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Tasty Tuesday: Asparagus & Bacon Bundles
There are some foods I love. Bacon happens to be at the top of the list. Bacon makes /anything/ taste better I’m pretty convinced. (Ice cream, also at the top of that favorite list, might be the exception while I think about it.) Another favorite … crispy, fresh asparagus. I LOVE asparagus but I’m picky about it. I don’t like cold asparagus it has to be fresh off the grill, the range or the broiler. I don’t like limp asparagus either. None of the frozen, boiled stuff for me, like Mom always served at Thanksgiving, ergo I was quite convinced till recently that I hated it. Now that fresh asparagus is…
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Thanksgiving Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bacon
EVERYTHING tastes better with bacon as the saying goes, right? Sweet potatoes, thyme, and bacon just proves the point. Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bacon 2 lbs of sweet potatoes (about 2 large sweet potatoes)5 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 2 tsp of dried thyme)4 Slices of baconCoarse Salt (to taste)Ground Pepper (to taste) Preheat oven to 400. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine 2 pounds of peeled and cut sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 inch pieces), 4 slices of uncooked bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife and bacon is crisp, about…
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Herb Pull Apart Yeast Rolls
There is nothing like fresh bread out of the oven to complete a meal. In the past my family has been big fans of frozen store bought rolls, like Pillsbury or Rhodes. However, I recently discovered how much more delicious made from scratch rolls can be. A perfect compliment to soups, steak, or chicken. This side-dish complements the senses. This easy recipe recipe makes 18 rolls, which would be perfect for a Thanksgiving get together but if you are making just for a family dinner you can freeze what you don’t plan on eating for another night. It’s a great way to save a little money and have homemade deliciousness on hand!…
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A Slice of Summer
Ahhhh Summer Fare. There are so many good, fresh, healthy foods out there this time of year. It is my favorite time for munching and crunching! Fresh, healthy foods are an investment in your health as well as your wallet. Before we dive into some of my favorite recipes I want to share just a couple of money saving tips for your eating pleasure: The Garden, my passion, on so many fronts. It embodies good health, good stewardship, and good eats! According to USAA: “A National Gardening Association study found that families with gardens spent an average of $70 on supplies and reaped $600 of food a year.” Grow Money in Your…
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Spinach on the Side Finland Style
It is almost dinner time and the idea of something a tad out of the ordinary just seems right!Pinaattiohokaiset: Finnish spinach pancakes… don’t jump away… spinach is no longer just for Popeye! My goodness, your children don’t even know who he is! Popeye’s can will never come near to the fresh ingredients that are available daily down the produce aisle.Serve these hot beauties with meat, and if you are serving a roast: with meat and gravy. If the oven was on, preheat a serving dish to present these warmed at the table. If not, turn oven to a low temp and place platter in to warm dish and hold pancakes…
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Tasty Tuesday Slow Cooked Apples
Can you believe it is almost Thanksgiving? Oh what a wonderful time of year. A time set aside to think about thanks, giving thanks and filling the mind, spirit, belly and arms with fantastic treats! Our treats start arriving on Wednesday and the locals on Thursday. The smell of cleaning is strong in the house today. So strong that I just had to add some cinnamon and spice to the mix. Silver polish is great stuff… but when the trays and forks are shining and sparkling… it is time to dazzle the taste buds.In late September we went apple picking, and bought extras just for Thanksgiving get together. Leanne is…
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Tasty Tuesday: Simply Scrumptous Squash
Yes, Scrumptious and Squash go together so easily. Coupling chorizo sausage that has been fried and most of the grease removed makes this a filling, nutritious meal that is so simple! I love sweet and salty together. The two complete a taste bud triumph… a gold medal event. I see the flags flying, crowds cheering when sweet and salt come to the plate. Yes, I do have an imagination. Had to while moving into base housing… mismatched floor tiles in the middle of the each room… and trying to tell the family, “This will be our best home ever!”. Quite often they bought that too! It is that imaginative ability…
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Cold Summer Grape Salad
Seedless green and purple grapes cold from the refrigerator have a way of bursting a summer gush of refreshment right there in your mouth! This simple, delicious healthy salad is perfect for a dinner side dish. I make a lot, as this dish seems to call for just one more spoonful.. just one more and more and so on.Cold Summer Grape Salad1 bunch of seedless green grapes1 bunch of seedless purple or black grapes1 8 ounce brick of cream cheese, room temperature1 c. sour cream2/3 c sugar1 c chopped walnuts or pecansWash grapes and remove pieces of stems, drain so they are not dripping water.In a mixing bowl combine cream…
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Peppers, Green, Banana, Hungarian Wax A’Plenty!
The garden just didn’t appear out there over night. And to my recollection, little gnomes haven’t been out there weeding, hoeing, rotor tilling, etc…. Especially the rotor tilling part… that machine is a monster that wants to go anywhere but where I feel is straight. (Yeah for Dale on this and so many parts of the pre-harvest work.) At the sound of our behemoth, those little gnomes would have jumped straight out of their gourds and be headed so far out of Michigan as to be fictional memories. So, maybe that’s the story!The beauty of a vegetable garden is that crops sweep in at their own pace and then demand…
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Tasty Tuesday Basil Butter and Corn
In Michigan it is corn season. Some call it summer, the rest of us know that it is fresh corn on the cob – roadside stand season. The varieties are out there, one field is a bit different than an other. I suppose it is like wine vineyards… the soil content, the water, the hours of sunlight and temperature of the ground give the grapes their subtle taste value… so I am told. I can just tell you that here, each stand is a marvel. Then to top it off, Fridays in Middleville is Farmers’ Market day. So, a stroll down the booths lets one see different color ears, price…
