Just in time for Thanksgiving dinner, we’re getting a primer in how to make buttermilk biscuits from the best biscuit-maker in town.
No, not those biscuit-makers. We have a video from the one and only Chef Swanky! Take a look:
Those look delicious! Can’t wait to get in the kitchen and try out this recipe. They’ll make a delicious addition to anyone’s Thanksgiving feast!
Follow Chef Swanky here and on Instagram at chefswankyhw.
It’s almost Halloween, and that means it’s time for trick-or-treaters and those bite-sized chocolates that I always save for myself, let those dressed-up beggars have all the jolly ranchers and candy corn … ahem, maybe I’ve said too much.
What I mean is: It’s time for tales of mischief and mayhem. Including tales about food!
Like this one: Ever wonder about why we scoop out, cut up, and light pumpkins? Chef Swanky does!
Follow Chef Swanky here and on Instagram at chefswankyhw.
I was going to post a photo of our raised bed garden — correction: our attempt at cultivating a raised bed garden — but the photo has a sad “before” look. By which I mean: We have a lot to do to prep it for next year’s crops. And none of that would be particularly nourishing or inspiring for any of you.
Instead, here’s a photo — with accompanying haiku (because of course) — from when we first started the garden. Enjoy!
p.s. I’ll post lots of photos of our garden after I have some “in progress” ones to go with our “before” photo.
The weather is turning cooler (mercifully!), the days are getting shorter, the Halloween decorations are up, and that can mean only one thing: It’s time to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Again.
Operative word: again. Because we watch it Every.Single.Year. We would no more miss the Great Pumpkin than we’d miss buying Halloween candy in September and then having to buy it again a few weeks later because we sampled too many.
Ahem. Anyway.
It’s always the same:
Lucy is as bossy as ever – and dangerous, as she removes the football, causing Charlie Brown to risk spinal cord injury.
Charlie Brown mistakenly gets invited to a Halloween party and gets rocks when he goes trick-or-treating.
Snoopy gets melodramatic crooning at the piano and doing reinactments of World War I aerial dogfights.
Linus sends a warm invitation to the Great Pumpkin to visit him in the pumpkin patch …
… and then he gets questioned and ridiculed by everyone – including Snoopy.
It’s always the same. Year after year.
We love those crazy kids because they never change. Lucy is always bossy, Charlie Brown is always being picked on, Snoopy is always a daredevil, and Linus … oh, Linus, that lovable kid … he never loses his belief that the Great Pumpkin will show up. Even when the Great Pumpkin doesn’t show, Linus picks himself up, dusts himself off, and looks toward the future. “Next year at this same time, I’ll find a pumpkin patch that is real sincere!”
He knows that when you have faith and hope in your heart — and you live with sincerity — anything can happen. (Even his bossy sister, in a surprising and loving moment, goes out to the pumpkin patch and brings him in from the cold.)
With heartfelt appreciation to the Peanuts gang’s creator, Charles M. Schulz, that message is something we can depend on in a world that changes minute by minute. We know Charlie Brown and his friends will continue to be as hope-filled as they are. We never have to worry about a Charlie Brown reboot or a sequel where they turn surly or apathetic.
And that’s a nourishing thought.
(p.s. The Internet Archive has the video online.)
Want a stress-free holiday? Looking for a way to bring family together for a celebratory meal and not lose your mind? Eager for some planning secrets to make the Thanksgiving food-fest a true joy-filled occasion?
No, I’m not talking about delaying your crazy uncle or batty aunt from arriving on time. What I can offer is my soon-to-be-released booklet, Thanksgiving Primer.
It’s filled with a selection of easy-to-follow tips, tricks, ideas, timelines, and recipes that can help you manage Thanksgiving as stress-free as possible. It’ll be available in ebook and printable PDF form later this month.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of a recipe that’s been one of our Thanksgiving staples for years. It’s three ingredients in one pan, and it can be made ahead of time, chilled, and reheated just before serving (or served chilled if that’s your preference).
Cranberry Relish
Ingredients
1 bag of cranberries
1 can of frozen orange juice
1 cup of sugar
Directions
Serve alongside the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, etc. – and/or (here’s something we love to do) serve a dollop of it (heated) on top of the cheesecake. Delicious!
Easy-peasy, right? Enjoy!
Stay tuned for news about the release of Thanksgiving Primer! It’s loaded with lots of info and lots of photos (each worth 1,000 words, not kidding).
Chocolate is back in the news, and this time it’s good.
A recent story from webmd.com confirms what I’ve always believed in my heart: Chocolate is good for me and I should eat massive amounts of it every day.
Ok, they didn’t say that last part.
But they did say that – and I quote – “If chocolate has health benefits, they likely come from flavonols – plant compounds thought to support heart health, improve blood vessel function, and reduce inflammation.”
Which to me sounds like it’s good for me and I should eat massive amounts of it every day.
The study cited in the article follows other studies on the benefits of cocoa flavonols found in dark chocolate. Other flavonol-rich foods include berries, tea, and red grapes (even when fermented into red wine – also a favorite of mine, coincidentally).
The story is quick to point out limits – “…if you love chocolate, have it in moderation.” – and to recommend, “Just keep it under an ounce or two per day, or about one square from a chocolate bar.”
I’m zeroing in on the “one square” measurement. Where’s my yardstick?
Let’s give a big warm welcome to my guest blogger, Mark — known to most people as Chef Swanky.
He’ll be sharing videos and food for thought in a new feature on my blog called Swanky Kitchen.
A quick word from the Good Chef:
We’ll talk about different herbs and spices, food substitutions, history of food, and of course — recipes. Join me in nourishment of the mind and stomach!
Follow Chef Swanky here and on Instagram at chefswankyhw.
For now, enjoy this video, where he makes cooking up homemade apple butter look so easy, even for a confirmed non-cook like me:
If you tune into the news on a regular basis, you’re going to get a whopping dose of negativity. There’s no way around it. The old saying “if it bleeds, it leads” is still true in the news industry today, and it’s doubly true of everyday contributors to social media.
If you’re sick (literally or figuratively) of the constant barrage of discouraging, destructive, and downbeat doom-and-gloom, here’s an alternative:
The Good News Network is just that – good news. The articles and podcasts are uplifting, helpful, and positive.
Just as your body needs good food to stay healthy, your mind needs a dose of upbeat to stay healthy too. Check out the Good News Network and see if a regular diet of positivity helps improve your mindset.
The crock pot (or slow cooker) is the best thing ever invented. That might be up for debate, but not on my blog. I haven’t found an easier way to cook, unless we’re having sandwiches for supper.
Here’s what I love about it. You prepare the veggies and meat (wash, cut, season), then pop it all into the cooker, add a tiny bit of water/broth/whatever, then turn it on low and go write your bestselling novel. Or go back to bed and binge a show, it’s up to you, no judgment here. Roughly eight hours later, supper’s done.
The specifics on which veggies go best with which meat and the prepping/seasoning will vary depending on what you’re cooking. Here’s my favorite slow cooker recipe:
Gotta Meet My Deadlines Cube Steak
Ingredients
1 package (usually containing 3-5) cube steaks
1 yellow onion, cut into roughly 1/4-inch slices
4.5-oz. jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup flour
Salt, pepper, other spices, to taste
1 packet of onion soup mix
1 cup water
Directions
1. Cut the cube steaks into strips about 1-2 inches wide. (If you prefer, you can keep the steaks their original size. I like them cut.)
2. Add the salt, pepper, and whatever other spices you like into the flour. Mix.
3. Spread the flour/seasoning onto a plate or sheet of wax paper and roll the cube steak pieces through it until the pieces are floured up.
4. Layer into the slow cooker in the following order: onions, steak, mushrooms, onions, steak, mushrooms, onions.
5. Mix the soup mix and water, then pour over all.
6. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
Serve over cooked egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
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