Earlier today my siblings and I met at my parent’s house for a family meeting of sorts. For the past several months my brother has been updating the house to get it ready to sell. As we all walked through each room I was really impressed and proud of all the work he has put into it. Dad would have been so proud of him for fulfilling his dream to see the house restored to its former glory.
As we sat outside on a bench enjoying the nice warm weather, my sisters and I watched all of our kids run around the house like we used to back when we were kids. We must have run around that house at least a million times. With their backs turned to us I wondered if this is what my parents also witnessed: six kids chasing each other, running as fast as they could, laughing, and screaming as kids do.
When dad died the thought of selling the home both he and my mom raised us up in was unthinkable. My heart would feel so heavy, like a ton of bricks, when family meetings discussing the sale of the house would be up for discussion. Perhaps I was holding on to dad by insisting we not sell the house. It’s been almost 8 months since he passed away and I was unexpectedly surprised by how much peace I had this afternoon by the thought of another family living here. The reality is that dad is no longer in the house. All that is left of him is our memories of him, and I have come to terms with that. [click to continue…]
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It’s often said, “Everything tastes better with bacon.” But I would like to make an argument for truffle salt making even the most simple food like popcorn seem gourmet. Truffles are a very rare and expensive fungi. This is why truffle salt is used as a flavoring accent elevating dishes from ordinary to extraordinary. Just a pinch goes a long way and is worth the $20 price for a 3.5 ounce bottle. For anyone who hasn’t tried truffle salt before, I know what you’re thinking. There is no way you would pay $20 for a little flavoring salt. You think this now, but if you try it, you might be singing it’s praises.. so don’t knock it until you try it. [click to continue…]
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When it comes to green beans, I’m a -plain Jane kind of girl. I usually saute them in a little bit of oil, season them with salt and pepper, and top them off with a small pat of butter. But last Sunday for our Easter dinner, I changed it up a little bit. I decided on making a greens beans tossed in a maple syrup-Dijon dressing with crumbled bacon and candied pecans. Oh my word, this was the perfect side dish to serve along side gratin potatoes, mac and cheese, fruit salad, and spiral ham. I loved the the sweetness from the maple syrup with the tang of the mustard. Adding the bacon and pecans pulled everything together for one fantastic side dish. [click to continue…]
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Praise the Lord for the gift of mashed potatoes! Can I get an Amen?! The only thing better than mashed potatoes are mashed potatoes made with lots of butter and cream and whipped into a creamy delicious side dish which can only be described as heavenly.
Thanksgiving Day wouldn’t be complete without plenty of mashed potatoes for everyone to enjoy, especially when we all know everyone likes to go back to the serving table for seconds and thirds. I’m convinced my kids believe my mashed potatoes are the main dish and the turkey is the side. In fact, when we serve mashed potatoes family style, I often need to remind them to only take one or two scoops so everyone gets at least one serving –otherwise the only thing they would ever eat is mashed potatoes.
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With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I want to share my mom’s Thanksgiving stuffing recipe with you. She’s been making this for as long as I can remember and it’s one of the most anticipated dishes I look forward to eating Thanksgiving day. With every bite it takes me back to my childhood when I would watch her in the kitchen make her classic stuffing (or dressing ask she would call it). I would sneak small handfuls of dried croutons until she would cut me off because I would have eaten through the entire bag like potato chips if she hadn’t. Before she stuffed the bird, I would swipe a spoonful of the uncooked stuffing and turn to her making sure she knew I approved -this always made her smile.
To me her recipe is nostalgic, old-fashion, and oh so good. In years past I’ve made plenty of stuffing variations with dried fruit, nuts, apples, sausage, and different breads. As much as I enjoy these other types of stuffing, it’s my mom’s recipe I keep coming back to. It’s so simple, perhaps this is why I love it… [click to continue…]
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