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How to Season a Skillet

Cast iron skillets are such a good thing to have in the kitchen. You can cook evenly in a cast iron skillet and it really is the choice of professional cooks for many dishes. What is more, the stick resistant surface uses no chemicals the way that most non-stick cookware does, which is important for many people. Before using a cast iron skillet or if you have yours for a while, it will need to be seasoned or reseasoned. Seasoniong not only creates that stick resistant surface, but it also guards against rust. The first step in seasoning is to … Continue reading →

Seasonal Specialities

Tomatoes, cherries and corn are everywhere this time of year. If you have a bumper crop that you are trying to eat your way through, then you’ll appreciate the following simple seasonal recipes: CHERRY CHICKEN Ingredients: 4 boneless chicken breasts Salt and pepper 1/2 cup flour 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter, divided 8 ounces fresh cherries, pitted and diced 1 tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 cup water 1 to 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley Directions: In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1 cup chicken broth. Pour mixture into a … Continue reading →

Simple Seasonal Dips You Can Make with Your Kids

In a previous blog I mentioned that my 4-year-old daughter is enrolled in a cooking class. She absolutely loves it and has fast become my second set of hands in the kitchen. Each week her teacher introduces a new theme, which is incorporated into all of the classroom activities (cooking, reading, art projects, etc.). With fall in full swing, acorn squash was this week’s featured ingredient. The recipe my daughter made is listed below. It couldn’t be simpler to make… and believe it or not my persnickety little eater actually tried some of it (which is another reason I enrolled … Continue reading →

Fun Ways to Get Rid of Leftover Turkey

Thanksgiving hangovers are no fun. However, you can prevent the post-Turkey Day pain by being prepared. I’m not referring to an aspirin run; rather, I prefer hair of the dog treatments. If you gobbled til you wobbled on Thanksgiving Day, then get right back up on Black Friday and do it again, but with fun-filled, kicked-up turkey recipes like these: SPICY TURKEY SKILLET Ingredients: 2 pounds of leftover turkey, shredded or sliced 1 package taco seasoning mix 1/4 cup water 1 cup chunky salsa 2 cups corn 1 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend 3 … Continue reading →

National Crab Meat Day

Today just became my new favorite day of the year! It’s National Crab Meat Day. I’m from Maryland and if you know anything about state mottos, Maryland is for crabs and we are darn proud of it! I always joke that Hailey and most other Maryland babies, are weaned on crab meat. Living in Utah it makes it a little more difficult to indulge in my favorite type of crab, blue crab, but I still manage to have some type of crab several times a year. I don’t often offer recipes on my housekeeping blog because, well, I don’t really … Continue reading →

Budget Recipes – Rib Eye Steak and Asparagus

Not every meal has to be for the entire family to enjoy. Do you and your spouse have a “date night”? Sometimes, expensive restaurants are just not in your budget. Instead, you could make a tasty dinner at home, using foods that are on sale at the grocery store. Next “date night”, try the Budget Recipe for Rib Eye Steak with Vegetables. There are many couples who take the time to do a regularly scheduled “date night” together. While this is a nice idea, it can sometimes be too expensive to fit into your budget. Between the cost of hiring … Continue reading →

Budget Recipes- End of Summer Cheeseburgers

School has started, and the Summer is over. It might be nice to do one last dinner that brings you the tastes of Summer before the weather really starts to get cold. If you pay attention to what is on sale at the grocery store, you can make a meal that fits within your budget. Make your family some “End of Summer Cheeseburgers”. Right now in California, we are experiencing a bit of a heat wave. Perhaps the weather where you live isn’t quite that warm. Either way, it can make you miss the good things about Summer. Few things … Continue reading →

Labor Day Eats

Labor Day weekend traditionally means backyard barbeques, picnics in the park or cookouts at the beach. However, not all holiday potlucks require firing up the grill. This Sunday our family has been invited to a weekend get-together, but I am not planning to bring along brats, hamburgers or hot dogs to add to the holiday buffet. Rather, I am planning to make the following recipes that can be made ahead of time and travel well. They may not scream “end of the summer BBQ,” but they will add a bit of spice to seasonal staples. PIZZA CASSEROLE Ingredients: 1 1/2 … Continue reading →

No More Chocolate for Breakfast

It’s been quite a summer for my soon-to-be second grader. In less than two weeks her days spent biking until sunset, rolling out of bed at eight (hey, don’t knock it; sleeping until 8 a.m. is a major accomplishment around here), and eating chocolate for breakfast are over. And by over I mean O-VAH! Let me clarify by saying that my kid has not spent the summer scarfing down brownies and Baby Ruth bars in lieu of oatmeal, oranges and other healthy breakfast foods. Rather, she has been getting away with noshing on chocolate chip pancakes, double chocolate muffins and … Continue reading →

How to Make Jar Cakes

These perfect little cakes in a jar are just right for gifting. This clever idea makes a pretty present. Of course, we won’t tell if you keep one or two for yourself. The idea of a jar cake is to bake a little cake inside a jar. I admit that these aren’t the easiest to eat, since you have to sort of dig at the cake, but they are very pretty and will keep well on a shelf for a long time. This makes them ideal for gifts, especially ones that you mail, provided that you pad the glass jars … Continue reading →