by CRYSTAL JOHNSON

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...

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

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite meals and most loved holiday. So here I am, sharing my favorite pairings with my favorite meal of the year. This is such a personal taste "thing" so I am curious if anyone else wants to share favorite Thanksgiving pairings in comments. Even sommeliers disagree on the best food and wine pairings - so there are NO wrong answers! My Memaw would serve sweet tea for the whole thing - which is the only drink I truly remember having alongside Thank

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Since the best bird I’ve made is a chicken rather than a turkey, we will celebrate with Thanksgiving chickens tomorrow. This recipe is...

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...

This recipe is something I came across when a friend gifted me Masterclass-which I highly recommend! Thomas Keller, renowned chef, spoke...

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...

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...

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...

Every holiday my grandmother, "Memaw," is in the starring role. Growing up we always spent holidays at my grandparents house with alllll...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

I know that many, many of us have jumped on the bread-making trend of quarantine this year-myself included. I'm on my second sourdough...