Cooking from scratch: healthier, cheaper, and a great creative outlet
I have a number of squash residing in my pantry, and quite honestly we're tired of sauteed squash, pureed squash, squash soup, and so on. One of y sister told me about baking squash fries, and I thought, why not spice them up and air fry? One of the most important things about air frying, … Continue reading Surprisingly Easy Air Fried Butternut Squash Fries
Creamy, tasty, luscious homemade ice cream - who doesn't love that? Ice cream is much easier to make than most people realize. Basic ingredients like milk and cream, eggs, a little sugar and flavoring. It takes a little time, but most of it is waiting for the custard to cool. And yes, some form of … Continue reading How to Make Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
Sometimes I just cook because I like to, and something totally homemade is food born of love. Like lasagna - yes, it can be made from box noodles and canned sauce, but there's something tastier about it when the pasta is fresh homemade and the sauce bubbled on the stove top. I just had a … Continue reading Homemade Lasagna is the Greatest
Years ago a friend served me chicken blobs. Delicious - just diced cooked chicken, cream cheese and canned crescent rolls. For some reason they popped into my mind the other day, and I decided to makeover the recipe, adding some punched up flavors and making a casserole rather than individual blobs. To add flavor to … Continue reading How to Make Delicious Chicken Blobs
Chili is something I learned to make early in our marriage, from my mother-in-law, who was Polish (sorry, Ulkaranian). It wasn't something I ever remember having on the farm. I've tweaked it over the years, so this is the Fox Pines Homestead version. Flavorful, but not spicy hot, as neither of us tolerate hot spice … Continue reading How to Make an Easy Inexpensive Pot of Chili
I picked up this jar of Tikka Masala sauce in the store one day on a whim. It was inexpensive and I really had no idea what to do with it and only a rough understanding of what it was - a curry sauce. Jarred Tikka Masala sauce - no special ingredients or spices needed! … Continue reading 30 Minute Easy & Delicious Chicken Tikka Masala
One dessert I often asked for was baked custard. My mother would sometimes ask us kids for suggestions on meals, desserts or snacks when she just couldn't think of what to make. Custard is one of my favorite desserts, and I'll even eat it for breakfast. After all, it's eggs and milk. And we had … Continue reading The Best Creamy Eggy Custard
Chicken is a favorite in our house. There are just so many ways to cook poultry. This week a fricassee - meaning meat browned and then cooked in a white sauce. It's a homey, old time kind of dish. Just perfect for winter. Although I do buy chickens parts (legs, thighs, breasts) individually, more often … Continue reading Learn to Make a Sensational Chicken Fricassee
We eat a lot of vegetables, but sometimes I get tired of plain roasted, steamed of fried veggies. Small squashes, zucchini and yellow, seem particularly bland to me. Enter the squash casserole. Like most casseroles, it's creamy. And that means a can of soup. Yes, it's old fashioned and right out of the 1960's cream … Continue reading Easy & Tasty & Simple Squash Casserole
We love soup and generally during winter I make a big pot for the whole week. Soup is easy to make, and can be a light meal in itself, or add salad or a sandwich, or use it as a first course. This potato cheese soup is incredibly tasty, but a snap to make with … Continue reading Surprisingly Easy Potato Cheese Soup