making life delicious blog
When you think of local food in Northern Virginia, maple syrup isn’t the first thing to come to mind. Wine, beef, pork, a myriad of vegetables, and apples all fit in with the general notion of the things you’ll find here. If you are surprised to learn that there is a maple syrup producer in [...]
Weekday breakfasts are so rushed. I run around making breakfast and lunches at the same time, trying to get the boys moving so they can get to school on time. I usually don’t eat breakfast until they’ve all gone to school and I have a chance to sit for a few minutes by myself and [...]
We’re doing a special Thanksgiving edition of The Kids Cook Monday, because what better time to get the whole family in the kitchen than for one of the most festive meals of the year? There are several parts of the traditional Thanksgiving meal that the kids can help with, and one of our boys’ favorites [...]
Wegmeyer Farms is off the beaten path, you might say. The last bit of road that goes out to the farm is definitely country with gravel, dirt, an old single lane bridge, and a number of deep ruts. But it’s a beautiful ride and well worth the trip to see their gorgeous hillside pumpkin field [...]
Life always seems to get a little crazy around this time of year. We get caught up in school events, hockey, work, finishing up the summer garden and prepping for winter, but no matter how busy we get, I always set aside time to make apple butter. Whether we use purchased apples or pick them [...]
I grew up on pork, as did both my parents, though by the time my parents met and got married their families were no longer raising pigs. Dad’s family raised pigs when he was younger and did the butchering at Thanksgiving. They would salt the meat down for six weeks and then hang it for [...]
Day 7 of our 12 Days of Cookies extravaganza thing, and the cookie of the day is pecan treats from Cloudt’s in Atlanta. Pecan bars are a Southern delicacy, kind of like eating pecan pie on a shortbread crust, and these are absolutely to die for. Michael kept mumbling “wow” with a mouthful of pecan [...]
Side dish or dessert? I remember the first time I ordered a side of roasted acorn squash in a restaurant, and I commented on how it was more like dessert than an entree. The restaurant served it with butter and brown sugar, and I had no need for dessert after enjoying that treat. Though I [...]
I’ve had trouble keeping my boys out of this butter! They watched intently as I made it on the stove and kept asking when it would be ready. We have enjoyed it on toast and homemade biscuits and bread, and the boys can hardly keep their spoons or fingers out of it. Hopefully there will [...]
This is my new favorite way to fix chicken, partly because of the amazing flavor and partly because it is easy to fix. The chicken is very simple, just salted and browned on the skin side in a pan, then roasted in the oven while you work on the pan sauce. The sauce is started [...]
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.
