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...]

  One of the most challenging parts of cooking is choosing the menu. We can easily get in a rut and serve the same-old, same-old stuff.  Case in point. I had thawed a pound of hamburger not knowing what I would do with it. I could always make a couple patties and toss them on a grill or mix it into some sort of Mexican or Italian dish, but that usually ends up with more carbs than my … [Read more...]

The pork tenderloin is the most tender of all cuts. It is the filet mignon of pork. Yet, it is one of the most value-priced cuts of meat there is. There is absolutely no waste, it’s lean and nutritious and it’s very inexpensive, about $5 a pound. But I rarely buy it. For some reason, I have been unable to cook and serve pork tenderloin that I considered a knockout dish. I have tried all sorts … [Read more...]