October seemed to hit and bring autumn with it all in a rush, didn’t it? The Crimson Maple out front has a tiny blush to the leaves and we have gotten massive amounts of rain. The raccoons wake me up nearly every night with all of their partying in the creek bed. I think it is time to put the flannel sheets on the beds!

The salad that I did for the church luncheon on Saturday was full of fall flavor. I used a bed of baby lettuces and arranged maple caramelized pear slices on one side and two wedges of …read more

I know that a Croque Monsieur has ham, cheese, and is grilled. I know that most of the time it is done without batter, although it can be done with bechamel. I know these things, and in knowing them? I ignore them totally. Croque Monsiuer at our house is created with egg dipped sour dough, several types of cheese and a hot griddle. It is always served with the ripest tomatoes available. Check it out-

The sour dough adds a nice, chewy texture and the flavor compliments the cheese blend.

Mashed potatoes are one of the major four comfort foods; chocolate, ice cream, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes.  They are great plain, with plenty of butter and maybe some gravy, but when you want serious comfort food give these a try.  Smoky bacon, garlic, onion, and cheddar combine with the potatoes to create something amazing.

I served them with ham, but they make a great topper for shepherds pie, or anything where you want flavorful mashed potatoes.  Not sure that you would want to dump gravy on these…
1/2 lb bacon
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
3 lbs …read more