Even experienced cooks make mistakes. For me, there have been many like over-spicing a chili to the point it was not edible, leaving the sugar out of a quick bread, leaving the egg out of etc etc. You get my drift. If you want to 'nail' your recipe every time, try this simple strategy: Read your recipe carefully before you start making it. It will help you avoid common mistakes. Read Your Recipe Carefully It's super smart to take 10-15 minutes to read over your recipe every time you cook something for the first time. Even if you're cooking a recipe you've made before, take a few minutes … [Read more...] about Read Your Recipe Carefully to Avoid 5 Common Recipe Mistakes
Blueberry Buckle Recipe
Are you a blueberry fan? Me, too, so here is a little background and then a yummy recipe for Blueberry Buckle which is a long-time family favorite! What's So Special About this Recipe? My recipe for Blueberry Buckle is super special because it came from my mother and years of picking blueberries in our yard out West with my sister and brother. In fact, growing up, a familiar summer chore was to go outside and pick blueberries. Even though we sometimes complained, our reward was that Mom would make us a pan of Buckle! In my yard in North Carolina, now, there are rows of mature and very … [Read more...] about Blueberry Buckle Recipe
Breads, Cookies and Muffins with Quality Nutrition and 3 Recipes
Baked goods with carefully chosen ingredients can fit everyone's good nutrition plan if you keep an open mind. Baking Best Practices There are a few best practices to rely on when you want to bake a healthy loaf of bread, a dozen muffins or a batch of cookies. Taking time to work these out will give you a perfect starting point for better nutrition. Why? Because you'll have new items for your grocery list and other items you may take off your grocery list or buy less often. It's always smart to plan ahead. Here are my favorite best practices: Keep it simple Make substitutions … [Read more...] about Breads, Cookies and Muffins with Quality Nutrition and 3 Recipes
Simple Ingredients Make Great Flavors in Tomato and Basil Soup
If you think seriously about flavor, there are certain food pairs that work together in perfect harmony. For example, tomatoes and basil. There are many Mediterranean recipes that combine tomatoes with basil - and, almost always there's some extra virgin olive oil included, too. Here's an easy-to-make soup that works all year round, hot or cold. Out of fresh tomato season (fall, winter, spring,) use canned tomatoes for the best results and dried basil. In fresh tomato season (summer) get the best flavor by using both canned tomatoes and fresh ones, along with a big handful of fresh basil … [Read more...] about Simple Ingredients Make Great Flavors in Tomato and Basil Soup
Cool Foods Make Summer Better and 5 Options to Try
One important food lesson I learned while living in Spain last year was that cool foods like soup can make a hot day much better. Cool Tomatoes In Spain, one of the universally favorite foods to enjoy during summer and early fall is soup and it's refreshingly cool. Being in Spain was wonderful (pre-novel corona virus) and taste testing cool tomato soup was even better. My favorite, cool tomato soup is called Salmorejo and it's a specialty of Cordoba in the southern part of Spain where the summer heat is basically unbearable. Guess what? Sipping cool tomato soup makes everything … [Read more...] about Cool Foods Make Summer Better and 5 Options to Try
Mealtime Traditions Sprinkled with Good Nutrition
Most of us have meals or recipes that we consider traditions, but what we forget is that they don't have to be difficult and time consuming. The best sprinkled-with-good-nutrition traditions are ones that can be repeated and enjoyed. So, please keep it simple. Making time to cook isn't always easy so do your best to choose a tradition that's meaningful and also quick to fix. Will something below be your 'spark' to a delicious, new food tradition? I hope so. Quick-to-Fix Breakfast Traditions The morning meal is wide open for creative and satisfying nibbles. Here are a few new ideas … [Read more...] about Mealtime Traditions Sprinkled with Good Nutrition