Wow, it’s been a while hasn’t it?

Well here’s a really good recipe to help us get back into the swing of things! I had planned on creating lots of new citrus recipes this past season, and I did get a few put together, but this last one comes straight from a cookbook. I did actually try making my own version of an orange yogurt bread but it wasn’t nearly as good as the one I’m about to share with you. Continue reading →

I’m back, and this time I really mean it!

I won’t bother apologizing for another extended absence. If you’ve been following my adventures at all, you know that I recently located back to the United States after four years in Sicily. If that’s not a reason to take a month off, I don’t know what is! Continue reading →

It’s not the best sourdough I’ve ever made. I didn’t worry about having an open crumb or a perfect crust. I just wanted some good bread. I wanted to know for certain that my well-traveled sourdough starter was indeed in good health. No, it may not be the best sourdough I’ve made and these photos may not be the best I’ve taken. But this bread, this blog post, and these photos will always have a special place in my heart. Continue reading →

I’ve been maintaining this sourdough starter at my house in Sicily for the last year and a half. I really didn’t want to throw it down the drain when we had to move but I was a little leery of packing it in my luggage and taking it on the plane. I don’t think I would have been allowed to carry it on board with me and I was worried about it being discovered in my checked luggage during a random search or at customs. Although it’s pretty much just flour and water, I was sure it would somehow cause a problem! Continue reading →

I really had no intention of writing about muffins today. But thanks to jet lag I was awake at 2:30 a.m. again and by 6:00 I was fully caffeinated with lots of new recipes brewing in my head. It was nice and cool and foggy this morning, perfect weather for a warm and spicy batch of muffins. Continue reading →

I’m asking you! Tell me what meals you make that just aren’t complete without some cornbread on the side.

This morning my sister informed me that she has a huge box of cornbread mix (probably from Costco) that has been sitting in the cupboard for a while. She requested I make some meals over the next few weeks that go well with cornbread so that we can use it up. I immediately thought about black-eyed peas because that’s one thing that I can’t imagine eating without cornbread. But of course, I like cornbread with all kinds of different bean recipes! And lots of soups, too. Continue reading →

Will you be having house guests during the holidays? These pumpkin scones are the perfect thing to whip up for guests. They come together quickly, bake in only 15 minutes, and will turn your house into an instant bed and breakfast. Give them a try! Continue reading →

Canned biscuits caused our ruination!

That was the subject of an e-mail I received after my last biscuit post. Who knew biscuits could stir such passion! Apparently, when canned biscuits made their debut, many women quit making them from scratch, even in the southern states.

Even in Tennessee where I’m from, when canned biscuits came out, women quit making homemade ones except for my grandmother who is 90 years old and still going strong. We live in Texas now and it amazes me how many people have never had a great homemade biscuit.

Carmen, the reader who sent the e-mail, went on to explain to me some of the real secrets of making great homemade biscuits and I am now forever in her debt! Continue reading →