A Proverbs 31 Kind of Day

The uncertainty of the last several weeks may have you and your family eating at home more. Perhaps you have gathered around the table more in these last two weeks than you have during the last year. And maybe with the stress of cooking more, you're wanting some new recipes to try. While the days may be uncertain, I am thankful we can find reason to rejoice. With one of my Cherubs at home when he should be at University, completing his junior year, I am thankful to have this time with him. With my other Cherub completing her senior year of high school, I am thankful to have some quality time with her without the distraction of obligations. I am also thankful for the many times a week we place our feet under the table and enjoy good food and great conversations. Conversations filled with laughter that are making many memories to hold tightly. One thing that has happened for me is a return to creative cooking and trying new recipes. With our fruit salad to...

I'm all about seasons, but Summer has worn on my last nerve. As the temperatures seemed to be showing signs of lowering, I begin thinking about soup.   It kind of drives me crazy to hear, "Soup is just so hot." Well -- I kind of laugh because I'm thinking most  meals are hot and it doesn't keep me from eating them during the Summer months.   For me, though, soup is a comfort food. Usually not heavy, but certainly filling. I get a ton of daily emails with recipes and so many of them I just ignore. But a few weeks ago I received an email with a subject line of "Five Easy Soups." Of course, I took a peak and I liked what I saw! Not only were there five easy soups, but I believe all of the soups had only five ingredients. Sometimes, that can leave you with a bland recipe, but I have high hopes for these soups listed! One of the recipes was for this curry soup. Now!  Before you say, "I don't like curry," I sa...

The other day, while visiting with friends over dinner, I noticed my dish had delicious tomatoes tossed in. When I read the menu, it said, "Roasted tomatoes." I've done roasted tomatoes before, but they never turned out like what was having that evening. When my girl cherub and I were working on dinner the other night, I thought I would try for the roasted tomatoes again. The difference between the restaurant and what I had done in the past was simple. I always tossed the tomatoes, whole, with seasoning and roasted. While I do like them this way, what it causes the tomato to do is burst open. Which is fine. Except that affects the texture of the tomato. This time, we made one simple change. We cut the tomatoes in half. Yes, it was a lot of cutting, because all I had where cute little cherub tomatoes. But with two of us cutting, we did the entire pint lickety-split! We loved the end product! Matter of fact, we wished we had done more. ...

I have about two weeks were everyone is home at the same time! My girl cherub is in school, finishing up her finals. My boy cherub is back home from college, before going to his next assignment. Of course, my Mr. is here.  With everyone around the table, our dinners are a little more balanced. By that, I mean we typically have a protein and two vegetables. I must admit, it is kind of nice to have meal balance! Our entire family loves roasted asparagus. When I buy it, I always have the thought of, "will this be enough." It always is, but there is never any leftovers. The other night, I took a few ingredients I had on hand and made a new asparagus recipe. For those of you who are ultra observant, you'll see it is chopped mixed nuts on the asparagus. Even though the recipe title says walnuts. I thought I had walnuts. But I didn't. However, I did have mixed nuts. So that's what I used. Remember, baking is a science but cooking ...

My sweet girl cherub. Her birthday was a month ago. But we finally had time to celebrate with friends this month. Well, one month from the day, exactly! She's been a great sport about the delay. She created a plan and we were ready  . . . but then I broke my foot. Which changed the plan. Being her sweet self, she was happy with the change of plans. The girls learned to use almond bark to make different treats. Actually, I keep almond bark and simple ingredients on hand. It's super easy if you need to make something for kids coming over to the house. Or if you're having a quick gathering, and you want "a little something sweet." What about saying, "thank you" to someone who's been helpful to you? A treat bag of bark is an easy homemade gift that people love! The girls picked a partner and each "team" made a different bark. They all turned out great! The one I really wanted someone to try, didn't get ...

Lately, the Mr. and my girl cherub are having to pick up a little more of the chores around the house. OK -- so maybe all of the chores! Cooking, cleaning, laundry, packing lunches. Everything! Over the weekend, I fell and broke my foot. It didn't sound like it was any big deal with the doctor at the ER, but my Monday follow up visit shed a wee little different light on the situation. So I'm still cooking . . .from the living room. The Mr. says, "ok, what's next?" and I tell him what to do with the recipe. It's been kind of interesting, but everything, so far, has turned out just great! After dinner the other night, he kept asking if there was something he could make. I couldn't think of anything simple, but I dreamed up this little treat that I knew would be easy. This little gem of a treat has me thinking about all the things that can be created with almond bark! The girl cherub made brownie bites for a school project tom...

This is one of those desserts that honestly, I remember my mom making when I was a little kid. I also remember not being especially found of it. Not for any particular reason. But fast-forward a few years. . . ok, a lot . . . and now I like apple crisps. This dessert, though, often gets overlooked. I don't know if it is because it's too "simple." Too "homey." Doesn't "present well." And while all of those might be true, the truth is, apple crisp is a great option to offer your family and friends! Most of the time, you have the ingredients to make the dessert. It's easy enough you can throw it together, and what's even better . . .it's homemade! Like -- who doesn't like THAT! In a time when homemade is a forgotten language, this dessert is sure to please! You know me, what I love about this is the flexibility! Add in some pecans, if you wish. Or maybe some raisins or cranberries. Top...

Sometimes I amaze myself! Before Thanksgiving, the Mr. and I headed to the store to grab some necessary groceries. Sweet potatoes must have been a good price, because the Mr. stocked. us. up! He must have thought we were going to feed a small army! When we got home, I realized I already had sweet potatoes. Now -- I like sweet potatoes, but we certainly had a lot of them! I started wondering what to do with the abundance we were experiencing. Trying to think of "meatless" meals, I thought about tacos. I couldn't really sell the family on the option when I offered it. So while they were away, I started cooking. This way, they couldn't complain! It was brilliant on my part, I might add! After peeling and chopping the sweet potatoes, I set out to season and roast them to perfection. After that, the magic happened. At dinner, I told the Mr. and my girl cherub that at a trendy restaurant, these would be called, "Fall Bounty Tacos....

I've had a moment of reflection only to discover that I love cranberries. Not to pop one of the tart fruits in my mouth to savor, as that would pucker even the strongest of women. But the red-jeweled fruit is amazing, I think, and often under valued. While shopping this week, I saw the first opportunity to purchase cranberries. There were two options; the small 12 ounce bag, or the large two pound bag. It's when I took note of the thought in my head when I saw the options that I realized, "I really do love cranberries!" While shopping, I began to think of the ways I'd use the cranberries, and also wondered if I needed to grab another bag, "just in case one bag wasn't enough." Today, I made roasted cranberries. I think this will be delicious as a smear on a chicken sandwich or wrap a topping in a quinoa bowl with a bit of crumbled goat cheese, roasted butternut squash, and a few chopped pecans a sauce for a turke...

Honestly, the Mr. and two cherubs never tire of pasta. They love it. I, on the other hand, am not so crazy about pasta. It's not a "love-hate" relationship, I would describe more of a "take or leave" relationship. If we are at an Italian restaurant, I search for something that sounds good, and it's never a surprise if I don't order a pasta dish. But let me camp there for a minute . . . pasta is so cheap to serve, but restaurants charge a fortune for it! It drives me c.R.a.Z.y!  Seriously! That really may be the root of why I don't go nuts over spaghetti! That, and it's served as "the cheap food" when you're trying to feed a crowd. Pasta -- my family loves it! Monday night, I'm staring at everything in the fridge and thinking, "what to have for dinner?" Then I remembered the homemade pesto sauce I have stored in the freezer. And the pasta noodles I just purchased. I knew my girl che...

Since our oldest cherub has gone to college, we find ourselves traveling to his college home on many weekends in the Fall. That's because we have season tickets to the home football games. This gives us a change to see our cherub, meet his friends, secretly check in on him; all in the name of being football fans. It's awesome! When we go, of course we take him out to eat. But I also haul a small fridge worth of supplies to him. When we go out to a new place in town, I peruse the menu looking for new items to recreate. This weekend, our cherub took us to a hip place. He said there were "lots of gluten free options." Clearly, he is mis-persuaded by what "lots" means. He likes the new place, and I can certainly see why. It was fun, busy, hip, and trendy. But "lots" of gluten free options wasn't really their forte. But of the three choices, two of them were really good. Which spurred me on to look up ...

It's hot and we're on this "money saving" program with our air. Which means while the Mr. is at work, practically freezing everyone out of the office, I'm at home, conserving energy and agreeing to his "money saving plan" like a Proverbs 31 kind of wife. He comes home, and says, "Oh my word!  It's hot in here!!" Oh really?  "I thought the sweat beads on my forehead were from my fervent cleaning I was doing before you got home!" No? Hum . . . not sure! So back to it being hot in the house. The energy is cheaper after 7:00. Well, if I start cooking dinner at 7:00, my cherubs would think they weren't going to get fed. They'd be ravenous if I didn't do something speedy. Taco pizza fit the bill this week for something quick! Using your favorite pizza dough, whether pre-made or a mix, prepare the crust. Then get ready for this easy-peasy taco pizza! Taco Pizza 1 pizza crust (I used a glute...

When we lived in Texas, there was a grocery store that I loved! It kind of sounds weird, but the Mr. and I like to go to grocery stores and look around. You can find some of the most interesting things to try! This particular grocery store has a great "ready to eat" market area. One of the visits, I found this salad and just had to try it. Several times after that, every time we would go, I'd get a small amount of the salad to enjoy. One day, I thought, "why am I buying this -- it is so easy to make." So I stopped buying it and started making it. Of course, they don't list the recipe for all to see, but I merely went on what I tasted and saw. Easy Grape Salad Grapes, cleaned and stems removed (I prefer red seedless grapes for this salad) Blue cheese, crumbled chopped walnuts* Wash grapes and remove stems and toss into a bowl.  If you have time, cut some of the grapes in half and leave some whole.  This is my preference when making...

I'm seriously on a tuna kick. Like I have been craving it. I mean, I like tuna and all. I certainly don't have an aversion to tuna. But to crave it?  Kinda weird, if you ask me. But, I'm rolling with it. I like tuna in a variety of ways, tuna salad being one. But this week, I decided to make tuna burgers for dinner. Thankfully, I have a recipe on the blog for that! So I did what was easy and just looked up that recipe! You can see it here:  http://karen-proverbs31.blogspot.com/2011/01/tuna-burgers-receive-85-star-rating.html But when I read the ingredients, I knew that having been gone on vacation and then moving my oldest cherub back to college  -- I didn't have everything I needed. So I did what anyone would do. I did a google search. I found this recipe that I used as my starting point. I didn't tell the Mr. and my girl cherub what it was. I just fixed it and we ate. They both agreed that they liked it! I like the ...

By the looks of the blog, we haven't been eating, but by the looks of my waist-line, that's not the case! While we have certainly had meals between the last post and today, there hasn't been just a lot of time to experiment with new recipes. However, we have made a few new dishes and enjoyed laughter, friends, and family around the table. Now that school is just around the corner for our youngest cherub and we just moved our oldest cherub back to college for dorm living, I hope to resume to blog posting. What that translates for my family is "food!" This summer, we made this easy-to-fix, easy-to-serve salad several times. While the corn growing season may have already passed it's peak, you can still find fresh corn at farmer's markets and your local grocery store. And with just a few simple ingredients, that you probably already have on hand, you can toss this up in no time. What I like about this salad is the flexibility; whether...

To try to explain the mach speed we are running right now would be futile! There is something everyday . . . and we're trying to cram in great activities before my boy cherub heads off to his first year of college. There's more about that later, but ultimately, it is such a fun time of life! Tonight, we are heading over to my mom's house to have dinner. To make it easier on her, I offered to bring a picnic supper, which would hopefully make it easier on me. I'm not too certain that I was successful with that part! However, when I asked the cherubs and the Mr. what they would like for dessert, it was clear they had forgotten that time was not readily available! You should have heard their suggestions! Needless to say, I made a mental note of what sounded good to them, and went out on my own! Since we are deep in the heat of summer, I opted for light and fruit. There are rare times that my family thinks fruit is a "dessert." Toni...

How many times have you read that my family loves Mexican food? Honestly, I am not underestimating the power of the love! It is our go-to, quick-fix meal at home. When we go out to eat, we usually choose something with a Mexican flair. And when we say we're craving something, it usually involves chips and salsa. What I have noticed at these newer, "fusion" taco restaurants, and the like, are the simple toppings. Where we are eating, at least, there is less about smothered cheese and gooey sauces. There's more focus on "less is more." Simple flavors. Simple ingredients. Big impact of deliciousness! Which then inspires me to duplicate it at home so that we don't have to digest the high price tag, too! For a school field trip, my boy cherub had to eat at a local restaurant. Not real sure what that had to do with learning Spanish, as everything is in English. But whatever! We did it. After all, it was apart of his grade. ...

We're going old school! Your mom might have called these magic cookie bars, or seven layer bars, or hello dolly bars. Regardless of what they were called, who doesn't remember these treats from your childhood? Honestly!  This was one thing my mom could . . .and would . . . whip up in a hurry! These treats are easy to make and even easier to eat! Originally, these were called magic cookie bars and the recipe was rolled out by the Eagle Brand Milk Company. Today, though, there are so many variations and possibilities, that it's crazy. But the basic of the recipe is still the starting point. And that's exactly where I started! But!  I didn't end up there, because I add a little treat of my own! While I was in the kitchen making this little dessert for dinner tonight, my girl cherub was doing school and she asked what I was making. I told her. "Have you ever made those before?" she asked. Yeah . . .but not in a long time. Like...

Recently, we were a host home for our girls' retreat at church. Let me translate what that means: I clean like a mad-woman for several days before, as if high school girls are even going to care about what the house looks like!  I spent days thinking through the "snack" menu and what to do for breakfast for them on Saturday, and through it all, the Mr. and my boy cherub leave the nest and are gone the entire time! So by "we," I mean me! But it was a GREAT time and I'd do it again!  The girls that were at my house were amazing! They commented on how good the house smelled . . .which I really have no idea what they were smelling! And they loved the pancake bar we did on Friday night and the were so appreciative of breakfast! They also drank a lot of coffee! Who knew!  I clearly didn't plan well in that area, but that's ok! Another mom was my co-host.  She was a trooper! On Friday night, she came over and helped me cook pancake...

I'm a self-proclaimed ranch dressing snob. I like ranch dressing, but I'm particular about it. So please do not offer the bottled ranch dressing to me. It's not my preference. Which is a nice way of saying I don't like it. It's nothing against bottled ranch dressing . . . it's that I just don't really like most bottled dressings. Confession time is over;  back to the ranch dressing. I like good ranch dressing. Ranch dressing with flavor. Ranch dressing with zip. Ranch dressing with depth. Ranch dressing that has "character" to it. That's why I like this ranch dressing. I think I ought to call it "green ranch dressing," because I mix it together in a blender, which does change the color of the dressing. But if you want to mix it by hand, then I think you'll not call your dressing "green ranch dressing." So, why do I mix it together in the blender, you ask? Because I like it really, real...