I’ve been craving cookies, maybe more like I crave baking cookies. The kitchen is my sanctuary on cold winter days with the oven warming and the aroma of fresh cookies baking. And what’s better than a warm cookie and a glass of milk to lift your spirits. I decided I’d just go with what I could find in the pantry since I didn’t want to go to the store. When I spotted the oats, my decision was made . . . Oatmeal Cookies.
A couple years ago we ate at Old Chicago which is a chain restaurant here in the Kansas City area, maybe you have one too. They are best known for their pizza and calzones which are huge and taste fantastic. Josh had this “Texican Calzone” that he just raved about and wanted to get again. Next time we were there the menu had changed and it was no longer available. He never forgot that calzone and so I did some research, found an old menu with the description and went about trying to break it down so that I could make it for him. I think I hit the jackpot because he was all smiles when these came out of the oven. Just wait until you slice into the inside, you’ll see what I mean.
I’ve been looking for new soup recipes and came across a Tortellini Soup and a Meatball Soup that sounded so delicious that I decided to combine the two. This broth based soup is made with tomatoes, spinach, onion and garlic to warm your heart on a cold day. I had no trouble convincing my boys that this was going to be good. They filled their bowls to the rim and in no time at all it was all gone. You learn around here to get it while it’s hot or you might not get any at all. Continue reading
I have two college age guys that come and go as they please. Between their work and school schedule I never know when they will show up, but when they do they are always hungry. Meatballs make a perfect meal for these hungry guys so I like to make big batches of them to freeze so that we can pull them out for a quick meal. Making your own meatballs are not that hard and are the perfect compliment to your favorite pasta or soup plus they make a mean meatball sub too.
With the holidays around the corner comes the craving for sweets and makes me think of my favorite scones with dried cranberries and orange zest. They are so easy to make and taste just like they came from a pastry shop. I don’t usually do breakfast but I will make an exception for a scone to go with my morning coffee. They are so tasty with an orange glaze drizzled over the top.
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This recipe goes out to the Winsor family who have a special place in my heart. Through the years I have sat at their table while they assembled tortillas, sauce, meat and cheese to make enough enchiladas to feed a whole crew. I have been tinkering with making my own red enchilada sauce and I think I finally have the right combination of chiles and spice to make a sauce worthy of sharing. I made the sauce a day ahead and that made the enchiladas fast and easy to assemble the next day. Continue reading
They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Joe would prefer breakfast over any meal. He’s an early riser and I’m not a morning person so he rarely ever gets a hot breakfast first thing in the morning. I frequently make breakfast for dinner because I know how much he loves it. This pizza has bacon, crispy sliced potatoes and eggs over a layer of cheddar cheese that’s good any time of day. Continue reading
When November arrives, so does my sweet tooth. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s the colder weather and wanting an excuse to stay in the kitchen and bake. The warmth of the oven calls me to the kitchen and keeps me sane during the long winter month’s. So when I saw the “One Day Sale” for raspberries I ran to the store and stocked up and came home to bake some muffins. I had an old recipe that I had saved from Cooking Light that I had always wanted to try. The recipe definitely is a keeper and I added a lemon glaze because I love the combo of raspberries and lemon. Whether you like a muffin with your morning coffee or as a dessert this raspberry muffin will definitely satisfy any sweet cravings.
Have you ever paired BLT with pasta? If you haven’t yet, then you’ve got to try this pasta. This is my go to pasta when I need a pick me up and one of our favorite comfort foods. There are different versions of BLT Pasta but I like the combination of crisp bacon, roasted tomatoes and pesto.
We always save some of the biggest and best Hatch Chiles just for chile rellenos. I like the traditional rellenos stuffed with cheese. They can be stuffed with almost anything but there’s something about cutting into that batter fried chile and seeing all that cheese ooze out. You know it’s gonna be good! And they must have toppings. We had pico de gallo and chile pequin salsa but you can top yours with whatever you want. This recipe comes from “The Food of Santa Fe”.
An Inspired Cook 