The end of winter can really bring me down…the snow is often dirty and the days grey, this year the winter blahs have hit me far earlier than usual– we are barely into January. I need spring, I need sun, and I need flowers. However, I have found there are a few things I can do that help my mood and get me ready to hit the ground running. Here are 6 easy things you can… Read More
Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken for a Dinner for Two
Last night my husband wanted Mexican for supper, but I was getting tired of the same old beef tacos and burritos — I wanted chicken and I wanted it grilled. So we compromised — a grilled chicken taco salad. I didn’t have a recipe and really wasn’t in the mood to search through my cookbooks and online sites — so I punted. A few weeks ago I made a Mexican Street Corn Salad that had… Read More
Finding Julia Child in Paris….and crepes on every street corner!
Julia Child is my food heroine. We have so much in common — we are both a little awkward, late bloomers in life, have an obsession with butter and things fly when we are in the kitchen. I loved Julia’s show “The French Chef” which PBS ran in reruns for years. Her charm was that she just kept on going when things went wrong — she flubbed her flips, burned things, murdered lobsters and… Read More
Vintage Betty Recipe: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
After starting my Church Cookbook Series recently, my husband asked me to make what he said was his favorite cake — a Pineapple Upside-Down cake. I thought for sure I would find the recipe in one of my church cookbooks, but I came up empty handed. I was kind of surprised, but decided maybe it was either a little old fashion or too fussy for the Church Ladies. My vintage 1961 Betty Crocker Cookbook came… Read More
Church Cookbook Classics: Mary’s Swiss Steak
It is a snowy Sunday afternoon in mid-March, my husband is asleep on the couch pretending to watch an old movie on TCM and I am having a glass of red wine and savoring the smell of Swiss Steak roasting in the oven. (It IS after 5:00!) Winter has reminded us that March in Iowa is a big tease. One minute it is 60 degrees and you are itching to get in the garden and… Read More
Happy Baking Accidents…Blueberry Coffee Cake Kind of Thing…
Or Things That Turned Out Better Than Expected… It was 16 below this morning and after reading a Facebook post of a friend who was making coffee cake, I WANTED some, but I was not willing to drag my sorry self out for any missing ingredients. People die in this weather! So the hunt began — digging through the cupboard, freezer and fridge! I found a can of Pillsbury Blueberry biscuits not yet out date (although that… Read More
Cheats Puff Pastry Recipe from The Great British Baking Show
The Farm Girl Attempts Cheats Rough Puff Pastry Recipe from The Great British Baking Show and It Works! I don’t know about you, but I adore The Great British Baking Show. It is my favorite baking show of all time — the tent is gorgeous, the decor is totally charming, the contestants real and diverse, and the food looks to die for! Everyone is nice to each other and helpful, unlike some of the other… Read More
It’s Chili Time
You’d think all chili would taste alike. All the traditional red chilies have tomatoes, some kind of chili powder and beef. Chili aficionados are appalled if you mention beans in the chili, but I personally like my chili with beans. Black beans, kidney beans and red beans — all of them…. So why do some chili’s taste like dishwater and some you want to lick the bowl? It’s the spices– they are not all created… Read More
Wordless Wednesday – Butterfly
Date Night Fruit Crepes
In an effort to impress me when we were first dating, my husband, wowed me with these fruit crepes on one of our Friday night date nights. I know he hates it when I say something he did was cute, but it was so cute and really won me over when he took out his Better Homes and Garden cookbook and turned it to the page with his hand marked note of “crepes”. … Read More
Why Can’t I Just Throw It Away
As I was getting ready for work the other morning, my husband, in a supportive and loving way — really it was — commented that maybe I could find room for one more bottle of shampoo in the shower. I tossed an endearing gesture back at him and continued my morning rituals. It wasn’t until I was in the shower, looking at 6 bottles of shampoo and conditioner, that it hit me in the face… Read More
Church Cookbook Classics: Purple Ribbon Cinnamon Bread
In a desperate search for a 4-H food project for our county fair, my mother suggested I make my grandmother’s Cinnamon Bread recipe. As a lazy teen, this seemed like a great idea — no trip to the store for special ingredients and it was easy to make. Snap! One less project to worry about for the fair. No one was more surprised than me when the judges gave me a “Purple Grand Champion” ribbon!… Read More
Spring Means Rhubarb Season
It is spring in Iowa and nothing green will be appearing for several weeks, even so, I am already dreaming of rhubarb. Rhubarb cake, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb jam, rhubarb pie, rhubarb wine all make up my version of sugar plum dreams. As a vintage cookbook collector, I spend hours pouring over cookbook pages, not only looking for treasured recipes, but for fun. Many are a greatly entertaining. A couple of things I’ve noticed in my purusing… Read More
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
If you are looking for a quick, flavorful chicken recipe this is a great recipe to put into your dinner rotation. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but it is wonderful with any pieces you have and love. It is also very forgiving so don’t worry about perfection — just toss it together and relax. I use a cast-iron pan to brown on top of the stove and finish in the oven, however, it can… Read More
State Fair Blue Ribbon Bread and Butter Pickles
State Fair Blue Ribbon Bread and Butter Pickles Several years ago I had a bumper crop of cucumbers. I decided I needed to find a pickle recipe I liked since Mom’s didn’t really bring back images of pickle love. I started Googling recipes that had won at a state fair. If I am going to spend the time, money, and effort to make something, I want to make sure I have the best… Read More
America’s Test Kitchen Rustic Almost No-Knead Bread
I’ve been making a lot of bread lately, stress baking, but also learning how to make different kinds of bread. As a teacher in a past life, one of my goals with trying a variety of recipes is so that I can help others trying to stay at home not to need to make extra trips to the store for a loaf of bread. I have been looking for recipes that work well for beginners,… Read More
Social Distancing Recipe: Just In Time 10 Minute Jam
For the last few days — especially after I made biscuits, I’ve been wanting some jam. I had used up all of the jam I made last summer from my raspberries. After making my own lower-sugar jams even if I wanted to order it from the store — I’m spoiled and really don’t care for them anymore. One of the things about growing up in a family of 12 children is that you learn to… Read More
Quick and Easy Corn Chowder
Originally I posted this Corn Chowder recipe as a way to use fresh corn which is so plentiful here in Iowa at the end of the summer. However, the other day as I was thinking about recipes that would be easy to make from pantry and freezer items I realized this would be an easy and delicious choice. This recipe has been adapted from several church cookbooks in my vintage cookbook collection. Because I like… Read More
I Just Need a Cracker….
I am fortunate, I have plenty of good food in my fridge, pantry, and freezer. Living on the farm and just coming out of winter, you are used to stocking up in case you get stranded for days. However, I have run low on one of my favorite snacks — CRACKERS. I love all kinds of crackers, straight up, with cheese, peanut butter, bacon jam — whatever! So the search was on to find some… Read More
Got 4 apples? You Can Make Apple Hand Pies…
Do you know those 4 apples that have been rolling around in your fruit drawer in the fridge? Yes, I’m sure you do. They have been there for a while and no one seems to be interested in eating them fresh — they are still good, but maybe not as pretty as they were the day you brought them home. Here is a great way to use them for a delicious treat while you are… Read More
Breads You Can Make Without Yeast or Kneading
Many areas are finding grocery store shelves bare of bread and other items and many are homebound right now. If you have a few common ingredients in your pantry you can easily make your own bread without yeast or kneading. If you have self-rising flour great, but if you don’t King Arthur has this simple recipe to make your own using All-Purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Homemade Self-Rising Flour. These breads are not only… Read More
Veggie Soup
Are you and your family trying to stay healthy by doing some social distancing? Maybe even struggling to find foods in your local grocery store. You can make the most of what you have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry by making as much as possible from scratch. New to some of you and old school to lots of others. It’s hard to know where to start, but my suggestion is to start with the… Read More
No-Knead Rosemary Focaccia Bread from America’s Test Kitchen
This is my all-time favorite recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. This Italian bread is so delicious you will have to hide it from your brother who will eat an entire loaf before your guests arrive! It is crunchy, salty, herby, and soft in the middle. You can just eat it plain or it is really wonderful with goat cheese and bacon jam. (recipe for another time). I make it up in advance and freeze in… Read More
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