making life delicious blog
I remember very clearly the first time I had Ro*Tel®. I was spending a summer working in Arkansas, and the family I stayed with made the now-(in)famous Velveeta and Ro*Tel dip. This was back in the 80s when thick and gooey cheese-coated nachos was all the rage at sporting events and sports bars, and I [...]
Is Sunday dinner/supper the most important meal of the week for your family? It was when I was growing up. I always looked forward to Mom’s pot roast, or fried chicken, or whatever special she had planned for the day. Sometimes Dad had to go to work, but I remember sitting down together as a [...]
While recovering from surgery in February, our friends and neighbors made wonderful meals for us, which is a very good thing because I wasn’t going anywhere far from the chair during that first week. My neighbor Dee Dee brought over a pot of sausage and lentil soup that my guys flipped over—yes, the boys went [...]
This year started off with a bang and hasn’t stopped yet. I had surgery in February and spent several weeks recovering with assistance from many. Friends made meals and helped with the kids, and our parents stayed with us for a few weeks helping with food, cleaning, and laundry. When times were tough, the love [...]
Some days we just want good Chinese food like you would get for takeout. Nothing fancy or esoteric, just some of our favorite Chinese restaurant dishes, such as kung pao chicken, hot and sour soup, egg drop soup, Mongolian beef, sesame chicken, char siu pork, and dan dan noodles. If you love Chinese takeout, then [...]
Brunswick stew is comfort in a bowl, and my family can eat bowl after bowl. We like it with dark pumpernickel bread, cornbread or oyster crackers on top, and I prefer the bread, which we dunk in the broth and soak up the flavor. It’s an old Southern tradition that we like to keep, and [...]
I always enjoy looking back on our favorite recipes from the past year, the ones that we would make over and over again. Though there are often many—and this year was no different—I try to keep the list down to twelve. So here they are, our family’s favorite recipes from 2012. We hope you enjoy [...]
For our family, New Year’s Eve is all about the bubbly. Michael and I toast with champagne for us and sparkling juice for the boys. It’s a special celebration looking forward to the New Year and enjoying all the goodness of the year past. From our family, we wish you a happy New Year that [...]
Eggnog is one of my family’s favorite holiday traditions. We drink it starting at Thanksgiving and all the way to New Year’s Eve. I like the traditional thick and creamy eggnogs, and as long as I don’t drink too much of it I will indulge a few times throughout the season. For those who want [...]
Polish krupnik staropolski is a traditional honey-spiced liqueur typically served during Wigilia, the Christmas Eve meal. Small glasses are passed around with hot, peppery krupnik, which will warm you up quickly. Family recipes may be passed down through the generations and vary widely, with up to 50 different spices.
It's spring in the U.S. and the following foods may be in season in your area:
artichokes, fennel, fiddleheads, radishes, broccoli, rhubarb, kale, cresses, spinach, spring lettuces, chard, cabbages, chives, cilantro, collards, tatsoi, mustard greens, spring onions, asparagus, rosemary, wild garlic, ramps, strawberries, blueberries, cherries
Eat fresh seasonal produce to stay healthy and help your food budget.Learn more about seasonal and sustainable cooking at Sustainable Table - In the Kitchen.
