If you know me then you might know that I grew up not far from a large Greek community called Tarpon Springs. This influenced some of my food favorites growing up. Kalmata olives were more common than green or black olives, feta cheese is best when brined, Papa’s Greek salad is my favorite, and dolmades are …
Comfort Food in the form of Frito Pie
What is your comfort food? That was the question posed for the September potluck. As I found out, most peoples’ comfort food included potatoes or cheese. To be sure these are at the top of my list. I appreciated that the collective group of people from all corners of the country came up with similar …
Almond Joy Coconut Cake
I would like to introduce you to my favorite coconut cake that just happens to be vegan. This is a variation of recipe that I came across years ago and filed away under the ‘find an excuse to make it’ category. Sadly I have lost the original source. I was saving this cake for a day when I would …
Blackberry Jelly
Good News! I found my canning supplies and you missed the first 3 batches of blackberry jelly. I can also now share with you that 34 cups of berries makes lots of juice. In the past two weeks we have joined the schoolhouse group as people who own a historic schoolhouse. This is the most …
More Blackberries Than I Can Pick
I see Jelly in my future. I have more blackberries than I know what to do with. I pick every berry that is close to me and never seem to get them all. I start picking at the end of one long drooping arm, pulling off blackberries the size of my thumb. As I pull …
How Many Boxes Does it Take to Pack a Kitchen?
I have a problem. A food problem, and I admit it. I love grocery shopping and can’t resist something that looks fresh. Even worse I can not pass up a sale. Here I am with days to finish packing and moving, telling myself that I have no time to cook and still I manage to …
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Boiled Peanuts
Slurp ‘em like oysters I say! Boiled Peanuts are something like a soft cooked bean (duh! It’s a legume!) in a firm, inedible, shell. They are also addicting. During my very first job at the produce stand I would snack on green beans and boiled peanuts. In the heat of the Florida summer, I sat …
Smoked Mac & Cheese
It's like veggie mac.... but sublime. This macaroni and smoked cheese came about from a combination of different recipes I had been holding on to. What I think really makes it stand out is the combination of cheeses and the cauliflower although others have argued that the noodles help bring this macaroni to its greatness. …
Lemon Balm and Mojitos for a Balmy Day
Lemon Balm was probably my first potted herb. I have long had container gardens, never living anywhere long enough to put down roots. The smell was probably what attracted me. Every time I walk by I crush a few leaves in my fingers just to catch another whiff of the intoxicating smell. What: (Melissa officinalis) …
Sweet Biscuits, Perfect for Shortcake
Everyone has a perfect recipe for biscuits. Each household has a meal that would not be a meal without a biscuit. While relatively simple, some of the best biscuits are achieved with little more than flour and finesse. Biscuits have different regional meanings around the world. In the oldest known usage, the bis in biscuit …
Nancy Warner 