A Girl's Gotta Eat!

We planted a raised-bed garden in our backyard this year. It was our first attempt, and we planted a wide variety of veggies: cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, a variety of herbs, tomatoes…you name it. We've definitely picked up a few tricks to use next year, like 6 tomato plants in a 5 by 8-foot space is too many, but overall have experienced a fair amount of success. In our recent Food Network Magazine , there were 3 different tomato pie/tart recipes, but this was a must as soon as I saw "corn custard" in the title. It seemed like the perfect combo: tomatoes from the Nash garden plus fresh corn from our Delvin Farms CSA equals deliciousness in a pie shell. I was sold. We made it that weekend, and I am (only somewhat) ashamed to admit that within 12 hours, it was gone…not a crumb to be found anywhere. Our Delvin Farms corn was so sweet you could eat it raw straight from the cob, and our tomatoes have been so juicy, it was the perfect food marriage. The...

As usual, we were watching The Pioneer Woman on a Saturday morning over coffee and breakfast. It was an episode where they're celebrating a birthday, and the cake she was making called our names loud and clear: Strawberry Shortcake Cake .  Easter was coming up, after all, and we had volunteered to bring dessert, so what better timing can there be? This is definitely a keeper. It looks more complicated than it is, and was delicious, full of fresh flavor from the strawberries. I wouldn't change a thing; Ree Drummond knows what she's doing! I didn't use quite all of the icing, but that's just personal preference. Hope you enjoy it! First, the shortcake: 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing 1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups plus two tablespoons sugar 3 whole large eggs 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pound strawbe...

It's that time of year again when the veggies start rolling in faster than we can eat them. (Thanks, Delvin Farms !) We recently got a couple of huge, beautiful eggplant that we knew needed to be used sooner rather than later, so last night I fired up Pinterest to see what I could see. There were several recipes in contention, but ultimately we went with Eggplant Steaks. (Technically the recipe was for Eggplant Stakes, but I decided not to hold that against the pinner.) The recipe was super easy and super quick. We ended up broiling the eggplant in 2 batches, as it was too much to fit all in one pan. Otherwise, we made it exactly as directed and served it with wild mushroom couscous and dinner rolls with German honey spread. Even for two meat-eaters like Mike and I, it was delicious and absolutely filling. We've already packed up the leftovers for lunches tomorrow!   Eggplant Steak  2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons thick steak sauce (we used Lea ...

I could have sworn I posted this recipe when I first started my blog, but it seems that it somehow fell through the cracks. I first made it when I needed to use some fresh peaches before they went bad, and Mike was in the mood for a cobbler, All the recipes I was finding used milk, which I currently did not have handy. Instead, I found this Simple Blackberry Cobbler Recipe from Tables of Content . Excellent…no milk required! And even though the title says blackberries, the cookbook has a note that states the cobbler is also excellent with blueberries, raspberries, or peaches. This is now my favorite, go-to cobbler recipe. I’ve only ever made it with peaches, but imagine it would be good with blackberries (like the original recipe calls for), or even a combo of the two fruits. I don’t seem to have a photo of this particular dessert, so I guess I’ll just have to make it again so I have proof of how delicious it looks. It’s best enjoyed warm, but not super hot, with a small scoop...

I know, I've already tried several scones and passed them along to you, but these really are my new favorites. They were easy to mix together (no mixer required), and the end result was moist and flavorful on the inside with just a hint of crunch on the outside. Last weekend, I picked up a large box of peaches at the Nashville Farmers' Market . After noticing this week that they were getting soft faster than I could eat and share them, I decided it was time to whip up a baked treat so they didn't go to waste. There's a peach pie recipe I've been dyng to try, but I was short a few ingredients and so decided to try a new scone recipe after the last ones didn't turn out as expected. I am so very, very glad I made these. The recipe worked exactly as written, and after tasting one fresh from the oven, I immediately decided to whip up a second batch. The original recipe also states that other fruit can be substituted for the peaches, so I plan on keep these ...

It’s that time of year again when the farmers’ market is brimming with tasty treats, and our CSA is full of goodies fresh from the farm. As it was last year, our first couple boxes have been mostly various types of leafy greens and lettuces. The lettuce is always the easiest to fix…nothing beats a super-fresh salad with some grilled chicken or steamed shrimp. Some of the other greens take a bit more imagination. Luckily, Delvin Farms always sends out recipes with their emails of what to expect in the coming week. Last year, Mike and I both had kale for the first time. We tried a couple recipes, but the kale chips were our favorite, and very easy to fix. This year we wanted to try something different, something that preferably didn’t require us to turn on the oven when our A/C was already working overtime to keep up with the 95-degree heat outside (in May!!). We opted for kale bruschetta, and made the crostini in the toaster oven. The recipe was easy to put together. I do thin...

For Christmas, I received a kitchen gadget that I’ve wanted for a long time, but only recently had a place to store it when not in use—an ice cream maker. I have looked at several over the years, and read many reviews, but decided a while ago that the one for me is the Kitchenaid Ice Cream Maker that attaches to my standing mixer. It requires no ice or rock salt, has the same (or greater) capacity as most other makers, and best of all, can be stored in our freezer chest, ready to make ice cream and sherbet at a moment’s notice. There are a ton a recipes I want to try (my MIL also got me a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cookbook ), but I decided the bets place to start was with vanilla ice cream. Easy enough, right? Maybe not so much…I found tons of recipes! How would I ever choose? I decided to keep it simple, so went with a recipe I found online that used no eggs, only milk and cream. I got both of these items from the dairy at the NFM , wanting the best quality available to me. (...

When Mike and I were still just dating, Mike's mom was having us over for dinner and introduced me to a brand new dish: Squash Casserole. It was so very tasty that I asked for the recipe at the end of the meal and have been making it ever since. Granted, it's not the healthiest way to eat your vegetables, but sometimes you've got to go for tasty and leave the healthy to someone else. Most recipes I've found call for a full cup of sour cream and an entire stick of butter. I've decreased both these and found it was still delicious. If you're really going for decadence, though, feel free to go all in. Also, most recipes I've seen either mix half the cornbread stuffing mix into the casserole or spread half on the bottom and the remaining on top. I really enjoy the crispy on top, so that's where I put all of mine. All the ingredient amounts are pretty flexible. I've used preshredded carrots, and I've shredded my own. Preshredded will offer a bit o...

Mike and I have been getting eggplant in our CSA box as of late and were on the search for new ways to enjoy them. Normally we would treat ourselves to Eggplant Parmesan, but since that would require several eggplant and typically we receive 1, we needed to branch out. While perusing a Rachael Ray magazine on my lunch break, the solution presented itself: Mediterranean Chicken Stacks! The recipe looked simple and delicious, two of our favorite things. We had fresh eggplant and tomatoes from our farm box, and I picked up fresh herbed goat cheese from Noble Springs Dairy at NFM. The recipe did take a bit longer than the magazine promised, but we've found that it usually does. It still made for a great weeknight meal...not a ton of ingredients were needed, and it only got one skillet dirty. It makes 4 servings, so Mike and I even had lunch for the next day ready to go! Mediterranean Chicken Stacks 1 eggplant (10 oz.), trimmed and peeled Salt and pepper 2 thick slices coarse...

A few days ago, I posted a recipe for a super-simple, super-scrumptious Butternut Squash Soup. Unaware of how many squash to buy for that particular dish, I bought 2 and ended up needing only 1. And so, here is Butternut Squash Soup, take 2. I know, I could make myriad other recipes with my squash, but it’s cold and rainy, and who doesn’t love soup on a cold and rainy day? This time I went for a more “gourmet” soup, Creamy Butternut Squash and Ginger-Apple Soup from ** Starfish Café: Changing Lives One Recipe at a Time . The basics are the same: Sauté some onion in butter. Add squash and broth, and purée everything when tender. The “gourmet” part of this comes in the addition of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron, and yogurt. Yummy indeed. Now, before you rush out to buy the ingredients and notice that saffron is crazy expensive, let me tell you something—saffron is crazy expensive. Don’t feel like you have to add it. Many recipes I read encourage using turmeric in place of saffron (...

This one is short and sweet. I picked up some butternut squash while at the night market this past Friday (if you haven't been, you should definitely check it out). I read recipes using fresh butternut squash all the time, but had never attempted anything using it myself. Mike and I love the Campbell's V-8 Butternut Squash soup (the soups that come in the green boxes), so I decided to try my hand at making my own. We started simple... Every month in our Food Network Magazine, there is a booklet with 50 themed recipes, such as "50 Things to Do with a Jar of Pasta Sauce," "50 Egg Dishes," "50 Game Day Dips," and the one I used tonight, "50 Easy Soups." I love many things about the magazine itself, but this particular feature is probably my favorite. The soup was indeed easy, and quite delicious. The hardest part is cutting up the squash. We Googled butternut squash cutting tips and came across a very helpful fellow blogger with tips and...

As I may have mentioned in a previous post, I’ve become hooked on farm-fresh eggs and milk from Nashville Famers’ Market (for those of you in the area, my faves are JD Country Milk and Schrock Farms). A few nights ago I was on the hunt for an easy dinner that at least resembled something healthful, so decided to go for a frittata. I had just received an oven-safe skillet for Christmas and figured this would be a good way to break it in. Many of the recipes I found made a bigger frittata that what I felt like was necessary for just Mike and me, and none of them used the exact ingredients I was hungry for, so I decided to wing it. I must say, the result was quite tasty and heated up well the next day for lunch at work. The following is my “recipe” for our Mediterranean Frittata . Cook about 4 slices bacon in a large oven-safe skillet until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain, reserving the 2 to 3 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet. Crumble the bacon once it co...