When you are moving, this comes in handy. No one can say they couldn't see your writing on the boxes. :)
Read moreFamily Recipes.
This Easter, my entire family on my mom's side gathered together to celebrate my parent's 40th anniversary. For one day we rented the town's fire hall, which is basically their community center, but for the rest of the time, we were together in my Grandma Eva's home. Usually while there, I like to look through Grandma's cookbook collection, (It's massive! I discover something new each time I look.) or through her photo albums.
Read moreChanges...
May has come and gone, and this site has remained undisturbed. My regular readers may be somewhat used to this, as my creativity, hand in hand with my free time, tends to come in fits and spurts. I am ever working on this, but in the meantime, thank you for being patient with me. :)
Read moreKitchen Basics: How to Roast and Carve a Chicken.
I used to look at the packaged whole chickens and wonder, 'what in the world do I even do with that?' Never mind that I had no idea how to cook it, they were usually way too much meat for my family, even taking into account that the weight of the bones were factored into total poundage. Anyway, I figured, why pay for bones when I can just buy boneless skinless chicken breasts?
I have since learned that bones lend flavor, and they make wonderful stock. (More on that in another post.) What's more, one chicken doesn't just feed my family for one night, it often lasts through three nights of meals, if I don't make chicken noodle soup, and if I do, it's even more! It's worth the investment, and, frankly, it's just plain tasty.
Read moreThe Devil in Pew Number Seven.
Sellerstown, North Carolina. A community so small it wasn't technically a township. It was here, in the early 70s, Rebecca Nichols lived through the worst six years of her life. Rebecca's father, Robert, was a preacher. For most of his life, he'd been a revival preacher, traveling all over the south preaching where he was needed. In 1969, however, he became the pastor at the Free Welcome Church in Sellerstown, and settled with his family there. Soon after moving, he made some changes at the church, and, in doing so, upset the man who would then make his life hell for the next six years.
Read moreHorchata.
Horchata is a drink that is made differently depending on what country you're from or happen to be in, and often depending on whose house or restaurant you happen to be sitting in at the time. It can be made from almonds, cashews, tigernuts, sesame seeds, rice, and even, rarely, barley. In my home, it's made from rice, cinnamon, water, a bit of vanilla, and some milk, though sometimes cream, if I want it to be rich. You can follow exact measurements, or you can mix to taste each time you make it. My favorite part about horchata, besides of course the fact that mine tastes like drinkable rice pudding, is that it's ridiculously easy to make, as long as you have a blender, and you think ahead.
Read moreGranola Love.
I'm not a big fan of breakfast cereal. For a few different reasons, I've just never taken to much more than the super sweet, brightly colored "kid cereal". However, were I to eat that every day, (or really ever, let's be honest), it'd be really bad for me. So, for the mornings when I don't have a lot of time to make breakfast, I choose granola.
Read moreCinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Muffins.
These muffins are delicious, slightly chewy and mildly sweet. They are quite easy to make, though I would recommend either doubling the batch or making another item to go with them. These are not the sort of muffins that have staying power all on their own to get you through a busy morning, but more the type that wonderfully complement some sausage, eggs or other sort of filling breakfast.
Read moreKitchen Basics: How to read a recipe.
I know, I know. To some of you, this is silly. You know how to read, so what's the problem? Here's the thing — I know how to read, too. Yet, I've made so many mistakes that could have been solved if I had carefully read, rather than skimmed, the recipe in question.
Read moreThe Secret Life of Bees.
The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, is a story about Lily, a young girl raised in South Carolina in 1964. She is cared for by Rosaleen, her nanny, and alternately abused and neglected by her father T. Ray. When Rosaleen's life is threatened in their small town, and her father does nothing, Lily conspires to run away with Rosaleen. They follow clues left behind by her mother, who'd passed away ten years before, and find a life neither Lily nor Rosaleen knew anything about.
This novel is both heart wrenching and inspiring. It is filled with life and death, joy and pain, all intertwined so tightly that they are nearly indistinguishable at times. I found myself drawn into Lily's story, not wanting to let go of the book until she was at least a bit happier, a bit safer than where I found her. This story shows that finding your true family doesn't always have to be limited by blood, and that it can come in many forms. If you don't mind your heartstrings being pulled often by a story, I do recommend this. Enjoy this with a large cup of tea, a comfy blanket, and a box of tissues handy if you so desire, but don't miss this one.