• potato salad is a must have this weekend…

    Memorial Day is fast approaching and that means it is time to start planning for the big BBQ you are going to be having and potato salad is a must have on our menu…and this potato salad is a delicious one!! Now I have made my fair share of potato salads over time but this definately one of my favorites.  It all starts with the bacon.  I mean any recipe that starts with bacon has to be yummy.  Next comes the potatoes, I decided to roast the potatoes in just a tad bit of bacon grease (it’s just a little)…I mean I could have just stopped there and been so,…

  • Ribs by James…

    My brother James and my mom are HUGE fans of ribs.  Anytime we go eat at any of our local BBQ joints (which we have several of here in Texas) they always order ribs.  Me, I am more of a brisket and sausage gal, but that is for another day and another recipe.   It is RIB time OK… now back to the ribs…being that my brother loves ribs & he loves to grill and smoke things he took it upon himself to make the best ribs ever…and I will admit they are really, really good. He experimented with several variations of this recipe but finally found the perfect combo of…

  • no rollin here for these sugar cookies…

    Summer is here.  The kids are almost out of school (or maybe they already are) and that means it is time to BAKE!  What do you like to bake int he summer…how about cookies?  How about no roll sugar cookies?  OK perfect…lets start there!! I just love the light texture of the cookie with the sweet frosting that is colored in all the best summer colors…or any colors you want. No rolling here The one problem I have with frosted sugar cookies though is that most of them require you to refrigerate them, then roll them out, then bake them, let them cool then finally frost them.  Now I understand that they are totally…

  • weeknight ready and oh so yummy

    Summer is almost here.  The business of the end of school will be winding down soon and a new summer schedule will start to become familiar.  For me that means it is time to get back into some favorite routines like cooking dinner.   There is not a much better place to start than this stroganoff.. Weeknight Ready, REALLY? Ok, ok I know beef stroganoff is usually one of those dishes that takes all day to prepare.  Most of the time I throw it in the slow cooker and let it cook all day, but I have an even better version for you. My Godmother, Sandy, makes an amazing beef stroganoff.…

  • no flour needed in these brownies

    I have several friends who are gluten free and I am always on the look out for a great gluten free recipe.  These brownies are not only gluten free but no on will ever know they are because they are SOOOOO GOOOD!!! The fudgier the better I am a HUGE fan of brownies.  I love almost all brownies (like these Oreo Caramel Brownies, or these Espresso Brownies), and these GF Brownies are no exception. The key (in my opinion) to any good brownie is that they are fudgy.  You know what I’m talking about, when you bite into it is almost gooey and super rich.  Not only are these brownies…

  • A poppy good time….

    There is one dish my Mammaw would always make for us when we go visit her…Poppyseed Chicken Casserole and I LOVED it!!  Now I get to make it for her (with a few changes here and there)! All from scratch So my Mammaw was a good cook but she tended to use a lot of canned stuffs to make her dinners….you know like canned cream of chicken and canned chicken.  It was easy and quick, which she loved. For me though I prefer to make my recipes from scratch but don’t worry it is still easy…I promise. The base of this casserole traditionally is cream of chicken soup, it is what…

  • get excited…it’s vegetable time

    Is it hard sometimes to get excited about vegetables?  I know it is for me at time.  I mean lets be real…can vegetables really be all that exciting? YES they can be… and you won’t believe how easy it can be. Now first, things first…lets talk about what veggies to choose. When I made this dish the first time we were having some sweet friends over for dinner and we had never had them over before.  I wasn’t 100% sure what they preferred so I went a little crazy and picked quite the assortment. When I went to the store I just couldn’t pick they all looked so good.  I just had to…

  • a new pesto love

    Are you a pesto fan?  I am for sure…I love pesto anyway, anyhow.  Especially when it is changed up a bit. Arugula for the change-up I am a big fan of basil.  I love using it in my red sauce for pasta or for a simple bruschetta, but for pesto I prefer arugula.  It adds a bit of peppery bite to the pesto without it being overpowering.  I also love the color.  It is not too dark, and not too light…it is the perfect green.  Now I know this is not the traditional option, but then again when do I keep things traditional?  And if you want to be traditional…

  • a classic recipe…updated a bit

    I love making classic dishes that bring me back to my childhood.  A favorite soup (like this one), cake (such as this sheet cake) or casserole (like this chicken and rice) but give it a bit of an update…you know add a little sparkle to it.   I am not going to lie, sometimes they work and sometimes they do not work at all.  This time around I have to say to was a HUGE success, and this is now my go to recipe for this old school favorite. To start with…it is all made in one pan Growning up I remember my mom using several pans to make most…

  • Refrigerator Bran Muffins

    Ok so I have an obsession I need to let everybody know about.  I am obsessed with these Refrigerator Bran Muffins!!  I mean OBSESSED!! Just let it chill One of the best parts about this recipe is the fact that once you make it and then let it chill in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.  The recipe makes a lot of batter.  I mean a TON of batter meaning you can have warm muffins anytime you want. And I do mean ANYTIME.  I have been known to make a few of them at 9:00 at night, just because I want one…remember I told you I am OBSESSED. Little or…