Sip THE LAST WORD for a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

I'm a big fan of maraschino anything, plus gin, not to mention lime, and the color green, as in Chartreuse, and the last word...

 

So this is my New Years' Eve cocktail to banish all the grief and misery of 2020...

 

 

The Last Word Cocktail is a 

concoction of gin, 

Chartreuse and maraschino liqueur 

with a lime twist.

 

 

Prime Rib for Our Christmas Eve Dinner!

 

This is the roast beef of your dreams...

😉

 The ends will be medium-well, and the

center will be beautifully medium-rare,

giving everyone what they prefer.

 

 

Tradition here in our family is

succulent mouth-watering prime rib

for Christmas Eve dinner!

 

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies, Yum!

 

Rich sticky molasses helps keep these 

incredibly delicious cookies magically 

fresh and chewy for days!

 

I truly love this cookie and so does Bubba ~ it's my favorite ginger cookie.  It’s spicy, loaded with plenty of molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and allspice, but not too spicy or overwhelming.  The spices fuse and trigger your taste buds, popping that unique gingery molasses flavor.  

 

FESTIVE KISSES CANDY CANE BLOSSOMS

 

Woo hoo!

I’m in full-blown 

Christmas cookie mode now!

 

This is another fabulous cookie for peppermint lovers!

 

Ultimate Stuffing for Thanksgiving Dinner

 

I discovered this recipe in the Chicago Tribune ~ 

Food Section ~ years ago and since then have adjusted 

the recipe ingredients and spices over the years 

according to our tastes.   

 

 

Baked Donut Holes----Two Versions

 

You might be satisfied with eating just one ~ 

not me ~ 

it’s 2 or 3 of these sweet tiny gems for me.  

And because they’re baked, not fried, 

that’s OK!

 

 

I made chocolate donut holes the other day for the chocolate lovers here and then I thought about...

 

Mouthwatering Mustard and Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

 

This is just barely a recipe ~

only 5 ingredients, and two of them are salt and pepper.

 

Mustard, brown sugar and pork, mmm, mmmm, fit for a king!

And that’s a good thing because this is some delicious pork tenderloin ~ juicy and a bit sweet and savory. 

 

Tasty Banana Bread with Dried Cherries

 

Tweaking a classic banana bread 

works for me, 

particularly when 

dried cherries are in the mix!

 

 

As bananas ripen to their prime squishiness ~ when they are barely yellow ~ but streaked with black and brown, even solid black, that’s the time to make banana bread.  

 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Smoked Paprika

 

When the temperature dips
and the leaves are changing,
it’s time to cook heartier food!

 

An excellent accompaniment to roasted chicken and meats ~ this squash side dish is tasty, not to mention colorful.

 

Slightly Spicy Summer Veggies and Bacon Skillet

 

Turn your farmers’ market pickings into a vegetable stir-fry dish for dinner, it’s as colorful as it is tasty!

 

 

Bill and I both really liked this; just the right amount of seasonings with the extra flavor of smoky bacon. 

 

Spicy Garlic Shrimp over Spaghetti

 

My my my, look what’s here! 

 

Slippery strands of spaghetti, with garlicky buttery shrimp topping it.  Perfect for everyday and swanky posh enough for company around your table!

 

 

Two Cobblers That are Lip-Smacking Good and Lightened Up!

 

Tis' the essence of summer...

 

Cobbler!

 

Celebration Time ~ Classic Yellow Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting

 

From the rich, creamy, sweet frosting to the delectable moist cake, it’s hard to be in a funk when devouring a cupcake!

The gems first appeared back in 1828 when an ingenious young woman, Eliza Leslie, published her cookbook, Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes and Sweetmeats, which included the recipe for the first cupcake.

Baked Five-Spice-Maple-Glazed Salmon

 

a smidgen of Chinese five-spice blend, 


a taste of maple syrup,
a trickle of lemon juice,


a driblet of hoisin sauce,
a pinch of ginger,

a dollop of Dijon mustard...

That's all it takes to create this tasty glaze!

Homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning

I love Everything Bagels!

It’s all about those great seasonings...

Easy Baked Chicken Breasts with Brown Sugar and Garlic Rub

 

You all know how the nursery rhyme goes:

"Sugar and spice and

everything nice."

That describes this delectable rub when sugar meets garlic...

We’re all aware that chicken is a great source of protein, it’s a smart food choice.  And we all know that eating it often gets old after a while. 

Crispy Baked Catfish

    Bill isn't in to grilling in chilly or rainy weather, 

and that's what we're still having.  

Since last Wednesday, our rain gauge 

has totaled 7-inches.  

So to compensate, there’s extra oomph in this baked catfish recipe, thanks to the addition of tangy and sweet French dressing!

Classic Homemade White Bread Recipe

Evidently, the COVID-19 lockdown
 has created the perfect time
for baking bread.

That is,
 if you can find yeast and bread flour...

Fork-tender Oven-Baked Pork Chops

Just tasty tender pork chops here,
coated with a great dry rub. 

This is my go-to rub, a good blend of aromatic herbs and spices: Hungarian sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, seasoned pepper and oregano.  It’s everyday ingredients most of us have on hand.

Old-Fashioned Egg Salad Sandwiches

Hello Lunch!

 

Crispy Cheddar Chicken for Dinner!

Who doesn’t like cheese? 

Well, I know a few of those people, but that’s not the case here with us, so I knew this chicken dish would be on our menu soon when I saw it on Larry’s blog.

Fried Cabbage w/Crumbled Bacon and Onion

You’re probably saying, “Really, fried cabbage?"  

I know I did!

We really like cabbage and bacon too ~ just like magic ~ I saw recipes for it everywhere, and knew immediately it was a "must try," with the operative word being bacon!  

Crispy Stovetop Iron-Skillet Salmon

I was lucky enough to inherit two cast iron skillets ~ a 10-inch skillet from Grandma and a 12-inch skillet from Mom.  They're way up there in years, probably 70 years at the least, and I handle them with TLC!

If you'd tell me that I could only have one cooking utensil in my kitchen, 
this is what it would be!

Easy Baked Sugar-free Chocolate Cake Donuts

 

Mom loved Krispy Kreme donuts, 

so did my boss at work.  

I didn’t get it ~ seemed to me ~ might as well 

eat a cup of sugar.

Even mini chocolate chip calories can add up quickly.  Recently, I was happy to discover Lily’s chocolate chips, a mere 50 calories per tablespoon.

Stuffing-topped Baked Pork Chops with Gravy

These delicious savory fork-tender chops 
are topped with 
stuffing and gravy, 
they’re right up Bill’s alley!

Bill is a huge fan of pork chops and I’m always thinking of new ways of preparing them.  If stuffing is involved, that’s all the better in my way of thinking!

Chow down on Cowboy Chicken Casserole

Yee-ha!  

Here’s a casserole with great ingredients that 

any cowboy would like to chow down on.

 And so do we when it's a chilly night here.  

It’s Cowboy Chicken Casserole!

It’s a wholesome concoction of chicken, black beans, corn, cheese, salsa, tortillas and seasonings that come together to make this a tasty hearty filling dinner.

Cowboy Chicken lives up to its name with bringing to mind the good flavors of the Southwest. 

Homemade Baked Cinnamon "Sugar" Donuts

Lately, (like the last 5 years) I’ve seen a plethora of bloggers praising how good their baked donuts ~ I secretly wondered ~ how good are they, really?  

The food blogger side of me is just a touch embarrassed to admit I’m more than a little late in hopping on the baked-donut-band-wagon.

Spicy Cormeal-battered Baked Catfish w/Really Lousy Photos!

Fishing around for a seafood dinner for tonight?  Then consider this crispy baked catfish!

Ready for baking----photos do not get any better than this!

I might live in the Midwest now, but my roots run deep in Louisville, where catfish is abundant at all-you-can-eat fish fry’s at family restaurants about year round.  

Vinegar & Sweet Valentine's & Profiteroles

Valentine’s Day is known as the time 

to send love notes and cards, 

including anonymous ones signed by 

your secret admirer. 

But not always the case in the Victorian Era...

 

”Vinegar Valentine’s” were sent anonymously in those days, by ladies who didn’t want the attention of a specific suitor. 

Hungarian Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Potatoes and Cabbage

 A chilly winter-time day calls for comfort food: 
potatoes and cabbage roasted alongside
pork tenderloin for a tasty meal. 

I’m a big fan of pork tenderloin, it’s an excellent cut of meat for cooking, simply because it’s versatile, fairly inexpensive, tasty and friendly with a wide variety of spices...

Tilapia Baked with Cannellini Beans and Black Olives

Tilapia has been around since 1500 B.C. ~ it's not surprising then that the fish has history connected to the Bible.  It has been fished in the Sea of Galilee for thousands of years.   

Supposedly the fish that was caught by St. Peter was thought to have been tilapia.  This is one reason why the fish is also known as "St. Peter's fish" and is separated from meat according to Lenten standards.

Here's why most cooks like tilapia:  it's inexpensive, easy to prepare, widely available and "goes with everything."  It's also a good source of protein and has a low to moderate fat content.  It tastes pretty good too. 

Old Fashioned Chuck Roast w/Potatoes, Carrots and Onions

I remember it vividly!

It’s “chuck roast,” Mom corrected me, on the day I blurted out “pot roast.”  Must've been because she didn't want the cattle on our farm to be offended... 😉

Perfect Baked Chicken Breast

Looking for a recipe for baked chicken breast?  
This is the only recipe you'll need!

The ubiquitous chicken just might be the most popular meat around.  Cooks love it for its versatility and folks, young and old, love the flavor of it.  I’ve cooked a lot of chicken in my lifetime, and we think this is one of the best!