When I was in Chicago last week, my sister-in-law took me to a favorite bakery in her neighborhood, Bake°. It is adorable, cozy little spot that reeked of butter upon opening the door. And when I say, reeked...I mean it in the most delicious way possible. I don't do much baking with real butter. So the smell of the buttery baked goods was deafening. (That is, if a smell can … [Read more...]
Beef Tamale Skillet Dinner
This recipe is part of the latest 21 Gluten Free Meals from Costco Plan. The original recipe has been updated to include the ingredients from the Costco list, such as green pepper (pictured) for red pepper. The recipe is written as ONE skillet dinner. I would not freeze this recipe as is, but you could freeze it before adding the tortilla strips. Then reheat and add tortilla … [Read more...]
Gingered Pear and Blueberry Cobbler
First up in this year's Dessert of the Month... Gingered Pear and Blueberry Cobbler! I've made a number of cobblers and crisps in my day. I thought I'd stick to a baking concept that I was familiar with and experiment with flavors. I've never made one, or tried one, with these 3 flavor combinations. I bought 4 pears at the store last week, not really intending to use them … [Read more...]
Best of 2010 – $5 Dinners’ Recipes
I wanted to include some of our favorite (and yours too) recipes from this past year. Because of the nature of food blogging and cookbook writing, I'm always experimenting and trying new cooking methods, messing with ingredients in some of our favorite meals, and coming up with new family favorites. I rarely make the same thing twice, with the exception of spaghetti and … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
This Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese ranks right up there with premium comfort food. A great side for a New Year's Day meal. Okay, I confess. We even have this easy recipe as the main course on busy weeknights or for Sunday dinner. It's a dressier version of the boxed kind. Homemade macaroni and cheese for the seven of us. A highly requested family … [Read more...]
Christmas Cookie Decorating
Last week I threw caution to the wind, made spontaneous plans and broke all of my rules... I was chatting with some friends after church last Sunday...and I just blurted out that we should get the kids together for a cookie decorating party. I knew that I had lots of wiggle room in our grocery budget and decided to splurge and have a little fun with the kids and our … [Read more...]
Beef Stew with Cider and Cinnamon
Seriously. It works. You're just going to have to trust me on this one. (The cinnamon and cider flavors are a subtle and delicious addition to this stew.) Beef Stew with Cider and Cinnamon Ingredients 1-2 Tbsp olive oil ($.10) About 1 lb. beef stew meat ($2.39) 1 small red onion, chopped ($.30) 2 garlic cloves, crushed ($.10) 1 Tbsp steak seasoning … [Read more...]
Peanut Butter Chocolate Special K Bars
Peanut Butter Chocolate Special K Bars - perfect family treat or gift for holiday or bake sale contribution! Special K Chews. Special K Bars. Hawgs. Scotcheroos. Whatever you want to call this sweet treat, These are a favorite family recipe that we traditionally always make for the holidays, and they're wonderful for holiday gifts and bake sales … [Read more...]
Quadruple Berry Pudding Cake
So my friend Christan and I have been trying to get our families together for dinner...oh, for about 2 months now! And it finally happened just before Thanksgiving! She made Stack-E-Up-Es...and I brought this. Christan's family has been transitioning to the Nourishing Traditions lifestyle, so I *tried* to make as healthy as a dessert as I could! This Quadruple Berry … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Soup
Takes 10 minutes to brown the beef. In that 10 minutes, you can get everything else ready for the soup. And then 6.5 hours later, your meal is ready! So simple, so quick, so delicious!!! (For when you're tired of turkey and you need some beef!) Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Soup Ingredients 1.25 lb. ground chuck ($2.23) On sale for $1.79/lb 1/2 onion, … [Read more...]