by CRYSTAL JOHNSON

Nothing says holidays or party like the appetizers that have been around forever and are still requested/eaten first. If there’s one way to make these there must be fifty! Here’s a version without the usual biscuit mix - only because I didn’t have any and didn’t want to buy it for one recipe. This is the moment to buy good sausage and a good block of cheddar cheese. Use the grater and freshly grate cheese for this one. It makes a big difference!! I’m a fan of white cheddar an

It’s a good time of year to have quick and easy appetizers in mind. These shells are no secret but I do forget about them sometimes. They’re perfect for elegant little bites! You’ll find these in your freezer section of the grocery store. They are usually near puff pastry and pie crust. I think they are quite popular during the holidays because I had to search a few stores to find them recently. So-stock up! Keep a few boxes in your freezer for a go-to appetizer. These are as

If I want to be nostalgic for my teenage years, I make these sausage bites. They are SUPER simple and only require 3 ingredients. My mom used to make them anytime we had a crowd gathering for breakfast or as appetizers. Of course you can zhuzh them up by adding different kinds of cheese or spices, but the original is pretty great! INGREDIENTS 1 pound breakfast sausage 1 block cream cheese, leave out at room temperature to soften 2 packages crescent rolls (the kind that come p

This is a completely insane pumpkin dessert that you don’t yet know you need! My friend Kim made this years ago and I was shocked at how amazing it tasted compared to how easy it was to make. Your home will smell divine! INGREDIENTS 1 - 29 ounce can Pumpkin Pie Mix OR plain pumpkin puree 1 - 6 ounce can evaporated milk 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup Sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 box yellow cake mix with pudding 1/2 pound b

I found these on Pinterest several years ago and just remembered them in time for Thanksgiving! They are delicious and super easy. The most important part is making sure you grease the muffin pans well. REALLY well. INGREDIENTS 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 cups chopped pecans 2/3 cup butter, softened 2 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Grease mini or regular muffin pans. Be sure to generously

It is officially COLD in Nashville! We even had a sprinkling of snow throughout the day. This isn't my first chili of the year - but I've changed my recipe a little so I'm posting an update and adding some red wine ideas. Since we eat this a lot in fall and winter I've tried it with several kinds of wine and I have a few favorites. It's so interesting to read about and hear what wines people prefer paired with foods. It varies so widely and i'm always up for trying a new comb

It's that wonderful/stressful/fun/overwhelming time of year! I love the holidays, but I do get stressed trying to make sure I have everything ready/travel plans in sync/work covered/etc. Even so, the gatherings, traditions, decorations, FOOD, and spirit of the holiday season makes the memories more wonderful than stressful. That is only my own opinion (obviously). Each person has their own feelings - from wonderful to horrible and all the notches in between. Below are some id

🍋 Lemon is one of my top 3 favorite ingredients. I love it in both sweet and savory dishes and definitely in drinks/cocktails. Maybe I have been accused of using a bit too much at times (totally valid complaint) but this recipe is perfectly balanced. 🍋 It is both delicious and very easy to make - having only 5 ingredients. Great for a last minute treat! The ingredients are listed in both metric and imperial measurements since Nancy and her recipe are from the UK. For "serio

It has been COLD here and we've had snow in Atlanta twice in the past few weeks! So, I'm all about comfort food for the moment. I love a good Bolognese sauce for sure-but spaghetti and meatballs happens to be the go-to comfort food pasta dish at our house. I've started making extra meatballs to freeze since I found out they cook PERFECTLY from frozen in heated sauce. It makes a quick meal with no compromise on taste. I’ll add more details below. This recipe was shared with m

My grandparents had a huge pecan tree in their yard when I was growing up and it usually produced a ton of pecans. When I visited, after having moved a couple hours away, my grandfather would have bags of SHELLED pecans for me. I found out later that he gave my parents and uncles pecans too…but not always the shelled ones. Makes me feel special to this day! These have become a holiday tradition and I look forward to making them every year. They’re quick and truly easy - great

For some reason I’ve had pecan pie, instead of pumpkin-which I'm usually looking for, on my mind for Thanksgiving. Specifically, I’ve been thinking of the cutest little pecan tarts that my friend Anne makes. I prefer the crust to filling ratio with the small tarts. The buttery crust balances the super sweet filling. They’re always so good! "My sister-in-law gave this recipe to me when I was 18 years old. Her father raised pecans and she always made pecan pies for our Christm

Beef Bourguignon is one of my favorite cold weather meals that I make multiple times throughout fall and winter. I've tried several recipes and Ina Garten's is my go-to. It has a ton of flavor and easy instructions. I've been focusing on eating more plants since January AND it has been cold in Atlanta so I have been craving the flavors and comfort-food-tummy-warming feeling that Beef Bourguignon brings. Using the blueprint of Ina's recipe combined with some flavor boosting i

Ohh, where to start...there are so many desserts and I like them all! I'm going to err on the side of less is more here and just post the last couple I've had or made that are a bit off the beaten path. Pumpkin Roll I've always loved pumpkin desserts but this is my favorite! My mom makes this every year and I always make sure I have a slice saved for breakfast the next day with a cup of coffee. Cranberry Pudding Cakes These little "puddings" are the creation of the British Ba

My favorite holiday for sure! I love that it means time with family and friends AND that it means yummy, once-a-year dishes. I'll be headed home to Tennessee for Thanksgiving this year so, no huge meal-planning for me, but maybe someone wants last-minute ideas. I'll see my Memaw, pictured below, who is responsible for all the holiday traditions on my mom's side of the family. To say we love her is an understatement! When I don't make it home to TN I host Thanksgiving in Atlan

The first time I made Thanksgiving at home I was walking through all the typical dishes with my husband to see what we wanted to have and he asked about squash casserole. I'd had it before but needed a recipe so I checked the little cookbook from the church I grew up in. I know almost every lady who shared a recipe in that book and have very fond memories of them. I still think of the poeple there in that tiny church as a community who care about and want the best for each ot

I might be the only person who specifically asks for this one at my Memaw's Thanksgiving. It's a yummy cranberry sauce/relish that brings a lot of texture. I can eat this alone with no turkey...love it! INGREDIENTS 1 package fresh Cranberries, rinse, then simmer in about a half cup of water until they pop **Cranberries can also be finely chopped from fresh-no cooking OR you can use 1 can of Cranberries 2 Oranges, 1 peeled, 1 whole, chopped 1/2 cup Pecans, chopped 1/2 cup pine

I recently asked a few friends what they were looking for or looking forward to for the holidays. Ever since, I have one friend - whom I've known since I was five and grown up with - who says to post deviled eggs and keeps sending me hilarious Tik-Toks related to deviled eggs ever since. So this is for my oldiest-moldiest friend Heather B. These are such a Southern classic. I've grown up eating deviled eggs and sometimes forget about them until encountered at a dinner or holi

Some recipes bring to mind a specific person, time or place. This one does all of those things! My former roommate and good friend, Courtnie, was always like a sister and even shared her family. I ended up calling her Aunt Pam by the same name she did. The whole family was always sweet, supportive AND super fun! I remember lots of laughing anytime they were all together. This recipe has become part of my Thanksgiving menu. I've tried many mac and cheese recipes over the years

This recipe comes from my friend Robyn and I dare say it has replaced green bean casserole in my house. I love both...but this is a crowd-pleaser and we really do enjoy it for special occasions (as it is really rich). INGREDIENTS 5 cans whole green beans, or 32-48 ounces fresh green beans, boiled to fork-tender 1 package bacon (not super thick) ½ cup butter 1 cup brown sugar INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay 1 piece of bacon flat and top with a bundle o

It's that wonderful/stressful/fun/overwhelming time of year! I love the holidays, but I do get stressed trying to make sure I have...

I keep meaning to post this recipe because it was delicious! I found the inspiration recipe on Pinterest under the account Will Cook for Smiles . Being a huge artichoke fan, it was immediately on my "to try" list. From the original recipe I've omitted a half cup of heavy cream and replaced it with an egg. I ONLY substituted this because I have a lactose problem involving cream and milk. Thankfully, cheese and most other dairy products have less lactose and I can still eat th

It's a weeknight and you got stuck in traffic heading home or you just don't want to spend so much time in the kitchen. Everyone has a go-to for those nights and mine is always salmon if I'm trying to be healthy. It might be pasta if I'm not trying to be healthy;) I probably make this once a week. It's fresh, tasty and easy for a healthy meal. I'd still make it if I had all day to plan and cook-and that is what makes it post-able! Ingredients -Salmon, 2 portions (1.25 lbs) -O

I'd heard about Delbar for many months and had it on my list to try. SO glad I finally did! The name translates from the Farsi language...

I've eaten here several times and always enjoyed it. These photos and descriptions are from my last dinner at il Gialo, just a few days...

I usually have all the gifts and treats ready before Christmas...but this year I ended up way behind. I've yet to see most the people I...

Nothing says Easter like Cadbury mini-eggs and coconut desserts. I've always loved the Easter candy/dessert options best. I have no clue how to make Cadbury mini-eggs but I did find a really nice coconut pie recipe a few years ago that I've adapted just a bit. This pie recipe by Tasty Kitchen turned out wonderfully. It has a crispy top and a gooey coconut-filled center. I used a store-bought, refrigerated pie crust but you could replace it with your own, homemade crust inste

My grandmother used to make pear preserves when I was young. We would eat them the same way you might eat jam on toast and they bring back sweet memories. Many mornings started at my grandparents' home for my brother and me, plus whichever of my cousins happened to be there before school. The rule was that everyone needed to eat *something* for breakfast. My Memaw was not kidding when she said to let her know what you wanted. She would make it if you would eat it: pancakes, e

A fresh and spring-y recipe that can be modified to include/exclude the items you like most. I joined a Facebook group where the inspiration is to use our cookbooks more. The goal is to make 1 recipe a week from cookbooks we own. A great little nudge to try some new dishes. I was gifted the cookbook Dinner in French by Melissa Clark and actually have tried some recipes from it prior to this "challenge"- super yummy! She includes a recipe for Savory Gruyere Bread with Ham t

Loads of healthy veggies and whole grains in a tiny little package. These little bites are so versatile and easy to adapt. I ended up with the base recipe when my friend Beth was reheating some of these at work. She raved about how easy they were and gave me one to try. I’ve made them ever since and switched out the ingredients many different ways over time. Originally they included ham and cheese-yum! This version is all veggie but additional ingredients/swaps are listed bel

I hope you all are off to a great start this year! I took time in December to get ready for the holidays and relax. I'm focusing on health/wellbeing so far this year and for me that means creating some healthier habits and making them more routine. I've started with diet, not that I'm following a known diet, just that I'm trying to make good choices that will benefit me going forward. I feel best when I'm eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruit plus healthy fats and light p

2020. Most of us didn’t go much of anywhere and filled our time with things we may not have done without the extra down time. My experience was much like many others and exactly like those searching for bread flour to try making sourdough bread. This recipe was something I found along the way to FINALLY producing a nice loaf of bread. I ended up taking a sourdough class at The Bread Beckers , a local Atlanta area establishment. One of the best recipes I ended up with wasn’t a

My mother-in-law makes cheese straws every year around the holidays and they are one of my favorites. I suppose they must be everyone's favorite because they are her most requested recipe! What a great way to start December!! Not only are these tasty but they come with a story. Before she retired, Diane worked with a lady who would bring this recipe to work to share. She quickly found out that her colleague's mother was the master behind these little snacks and kept telling h

Happy Thanksgiving! Nothing extra is really necessary for dressing up butter but I do love this recipe. If you have leftovers it is amazing as the finishing touch to a steak. Butter is still the star here so find a good one! I like to use Kerrygold or Amish butter for this recipe. Sometimes I don’t have unsalted butter and I just use salted butter and a quarter of the salt listed below. A note on room temperature-make sure the butter is truly soft before you try this. It make

Since the best bird I’ve made is a chicken rather than a turkey, we will celebrate with Thanksgiving chickens tomorrow. This recipe is one Keller demonstrated in his Masterclass series and it is amazing! For the roasted chicken : 1 whole chicken 2.5 to 3 pounds 3 rutabagas 2 turnips 2 parsnips 2 large leeks 4 carrots, trimmed and cut in half 1 small onion 8 small red-skinned potatoes Clarified butter (or 1⁄3 cup canola oil) 1 lemon Equipment : Parchment-lined cutting board Pa

I found this recipe by Every Last Bite on Pinterest several years ago and it is still one of my favorites. It’s also very versatile. If...

I am a huge fan of most potato recipes but when it comes to gratin or scalloped potatoes I find them extra tasty! This recipe uses broth in place of cream. Don’t even begin to think these are lesser for being made without cream. They get a good dose of butter and the perfect amount of cheese. I actually prefer these over the same type with cream. INGREDIENTS 2 lbs boiling potatoes ½ clove unpeeled garlic 6 Tb butter 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper 1 cup grated swiss cheese, emm

This recipe is something I came across when a friend gifted me Masterclass -which I highly recommend! Thomas Keller , renowned chef, spoke about his favorite method for preparing squash and zucchini - so I figured I should try it. It is super simple, and I typically do not even make the sauce described at the end, we just eat it without the sauce. It is yummy enough for a holiday side (especially for a small crowd) or for a weekday dinner. Ingredients 2 pieces zucchini or sum

This is a dessert everyone loves and my mom has been making it for years. I believe you can even find this in grocery stores now! I prefer it for breakfast rather than dessert because it goes soooo well with coffee. My mom is known for desserts in the family - but she also shows up with green bean casserole and Mexican cornbread every Thanksgiving . So, although she claims not to like cooking, she does a very good job of it! Roll Ingredients: 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup self-r

This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe by Ina Garten and it is WONDERFUL! This is also how I became a fan of a fall cognac cocktail. I bought cognac for the the gravy recipe and had quite a bit left over...enter Google search and "cognac cocktails" - voila, the bottle was put to use. I also must admit how excited I was when we received a gravy boat as a wedding gift from our friend Sonya. She sent a few gifts - but the gravy boat was my favorite - and was something I, until that

The main ingredient in Thanksgiving dressing [at least where I'm from] is cornbread! So you might need a good recipe if you want to take a stab at making dressing. I've tried store bought cornbread to cut out a step of making dressing and I do not recommend it. Some is too sweet or has too much moisture to work well in dressing. This one turns out well each time I've made it - for dressing or as a side for a meal. Cornbread really is better when it is made in a cast iron ski

These are actually called Steamed Puddings, but since I am American and I'm not sure how many of you are addicted to The Great British Bake Off as I am, I didn't want you to think I was giving you an American "pudding" recipe. This recipe comes from Nancy Birtwhistle , one of the Bake Off winners who I wound up following on Instagram before finding out she won Bake Off one season. I made these for Thanksgiving last year and they were soooo tasty! The goal was no leftovers...a

Every holiday my grandmother, "Memaw," is in the starring role. Growing up we always spent holidays at my grandparents house with alllll the family. Parents and siblings, uncles, great-uncles, aunts, great-aunts, cousins, their families, any friends we wanted to bring - it was open house for holidays. Thanksgiving, circa 1986 All our family members contribute to holiday meals but my Memaw's dressing is the main Thanksgiving attraction. Don't be fooled...that is not her only c

Lemon flavored anything is always my favorite. So when I came across this recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking I decided to give it a try. It is not as sharp and tart as the creamy, lemon curd-ish tarts I've had before, but a lighter, fluffier filling with a bit more subtle flavor. I paired it with a tart crust from Nancy Birtwhistle's Sizzle and Drizzle . Above are tartlets - little mini versions of a larger tart. Either size turns out well. Another v

I found this recipe on Pinterest years ago and have made it over and over since. It turns out well each time and I get asked to make it repeatedly. The ingredients are the stars here so splurge for quality chocolate and butter . Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Servings : 10 servings Calories : 346 kcal Ingredients For the crust: 3 ounces butter 1 tablespoon oil any mild flavored oil is fine. I use liquid coconut. 3 tablespoons water 1 tablespo

Since I was a kid I’ve been eating tuna salad, some savory, some with fruit, some with mayo, some with oil, something for everyone. This recipe is my go-to. Sometimes I add more ingredients, sometimes I’m out of one or the other. It’s very flexible-almost anything goes. The biggest component is the actual tuna. Once I switched from tuna in water to tuna in oil I could not go back. The oil packed tuna is more tender and seems to meld with flavors better. If you can find Spanis

FINALLY!! A new travel post! Seagrove Beach, FL is between Destin and Panama City Beach. It’s a little less crowded than the more popular...

This one is my husband's very favorite meal. Every culture seems to have a particularly special roasted pork dish. In the Southeast United States we have barbecued pork, or pulled pork, that is typically smoked and then served with a signature sauce depending on which region/state you happen to be having that BBQ. We also commonly call pulled pork simply "barbecue" / BBQ / Bar-B-Q / Bar-B-Que in the South. BBQ can also refer to ribs, brisket, anything smoked or cooked on a gr

This is a recipe I go back to over and over. I initially found it on Pinterest and adapted it slightly. It could be made with completely different ingredients...cheese and tomato...roasted mushrooms and cheese...Marmalade and cream cheese... You get the idea. I love frozen puff pastry - so easy to use and VERY convenient as you can buy it frozen at the grocery store and keep it on hand. I recently tried making my own puff pastry . It took a while and the butter kept melting o

Being born and raised in The South, I grew up eating pimento cheese. It was something I remember my grandmother making sometimes and something that could always be easily found in the grocery store. Pimento cheese reminds me of summer... Run in from being outside/in the pool and the easiest, quickest thing to do was grab the container of pimento cheese and spread it on sliced bread or pieces of celery for a quick snack or meal. Nowadays, it is listed on more than just basic S

Once the temperature drops a little at the very beginning of fall I start thinking about making chili. I love that everyone has their own method or special ingredient. I think there are as many versions of chili as there are people making it. Since we eat this a lot in fall and winter I've tried it with several kinds of wine and I have a few favorites. It's so interesting to read about and hear what wines people prefer paired with foods. It varies so widely and i'm always up