A Book of Great Recipes for Slow Cookers

If you’re after recipes for your slow cooker you’ll want to rush and get a copy of Slow Cooker by Sally Wise. I received a copy of this book to review and it’s the best slow cooker book I’ve seen, filled with great recipes. It’s summer in Australia so I haven’t been using my slow cooker as much (I’m still a bit in holiday mode) but come autumn and winter this will be the first book Ill reach for. If you have a family who loves chicken like Michele’s family does then you will love Bedevilled Chicken (Aussie spelling here … Continue reading

Recipes for Soup Season

Whenever the temperature dips below 40 degrees for more than five consecutive days, I declare it “soup season.” Unfortunately, this year, soup season started a bit earlier than I would have liked. I enjoy warm weather, but I can tolerate chilly temps when I have a large bowl of hot soup to slurp down each night. The following soup recipes are some of my all-time favorites: CLASSIC TORTELLINI SOUP Ingredients: 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed 1 small onion, chopped 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup, finely diced carrot 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon black pepper … Continue reading

Welcome To Autumn Soups

If you live in the Upper Midwest, then you may be wondering what happened to autumn. We went from sunshine and 60-degree days last week to a weekend filled with snow and below freezing temps. On the bright side, the premature snowfall inspired me to cook up some of my family’s favorite seasonal soups. After all, nothing says fall like a flavor-packed bowl of hearty soup (even though it feels more like winter outside). The following recipes are not only simple to make, but they can be infused with additional fall flavors by adding fresh seasonal vegetables from your own … Continue reading

Simple Soup Recipes

Soup’s versatility makes it one of my all-time favorite dishes. It doesn’t take a ton of skill or time to whip up a big pot of hearty homemade soup. What’s more, a single pot can yield dinner plus leftovers for a quick and nutritious lunch the next day. The following recipes are among my very favorites. The Corned Beef Soup is ideal for using up leftover St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef. Meanwhile, the Bratwurst Soup is a crock pot classic that cooks on its own while you tend to more important tasks. CORNED BEEF SOUP Ingredients: 1 tablespoon chicken paste … Continue reading

Comfort Food Recipes

What’s your favorite comfort food? When I think of comfort food, dishes like pot roast, macaroni and cheese, soup and casseroles come to mind. We may have sprung ahead an hour this past weekend, but Old Man Winter still has our city firmly in his grasp. Consequently, I find myself digging out from under 7 inches of new snow, and digging around for some of my favorite comfort food recipes. Here are a couple of my top picks: CLASSIC CHICKEN CASSEROLE Ingredients: 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt and pepper 1 jar dried beef (try Armour or Hormel) 6 strips … Continue reading

International Soup Recipes

Despite the fact that temperatures were in the 80s during our recent trip to Hawaii, I couldn’t help but indulge in some of my favorite soup recipes. I am very fortunate to have an extended family of wonderful cooks, who love to feed visiting foodies. The Chicken Jook and Sausage and Bean Soup can be made in slow cookers, making preparation and clean up a breeze. Meanwhile, the Roast Pork Kim Chee Soup is bursting with flavor and is just as fast and easy to make as the Chicken Jook and Sausage and Bean Soup. All three are ideal for … Continue reading

Comfort Food Recipes: Soup’s On

Just when I thought winter was fading, we get hit with another windchill warning. According to local meteorologists, it will feel like –20 to –40 in parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota today. Oh joy. If you are battling the winter blues, then the following recipe might help improve your mood. Roasted Stuffed Pepper Soup is the ideal comfort food, especially on frigid winter days. Warning: This is not a soup you want to make if you are in a hurry. It requires multiple steps and takes more than an hour to prepare. On the bright side, the flavors are incredible … Continue reading

More Hearty Winter Soup Recipes: Turkey and Rice and Tropical Chicken

The Midwest is bracing for record cold temperatures today and tomorrow, while people in the East are hunkering down to take on the big chill later this week. While hot soup may not help jump start your car in the morning, it does help warm a body on a cold winter’s day. The following soups are affordable ways to feed large families on frigid days. Both are simple to make and can doubled if you want leftovers or are hosting a soup party: TROPICAL CHICKEN SOUP Ingredients: 2-3 pounds chicken thighs, cut in half (use boneless, skinless chicken thighs) 3 … Continue reading

Last-Minute Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

You may have finished your Thanksgiving grocery shopping days ago, but there are many home cooks who are still scrambling to piece together their Turkey Day feast. I know because I just drove past a parking lot full of them outside our local market. (Hard-core shoppers and it’s not even Black Friday yet.) Regardless, it just goes to show that there are some people out there who have yet to finalize their Thanksgiving menu yet. If you are still searching for the perfect dessert to share on this day of giving thanks, then consider the simple pumpkin creations listed below: … Continue reading

Thanksgiving Recipes: Vegetables

As much as your children would rather you forget them all together, vegetables are a vital part of a traditional Thanksgiving spread. While my brother’s tot will happily munch on carrots sticks (drowned in Ranch dressing) as though he were part rabbit, my preschooler needs to be bribed to take even a nibble of the crunchy orange vegetable. This is why our family meals such as Thanksgiving must include a variety of veggie dishes. The first one I’m sharing with you is the only carrot recipe my daughter will eat. Once you scan the ingredients you’ll see why. The second … Continue reading