Today I made a batch of chili and a big pot o’ creamy chicken soup to have on hand for easy eating over the next few days. I really enjoy soup for lunch this time of year and both make great supper leftovers alone or put with something else. My 16 year old girlie-night owl likes to have good food to reheat at midnight or 2am and soup fits the bill nicely I’m told.

I watched The Pioneer Woman’s Food Network show yesterday and was inspired to make her Flat Apple Pie. Any of y’all watched her show yet? I’ve watched from the beginning and she’s doing so well–the show was fun to watch from the first one but the new season shows show Ree much more relaxed and conversational. Bravo to all! 

I took the easy way out and used a pie crust I had left in the freezer from the holiday stash. The reviews were thumbs up all around with my family–which I expected since they’re all already apple pie fans.

The fun thing about this Flat Apple Pie is that it’s sliced like pizza and super easy to pick up and eat. Needless to say, that makes it disappear fast when folks can just walk by and grab a slice!

As this Sunday winds down, my book is saving my cozy couch spot. What’s cooking at your house?

Today I’m in the kitchen a big part of the day, as I’ve plans to do a bit of cooking up to make good, hearty meals easier on days when the stuff of life takes us away from the kitchen either mentally, physically or both. Yes, this is relaxing to me as I cook, talk with my teenagers and that Husband o’ mine amid a ball game or reading a book as I work…ah, Sundays.

Over there is a snapshot of my scribble whiteboard I jotted a few things on so I wouldn’t have to look my list up on the my phone with kitchen hands(not that I don’t do that rather often as it is). I’ve added boiling eggs and a couple more things to the list since I snapped the pic.

Washing and chopping salad green or boiling eggs  may seem like an easy chore, but when I’m amid writing or taxi-ing a teen somewhere, having those greens ready to toss into my bowl and top accordingly means the difference in a healthy, sustaining lunch or a crash later in the day where I feel terrible and get nothing accomplished. It has taken me 40 years to learn this n some days it still doesn’t stick ~shrug~

I’m one of those cooks that when I find a recipe we like, I typically don’t mess around or experiment with it after that. However, I ran across John Besh’s recipe for stuffed peppers recently–SUCH a good book, more on that sometime. This recipe has the added bonus of a bit of cinnamon. Cinnamon in a savory dish is not something I’ve much experience with.

Thanks to some feedback from friends regarding cinnamon and savory cooking as well as the fact that I really like Chef Besh and many of his other recipes, I’m going to give it a go.

What are your habits of a Sunday, do tell?

What a wonderful whirlwind the holidays were around here! In recent years, that has not been the case, as our holidays were relatively quiet at home. While those quieter holidays bring special memories of their own, this year’s whirlwind of visiting with family/friends and activities was a fun one. Happy New Year, y’all!

I was reading my newest cookbook a couple of nights ago (more about that book to come later) and started thinking about some of the kitchen and cooking tips I’ve read/heard in the years since I started paying attention. See, once upon a time, I was a boxed-hamburger-helper-and-a-can-of-peas/corn/green beans cooker…and called that supper. I know!  

While I am far from gourmet, I did learn to cook from scratch and do so most of the time.  My current point is that kitchen tips are plentiful on television, in cookbooks and online. While many said tips make sense, some don’t work for me or I don’t want to be bothered with them.

I think this is the  key  for truly helpful tips: realizing that your kitchen and your cooking style is yours and what works for a Food Network chef on teevee or your best friend’s family might not work for your family . It might, but it might not.

Here are a few tips/comments I have found to be not only useful in daily cooking around here but also in keeping me inspired in the kitchen:

• As cliche as it sounds, starting the day off with a clean kitchen really makes a difference for me. Mind you, I am not one that likes to bother much with the kitchen clean up after supper–I get food put away and dishes stacked and head over to the couch. However, on the occasion that I start the dishwasher n clean up the sink, it brings a smile to my face the next morning. I like to cook and I find it is so nice to come into a clean kitchen the next morning–quite inspiring, really, to come up/choose with great recipes and spend time in the kitchen if I don’t have to clean it before cooking.

• Treat your sink as a valued utensil or kitchen gadget. I first heard this from Rachael Ray awhile back. This means keeping the sink clean and clear of clutter. Not just clean, but sanitary. Ooo. This is a tough one for me to accomplish on a regular basis (see above after-supper habits) but it really does work.

•  Stock your pantry with basics that will give you options your family enjoys. There are basic pantry lists all over the Internet, in books, and many cooks and chefs will gladly tell you their list. However, your pantry needs to be tailored to how you cook and how your family eats. Take some time to browse some of these lists and make your own. Some Wednesday night when you can put together a hearty supper with minimal effort, you’ll be so glad you did. Trust me.

• Pick a recipe or two and learn to do them well. There are SO many good things to choose from, I know. This doesn’t mean you can’t do a variety, have at it. But if you perfect a couple of family favorites to where you can do them amid one teen telling you about an ebay auction while also helping prep food and commenting on your cooking method, the dawg(see pic to the left–aaww) underfoot hoping you’ll drop tidbits, the handsome husband you haven’t seen all day coming in the door, the other teen asking when we’re going to the library, the tv, the laughs, the yells and so on, a good supper ends up on the table in the craziest of circumstances.

While those are just a few of the many tips and tricks that have come my way over time, they are the ones that came to mind easily as they are truly helpful and useful in my daily life.

I say eliminated most caffeine because now and again I do enjoy a fountain Coca Cola from Steak n Shake–it so tastes like Coke should taste to me and is my current indulgence once in awhile. I also do have a cup of coffee now and again, usually when I’m feeling puny or seriously sleep deprived–neither of which happen often, thankfully.

Oh, and my sweet tea that I l-o-v-e?!? (even more than Coca Cola!) While I did go decaf on that for awhile, I wasn’t willing to give up the sugar part and tea without sugar doesn’t exist for me…so it, too, is now a rare thing.

Let’s talk about the baby–the one not on the move just yet.

Admittedly, the younger the child, the easier it seems to be to connect, for all babies need is a dry bottom, a full belly, a little playing and a lot of holding, right?

It’s easy to multi task while holding your baby, and sometimes that’s necessary, just be sure to also take time to sit down on the floor and just be with the baby from time to time. Make eye contact, smile, touch, play. Be in the moment, not in motion to something else. There really is some truth  to quality time, time spent together without distractions and multi tasking.

How do you play with an infant? Simple fun such as patty cake, bicycling little legs, light tickles, peek a boo or where’s the baby involve all senses and engage both baby and you. Nothing complicated, no educational dvds or expensive toys are necessary for your infant, just you, being present and engaging.

Babies who feel connected are happier babies, and that’s what we all want for our little ones, isn’t it? Before you plop your little one down and open your laptop or fold laundry, take a moment to be sure you’re making time to focus on being with him or her often. The laundry will still be there, the Internet will still spin…but blink and your baby will be 18–ask me how I know.

The fast pace of life can be slowed by choice. Connections with loved ones are what really matters. How do YOU make sure you’re connecting with your loved ones?

Chili is a hot topic among folks who like it–most are very opinionated about the meat and beans involved and some even decry the beans as not belonging in chili. (that’s for some o’ you Texans I know) HowEVER, this is my blog and thus my chili and there will be beans and lots of ‘em mmMMmm!

As I was typing up this post, I realized I can’t really share my chili recipe with you. Tisn’t a family secret or anything…I just…well, I don’t make my chili with a recipe. I realized I’ve not yet taken the time to jot down things along the way so there IS a recipe. That’s something bona fide food bloggers are skilled n talented at, not this blogs-what-strikes-her-sometimes-it’s-food gal.

Let me just say my chili is made up of:

*good beef

*green/red peppers

*lots n lots of Bush’s Mild Chili Beans (yes, in a can already seasoned and yum)

*chili powder, garlic powder, a bit o’ salt

*tomato sauce.

Basic and delicious. I cook the beef and peppers first, getting a good sear on and ramping up flavor, then I add the other ingredients and cook it all up together–bringing to a boil then a good simmer.

My chili can be eaten immediately, but as is the case with many such dishes, a bit of a simmer makes it taste so much better. We like to eat our chili with hot n crusty cheese bread–sliced baguette topped with cheese n into the oven for just a few minutes, til the cheese melts and the bread is crisp. Makes for delicious dipping!

For my cornbread, I pour a bit of oil into the iron skillet and put it in a hot oven for about 5 minutes whilst I mix up the cornbread, then pour that cornbread mixture into the sizzling skillet and bake…perfection!

My current preferred cornbread recipe is a family secret that I shall share with you today. Here it is:

Yep, on the side o’ that bag for the world to share. See, I told y’all I’m not a food snob but just a gal that loves cookin’ now and again.

The key to remember here is that connecting with your kids need not be complicated or time consuming. Granted, spending hours together is great but if we save connecting for those times, we lose so much and may actually fail at truly bonding with our kids. The big stuff happens in the little things.

Building a lasting relationship and knowing what’s going on with your child is about the day to day moments. They change so quickly, what you knew yesterday might not be so today–there are no cheat sheets or shortcuts in parenting, not if you want a solid relationship with your child.

The big moments such as baking Christmas cookies or going to the movies or a special outing together are great times as well, but quality time should not be saved for those moments that don’t happen on a regular basis.

How do you connect with your children on a daily basis or what you can do to better connect from now on? I really want to know, do share.

Today, let’s consider another high-ranking comfort food favorite…

****drumroll****

Macaroni and Cheese!  Oh yeah, childhood and love all in one bowl, am I right?

First there was this:      (along with fish sticks, y’all remember??)

(ooo the creaminess, we thought)

And my first ‘homemade’ was this: 

plus this: 

Before we go on, let me just say that if one of the above is your true mac n cheese comfort foods I am not here to change your mind. *shaking head* No, really, I am not. I understand all too well how comfort food isn’t always about quality, but about who served it, where you were and the feelings that come with remembering all of that. 

Upon the start of my cooking-from-scratch journey a few years ago, I saw an episode of Good Eats and attempted the recipe a few times.

While I liked the results, the rest of my family has not been as impressed. They say ‘Just make your usual recipe Mom’, which is that giant yellow processed block pictured above. Yes, feel free to shudder(or not).  But me, I just can’t bring myself to make that stuff very often anymore.

I suspect that, for my picky tribe here, the problem is the sharp cheddar and its overpowering taste. Mayhap that cheeses shall be a kitchen quest very soon? For I’m on a mission to make a good, homemade mac n cheese that my family will love and ask for.

Now, I’ve said before that I’m not a food snob and tis true, I’m just a fun lovin’ momma n wife who loves good food and enjoys cooking it from time to time.

If there is one thing that is true for all types of relationships, it is connection. Sure, commitment is important but what is commitment without active connection?

Think about all of your relationships and imagine how they would be without connection. Likely they wouldn’t be at all. About now you’re realizing that some of your relationships might need some tending, aren’t you? You’re not alone.

Relationships are a particular fascination of mine–I’ve made them a study for a long time, a lifelong passion really. I’d like to take Thursdays to post relationship related topics to share with you and hopefully you’ll share things with me as well.

Next Thursday, let’s start with the kids. How do you connect–truly connect–with your kids on a daily basis? Are you merely surviving the days or are you thriving with your children?

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