My mom used to make cauliflower that was served in hot milk with melting butter and plenty of pepper – and I loved it. I have always loved vegetables of all kinds, although it took me a few years to accept cooked carrots. Cauliflower is one of my favorites because it is so versatile.

Roasting brings out the sweetness of almost any vegetable because it caramelizes the natural sugars in it. The flavors aren’t diluted by water (even steaming involves water and evaporation of flavor) and the texture is tender but not mushy.

Sunday Erin and Jon and the grandkids came over. I am still not totally up to par healthwise and there has been little grocery shopping done. I thought about giving everyone peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but I have a reputation to protect, you know? I hunted through the fridge and decided on a little throw together meal which really doesn’t even have a name. I made cheese ravioli and tossed it with portobello  mushrooms, onions, organic chicken and apple sausage, and butter. Maybe I should name it Ravioli Normandy since there are so many flavors I associate with France …read more

O.k. so when it gets to be a muggy 110 degrees and the only breeze at night comes from your husband who snores, you know you are in the South and you need a quick and easy dinner.
Summer is hot here. We don’t use air conditioning, haven’t for the several years we have lived in this house. Frankly, it is too expensive, but I also like the idea of flowing with the seasons..experiencing them rather than manipulating them. I know..I am so weird.
Nothing is worse than cooking a hot meal in a hot kitchen and serving it in a hot …read more

From the time Erin was small we have enjoyed special times together.  She loves tea in all of its forms more than I do and if I want to particularly bless her a quick trip to Teavana with do it…or a click to Adagio. Or… When we had the tearoom Erin was invaluable to me for her creative input.  SHe has an incredibel eye for the creative details and we created some tiered tea services that were not only droolworthy but perfect for the cover of  Tea Time magazine.
Sadly the antique tiered dishes are gone with the tea room and …read more

I love Pasta Primavera.  It is light, flavorful, and really fast.  Can you ask for more? I don’t think so!  The only thing I thought it was missing is a little “bite-cha-back.  You know what I mean.
Chipotle.

 
We don’t go out to eat very much, I think I have said that before.  For awhile we were going to a little Italian place close by but they closed..
I am honestly not a big Olive Garden fan but this soup is a favorite of mine.  It warms you up on a cold day and seems to me to be the epitomy of comfort.

 
I love spinach but several of my family members absolutely do not!
There is something about the combination of balsamic vinegar and bacon and spinach, though, that wakes up your taste buds and lets them know that you know what you are doing.

 
We got a blue norther through today. I have not seen one that color since one August in Michigan.  It was my Aunt and Uncle’s fiftieth anniversary and we were having a picnic…a blue norther blew through and dropped it 40 degrees in about 30 minutes.
Our temperature didn’t really drop today..too much..it’s supposed to get down to 42 tonight.  I have no way of predicting the winter..I used to depend on the horses’ coats for that..thick meant a colder than normal winter.
Anyway, all of a sudden it is soup season and I didn’t even realize it!

Noodles, bacon, cheese….what’s not to love?
This freezes well, kidls love it, so do husbands and hormonal women…Perfect for a cold day, a bad day, a busy day…or just because.  Vary the cheese for flavor changes, use ham instead of bacon…Use a different type of pasta if you want. Yum.
This is my entry for Presto Pasta.   For more great pasta dishes head over to Presto Pasta Nights

 
Sopapillas are wonderful, there is just no other way to say it…Hollow squares of fried dough, dusted with sugar, and served with honey to pour in the hollow middle part.  Every bite is sweet, and sticky, messy and incredible.
You have to serve them hot.  And you HAVE to eat all of them at that meal. You can’t save any for later.  Why? Because cold sopapillas are as disgusting as the fresh ones are good. Just. Don’t. Go. There.
Here in Texas they are often served as the dessert at the small Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants.  They are perfect because they …read more