This is a recipe born of desperation (starving husband), and made with limited ingredients because the only grocery store in town was closed. We were living in a small village not big enough to be called a city, about half an hour from the big city of Ann Arbor. We...
When my daughter and son-in law decided to become full time vegetarians, I was a little worried. Not that I dislike vegetarian food or feel that it is not a good option for people. I often choose meat free meals. I was just concerned that I wouldn't be able to provide...
This time of year, soup plays a top role in my menu planning for many good reasons: it is easy to make a large amount with little effort. Soup has anti-inflammatory properties because of the many minerals and vitamins. It can improve gut health and boosts immunity. It...
Most of us immediately envision a sweet and spicy red tomato sauce when we think of Sloppy Joes. I often made juicy, tomato-y Sloppy Joes. Just the right amount of sweet-sour flavor and texture spilling out of a soft bun. Sloppy Joes were a quick, easy meal that both...
One day (quite a few years ago, I have to admit) my then-9 year old son returned from playing at a friend's house and yelled: "Mom--Mark's Mom makes THE BEST BROWNIES in the world!" Well, those brownies must have been delicious if it's the first thing mentioned after...
Although I usually have ground beef on hand, most of the time I use it for casseroles, tacos, chili, lasagna, sloppy joes--meals that allow ground beef to take on different flavors and textures, depending on the cuisine. I am not a big beef eater, so I rarely crave a...
I used to love fried chicken and I remember the day that my kids and I ordered a bucket of fried chicken. That didn't happen very often, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Since it seemed somewhat greasy, we decided to pull off the skin. When we saw the globs...
When I first met Allen, he was a still a student at MSU, and was working two jobs. I had just graduated from college and started my first semester of teaching in Battle Creek, Michigan. Neither of us had much money, but I loved trying new cooking techniques and he...
When I was thinking about recipes for this week with St. Patrick's Day coming up, I realized that I don't have many traditional Irish recipes in my cooking repertoire. If anyone out there wants to share a favorite Irish recipe, please do so. I would love to try...
I have great memories of making cinnamon rolls MANY times for Allen and his roommates when they lived in East Lansing. There is something about the way a bunch of hungry college students devours homemade baked goods that makes you feel like you are the best...
The last month and a half has been frenetic because I decided now was the time to sell my house. As another summer has started to get into full swing, I realized that I just did not want to continue to take care of my 3.06 acres anymore. In the past, Allen and I loved...
As I mentioned in the last post, I am sorting and organizing many years' accumulation in order to sell my house and move to a new stage in life. Friends Judy and Mary Jo came over to help with weeding; they helped knock out 6 garden beds in record time! But we still...