Sweets are hard to beat. Cookie, cakes, brownies, pies – it’s all good. Last week I tried out a very simple Betty Crocker Recipe, with a minor twist, and made a pan of Caramel Chocolate Chip  Pudding Bars. If I sounds good, it is, and it could hardly be easier. This dessert is most versatile. Serve it hot with some ice cream for company or let it cool, cut it into squares and eat it as a finger … [Read more...]

Ground turkey is exceptionally healthy, and quite economical. A 4-ounce patty has less that 170 calories and a 20-ounce package of ground turkey runs less than $5. But we hardly ever have turkey patties. Face it. They are not very exciting entrees. However! By accident, I discovered a way to make turkey patties that are fit for kings. I had bought a 20-ounce package of ground turkey because I … [Read more...]

  (With Waffle Fries) Take a good recipe and add bacon and it’s better. Even ice cream. Everything is better with bacon. That’s why when I saw a recipe for bacon, ranch and chicken tossed together in a casserole, I knew it would be good. You can’t screw up anything with bacon. The recipe I saw also had Tater Tots, and I was going to use that except when I went to the store, the only … [Read more...]

I have been struggling to purge my mid-section of the extra inches that I have put on since Thanksgiving, with another  boost over Christmas. I am almost there, but in order to get over the hump – or perhaps I should under the hump – fish was required. Lean, healthy fish meals, not deep-fried, artery-clogging fish (which tastes best). So I decided on salmon cakes. I like salmon cakes. I used to … [Read more...]

Mexican dishes are good, most everyone enjoys a taco or burrito and they are easy to cook. I like the “easy” part. More and more, I am cooking and enjoying Mexican food, but I always struggle with sides. Some think that refried beans is a side, Maybe for dogs, but not humans. So I am always pressed when it comes with what to serve along with enchiladas. Corn is good, rice is good, black … [Read more...]

Fish is good and it’s good for you. My Daddy used to say that fish was “brain food” so I ate it to get smarter. But I have always loved eating fish. Unfortunately, I like eating fried fish. When we go to the beach it’s always a “Fried Seafood Platter”, maybe good for the brain, but not so much for the arteries. I had seen a recipe recently for Broiled Heavenly Halibut, which would be healthy … [Read more...]

I saw a recipe for stuffed chicken breasts that looked good. The more ways and the more chicken you can eat, the better off you are heath-wise and weight-wise – at least I am. So I gave this recipe a try and it’s a keeper. Very simple – chicken, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and panko crumbs. Begin with a large skinless and boneless breast section, then use a sharp knife and cut out a pocket … [Read more...]

I had baked three beautiful sweet potatoes in the oven. I had rubbed them with a little olive oil and kosher salt and cooked them at 350 until they were soft and tender to the touch. They would have been delicious served with a slab of country butter – if I had just remembered to serve them. But I forgot, left them in on the counter behind a pot of collards and found them when we were cleaning up … [Read more...]

More and more, I am cooking Mexican dishes, even though our set of bathroom scales sends out a mighty objection each following morning. I guess the stuff is so good that it makes me eat more, that and a 10-inch tortilla has 250 calories. Last week, I made some Steak Burritos and they were really good. I had already decided to do meat burritos – usually with ground meat – but I saw a pack of … [Read more...]

Nancy and I like wings. We often order them as a side with pizza, and sometimes we fix a batch at home – easy and tasty.  But Nancy is always saying, “I like wings, but I like them crispy.” It’s easy to have crispy wings if you fry them, but that’s a chore. Last week I tried my hand at making crispy wings without frying and I knocked it out of the park – made the best chicken wings ever. If you … [Read more...]