We get coupons in the mail from time-to-time from Kroger’s as “Preferred Customers”. I’ll generally pull out the ones for butter, avocados and eggs - things we use all the time - and redeem them.  But they often toss in a “free box” of yellow cake mix from Betty Crocker, so I get one of those for sure. The other day I looked in the cabinet and saw four boxes of yellow cake mix … [Read more...]

Sam’s Club is widely known for its Rotisserie Chicken. At $4.99 for a perfectly seasoned, ready-to-eat chicken, I have often made a last-minute stop at Sam’s to pick one up for diiner. Several years ago, Sam’s started cutting up their leftover rotisserie birds and making chicken salad, and it is the best. This week, I thought I’d pick up a package of chicken salad from Sam’s and Nancy and I … [Read more...]

Nothing beats a French Fry - salty, hot and crispy, freshly scooped from of a pan of hot oil. But all that oil and grease?  A heart attack waiting to happen and a weight gain for sure. Too bad you can’t get the flavor of a deep-fried French Fry from the oven. Well, you almost can. I ran across a recipe recently that – honestly – rivals that of a traditional French Fry. They were easily … [Read more...]

My Aunt Lena was the Undisputed World’s Champion when it came to Chicken Pies. Course, she used lard in her homemade pie crusts and often snatched a fresh hen from the backyard. How can you top that? But thinking about Aunt Lena, I baked a Chicken Pie this week, and while it won’t claim any ribbons from the County Fair, it was pretty darned good. There are no real secrets to baking a Chicken … [Read more...]

I saw a list of recipes from the 1950s and scrolled through, remembering many. One that I recall having often as a boy was Creamed Peas and Pearl Onions. Sometimes it’s hard to beat those recipes we enjoyed from way back. Here’s how to do it. I hadn’t had that dish in eons, so I gave it a try this week. For starters, use frozen pearl onions. Kroger’s has them. This makes the recipe a piece of … [Read more...]

I tried a fun dish for the family I cook for. I know the kids like pizza – who doesn’t? So, I tried something called Pizza Muffins, basically a mini pizza in a muffin tin. I used the extra-large size muffin tins, but you could use the regular size. I also had my first experience with making my own pizza dough. In the past, I have either bought the pre-made pizza crusts or the pizza dough in a can, … [Read more...]

I was so pleased with the ease and tastiness of the Devil’s Food Cookies I made from a box of cake mix that I decided to try another cake mix recipe. I saw a Betty Crocker recipe for Strawberry Brownie Bars, and I thought I’d give that a shot. The recipe basically called for strawberry cake mix and butterscotch chips. How can you go wrong with that? But… There were no butterscotch chips in the … [Read more...]

“Hot damn, we’re having cauliflower tonight!” You don’t hear that very often. Never, actually. Cauliflower is one of those things you’ll eat if you have to. It doesn’t really taste bad, but neither does grass. Cauliflower, though, is a healthy vegetable and it sure would be nice to be able to substitute it every now and then for a deadly baked potato with butter and sour cream. Fellow … [Read more...]

Yes, Devil’s Food Cake Cookies. They are as good as they sound, and it’s one of the easiest cookie recipes of all to bake and prepare. I saw this recipe from Betty Crocker recently, changed it a bit, gave it a try and it’s a keeper. Here’s how. Heat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk two large eggs, then add 1/3 C melted butter, 1 t vanilla, and 1 box of Betty Crocker Super Moist … [Read more...]