This rice recipe is a family favorite! Fresh tasting with lots of flavor and very satisfying. < Back Lime Rice (Café Rio inspired) Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 10 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients In a saucepan, sauté: 2 Tbsp butter 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced In a large pot, bring the following to a boil: 6 2/3 cup water 8 tsp chicken bullion ½ bunch cilantro, chopped 2 tsp cumin 2 small cans diced green chilis 1 Tbsp lime juice ½ tsp salt · 3 cups long grain white rice added to boiling water Preparation 1. Add sauteed’ onion and garlic to boiling water. 2. Add the 3 cups of long grain rice to the boiling water. 3. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until liquid is gone and the rice is tender. Previous Next

Picked some apples off our tree earlier today. I have homemade apple cider now simmering on the stove. < Back Homemade Apple Cider Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 3 Hours Serves: 10 - 12 Cups Level: Beginner About the Recipe Picked some apples off our tree earlier today. I have homemade apple cider now simmering on the stove. Ingredients 10-12 medium apples of choice, quartered 2 oranges, quartered 2 lemons, quartered 1 Tablespoon whole cloves 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground ginger 4 whole cinnamon sticks 1/4 heaping teaspoon ground allspice 10-12 Cups water (enough water to cover & leave 1-2 Inches of head space in the pot. I'm using a 7 quart Dutch oven 1 Cup packed brown sugar. May use more or less according to preferred taste. Preparation Remove stems from apples. Quarter whole apples, lemons & oranges leaving peels on and place into a Dutch oven. Add spices and water. Bring to a simmer using high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 2 hours. After 2 hours mash fruit with a potato masher or mash fruit on the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer for 1 more hour. Strain with a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl then place cheese cloth in strainer & re-strain. Add brown sugar to sweeten. Stir until dissolved. Serve warm or chilled. Previous Next

This is a lively seasoning for soups, sauces, stews, and omelettes. < Back Salted Herbs Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: Serves: Multiple Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 cup chopped fresh chives 1 cup chopped fresh savory 1 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 cup chopped fresh chervil 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup chopped celery leaves 1 cup chopped green onions ¼ - ½ cup salt. Preparation In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except salt. Layer 1” of herb mixture in the bottom of a crock or glass bowl and sprinkle with some of the salt. Repeat layers until all of the herb mixture and salt is used. Cove and refrigerate for at least 2 weeks. Drain off accumulated liquid and pack herb mixture into jars. Refrigerate until ready to use. *Note: If you don’t have fresh ingredients, use the dried instead and adjust for taste. Previous Next

Once you see how easy and tasty this soup recipe is, you will never want to open another canned tomato soup again! < Back Homemade Tomato Soup Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 quart stewed tomatoes OR 6 fresh tomatoes ½ cup to 1 cup heavy whipping cream OR whole milk (but only if you hate yourself) ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper (to taste) ¼ - ½ teaspoon granulated garlic (to taste, NOT optional) ¼ teaspoon basil (to taste, optional) Preparation If you are using a quart of stewed tomatoes, pour into a saucepan and blend until smooth (I find that having some texture is pleasant). Skip to #4 . If you are using fresh tomatoes, cut them up and place them in the saucepan. Add just enough water so that the tomatoes don’t burn (a couple of tablespoons). Cover and steam until cooked. Blend until smooth. Add your cream, salt and pepper, garlic, and basil. Heat up on a medium heat and serve warm. This soup is so easy and satisfying, it is hard not to want to eat it every day! Goes really well with a crispy, perfectly melted cheese, grilled cheese sandwich. The epitome of comfort food. Previous Next

This baked sweet potato casserole topped with a delicious pecan topping is so good and creamy — my family begs me to make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas! Try this recipe and I'm sure it will become your new tradition. < Back Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Serves: 12 Level: Beginner About the Recipe This baked sweet potato casserole topped with a delicious pecan topping is so good and creamy — my family begs me to make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas! Try this recipe and I'm sure it will become your new tradition. Ingredients Sweet Potatoes: 4 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes 2 large eggs, beaten ½ cup white sugar ½ cup milk 4 tablespoons butter, softened ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt Pecan Topping: ½ cup packed brown sugar ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons butter, softened ½ cup chopped pecans Preparation A traditional holiday table wouldn't be complete without a sweet potato casserole. Perfectly flavored and topped with an irresistible pecan topping, this is the only sweet potato casserole recipe you'll ever need. How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this top-rated sweet potato casserole: Cook and mash the sweet potatoes. Mix the casserole ingredients and transfer to a baking dish. Make the topping and sprinkle it over the sweet potato mixture. Bake until the topping is lightly browned. Can You Make Sweet Potato Casserole Ahead of Time? Yes, you can prepare this sweet potato casserole one to two days in advance. It's a great way to get a head start on Thanksgiving! To make ahead, simply prepare the filling and topping separately — but don't bake anything yet. Tightly cover the baking dish and place the topping in an airtight container. Store them both in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook. On the big day, sprinkle the topping onto the filling and bake according to the directions (you may have to add a few minutes to the baking time to account for the cold temperature). How to Store Sweet Potato Casserole Allow the casserole to cool completely, then store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to five days. How to Reheat Sweet Potato Casserole To reheat this sweet potato casserole, cover with foil and bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes (or until heated through). Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Casserole? Yes, you can freeze sweet potato casserole. Bake the filling according to the directions (preferably in a foil baking pan) without adding the topping. Allow the casserole to cool, then wrap the entire baking dish tightly in foil. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Add the topping and reheat in the oven according to the directions above. Directions Step 1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Step 2 Prepare sweet potatoes: Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl Step 3 Mash drained sweet potatoes with a fork. Add eggs; mix until well combined. Add sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt; mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Step 4 Make topping: Mix brown sugar and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until mixture is coarse and looks like peas; don't overmix. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture. Step 5 Bake in the preheated oven until the topping is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Step 6 Enjoy! Previous Next

Rhubarb season comes and goes in the blink of the eye. In theory, it's in season from April to June, but depending on where you are, it can be much shorter. Moral of the story: When you see rhubarb, BUY IT. Then immediately make this jam. Because as much as we love rhubarb pie and rhubarb crisp, desserts only last for a day or two. This jam will stay good in your fridge for up to a couple months, and can make pretty much anything taste better—steel-cut oats, plain greek yogurt, homemade biscuits, or ricotta pancakes. < Back Rhubarb Jam Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hr 34 mins (total time) Serves: Level: About the Recipe Ingredients 2 lb. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2" pieces (about 7 c.) 2 1/4 c. granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice Preparation Step1 In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine rhubarb, sugar, Sure-Jell or Cleargel and salt. Cook, stirring, until rhubarb releases juices and mixture comes to a boil, about 8 minutes. Start heating up your water bath pot, so it is boiling by the time your jars are ready. Step 2 Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until foam subsides and jam is thick, 15 to 18 minutes. Keep a close eye because it will boil over and make a complete mess! Stir in lemon juice, transfer to clean glass jars Step 3 Put lids in boiling water for 5 min to warm up the rubber. Wipe the rim of jars with vinegar or rubber alcohol, add warmed lids and add rings to finger tight. Process jars in a steam canner or hot water bath canner for 15 minutes, increase time based on your altitude. *** Side note I like my jam smooth, so I alway blend it with a stick blender FUN FACT/TIP! I have been buying Rhubarb as often as I see it, then I cut it up, put it in ziploc bags 7 to 8 cups at a time. Then I put them in the freezer for later to avoid anything from going bad, I just put any fruit or vegetable in the freezer until I am ready to bottle or freeze dry them! Step 4 Remove jars careful because they are not sealed yet. Cool to room temperature for 24 hours. After 24 hours remove the rings (you really do not want to store your bottled food with the rings on), take a picture of what you accomplised, then put them in storage. *** Side note I like my jam smooth, so I alway blend it with a stick blender Previous Next

These homemade candy canes are SO much better than store-bought, and so fun to make! Just make sure you have a stick of butter handy to keep your hands buttered for pulling so it doesn't stick to you. < Back Homemade Candy Canes Prep Time: Cook Time: 20 Minutes Serves: approx. 10 Level: Beginner About the Recipe These homemade candy canes are SO much better than store-bought, and so fun to make! Just make sure you have a stick of butter handy to keep your hands buttered for pulling so it doesn't stick to you. Ingredients 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/2 cup water 1/4 tsp. cream of tarter 1 tsp. peppermint extract 1 tsp. red food coloring Preparation In a heavy-bottomed large saucepan or small pot, combine the first 4 ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. Cook, without stirring to a hard-ball stage. (265 degrees.) Remove from heat and add peppermint extract. Divide into 2 portions, and add coloring to one part. Pour out onto buttered cookie sheets. (Pour half onto one sheet, then add coloring to the rest and then pour onto the second sheet.) When it's cool enough to handle, start pulling each part separately. (Best done with 2 people, but if doing alone, go back and forth pulling each.) When you feel like you just can't pull anymore, form into ropes and twist them together. Cut into 8" lengths, form into the shape of candy canes, and place on a lightly buttered platter until fully hardened. Previous Next

< Back Carrot Cake Your grandmas classic carrot cake. Previous Next

Brown Butter Garlic Fried Gnocchi are tender morsels tossed in a buttery herb sauce you are going to love! Super easy and quick, this is a perfect dish for busy nights! Please note: Posts may contain affiliate links As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying Amazon.com Services LLC purchases. < Back Brown Butter Garlic Fried Gnocchi Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Brown Butter Garlic Fried Gnocchi are tender morsels tossed in a buttery herb sauce you are going to love! Super easy and quick, this is a perfect dish for busy nights! Please note: Posts may contain affiliate links As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying Amazon.com Services LLC purchases. Ingredients 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 pound potato gnocchi 1/4 cup butter 3 cloves garlic minced 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded Preparation Pan Fried Gnocchi You guys! This brown butter garlic fried gnocchi is one of the easiest and tastiest dishes yet! Tender soft pillowy gnocchi is fried in olive oil till it has a golden crisp crust, but still tender inside. Then butter is melted and cooked till it starts to brown giving you that nutty salty flavor that is divine. Add in some garlic and thyme and voila! You have a meal fit for royalty. Super simple, and super delicious! This is my kind of meal! You might want to double this recipe, I found that I could have eaten half of this by myself, so you might want to double it. What is Gnocchi? Pronounced nyow·kee, it comes from Italy and is not, as some believe, a pasta. Gnocchi is actually a dumpling and is typically made from cooked mashed potatoes, flour and maybe eggs to form a dough. The dough is then rolled out into long pieces, cut into bite-sized pieces and then pressed with a fork to form its classical ridges. These ridges are meant for soaking up and holding on to sauces. Despite not being a pasta, it is often used like one, you can often substitute noodles with gnocchi in many dishes. When cooked correctly, they are light, airy and soft. Ingredients for Brown Butter Garlic Fried Gnocchi Look for gnocchi on the shelf with the other pastas. Shelf stable gnocchi is a bit firmer and will hold up better to the frying than fresh. Fresh is fine if that is all you can find, but it might fall apart as you saute it so toss it gently. Olive Oil: This is the ideal oil for frying the gnocchi, high enough smoke point and adds a bit of flavor. Gnocchi: Use potato gnocchi for this recipe. Unsalted Butter: You cannot substitute the butter for something else. It won’t brown and create that incredible nutty flavor otherwise. Garlic: Mince your garlic for best flavor. Fresh Thyme: I highly recommend using fresh here instead of dried. Parmesan cheese: Grate your own cheese. It tastes so much better. Making Incredible Fried Gnocchi with Brown Butter This one of the easiest recipes ever, and it yields one of the fanciest dishes too! It looks and tastes like you ordered it from a fancy Italian restaurant, only it's better! Fry: In a medium sized skillet over medium high heat add the olive oil. Add in the gnocchi and fry until for a few minutes until golden and crisp. Remove the gnocchi from the skillet and set aside. Butter: Add in the butter, whisk until it starts to froth and turn brown. Toss: Remove from heat and add the garlic and thyme. Add the gnocchi back to the butter and toss. Top with parmesan cheese. Browning Tips! Don’t be scared by browning butter, it is super simple and foolproof if you follow these tips. To get the best browned butter you really need to use unsalted butter. There are several reasons you want to use unsalted butter. First, unsalted butter is going to be fresher. Salt acts as a preservative so salted butter will have a longer shelf life, meaning unsalted will be fresher. Second, because you use unsalted butter you can control the amount of salt in your sauce, which is a good thing. Third, salted butter will foam up more than unsalted which can make it hard to see when the butter is the color you want it to be. Use a light colored pan: You want to be able to see the brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. Using a dark colored pan will prevent you from seeing when those have formed and this is a key clue to when your butter is done. Those dark specks are the toasted milk solids that bring the flavor, so don’t leave them behind. Don’t Stop Stirring: This will make sure your butter cooks evenly and will help it from going from brown to burnt too fast, which can happen. Cut the butter into pieces: Again you want it to cook evenly and cutting it will help it do so. Remove from heat and pan: Once your butter has foamed, turned golden brown and the brown specks form, you want to remove it from the heat. Transfer the butter to a different pan as well or as in this case add something to the pan. This will help the butter stop cooking so it doesn’t go from brown to burnt. Smell: It should have a buttery, nutty rich smell as well. Variations for this Easy Gnocchi Recipe Herbs: Use different herbs with your browned butter if you wish. Sage, rosemary, oregano, basil all work well with this sauce. Brighten: Add a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice to brighten and add a bit zinginess to the gnocchi. Spice: If you want to add a bit of spice to your browned butter gnocchi, you can add some red pepper flakes to give it a bit of a kick. Leftovers: Keep leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days and rewarm in a pan on the stove. Add a bit more butter if you need to keep it from drying out. Instructions 1. In a medium sized skillet over medium high heat add the olive oil. Add in the gnocchi and fry until golden for a few minutes until golden and crisp. Remove the gnocchi from the skillet and set aside. 2. Add in the butter. Whisk until it starts to froth turns brown. 3. Remove from the heat and add the garlic and thyme. Add the gnocchi back to the butter and toss. Top with parmesan cheese. Previous Next

This rich and decadent version of hot chocolate has a silky texture and hint of spice from the garnish of cayenne pepper. < Back Spanish-Style Hot Chocolate Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes Serves: 4 Cups Level: Beginner About the Recipe This rich and decadent version of hot chocolate has a silky texture and hint of spice from the garnish of cayenne pepper. Ingredients 4 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao), broken or cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 1/4 cups whole milk 2 teaspoons white sugar, or to taste 1 pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch cayenne pepper to garnish top Preparation Step 1 Break up chocolate into small pieces and set aside. Step 2 Add milk, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to a saucepan, and whisk thoroughly. Step 3 Place over medium to medium-high heat, and cook stirring until the milk just starts to simmer. Step 4 Remove milk from heat, and quickly whisk in chocolate until completely melted and emulsified. Step 5 Serve immediately in hot cups, garnished with a pinch of cayenne on top if desired. Cook's Notes: This is the thinner, drinkable version of Spanish-Style Hot Chocolate. For the thicker, richer version, used for dipping churros, increase the cornstarch from 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon, and increase the chocolate amount from 4 ounces to 6 ounces. If semi-sweet chocolate is used instead of dark, bittersweet chocolate, the white sugar amount may need to be reduced, according to taste. Previous Next

This is the best guacamole recipe as it’s simple to make and uses fresh, high-quality ingredients. Authentic guacamole doesn’t contain fillers and unnecessary ingredients. All you need is avocados, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, garlic, and salt. Easy and delicious! < Back Guacamole (fresh, easy & authentic) Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe This is the best guacamole recipe as it’s simple to make and uses fresh, high-quality ingredients. Authentic guacamole doesn’t contain fillers and unnecessary ingredients. All you need is avocados, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, garlic, and salt. Easy and delicious! Ingredients 3 avocados, ripe ½ small yellow onion, finely diced 2 Roma tomatoes, diced 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 lime, juiced ½ teaspoon sea salt Preparation I’m not one for hyperbole, but this really is the best guacamole recipe. When it comes to crowd-raving guacamole the key is to not get too fancy or try to be too unique. Guacamole is meant to be easy to make and delicious. Plain and simple. It’s a blend of a few high quality ingredients with flavors that meld together beautifully. PICK RIPE AVOCADOS FOR THE BEST GUACAMOLE The best guacamole starts with the freshest ingredients. Look for avocados that are ripe, but firm. You definitely don’t want soft and mushy avocados. So how do you pick good, ripe avocados? First, grab avocados that still have the stem attached. If the stem has been removed in the store, it’s more likely to have brown spots on the inside. Then, gently press on one end. It should be firm, but have a slight give to it. HOW DO YOU MAKE GUACAMOLE? Slice three ripe avocados in half, remove the pit and scoop them into a mixing bowl. Then use a fork to gently mash them to your desired level of chunky or smooth. Add the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, garlic, lime juice and salt and stir everything together. That’s it. The most delicious, easy guacamole. HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS (AND KEEP IT GREEN!) Guacamole oxidizes and turns brown pretty darn quick. The lime juice helps to slow this process, but it’s inevitable that leftover guacamole will eventually start to brown. Now, I’ve tried every kitchen hack imaginable to keep guacamole green (I eat a lot of guacamole). So what doesn’t work? Well, let’s start with leaving the pit in the guacamole. This does nothing to prevent browning and there’s no scientific justification for it. Consider it an old wives tale. Next, many say to add lemon juice. And this helps a bit, but I don’t like that it changes the flavor profile of my beloved guacamole. The most common guacamole preservation hack is placing plastic wrap directly on the guacamole to prevent oxidation. And this may work for a day or two. But I’m striving to reduce my plastic consumption and just don’t love this method. So in my quest to keep my guacamole green I stumbled on this hack – and it’s brilliant. Here’s how to keep guacamole green: Place your leftover guacamole in a storage container and pat it down firmly with a spoon so it’s nice and flat on top. Add about 1/2 inch of water on top (I used cold water). Place the lid on the storage container and store it in the fridge. That’s it! When you want to enjoy the guacamole, drain the water off the top, give it a stir and you’re good to go. I tested this method for th ,m ree full days and it worked like a charm. It stays perfectly fresh and delicious. Though I will admit by the third day it does start to get a little more watery. But who has guacamole last that long anyway? MORE DELICIOUS MEXICAN INSPIRED RECIPES For all my Mexican food lovers, give these reader favorite recipes a try: Shredded Mexican Chicken (Café Rio inspired) Sweet Shredded Mexican Pork (Café Rio inspired) Mexican Spice Mix Southwest Chipotle Seasoning Salsa Mix Taco Seasoning Mix Agua Fresca de Fresas con Crema (strawberries and cream) INSTRUCTIONS 1. Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop into a mixing bowl. 2. Mash the avocado with a fork and make it as chunky or smooth as you’d like. 3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Give it a taste test and add a pinch more salt or lime juice if needed. 4. Serve the guacamole with tortilla chips. Tips: Look for large avocados for this recipe. If you can only find small avocados, feel free to add one more! Definitely use fresh limes rather than lime juice in a bottle. The flavor difference is worth it. And speaking of limes, I’m using Mexican limes which give about 1 to 2 tablespoons of juice. Previous Next

The original recipe says that they store in the fridge for up to two months. I have no idea because mine were eaten up way before then! I suspicion that they actually last longer than that, but why let them sit there all lonely like in the fridge when they could be keeping company with scrambled eggs? < Back Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: 10 servings Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 cup white distilled vinegar 1 cup water 2 cloves garlic, smashed 2 tablespoons sugar (more or less) 1 tablespoon salt 7-8 jalapeño, sliced thin crossways 1 carrot, sliced thin in rounds (for color, that, and they taste good pickled) 1 pair latex gloves (ALWAYS use the gloves when cutting the jalapeños or you will be sorry) Preparation Add all of the ingredients to a pan, except the sliced jalapeños and carrots, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the jalapeños and carrots to the brine. Let sit for at least 10 minutes and transfer the peppers and carrots (and garlic) to a jar and cover with brine. Refrigerate and enjoy! *Special note: if you decide to not wear protection when slicing the jalapeños, your fingers will burn, and if you touch your eyes – they will burn too. And it will be painful. Take precautions. If you want to keep these for long-term storage (and who wouldn’t?), water bath the ½ pints and pints for 10 minutes. Adjust processing time according to your altitude. To find your elevation, go to https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/find_altitude.html Previous Next