Bec’s Potato Chowder

I’ve grown fond of creating my own soups. The first one of the winter didn’t turn out so well, but today’s was delish. Here’s what I did… 
1) Into the crockpot, pour approximately 2 cups of chicken broth and 1-2 cups of water. Add desired amounts of chopped carrots and onions. Add chunks of turkey leftover [...]

Waffles and Yogurt

It’s as simple as the title implies — I’m always looking for easy breakfast ideas that don’t leave me feeling like I need to go take a nap.  This has become one of my faves, and I’ve found ways to use the yogurt on EVERYTHING because I like it so much.
Waffles (whole-wheat Eggos, Kashi, or [...]

Bacon-wrapped dates

I know they sound weird, but I promise you, they are yum-o! So far for us, they’ve been a crowd-pleaser.  And I’d never had dates before eating them like this.. and I don’t think I’ll eat them any other way..
1 Box of dates
1 package of bacon (may not use it all)
toothpicks
1.  Open dates, take bacon, [...]

Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is an old favorite. Until Brook made up a batch recently, I had nearly forgotten about it because I’m on my own eating it in this household (ask Jason what he thinks about chickpeas).
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon (more or less) butter
4 cups chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 [...]

Butter-Baked Masterpiece

Via Bad Banana Blog.

Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie

Though my favorite apple pie recipe is a delicious Sour Cream Apple Pie from Allrecipes.com, I found this recipe in the Oct/Nov Taste of Home magazine—and it turned out to be quite yummy. Happy early Thanksgiving!
Pie & Filling
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
7 C sliced peeled tart apples
1 t lemon juice
1 t vanilla
3/4 C chopped [...]

Culinary Literacy

The James Beard Book Awards Committee has named the following 20 cookbooks as essential for building a culinary library:
American Cookery (BBS Publishing Corporation, 1996), James Beard
Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2007), Rick Bayless
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens, 2004)
Classic Indian Cooking (William Morrow Cookbooks, [...]

Regarding Chicken

A lot of people seem to love the chicken I make, whether it’s grilled or fried or whatever. Here’s the secret, though it’s not one for any of the hypochondriacs out there: I simply undercook it. Not by a lot mind you, but if you cook chicken too long, it — surprise! — gets tough [...]

Beer Bread & Honey Butter

This recipe is courtesy of my co-worker Mary, and it makes the best beer bread you’ve ever tasted.

Baked Ziti

Kristen, of This Classical Life, recently posted this recipe. Not only do the ingredients sound yummy (and appealing to my preschooler) but, as an added bonus, it’s a large recipe and makes quite a bit of food. Perfect for freezing or sending as a mercy meal. I omitted the mushrooms, used a little less shredded [...]