The tomato basil soup recipe may be a bit spicy, I would suggest adding only 1/4 t. red pepper flakes and add more to your taste. I changed the measure on the recipe below. Thanks!

There are so many ways to prepare vegetables that are simply fantastic! Oven roasting, pan roasting, braising, just to name a few. For a delicious twist on cabbage, why not try sauteing? When you apply a slow, steady heat to cabbage (or onions), you bring out the natural sugar in the vegetable, causing it to caramelize. You simply thinly slice 1/2 head of cabbage, removing the core. In a large saute pan, heat over medium heat until very hot; add about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, add cabbage and STIR OFTEN to prevent burning. Add salt and pepper to taste, I recommend tasting throughout cooking to get the seasoning right. The cabbage cooks down and becomes very sweet & tender, simply delicious! (cooking time is about 40 minutes) You could also add a little garlic at the end of cooking and toss with hot cooked linguine pasta and some fresh grated parmesan cheese, OH MY!!

It’s that time of year again! I have been doing most of my gift shopping on line for the past few years, it’s convenient, you can avoid crowds, save gas, and you can do it in your pajamas with a hot cup of coffee (and possibly a nice piece of Texas Sheet Cake!) If you have a foodie on your list, Cooking.com is the ticket. You can find absolutely ANYTHING you need for the kitchen, at many different price points. Anyone who loves to cook loves to receive something useful for their kitchen, myself included! Take a moment to peruse cooking.com, you will be amazed!

Due to the economy, many of us are spending more and more time in our kitchens. This is not a bad thing, meals prepared at home are healthier and much less expensive. I highly recommend a food processor, many of you may already have one. You could certainly start out with a mini cuisinart, they run about $50 and would be worth the investment. You will save money making your own graham cracker crumbs, bread crumbs, and chopped nuts. I also use mine to make small batches of salad dressings and to chop herbs. If you have one and seldom use it, please get it out! It is one of the safest items in the kitchen as you can’t turn it on unless the top is properly attached. Don’t be afraid, you can do it!!

I have a very practical and simple approach to the kitchen. Waste NOTHING. Many of the foods we buy have traveled many, many miles to reach us. Let us be grateful and honor those who put their heart and soul into planting, growing, and harvesting our healthy whole foods by wasting nothing. Many processed foods are very expensive, not to mention chock full of many ingredients one can’t pronounce. We have more information than ever, and we know that highly processed foods simply are not good for the human body. Whole foods, that’s what we are striving for. Let’s get our children used to real foods, fostering good eating habits and let’s involve them in the cooking process, we learn what we live.
I am very confident that information in this blog will be a tremendous benefit to you and your family. I’m so anxious to get started, I have so much to share. I thank you so much for your participation.
Let’s get started!!!
You should take some time to look through your pantry. What kinds of items do you have? You will want to weed out any processed items you may have. Together, we will get your pantry in order.
I have come up with an extensive list of “must haves” for the pantry. You will want to replenish any of these items by simply putting them on next week’s shopping list, I keep a running list on my refrigerator. This list is quite long and may seem a bit overwhelming. I use items on this list weekly. It is really great to read through a recipe and know that you have most of the items on hand.

I’m so happy to have this venue to share many helpful cooking and baking ideas to nourish you and your family. There is nothing like coming home to the smell of a slow roasting whole chicken in the oven, or maybe the delightful smell of homemade cookies….simple and unprocessed. I am hoping to inspire anyone who would like to cook delicious and healthy food with a very simple approach; a well stocked pantry and a plan. I will be passing on many time saving tips, recipes, meal planning strategies, fun baking and decorating ideas, & information on the very important food safety.