This used to make a regular appearance on the supper table when I was growing up.
Raise your hand if you like Red Hots mixed in your applesauce. {Raises hand, and jumps up and down}
Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Bacon Tomato Ranch Pasta Salad
Soccer season is presenting a real challenge to dinnertime. We’ve been picnicking on the field while we watch the games. But sandwiches can get old, especially if you’ve packed one for lunch too. I created this easy pasta salad to take with us one night. It’s creamy and flavorful with homemade ranch dressing.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Grilled Zucchini
Two things I have been loving lately – our new grill and homemade seasoned salt. I love the grill because it doesn’t burn everything like the old one did. And I love the seasoned salt because it makes nearly everything taste better.
Even zucchini.
I like zucchini, but it’s not something that I would normally take a second helping of. But grilled zucchini tasted so good, I wanted to keep eating it. And it’s so simple to make.
Roasted Broccoli and Red Pepper
Roasting broccoli in the oven gives a new dimension to the flavor. It brings out a nutty taste in the broccoli and enhances the sweetness of the red pepper. You can vary the seasonings using seasoned salt, grill seasoning or lemon pepper, but I chose to go simple with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Potato Salad
There must be a million and one variations of potato salad. This is my mom’s version, which is a lot like my Grandma’s version. The main difference is that mom adds sweet pickles to hers. Grandma’s was full of paprika and is one of my favorite foods that she made.
Hoe Cakes
Dick stole the hoe cake
Ran through the meadow with it
Hid it in a brush pile
And swore he never meddled with it
From Granny Will Your Dog Bite and Other Mountain Rhymes
Hoe cakes are just another way to fix your cornbread, a good variation on a mealtime staple. When I was growing up, we ate them just like cornbread but you can also have them with syrup if you like.
Homemade Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker
Last weekend we had friends over for dinner and I made these baked beans. They were so good and easy. I combined ideas from several recipes books, including a church cookbook and the More with Less Cookbook. The result is a recipe that uses canned beans and cooks in the slow cooker. I wanted to use the slow cooker because baked beans taste best with a long cooking time, but I didn’t want to heat up the kitchen.
Carrots, Parsnips and Potatoes
Parsnips are a vegetable that I had never eaten until recently. A few months ago I used some in All Veggie Vegetable Soup. My friend, Beverly told me that she roasts them in the oven, so I decided to try that too. They are so good! The slightly sweet taste pulls me back for a second helping and even third.
Cooking Fresh Green Beans
Fresh green beans make a simple and quick side dish. I know many of you cook with fresh veggies all the time, but for others it’s all new. Green beans are very easy to prepare and it’s fun to get the kids involved too. [Read more...]
Refried Beans
My husband said these are the best refried beans he’s ever eaten. I agree. So good and easy, and much, much better than the kind that come from a can. The recipe comes from Bethany’s blog, For the Love of Grub. She says she found the recipe in a Pillsbury cookbook. I made a few minor changes, but it’s still quick and easy. I’ve made them twice already. They’re a new favorite for us. [Read more...]
