by CRYSTAL JOHNSON

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