Ah…crock pot recipes! Pop the ingredients into a big pot, smell them cooking all day long and have a meal all prepared at dinner time. What is not to like? This Crock pot beef stew is one of my favorite ways to get dinner on the table in a very easy way. Crock pot cooking …
Carol Speake
I love easy recipes. My time is limited and, although I love to cook, sometimes I just don’t have much time to devote to it. (especially this time of the year when I love being out in the garden.) This recipe for brown sugar and garlic pork chops is a very easy recipe. It is …
Looking for a pretty way to dress up the pots that you use for growing herbs, and label them at the same time? These cute herb planter labels can be just printed off and then added to your pots in no time at all. Herb Identification seems at though it would be easy but you …
Growing herbs is something that any good cook should consider. This mason jar herb garden fits into the French country look that I have going on in my kitchen as part of a renovation, too. It’s the perfect DIY project for my vegetable gardening summer! I love cottage chic decor projects. They have a rustic appeal …
Beef Stroganoff has proven itself again and again to be a classic, well loved and tasty dish. This recipe uses ground beef instead of sirloin strips for a less expensive version. But don’t let that fool you. The taste is all there! This recipe is as easy to make as one of your packaged hamburger …
It’s time to check out my garden in March to see what is blooming for me. This has been the longest winter ever. I used to live in Maine and am used to long, cold winters. But here in North Carolina, normally, I have a lot of things growing, especially vegetables, by this time in …
These delicious fudge recipes bring to mind everyone’s three favorite fudge words: smooth, creamy, and decadent. How can you resist them, particularly during the holidays when making fudge is a favorite thing to do? Whether it be chocolate, peanut butter (my favorite) or some other style, these recipes will tempt even the sweetest kind of …
“Man does not live by bread alone” so the saying goes. But with this list of my favorite bread recipes, one might have to reconsider this. I have to admit it – I love bread. I would find it difficult to eat a grain free diet. To me, there is nothing quite like the smell …
This recipe for 3 cheese chicken penne with Alfredo sauce delicious version of a restaurant favorite. It is rich and creamy and very easy to prepare. We go out to dinner every Sunday night to give me a day off cooking. When I find a dish I like the flavor of, I try to replicate it …
Squirrels in my garden last year made vegetable gardening a nightmare for me. This year, I decided to try combining perennials and vegetables in one garden bed to see how it worked out. I have long been interested in growing perennials. Adding some vegetables into the mix gave my garden beds an interesting new look. …
Steel head trout is a favorite of mine. Many people think it is a form of salmon because of the color, which is so similar, but it is a form of rainbow trout. It is rich and delicious and gives you more than your daily dose of omega 3 fatty acids. This recipe for Steel …
Years ago, I went out for lunch with some teaching friends of mine. One of the items on the menu was a taco salad. Believe it or not, I had never heard of this delightful concoction. Ever since then, when I eat Mexican, I often choose this as my order. I love the taste of …
These taco recipes are perfect for an easy weekday meal and the obvious choice for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Tacos are a popular Mexican recipe. Who can resist the traditional hard taco shell filled with ground beef and your favorite toppings? It is one of my favorites and my family’s too. Here are a …
These creative bird baths make use of re-purposed items that you may have around the house. They add a whimsical touch to any garden decorating theme. This time of the year, it’s common for bird baths to get really dirty. Check out the video on cleaning a bird bath for and easy solution to this …
These dip recipes are the perfect way to start any party or gathering. It will soon be time to start thinking about summer parties and barbecues. (I know, I know…will this winter ever end?) But it is never too early to start planning for the next big event. Start your celebrations off right with one …
These 30 minute meals are perfect for those days when time it at a minimum. There never seems to be enough time in the day for me. Especially during the week. Weeknights are so busy for me. I am always on the look out for recipes that just won’t take much time after a busy …
I have to admit. I am a huge fan of peanut butter. Sort of like Claire on the series Lost. There are days when I could just dive into a jar and eat just that for the day. Add to the peanut butter some chocolate, like many of these recipes do and that is a …
One of my favorite things to do when I have some spare time is to visit Raleigh Botanical Gardens. I love the new perennial and annual plants that I learn about and it just de-stresses me like nothing else seems to do. Raleigh has a great Botanical Garden called JC Raulston Arboretum. The beauty of …
Much of my personal peace and happiness comes from the time I spend in my garden. It soothes my soul like nothing else that I do during the day. These images are flowers from my garden and I have teamed them up with sayings that describe how I often feel when I am outside working …
These potato recipes will give you lots of ideas for cooking this humble vegetable. I’ve always been a meat and potatoes kind of gal. No matter how I do them, I always feels as though the potatoes are the star of the dish. Potatoes can be cooked so many ways. They always make a great …
These baked lamb chops are beautifully tender and have a delicious rosemary cream sauce. The recipe makes a nice main course alternative to pork or beef. I’ve you’ve never tried baked lamb, you are in for a treat. Lamb loin chops are a tender cut of meat and much less expensive than the fancy rack …
Got an impulse to cater to your sweet tooth? These candy creations will tempt even the most ardent candy lover. Making candy at home is a great way to try new tastes and save money, to boot. Fortunately, it is not too hard to do! From fudge to truffles, and in between, here are some …
It’s cocktail hour! There is nothing quite like relaxing with a tasty cocktail at the end of a long day. And it is getting to that time of the year when you can do it on a lawn chair overlooking your back garden. Do you have the same sort of drink that is your favorite, …
Here are some of my favorite strawberry recipes. It will soon be time for the abundance of fresh strawberries to start appearing at the farmer’s market. Well, maybe not soon, with the winter we have had but I have a bad case of spring fever. When strawberries are available, I always buy them in bulk …
These chicken thighs are so easy to prepare and yet taste as though you spent hours in the kitchen. And they are perfect for those following a Paleo diet. Chicken thighs are made from the dark meat, so are naturally moist and removing the skin saves calories but does not lessen the juiciness of them. …
I love making crock pot recipes all the time, but particularly in the winter months. One of my favorite things to make in it is a great tasting crock pot vegetable beef soup recipe. Having a big bowl of soup is a great way to warm up on early spring days when the weather is …