Confabulation in the Kitchen

Apple Streusel Cake

2009-11-10T10:29:00.008-05:00

My new book club met for the first time last Friday night. We appropriately read Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, which is the story of a group of women who do, what else? They start a book club! Not only did everybody enjoy the book and the discussion they also enjoyed the refreshments. I wanted to serve something fall-ish, and I remembered that a friend and I were recently talking about the

Cinnamon Supper Cake

2009-11-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

(Updated; from the archives.)I have a salty tooth, but Brad? Brad has teeth MADE of sugar that have to be treated with sugary foods ever so often so they don't fall out. Wait. It's supposed to be the other way around, isn't it? I wanted to make something he liked but not so much that he'd sit at the table and eat the ENTIRE thing, such as a bag of cookies. This is what I came up with - a tried

Pumpkin Waffles

2009-11-03T11:52:00.010-05:00

I don't have a lot of experience baking and cooking with pumpkin. I readily admit that I'm not a big fan of pumpkin pie, and when my co-workers make runs to Starbucks for pumpkin-spice lattes I politely decline. (I realize there isn't actually any pumpkin in those lattes, but I'm a hot-chocolate kind of girl.) I've had pumpkin cookies, but they're too cake-like for me. And pumpkin cheesecake is

Happy Halloween! (Owl Cupcakes)

2009-10-31T15:36:00.006-04:00

The first two animal sounds Cash ever made were the "hooo, hooo" of the owl and the "eeee, eeee, eeee" of the monkey so for Halloween it only made perfect sense that I make owl cupcakes and he dress up like a monkey!I've seen versions of this cupcake all over the Internet, and apparently they're from the book Hello, Cupcake. Mine are a much simpler version - no fancy piping and such - but done

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

2009-10-26T21:51:00.004-04:00

I've mentioned before that I've been trying to cook meatless or meat-lite meals a bit more often. Not only does this help the pocketbook, but it helps our arteries, too! I have to admit that we're almost addicted to meat - especially chicken - so it can be hard to persuade Brad that we can do without once in awhile. (I'm telling you - the man really loves his chicken!) Pastas are a given, but if

Fall and Thanksgiving Recipes

2009-10-25T09:00:00.005-04:00

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away! Are you ready for that all-important meal? Do you have friends and family coming into town? These recipes are sure to be a hit.Behind-the-Stove RollsHerb and Bacon Cornbread StuffingPumpkin WafflesApplesauce Spice CakeFresh Apple CakePear Upsidedown CakeGingerbread MuffinsBraised Mustard Greens with GarlicSimple Baked ApplesButterscotch Pumpkin MuffinsMini

Autumn and Halloween Goodies

2009-10-25T09:00:00.003-04:00

Looking for inspiration this fall? Trying to find a creative way to say Boo!? Ready to make the house smell like apples and cinnamon? Check out these recipes!Devil's Food, Halloween CupcakesSimple Baked ApplesFried Apple PiesPumpkin Whoopie PiesButterscotch Pumpkin MuffinsJumbo Fluffy Apple Walnut MuffinsFresh Apple CakeApplesauce Spice CakeSouthern Biscuits and Apple ButterGhostly Petit

Honey Cornbread Muffins

2009-10-20T09:28:00.006-04:00

I know there are a lot of you out there like me: busy men and women who want to have a homecooked meal on the table as often as possible. You also know that this is no easy feat. As much as the professionals would like us to believe that a hot, homemade meal every night is possible it's just not. Sometimes I wonder if they every do things like take their children to music classes, go to parent

Ghostly Petit Fours

2009-10-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

From the archives; now found in The Kitchen!So I admit that these petit fours don't look exactly as planned. I had high hopes and a grand plan, but ... it just didn't quite work out that way. Martha! Why must you break my heart so? I've found that sometimes it's a good idea to have, oh, a pastry-school diploma on your wall when you attempt a quintessential Martha recipe. Not that these didn't

Simple Baked Apples

2009-10-13T12:26:00.005-04:00

Cinnamon and butter and apples - it's like pie filling without the crust. It's so simple it hardly needs a recipe. It reminds me of dinners at home when I was little; there were always green beans and baked apples on our table. Sometimes the apples were homegrown, from my dad's miniature orchard (where there are also peaches, pears and plums). Sometimes the apples were from the mountains when

Cheeseburger Chowder

2009-10-08T09:00:00.002-04:00

It's fall.The fair is in town. The leaves on the dogwood trees are red. There is a chill in the air, which means I can finally make and enjoy soup. Or in this case I can make and enjoy chowder. I woke up on one of these rainy, gray, cool days we've been having and I needed something warm in my belly. This certainly did the trick.It's a thick, creamy chowder with pops of flavor from onion, celery

Southern Biscuits 'N Apple Butter

2009-10-06T12:00:00.015-04:00

Making biscuits - similar to any kind of bread, really - is an art. You simply must have the right touch to do it right. I've been practicing this art for many years, and I still have a lot to learn. These biscuits were close - they have a great flavor - but they're still missing that Southern Grandma Sparkle. I'm not sure exactly where that sparkle comes from. I've got my Great Aunt Katie's

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-10-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

(From the archives! Now found in The Kitchen.)Brad eats very slow. He eats like he talks - a deep voice, a mouth full of maple syrup. I love it, and I have since I met him. It's a part of who he is. I think Southern accents are charming - you know, in that Matthew McConaughey way. There is nothing like hearing the man you love call you baby or sweetheart, his voice dripping with honey. Okay, okay

Peanut Butter Brownies

2009-09-29T11:07:00.008-04:00

I have no idea why these are called brownies ... because they're .... brown? I suppose it's because they're made much like brownies (and blondies), but instead of chocolate you use peanut butter. I realize that some believe it's a cardinal sin to make brownies without chocolate, but if you're going to replace that cocoa crack with something peanut butter is the next best thing!Peanut Butter

Pear Upsidedown Cake

2009-09-27T09:00:00.002-04:00

From the archives; now available in The Kitchen!This month I'm participating in Sugar High Fridays for the first time, which is being hosted by Alanna of A Veggie Venture. The challenge was to create a dish with a surprise inside, which really stumped me. I could not decide what to do - mostly because I was thinking inside the box and considering recipes with unexpected custards or fruits in

Mustard-Maple Salmon

2009-09-25T09:00:00.003-04:00

My dad is big fisherman so we eat a lot of fish around here. It's all cleaned, filleted and frozen in Ziplock bags filled with water, which is great because it stays fresh that way and it stacks nicely in the freezer, too. We usually have it deep-fried, after it's been soaked in milk and dusted with fish-fry cornmeal. And it's great, but it's obviously not the most healthy thing we could be

Arugula Salad

2009-09-22T09:43:00.005-04:00

We eat variations of the same thing in this house: chicken and pork. It's easy for me to get in a rut and serve the same thing alongside them, too: potatoes and broccoli. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with those foods; I'd imagine they make up the backbone of many American households' meals. But sometimes I try to push myself to not only eat more healthfully but to peek beyond the edge of

Stuffed Green Peppers

2009-09-17T09:30:00.001-04:00

My mom used to make stuffed green peppers when I was a kid, and I remember that I always ate the filling and left the pepper. I've never professed to be anything other than typical; although I've read this week that there are kids whose favorite food is raw peppers. How do you even get a kid to try raw peppers? I need your secrets! These days I have no trouble eating the whole thing - raw or

Toronto! (A Slideshow!)

2009-09-11T14:04:00.003-04:00

What a great trip! If you're looking for a quick, weekend trip and a stamp in your passport I highly recommend Toronto. We had a great time, and the weather is beautiful there this time of year. If you plan to go and have any questions just let me know! And also? The FOOD IS AWESOME. I didn't have a bad meal while I was there. There was this fig, honey and goat cheese pizza one night; incredible

Peaches and Cream Dessert

2009-09-09T10:22:00.012-04:00

"This is the best peach pie I've ever eaten." That was the first response to this pie at work. I think that says it all.When I got married I had one of those Recipe Showers, where all the guests bring their favorite recipe, pre-written on a cute card for a box that the hostesses bought for me. This peach-pie recipe was from my college roommate, Natalie. It's her mom's recipe - and I'm sure it's

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

2009-09-01T09:55:00.013-04:00

There is a special place in my heart for fried chicken. I suppose it's cliche to say this since I live in the South, where fried chicken reigns supreme. Aside from macaroni and cheese and fresh biscuits it's definitely my favorite food. (Yikes. Mac-n-cheese and biscuits! Talk about cliche!) Are you one of those people who eschew fried chicken because of its fat content? While I suggest putting

Homemade Croutons

2009-08-28T16:34:00.005-04:00

I don't care what anybody says. Summer is not over. There may be Halloween candy in the drugstore. Public pools are having their last hurrah this weekend. Kids everywhere have gone back to school. And vacation has come and gone for most of us. But summer is not over.There are still burgers to grill and fireflies to catch. There are still lawns to be mown and flowers to be watered. There is still

Blackberry-Lime French Yogurt Cake

2009-08-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

It seems like we spent months counting down the days to our beach vacation so it's hard to believe we've been home almost two weeks. Where does the time go? I try to be very careful about wishing time away; afterall, doing so is really only wishing that life would go by faster, and who wants that? But you can't make time stand still so when you're planning to leave home for awhile you always have

Biscuit and Beef Breakfast Bake

2009-08-21T11:32:00.016-04:00

First things first: This recipes sits firmly in the Man Food Files.Not that it wasn't tasty - it was, but it was also a recipe I clipped specifically for Brad, he who loves all things ground beef. It isn't fancy food, but it's filling and it can feed a crowd. Plus it's a breakfast casserole, and we love breakfast casseroles around here. This recipe calls for baking mix, which is really easy to

Chipotle Chicken and Rice

2009-08-19T12:00:00.003-04:00

When you're trying to save money there are two words that you want to avoid: Take. Out. And that's not because I don't like takeout. I do! Very much! But you see, takeout likes my wallet too much, and before I know it that wallet is empty. And that's a very sad thing when you're saving up for a new camera. (Anyone out there love their Canon 40D? What lenses do you have?) So there is only one