I love fancy food, fancy restaurants, little plates, and tapas…but sometimes you just want good old country cooking. When you do, here are the best dishes I’ve found and where to get them:

Meatloaf from Fresh Chef in Denver, NC
I love fancy food, fancy restaurants, little plates, and tapas…but sometimes you just want good old country cooking. When you do, here are the best dishes I’ve found and where to get them:
Meatloaf from Fresh Chef in Denver, NC
Growing my own herbs gives me a wonderful pioneer woman feeling. I kind of suck at it for the most part, but the ones that do survive my tending I love to use in delicious recipes. This one was perfect for a lazy Sunday. Comes together surprisingly quick too!
COOK pasta according to package directions. Drain set aside and keep warm
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over med-hi heat add shrimp, garlic. Cook stirring constantly, 3-5 minutes or until shrimp is pink. Remove shrimp, set aside, reserving garlic and butter in skillet.
ADD Half-and-half to skillet, bring to a boil, stirring gently. Reduce heat and simmer 15 min. or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp, parsley, salt, pepper, and if desired fresh chopped dill weed stir until blended. Serve over pasta.
I made Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Rolls the other night and we had 2 left over. The breasts were huge! I used them in this recipe and it turned out so delicious!
I’m giving you the recipe exactly as it came to me in my cookbook, but I’d make two adjustments next time I make it:
Preheat oven to 350. Saute the onion and celery in 1 tbsp. butter until soft. Mix all ingredients except 2 tbsp butter, almonds, and cornflakes. Place mixture in a 2-quart casserole dish. Melt margarine in a small pan and add almonds and cornflakes, stirring for one to two minutes. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake 35 minutes on 350
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart shallow gratin or baking dish.
Cut 2 tablespoons butter into small cubes, and put them in the refrigerator until needed.
In a large skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the oats and saute until they smell nutty and toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cardamom and cinnamon and saute for another minute, until fragrant. Scrape oats into a buttered pan and stir in boiling water, cream and salt.
Bake oats for 40 minutes, then give them a stir. Sprinkle sugar all over the oats, and scatter reserved cubed butter on top. Continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, until the top is glazed and bubbling.
Sprinkle oatmeal with flaky sea salt, if you like. Serve oats with more cream and sugar on the side.
These Lemony Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwiches are the perfect finger food for baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties, and any gatherings. Super refreshing and kind of healthy!
Inspired by Chew Out Loud
Got a new favorite recipe that I’m excited to share! Pad Krapow Gai! Sounds exotic right? Well, it is, sort of. But exotic doesn’t mean difficult. This is going in my once a week dinner round-up. Comes together easily and is relatively healthy. And this is the first dish I’ve made in as long as I can remember that the entire house loved and there were NO leftovers. KEEPER ALERT!
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
Original recipe found at All Recipes: Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
Ingredient Checklist
Instructions Checklist
Makes 2 large or 4 small portions.
My sister gave me this book for Christmas and I am fascinated at the intricate education with descriptive prose provided within its cover. It is actually perfect for beginners and for seasoned cooks as well. I wish I lived closer to the Deans to take advantage of some in-person training.
My family has been in quarantine for about 2 weeks, so it has forced me to slow down. I haven’t been out to eat since New Year’s Day, which is some kind of record for me I’m sure. So, I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen and this one jumped out at me while I was reading one night. I hope you like it as much as we do!
Preheat oven to 325.
In a large bowl thoroughly whisk together all ingredients except the pie shell. Pour into the partially baked pie shell and bake 30 minutes. Let the pie cool at least 20 minutes before serving. Yummy warm or at room temp!
I love a casserole. I love a CHICKEN casserole. It’s my favorite meal. I make one and keep it in the fridge and eat on it all week long. This one is creamy and delicious. Dice your veggies super small unless you like them crunchy (shudder).
Mix all. Put in buttered dish and sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
The food is of course the most important element in a restaurant experience, but a close second is an ambiance. A beautiful restaurant will make you feel transported and enhance your experience tenfold. Here are some of my favorites!
The courtyard at The Goodyear House in Charlotte, NC
The dining room at Christmas at The McNinch House in Charlotte, NC
Is there anything better than a cool treat on a hot day? Only issue is you gotta eat it fast so you don’t wear it! Here are a list of my favorite frozen goodies:
Half Watermelon Half Wedding Cake Snoball from Pelican’s Snoballs in Lincolnton
Cow Pie Sundae at Udderly Delicious in Hickory
Lemon Vanilla cookie sandwich with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream at Cookies with an Accent in Huntersville
Basil and Strawberry Sorbet from the McNinch House in Charlotte, NC