stick and clump together.
When I see a recipe that calls for “cream of yadda-yadda” I always take that as a personal challenge. It’s like that recipe says “Hey…hey, Stacy! Think you can conquer me?! I was made for casseroles, so think again, sista!” Then, of course I have to make the recipe without the soup and then say “Booya” at least 4 times during dinner.
I love Italian food – I think I must be part Italian. I love Mexican food too…and Asian food. I’m Italimexian. Yep, that’s me. Country Italimexian. [Read more…]
I love brownies. And that might be an understatement. Even if I know a brownie is made from a bunch of not-so-good-for-me things, I can’t turn it down. I’m weak. So weak. So, in order to keep myself on the straight and narrow, I try to make GOOD, WHOLESOME brownies for me to eat at home…so far, it’s not working. I still can’t say no to a brownie.
Oh wait. I lie. You know those brownies they sell in the box with the icing on top and the multi-colored sprinkles? Yeah – I can say no to those. Ick. No thanks. They’re a disgrace to the word “brownie.” Blech. [Read more…]
Do you like surprises? I don’t. Okay, so let me rephrase that – I don’t like surprises that I know are surprises. Does that make ANY sense? I don’t mind if Barry surprises me with something…but I don’t want him to say, “Hey honey, I have a surprise for you and you don’t get it for a while.” That’s not a surprise. That’s TORTURE.
We love French Toast in this house – I really should make it more often. It takes something that is already awesome (bread) and makes it awesomer. Awesomer is not a word. Lame. I’m getting pretty good at telling you all things that are NOT words. [Read more…]
I’m not much one for fancy side dishes. For our family, I usually serve the basics, like rice or oven-roasted potatoes with a vegetable. But every once in a while, it’s fun to dazzle your family with a more gourmet-type side. And these bacon-wrapped green beans do just that.
And really? I don’t know why I don’t make these more often. They don’t just spice up an otherwise boring meal, but they are actually very easy to make! [Read more…]
What better way to be frugal than to use the produce that’s in season? Most people don’t have a problem coming across summer squash in the…summer. I usually get a good amount of it given to me (thanks, Uncle Bob!) and we get tired of eating it sautéed. Sometimes I get fancy and make Squash Casserole but then I had a dream about pancakes. Surely I’m not the only one out there who repeatedly dreams up recipes in her sleep?
Sure, people use zucchini like crazy in things like fritters, Chocolate Zucchini Bread, and muffins…but rarely will you find a recipe calling for summer squash in it. That seems a bit vegetable racist to me. I like to embrace diversity. So, here it is – Summer Squash Pancakes…and they’ll knock your socks off. Good thing we don’t need socks at breakfast. [Read more…]
Let’s end this cookie series with a bang, what do you say? Chocolate Sugar Cookies. These are a delightful, soft, slightly sweet cookie….almost like a brownie in consistency. But I will NOT call them brownie cookies due to the strict guidelines that Barry places on brownies, which you read about yesterday. If you’re looking for a super sweet cookie, this is not the one for you….the sweetness is about the same as a muffin – not like a Great American Cookie Company cookie sugar-coma. |
By now, you know the drill. Cream your butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Make sure the butter has softened at room temperature – about one hour or more. |
 Time to add the egg and vanilla…..again. I feel like I’m repeating myself. Is this what a teacher feels like? Repetition is the easiest form of learning – so I hope y’all are learning here because I’m SURELY repeating myself. Mix until combined and creamy. |
Okay, I think this is what makes this particular recipe less sweet. I used a good amount of cocoa powder and some kefir. Go ahead and dump the kefir into your bowl and mix it up with the butter and sugar mixture. Now, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt…don’t sift. Because we’ve already discovered that I think sifting is stupid. Thank you. Mix dough only until combined. |
 Drop dough by tablespoons onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Yes, I’m using parchment paper again because it worked so well with the other batch……well, the truth is that I burned some stuff on my pans the other day and they got sorta ugly looking. So, I used the paper to cover them up. Honesty is the best policy. |
 Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remember – do NOT overbake. No one likes dry cookies. You can quote me on that. Drop the pans when they come out of the oven, just like we did for the peanut butter cookies. Cool for 1 minute on the sheet and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. |
 These are very good…..I’ve cut back on how much sugar I eat, so I think they’re just right on the sweetness scale. If you like a lot of sugar, you might want to serve these with ice cream…..you can never go wrong with cookies and ice cream. Amen. Since you like reading about my mishaps, I’ll share today’s: after I finished baking these cookies, I put Annie down for her nap. I had cleaned out the closet upstairs so I had a few things to throw away. I made a trip outside to our very LARGE trash can to put the stuff in that….and I had the baby monitor in my hand. And well…..I dropped the baby monitor in the very bottom of that HUGE trash can. Uhhhh, oops? So, imagine me – Stacy – trash picking in my own trash can…..outside….in the rain…in my pink fuzzy slippers, in front of God and everyone. It really stinks in there. Yuck. Good news! I found the monitor! My shoes were soaked…..I was soaked….and I know the neighbors were all watching. That trash can is a lot bigger than it looks! |
