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I think around here, people call this “stuffing.” That’s what I’ve called it my whole life….of course, I’ve always called it “pop” instead of “soda” too and I’ve been told that’s a Yankee thing. You can be certain that NO ONE will ever mistake me for a Yankee. *All the Yankees out there are nodding their heads* In other places, this might be referred to as “dressing.” But that seems odd to me, because dressing is what you put on your salad. I most certainly do not want a big side of salad dressing with my Thanksgiving turkey. Give me a big ole plate of this and I’m tickled pink. Actually, stuffing is my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I created this recipe to be cooked in the crock pot so that it would save some oven space on the big day. It’s not your traditional stuffing – meaning, if you were wanting Stove Top, this would not fit the bill. This is more of an old fashioned stuffing – nice and moist and all stuck together – not individual pieces of cubed bread. And man oh man, is it AWESOME! (PS – Sorry for the weird colored photo. I hate using my flash, so you might see a lot of yellow photos this winter.) [Read more…] |
Butternut Apple Bake
Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming soon! And that means that if you’re a more health-conscious eater, the very idea of all the eating outside of your home at relatives, parties, restaurants, etc. might make you want to go into hysterics.
But let me put your mind at ease… go to the parties and eat the food.
Seems like we all tend to get bent out of shape worrying about white sugar around the holidays. Am I telling you to forget about all your healthy eating and just throw caution to the wind? No. I’m telling you to behave and eat well at home and then be thankful for what someone else is serving you. Take care of your family with good, healthy food 80% of the time, and don’t stress about the other 20%. Go ahead and enjoy the holidays!
Also remember that it’s pretty easy to convert your old favorites.
You can use your own cream of chicken soup instead of buying the cans; you can use sucanat instead of brown sugar; you can use coconut oil instead of Crisco. Just convert your favorites to fit your new lifestyle. Sure, there might be some duds – just feed them to the birds and move on!
Kefir Cottage Cheese
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| I have this genius friend (actually, I have several) and her name is Carrie. If I want to know something about nature or herbs, I ask Carrie. She’s a wealth of information. She used to work with my dad and now she’s retired….which excites me because it means she has more time to answer all my questions. Carrie uses kefir and she sent me her recipe for homemade kefir cottage cheese. I was STOKED! (Do people still say stoked?) I love cottage cheese – but Barry and Annie are not fans. Tons of my recipes call for cottage cheese…..and both of them will eat it if it’s IN something. Pansies. I love knowing I can make things with my kefir instead of buying it at the store. So, come along with me and see how easy it is to make your own cottage cheese. Thanks Carrie! [Read more…] |
Raisin Sauce
We LOVE pancakes around the Myers house. We eat them at least once a week, sometimes more. I’m always looking for something to put on top of them – maple syrup is our favorite, but sometimes we like a switch up. So, I made this raisin sauce using pantry items and it was a total hit! Annie licked up every bite…..and so did her mama. [Read more…] |
Lumberjack Macaroni
| I know there are some of you out there hanging on for dear life to your Hamburger Helper. Admit it. Even though it’s got TONS of additives and not-so-good stuff for you in it, you keep it. Like a safety net or a blankey. But guess what? You can make your OWN Hamburger Helper and it will taste even better. Bye bye additives and artificial coloring! Hello Lumberjack Macaroni! This post is for you, Tia Thomas!Guest posting for me today is my very close and dear friend, Brandy. You’ll probably get used to seeing her around here because I like her point of view. Thanks Brandy! [Read more…] |
Crock Pot Beans and Rice
We really love beans and rice……rice and beans. And it’s not because they’re cheap either. We just really love beans…..and rice. It’s just a nice perk that they’re cheaper than meat. We have beans at least one night per week and sometimes more than that. If you eat here, more than likely you’ll have beans or pasta. Wanna come to dinner? I attempted to set out and create my own beans and rice recipe just for the crock pot……and the result was good. There were a few changes I’ll make next time, but I’ll note those for you. I mess up a lot – so therefore I make lots of recipe notes. It’s how I roll. [Read more…]
Glazed Carrots
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Sometimes I come across reduced carrots at Food City and I have to buy them. I cannot leave those poor little $.50 carrots on the shelf. They need a home. I have a home, so they come live with me…….in my belly. They’re not really pretty to look at. Only a mama could love them. But I’m going to turn them into a thing of beauty – Annie’s favorite vegetable, Glazed Carrots. So, the next time you see some poor ole dry carrots just think of the possibilities! Of course, this works for nice, pretty carrots too, but they can easily find a home and I like to take in strays. [Read more…] |
Crock Pot Stuffed Apples
Ilove apples. That should be very apparent to you by now….hence all the apple recipes like Crock Pot Apple Butter, Baked Apples, and Apple Crowns. I kept seeing tons of apple recipes for the crock pot, but I didn’t really like any of them. So, I sorta came up with my own and it’s delicious! I hate to toot my own horn, but TOOT! TOOT! Barry said “Yum! I’d be happy with just a whole plate of these.” Not so fast, buddy boy. Stacy and her apples are not soon parted – but I did share. I’m nice like that. [Read more…] |
How to Cook Quinoa
Maybe you’ve seen quinoa listed in recipes…..but you passed right over it because you didn’t know what the heck it was – or how to pronounce it. Trust me, I have issues with my pronunciation of tons of things (just ask Barry). If I see a recipe with something weird listed in it, I usually pass it over and don’t give it a second thought (or if it has clam shells in it, what IS that about? Gag attack!)……but please don’t do that with quinoa! It’s not weird, it’s tasty. You say it like KEEN-WAH. I know, I know. This world would be an easier place to live if you spelled things like they were said. Sheesh. But anyway, that’s how you say it. It’s not a grain or a cereal…it’s actually in the grass family. Yep, Stacy’s finally gone off the deep end because now she’s telling you to eat grass. It’s SO easy to prepare…..faster than rice and just a tad bit longer than boiling pasta. Let me show you how to do it and you’ll start cooking it for yourself. You can find it in just about any store, usually in the fancy grocery section (i.e. organic). It’s not cheap like pasta or rice, but it’s not too bad. I like having something different once and a while, especially when it’s good for me. I buy mine in bulk at King’s Produce in Wytheville…..almost anything you can buy in bulk will be cheaper. [Read more…] |
Fried Rice – Barry’s Way
Hey everyone – Barry (the husband) here. I thought for my first guest post I’d be writing something deep and insightful about being a dad, or maybe something useful about my role as a financial counselor – or maybe even something about my woodworking or something else about which I might consider myself knowledgeable. But alas, it is not so. Stacy asked me to write about how to make fried rice. Before you read any further, please know I cannot compete with my kitchen queen of a wife and would never try to get in her way in the kitchen. However, once a week, Stacy gives herself a reprieve from cooking the family dinner, instead opting to sit on the couch with her bonbons and forcing me to go to the kitchen and cook something…or something like that. I have always loved to cook, but I really enjoy this weekly opportunity to remind myself bachelorhood is not for me. Even though I enjoy doing my weekly dinner assignment, I much prefer to enjoy the fruits of Stacy’s labor. Anyway, there is one thing I make that Stacy tells me is better than hers – so let’s make some fried rice! [Read more…] |
