These Santa Hats are more of a kitchen craft than a recipe. But, they are really tasty and really cute and got approval from kids ages 9 to 23, and from the adults that got one as well. This year has been really insane, for almost everyone I know. And, Steve's family Christmas party usually ends up ... read more
Spring Power Bowls
So, I am sure you probably think I have quit blogging, but I really haven't. I am trying to get back to it. You might remember that I had gone back to school in web design. Well, I finished in December. Then, in January, a friend and I started a web design business and life has been kind of crazy ... read more
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Sometimes, I just want to eat soup all winter. If you feel the same way, this Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is just the thing to warm you up. Ironically, the last few days have been unseasonably warm here. But, it was cold when I made this, and it cooled down again late yesterday, so we are back to ... read more
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps for Man Food Mondays
Good morning folks! This week we have Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps for you to try. Michelle and I were having the age-old discussion yesterday afternoon ...What do you want for dinner?....which is always followed by.....I don't know what do you want?.....which leads to about an hour and a half of ... read more
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken for Man Food Mondays
Good Day folks, We are still in the holiday recovery mode here in the Hinterlands. Setting up for the coming new year, having family in and out and just generally going through the process of starting 2016. Given all this, I am opting for a short cut on kid friendly meals and this Slow Cooker BBQ ... read more
Kale and Pineapple Smoothies
So, we have been trying to eat healthier. One of the things we have been doing is trying to include more greens. So, adding greens to breakfast seemed like a good idea. There are just two problems with that: I don't like to fix breakfast, and I have disliked every green smoothie (until now) that I ... read more
Steak and Cabbage Soup for Man Food Mondays
Good morning all, I have been under the weather of late and not really inspired to be creative....I know, it happens to the best of us. Last week I did an experiment around cooking steak on the stove top to see what method worked the best. I have to say it was an enjoyable and very smoky meal. We ... read more
Asian Inspired Salmon in Foil
If you have never cooked salmon in foil, or anything else for that matter, it is something you really need to try. This is just super moist and delicious. It almost falls apart. And, everything for dinner except the rice is cooked all in one little packet together - perfect little individually ... read more
Hearty Chicken Stew For Man Food Mondays
Happy New Year Friends, I hope you had a safe and enjoyable time and are ready to crush 2016. Here in the Hinterlands we are finally getting a little colder weather, after a 77° Christmas day it's about time. I know, I know we don't get winter like some of you get and that is one of the reasons you ... read more
The Best of 2015
It is so hard to believe that 2015 is coming to an end. It has had its good points and its bad points, but I am very much looking forward to 2016 being the best year yet! These are the best posts from 2015 or at least the most popular posts by page views. But, before I get started with that, there ... read more
Walnut Blue Cheese Dip
If you are looking for a great appetizer, this Walnut Blue Cheese Dip is it. It would be awesome for your New Year's Eve celebration. And, it is pretty easy to make. You can really blend it together however you like, but I used my food processor and it was done in no time. The key to making this dip ... read more
Strawberry Truffles
If you are looking for an awesome candy recipe that won't take all day, this is it! These are just so yummy and they are super simple. They are an adaptation of the traditional OreoTruffles using Golden Oreos and freeze dried strawberries. ... read more
Raspberry White or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Cheesecake
So, this cheesecake post - such a comedy of errors. Not the cheesecake. The cheesecake is awesome. And, the whole goal was to come up with a method by which it wouldn't crack or fall like usual, which worked perfectly - more on that later. But, I just kept on messing it up in ways not related to how ... read more
Pizza Pull Apart Bread
Ok, so it has been way too long since I have posted. I have been winding up my going to school - not just for the semester - as in I am about to be done! Well, I still have final exams, but all projects are in, etc! I have to confess though that I have been done for several days now and still put ... read more
Smoked Orange Ginger Turkey for Man Food Mondays
Good Monday to you all. I hope that you had a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday. Ours was very calm. We had Michelle's parents in. and I cooked a Smoked Orange Ginger Turkey for our meal. This could be the best turkey I have cooked to date. I started with an all natural Butterball turkey, I chose this ... read more
Easy Christmas Tree Doughnuts
Really, this is not the type of recipe I usually make. I mean I don't even like canned biscuits, and I rarely fry things. And, to top it off, I had planned to make these with Steve's grandsons, but one of them had a stomach virus when they were here, so we didn't make them. This is not a new recipe. ... read more
Simple Crock Pot Pulled Pork for Man Food Mondays
Hi, folks! As the name implies this is a recipe for a Simple Crock Pot Pulled Pork. We had the grand kids this weekend, and that usually means that long drawn out BBQing is out, and simple and quick meals are in. That's what this is. I put it on around 11 am, and it was ready at 6 pm. It took about ... read more
Super Simple Cranberry Relish
I love cranberries. Yes, I do realize that I open every cranberry recipe with something along those lines, but really cranberry is definitely my favorite holiday flavor. This cranberry relish couldn't be easier to make. I mean, it is not even cooked! But, it is just so good! If you are a cranberry ... read more
Spinach Dip Without the Soup Mix
I know you have probably had the spinach dip with the soup mix in it. It is good, and it is easy. Well, this one is just as good and just as easy, but without the soup mix. Now, as much as I would like to say I came up with this just to avoid whatever bad stuff might be lurking in the soup mix, I ... read more
Spooky Motion Detector for Man Food Mondays
BOO! Hope I did not startle you too much. I am switching things up this week for Man Food Mondays by not posting food. I know bummer, right? Well, I hope this post will quell the upset and give you something cool to do this Halloween. This cool thing is a Spooky Motion Detector! Why a motion ... read more
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries and White Chocolate Chips
These cookies are just so good! I mean all three dozen of them disappeared from my house in two days - and no, I didn't give them away. I mean, you seriously need to try these! They have super fall flavor with the cinnamon and pumpkin, but the white chocolate and cranberries will make them a perfect ... read more
Roasted Pork Loin Chops with Mustard Peppercorn Gravy for Man Food Mondays
Back again! Good Monday to y'all, This week we are sharing a Roasted Pork Loin with Mustard Peppercorn Gravy. The local food distributor had a sale on pork loin chops, a BOGO deal that we could not pass up ,and since I like these, it was a win win. I have posted other recipes using these before, ... read more
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
This casserole was born out of me trying to figure out something to make without having to go to the grocery store. I really wasn't expecting it to turn into something I would make again, let alone post about. But, it turned out really well and was super easy. I had chicken in the freezer, spaghetti ... read more
Roasted Acorn Squash for Man Food Mondays
Hi there people, It's really been a full week up here in the Hinterlands. Lots of things to do and not a whole lot of extra time until today. Thank goodness for the lull! This week Michelle and I decided that we needed to move into fall with some of our cooking, so we have Roasted Acorn Squash to ... read more
Butternut Squash Soup
This butternut squash soup is the perfect lazy day fall soup. All warm and delicious and easy to make. I made it on a day that I had a ton of work to do on the computer. I was at home while I was cooking, but it literally only took a very few minutes away from my work, and left the house smelling ... read more
Butterscotch Brooms
It is really hard to believe it is October. My life has been so full lately that I just have not noticed the time passing by. So, of course, there has to be another Halloween recipe. This recipe is actually an adaptation of a recipe I made as a kid. The original recipe was one I got from one of my ... read more
Green Beans wrapped in Bacon for Man Food Mondays
There is a saying...everything's better with BACON! This may be so this week, since we have Green Beans wrapped in Bacon. This tasty side dish takes very little planing and can be made with either frozen green beans or fresh. We used frozen since it was kind of a last minute decision here. It's a ... read more
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes or Sloppy Spiders
This started out as just a Shredded Beef Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe recipe. I have really been needing some super easy, but tasty dinner ideas, and this is definitely one. Everybody seems to love Sloppy Joes, but me. I really just don't like ground beef. I mean, it is ok in a few things - like chili, ... read more
Apple Crisp for Man Food Mondays
Good morning people! Last week we made Cinnamon Ice cream and I needed something to put it on....Guess what? It was an Apple Crisp, and boy oh boy it was good. I usually don't "bake" sweets so this was something new for me to try and since I have this wonderful baker in the house I figured she ... read more
Breakfast Casserole in a Mug
Breakfast is an issue for me. I am not a morning person I don't really like it - well, it is good for dinner. And, I do like the sweet stuff for breakfast, but not enough to cook it. I never, ever want to cook breakfast. That is why you normally see things like overnight breakfast casseroles here. ... read more
Cinnamon Ice Cream For Man Food Mondays
Good Monday folks, This week I have decided that it's time for fall ice cream, Cinnamon Ice Cream to be exact. With the air getting a bit cooler here in the Hinterlands, we have been thinking about fall desserts and this cinnamon ice cream lends itself very well to just about any apple dish. ... read more
Apple Turnovers
It is apple time! Steve has always tried to get me to make apple turnovers, but I have always resisted because I had something else I was wanting to do with apples this time of the year. But, this year I made them, and I am so glad I finally did! They were wonderful! And, they were super easy to ... read more
Coffee Rubbed Hickory Smoked Spare Ribs with Brunswick Stew For Man Food Mondays
Hello y'all! Michelle and I wish you a Happy Labor Day. As you could tell we are not doing much more than the rest of you today. Just taking it easy and getting ready to see the rest of the family for good food and conversation later today. I hope you all are doing the same. ... read more
Broccoli and Rice Casserole
There is this broccoli casserole - you probably know the one, that is just so good, but it has processed cheese food and canned cream-of soup in it. I pretty much gave up using those types of ingredients years ago, so I decided to come up with a less processed version. I was a little afraid it ... read more
Cajun Hot Bread for Man Food Monday
This week we are having Cajun Hot Bread or as a friend calls it "Cheese Flavored Death"...... My friend and client Kathy is from around NOLA and has been passing her own brand of dried peppers to me because I thought I knew what HOT was. Kathy, I had no clue :). Kathy also told me about this hot ... read more
Brussels Sprouts and Apple Cole Slaw
I am finally getting in a little bit of a mood for fall. It is my favorite time of year after all, but my crazy summer schedule made me feel kind of like I missed summer, so I have been trying to hold on to it. I love Brussels Sprouts in fall and winter, but we are still pretty hot around here, so I ... read more
Mom’s Cubed Potatoes in Foil for Man Food Mondays
Hi Folks! Here we are for another MFM....I am still working out of the partially redone kitchen. You know the greatest test of a marriage is a couples ability to endure a remodeling. Michelle has been a trooper, but I am getting signals that I need to wrap this up ASAP. If the weather holds I ... read more
Bacon Wrapped Hickory Smoked Buffalo Pork Loin Fingers for Man Food Mondays
Good Monday folks! I am getting closer to a stopping point in the kitchen redo. Just a few more cabinets to paint, and then we break till after Christmas. I will do the counters then, with Michelle taking her last class at the college, I don't want to have the house in this level of chaos for any ... read more
Easy White Peach Cobbler
Peach cobbler just tastes like summer to me. This is the peach cobbler I grew up eating - well, not with white peaches. My mother used regular peach colored peaches, but when I went to buy peaches, the white ones were riper. This is a really simple dump type recipe. Mine uses self-rising flour, so ... read more
Pimento Cheese and Jalapeno Hamburgers For Man Food Mondays
Happy Monday Folks! To start YES I am still redoing the kitchen. I hope to finish the second half this week and then break for a few weeks before I replace the counters. Big job, and I have lost some of my cabinet hardware.....funny how that happens when your down to the end. ... read more
