Yesterday was Mardi Gras and, while we don’t generally celebrate with much fanfare, I do like to cook with a theme. So while all were reveling down in New Orleans, I was making Laura Bush’s Spicy Cheese Grits with Shrimp. Really any excuse to make (or eat) the Southern classic shrimp & grits is a-ok…

On an average week, I typically use recipes from my beautiful collection of cookbooks. I can cook without them, but for me it’s about the exploration and trying new things and getting inspiration from different recipes that I really love. Eventually, after so many dishes, you build a great knowledge of flavors and profiles and…

A few days ago, we were treated to a beautiful dinner at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in Fort Worth for the Mr’s (belated) birthday. I will admit that, though I am a food blogger, I often get so caught up in the moment of enjoying the company I’m with while we’re out, I forget…

For years, I hated buying buttermilk for a recipe because I could never just buy what I needed and inevitably half would go to waste. I hate waste and we no longer live in an age where buttermilk is widely enjoyed as a treat or like milk. I bought some recently for a cake and…

In some ways, I’m fighting the end of Winter. I never feel like we get a proper one here in Texas. In other ways, I am looking forward to Spring/Summer. I usually live for Fall/Winter, but for some reason I felt like I wasn’t finished with Summer last year. Not that I’m particularly ready for…

Meatless Monday doesn’t have to be boring. As a matter of fact, it is anything but boring at my house. It also doesn’t have to mean Vegan either. Give me all the cheese, please! Mmmm, cheese… Macaroni & cheese… Years ago I received a copy of Cooking with Friends cookbook based on one of my…

Sometimes the best gifts are not just given from the heart but made with the hands too. For my SFIL’s birthday this year, not only did I make him a chocolate pie (his favorite), but I also used my new Singer 3223by sewing machine that I received for Christmas to make him a very simple…

Usually when cooking for an expanding family, I like to mix a little bit of healthy food with a little bit of kid-friendly food. When you’re dealing with a variety of sizes and ages, everyone still has to eat and everyone still needs to be happy. Okay, maybe I’m not going to please every member…

The cold, rainy day yesterday made us crave something hot and comforting so I decided to try out Joanna Gaines’ recipe for Tomato-Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Strips from her Magnolia Table cookbook. Not only did this hit the spot (with us going back for seconds and almost thirds!), but it was fast and flavor-packed….

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a favorite for one of my SILs. Even though her birthday is in February, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a little summertime treat. This particular recipe from Alex Guarnaschelli’s ‘The Home Cook‘ is quite different than your average Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I really liked some of the different elements…