January 18, 2011 - Weeknight Texas Chili
The first cool day of fall in Texas (meaning that the temperature drops below 70) is invariably called “chili weather”. Now, I know that chili can be a hotly debated topic but the chili I’m talking about is real, home cooked, made-to-feed-a-hungry-family chili. Those much-celebrated chili cook-offs that you see on T.V. make chili seem...
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January 16, 2011 - Yogurt & Granola
PS — that would be pre-Suzanne (2008) and her constant enabling of everything handmade, scratch-cooked, handpicked, handwoven, whittled from a log with her blog, the forum, and now Farm Bell Recipes– this was the yogurt that was in my shopping bag every week. Lots of them. Photo from yocrunch.com Now, I’ve been making my own...
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January 15, 2011 - Meet the Cook: Eve
Say HELLO to Eve! Q. What are your favorite things to cook? Wiener schnitzel with mashed potatoes and cucumber salad. I have taught my children, now grown, how to make this and even my daughter-in-law knows how to make this dish. Q. How/when did you learn to cook? Well that is a hard one. I...
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January 14, 2011 - Roasting Chestnuts
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire… Yeah, I don’t really know what that means. I am pretty sure chestnuts don’t grow in Arizona. They only show up once a year–during the holidays. If I don’t buy them early enough, they will be all weird and spoiled. It is like trying to buy “fresh fish” in...
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January 13, 2011 - Dumplings or Noodles?
As with most grown children, when they come home they want you to cook all their favorite foods. Carissa (my youngest daughter) wanted chicken and dumplings. There is great controversy on dumplings–flat or drop–in our family. I grew up with my Grandma Irene Tubbs making the drop variety. I didn’t know there was any other...
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January 12, 2011 - I Have No Excuse
I am busy. I have a husband, two children and animals who insist on eating at least three times a day while I have laundry to fold, diapers to change and a small business to run. Some days I wonder how I will get lunches packed and a decent home-cooked meal on the table in...
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January 11, 2011 - My Kitchen Has Salt-Wielding Gremlins
Look at this pan filled with yummy goodness. It had all the makings of a perfect bean soup. Yet somehow, somewhere, something went horribly, horribly awry. The garden had finally frozen over, and during my weeding, I found some late-fall veggies who had been hiding under the foliage–green tomatoes, eggplant, green bell peppers, red bell...
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January 10, 2011 - Muffins–Great Food Gift
This year I decided to give my in-laws muffins for Christmas. They are elderly, it’s just the two of them, and she doesn’t bake much anymore. They still enjoy baked goods–especially muffins–so I gave them nine muffins from each of my very best muffin recipes. I baked them all the week of Christmas, then froze...
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January 9, 2011 - Meet the Cook: LauraP
Say HELLO to Laura! Q. What are your favorite things to cook? Breads, pastries, savory stews that simmer for hours and make the house smell wonderful, anything fresh from the garden. Q. How/when did you learn to cook? I helped my mother and grandmothers in their kitchens as far back as I can remember. They...
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January 8, 2011 - Homemade Condensed Milk Experiments
I have a new favorite homemade ingredient–homemade sweetened condensed milk! It all started when kellyb posted her Hello Dollies recipe. These have been my absolute favorite Christmas cookie–I just didn’t know what they were called, so I’d never made them. They will now be my absolute favorite anytime cookie–no need to wait for the Christmas...
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January 7, 2011 - What Is Ghee?
I have been curious about a mysterious “something” I keep hearing and reading about among friends and online. Last week, the mysterious subject came up again, when Helen, a CITR friend asked me if I had ever made–ghee! She explained to me that it is simply clarified butter. The butter is heated slowly and the...
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January 6, 2011 - Cooking for Two: Roast Pork Supper
When I was in high school, I had the great good fortune to get a job in the neighborhood A&P store. This was not a supermarket–we didn’t even have shopping carts. When you wanted a roast, you told the butcher what you were looking for and he prepared your roast. I was privileged to work...
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January 5, 2011 - Call Me Clover, Jr.
Clover isn’t the only one who loves cookies. I’ll admit–I’m a full blown cookie monster. This time of year brings joy to my soul and tummy. I don’t limit my holiday intake to just cookies. That would be mean and rude to the other festive food groups–you know, caramel popcorn, peanut brittle, homemade chocolate candy,...
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January 4, 2011 - Scones After the Holidays
The holidays are over, and while you probably have finished off the last of the leftovers, you may not have had time to clean out the fridge. No doubt there are still a few items shoved in the back of the refrigerator that—while still good– they are quickly approaching their expiration date. You know, like...
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January 3, 2011 - Not Your Everyday Grilled Cheese
One of my very favorite cold weather meals is grilled cheese and tomato soup. I know that the easy way to make grilled cheese would just be to slap a couple squares of American cheese on some bread and grill, but several years ago I found this recipe for Ultimate Grilled Cheese and have never...
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January 2, 2011 - Meet the Cook: Charley Cooke
Say HELLO to Charley! Q. What are your favorite things to cook? I’m more of a baker than anything. Yeast bread has always been my favorite thing to cook, with cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, etc close behind. Q. How/when did you learn to cook? I learned to cook from my mom, but she was pretty...
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January 1, 2011 - Money Peas
My mother always, and I mean without fail, served black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. I never liked black-eyed peas, but we were prodded into consuming them with the promise of money. The more black-eyed peas you ate on New Year’s Day, the more money you’d have in the coming year. Not that I ever...
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December 31, 2010 - Celebrating 2010
The last blog post of a great year here on Farm Bell Recipes. Thank you, Suzanne, for creating this wonderful site to share our recipes and ideas with each other–my time in the kitchen is a little more exciting with all of the new tried and true recipes I’ve saved to my recipe box, not...
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December 30, 2010 - The Pie Spices—Part 1
Cinnamon and Cassia Will Shakespeare said it first: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Shakespeare could have well been talking of cinnamon and cassia, the two kissing cousins of the spice cabinet. True cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, aka Cinnamomum verum, can trace its written...
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December 29, 2010 - Hot, Cheesy, and Gooey
My dreams are made of this dip. Hot, cheesy, and gooey. I could get lost in its garlic-flavored cheese forever. Needless to say, because of its copious amounts of cheese, this only finds its way to our table at special occasions. But, oh what a treat it is! This is one of my family’s all-time...
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December 28, 2010 - Last Minute Idea: Ham & Cheese Tarts
In a rush? Yeah, me too. Nothing like learning tonight’s get together is a POTLUCK. Or in this case, this morning’s 7 a.m. breakfast. DARN YOU, POORLY-WORDED INVITATION! Good thing BamBam (and I) are 4 a.m. risers. See him helping here? At least he is not hanging on to my leg and crying. Ham and...
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December 27, 2010 - Peppermint Deliciousness!
A friend of mine had me buy a package of those peppermint Hershey Kisses the other day while we were shopping and I must admit I ate half the bag (or more!). I decided to go on a peppermint candy making expedition! I made a few batches before I got what I think is very...
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December 26, 2010 - No Cooking Required
Homemade cranberry-orange relish — I’m completely hooked on this stuff. The taste is incredible, and anybody who can operate a measuring cup and a blender can make it in minutes. I don’t know who in my family started making Cranberry-Orange Relish or where the recipe originated. As far back as I can remember noticing such...
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December 25, 2010 - A Very Merry Christmas
I’ve made every one of you breakfast! Grab a cup of coffee or tea, use your imagination and enjoy the Christmas Morning Monkey Bread I whipped up last night for our breakfast this morning. Like all of you, I’ve been in the kitchen so often, I want to enjoy my family this morning and not...
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December 24, 2010 - Magic Celebration
I really, really struggle with Christmas! In a good way, I guess. I love to bake and there are so many good cookie recipes out there with so little time that my ambition far exceeds my ability! I love the glitter and magic and spirit that surrounds Christmas–I really try not to let the material...
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December 23, 2010 - A Peppermint Twist
Just this week I needed an easy, wonderful tasting dessert for a get together with friends. I also wanted to use some extra eggs up–as the chickens haven’t slowed down production this winter. I scanned my recipes and found a flour-less chocolate cake that fit the bill. It’s super rich, super easy, and uses 6...
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December 22, 2010 - An Unusual Fudge
Everybody sing! Beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat. . . well, you know. Beans are fun and almost everybody likes beans in some form or another. There are so many types of beans! Green beans, black beans, kidney beans, chili beans, pinto beans, Navy beans, white beans, pork-n-beans, beanie wienies, jelly beans....
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December 21, 2010 - Cookies and Tears
Photo courtesy of Gluten Go Bye Bye Early December, a few years ago, I received a call from a woman. She said she knew I was a chef, and had heard I had a gluten intolerant daughter. When I acknowledged this, I could hear the relief in her voice. She told me how sick her...
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