Eggnog Muffins

Eggnog Muffins Long before it became a marketing campaign, as kids we used eggnog to make the best milk mustaches. While the adults added bourbon to their cups, we felt just as grown up by adding a couple of drops of vanilla extract to ours. During the holiday season, I keep a carton in my…

Turnip Greens

Time to go Green! If you want to add a bit of the South to any meal, put turnip greens on the menu. If you really want to enhance the experience, make cornbread to go with it. After all, you have to mop up the pot liquor or pan drippings with something! I grow my…

Cookies

Cookies It’s the original grab-it-and-go dessert or mid-afternoon snack … cookies! And I love those that are perfectly baked meaning not too crisp, not too soft and not too flat. I know there are literally thousands of recipes out there claiming to be the best, but this one really is. It uses a combination of…

Ralph’s Donut Shop

Ralph’s Donut Shop I have lived in Nashville for 30 years and in that time, I’ve visited the wonderful city of Cookeville on countless occasions. I’ve eaten and shopped all over the town … I thought! On a recent dinner there with 4 friends, my husband stopped on our way home at Ralph’s Donut Shop…

Pear Butter

Pear Butter In 15 weeks, most will be in a Christmas tizzy getting last minute items purchased for friends and family. But this weekend made sure I am much less frazzled. Why? Because I have great neighbors. My husband harvested 75 beautiful Bartlett pears from their trees before the deer found them. It was heavenly…

Pimento Cornmeal Muffins

I love cornmeal. Maybe it’s the crunch it adds, or that it’s inexpensive and easy to use. I’m sure that it’s partially because it reminds me of my grandmother. She always had it in the pantry and it was one of the first things I remember she allowed me to measure. Cornmeal makes me happy,…

Chicken Thighs

Chicken – Pick the Right Part! I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of bone-in chicken breasts that are the size of a Mercury hubcap. It’s all I see at the supermarket and it’s just too much. So I’ve renewed my love of chicken thighs. While I’ve been purchasing them for years, I have…

Grilled Burgers

Grills just want to have fun! Everyone loves a good, juicy burger. On a recent trip to the supermarket, I was overwhelmed by the huge array of ground meats and decided to do an experiment in the burger department. I purchased packages of ground beef, pork, turkey and chicken to see which I truly liked…

Broccoli

Mom was right! Get Big on Broccoli! My garden is bursting with fresh broccoli and I am harvesting about every other day. This is not a complaint!  It is literally the posterchild for good, healthy eating and I love preparing it in the oven, on the grill and on the stovetop. Lately, I have had…

Lemon Artichoke Hummus

National Hummus Day Gather your food processor, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Lift your crackers and spreaders! It’s time to honor National Hummus Day on May 13. I love that it has been given a special designation. At one time, hummus was ho hum, but now it’s a go to snack and appetizer that…