I found my love of cooking many years ago. It started off with my original blog “The Common Sense Cook” where I shared all of my recipes that I often made up. This lead to researching, reading, and watching many different recipes from many cuisines. The one that caught the most of my attention was Julia Child. Her fun personality and warbly voice combined with easy instructions for any home cook became an obsession.My husband bought me both volumes of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” for Christmas and I knew exactly what to make. I instantly turned to bouef bourguignon (beef stew). It was the first video I had watched when I found “The French Chef” on YouTube. I followed her instructions intimately, as I rarely do, and I was rewarded with probably the most delicious French beef stew that could be put into existence by us mere mortals.
But, nearly two years ago I contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and as a side effect became allergic to all mammal meats. So yes, you guessed it. No more Julia’s Bouef Bourguignon. It didn’t bother me at first and sparked my vegan journey so in a way I’m grateful for this experience. There’s been so many great lessons, however… Cravings do happen. READ MORE
Ami Lee, author of Work Hard Eat Kind, is a busy mom and wife who blogs about plant-based recipes, body positivity, and family. She was inspired to go vegan after she was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and chronicles the failures and successes as she goes.
It’s Fat Tuesday, y’all and we’re prepping for the Lenten season by “fattening up” on these delicious Creole and Cajun recipes from our amazing #ARWB foodies.
Now I know someone is probably wondering why in the world I am calling this a jambalaya and I have wondered before if I was calling it the correct name, and I always try and call my food by the correct name, so I looked up the definition for jambalaya and all the dictionary would tell me is that it is a cajun dish with rice, meat, and veggies. I would definitely say that this recipe qualifies so jambalaya it is!! READ MORE
This recipe Shrimp Creole is a great dinner idea for any night of the week. This recipe can also be easily adapted for feeding a crowd. My husband L-O-V-E-S Cajun food. So every once in a while I like to try to make one of his favorites at home. He gave this Shrimp Creole two thumbs up and that’s good enough for me. READ MORE
Brittney Lee: Nolas
So when we were in New Orleans, we had a dessert at Johnny’s Po Boys. I don’t remember what it was called, but it was something like “Sophia’s Special” Very vague. But it looked good, so we got it. And it tasted AMAZING. But we couldn’t pinpoint the flavor. So we asked on our way out “What was in that?” READ MORE
For many years, making Seafood Gumbo was our New Year’s Day tradition. We would make up a HUGE pot of gumbo because we knew we’d have lots of visitors drop by for a bowl. We never really had to send out invitations. Friends and neighbors just knew to stop by and make themselves at home, including washing up their dishes when done. READ MORE
Keisha McKinney: Dragon Breath Fire Crackers
My dad and father-in-law love spicy snacks. And for 2 guys its sometimes hard to buy for, nothing seems better than showing up with a baggie or container full of a yummy little snack to say thank you for taking care of my dog or putting up with all of us over the weekend! Nothing goes better with gumbo! READ MORE
Today I thought I would chat a moment about soup. If you are like me, I can spend hours (okay, minutes) scrolling through Pinterest and admiring all the beautiful photos of thick and abundantly overflowing soups. They’re gorgeous, aren’t they? And every once in a while, I will take the time to prep all the vegetables and cook all the meat and simmer a large pot of whatever tickles my fancy.
But every once in a while, I don’t feel like prepping all the vegetables and cooking all the meats and simmering it all together in a large pot. Every once in a while, I like to keep it simple.
This isn’t a recipe post. This is a how-to-always-have-a-quick-and-delicious-soup-at-your-fingertips post. Let’s talk through the ingredient process.
nwafoodie is a hub for food happiness. Arkansas Women Blogger member Lyndi Fultz focuses on the simplicity of fresh ideas when it comes to the exploration of food, eating, and enjoying life. nwafoodie conveys a sense of joy, curiosity and wonder of all the touch points of eating coupled with a fun and upbeat tone, pulling readers into a welcoming foodie fold that has none of the usual snobbery. She blogs from the perspective of a small town foodie exploring her backyard, spreading the message that eating well is truly one of the most joyful pleasures of living.
The other morning I left our house wearing my biggest coat that zips up to my nose and drapes down below my knees. I was wearing a hat, sunglasses, and giant boots. I looked like a cross between Frosty the Snowman and the Michelin Man, all hint of womanhood completely hidden (unless you count the Kate Spade sunglasses, which when it’s the only scrap of femininity left in your ensemble, I do). But dang-it, I was prepared for those 15 degree temps.
Prepared, alas, does not mean happy. I’ve been doing everything under the sun to keep sane. I’ve been taking my daily three mile walks despite the weather. I’ve been lighting all the candles. I’ve watched a dozen movies about summertime or anything set by the ocean.
But the one thing that consistently makes me feel like spring is just around the corner is doing art projects with Jane.
I had so much fun making these cookies with my five-year-old. She’s at such a fun age. We’re just getting to the point where we can have full conversations and she’s wanting to help with everything, and wanting to go with me everywhere. She’s my little bestie. She always likes to help in the kitchen but this was the first experience where I told her the order of ingredients and she wanted to put them all in herself. We had so much fun baking together. She kept stealing bites of brown sugar, and of course, couldn’t resist the cookie dough once it was all mixed. I love experiencing these moments with her…this is everything I imagined motherhood would be. She pretty much made this batch of cookies herself (with my assistance of course) and she even rolled them into little balls in preparation for baking. They turned out so yummy and I’m excited to share this recipe for our Peanut Butter Heart Cookies. READ MORE
Anita Stafford: Tunnel of Fudge Cake
According to recent statistics, the average person celebrating Valentine’s Day in 2016 will spend almost $150 to show their affection. Of course, some will spend considerably more if they opt for the whole sweetheart package. According to the New York Post, the five items most purchased for a significant other are: a box of chocolates, diamond earrings, a dozen roses, dinner for two, and a bottle of champagne. Those five items can add up to over $500, all in the name of love.
I’m sure your sweetheart is worth the cost, nevertheless, not everyone wants to spend such an exorbitant amount of money. Perhaps a home baked cake would be sufficient to communicate your fondness for that special someone. READ MORE
Lacie Ring: Cupid Munch
This recipe is so easy and quick to throw together. I promise you that it takes me longer to snap the pictures than it does to make up Cupid Munch. READ MORE
Mel Lockcuff: Crisp Cut Out Sugar Cookies
What makes this recipe special is that my mom taught me how to make it, just like a lot of recipes I love to make. She is the best at making these yummy Christmas cookies, and she taught me everything I know about baking them.
To make these cookies special, all the Christmas cookie cutters come out, along with my old friend, the rolling pin. We roll and re-roll the dough, cutting out snowmen, Christmas trees, bells, and stars.
After the cookies have baked and cooled, it’s time to decorate, and the kids have so much fun with this. Jaden’s cookies are usually decorated to the hilt; they make my teeth hurt just looking at them. We keep the decorating simple, using butter knives to spread the icing on… Then sprinkle a few of our favorite sprinkles to add a little crunch.
These sugar cookies usually end up on a plate with a glass of milk come Christmas Eve. And they always disappear; so apparently, Santa likes them too. READ MORE
Ricci Alexis: Red Velvet Cake Batter Cookies
Well the other day I was at Target and they had all of their Valentine’s baking stuff on display and I decided to grab a red velvet cake mix fully intending on making some cupcakes to take to work for my birthday. I got home and realized I forgot the icing so I had to kill that idea, just my luck, but then I remembered all of those recipes I had seen for cake batter cookies and the idea was born! READ MORE
Amanda Farris: Valentine Trash
We’ve had a fun week of celebrating and gearing up for Valentine’s Day. As a homeschooling mom, planning crafts and activities around the holiday’s is part of the fun!
This past week we’ve had a tea party, math activity, made Valentine slime, fun snacks, and a craft.
We actually have tea parties often. The kids love it and it breaks up routine. Not to mention, I love watching their little personalities act so “proper” at our sophisticated backyard tea parties with animal crackers and sliced cheese.
For our Valentine’s tea party, part of the fun was making the snack for the party. We spend LOTS of time around our kitchen island making huge messes. It’s exactly what I had envisioned when we built our house. READ MORE
BINGO! There it was! The kind of Valentine treat I was looking for for Ryan! An Apple Cinnamon Granola with Hazelnuts and Cranberries recipe. Ryan eats granola daily, yet he really does enjoy having variety, so why not try a new yummy granola recipe! READ MORE
Eating low carb doesn’t have to be boring! I’ve been eating a low carb/ketogenic diet for around 8 months, and I’ve discovered a love for recreating some of our favorite recipes without the heavy carbs. For this dinner, I recreated an old favorite we used to eat at Fazoli’s – Pizza Baked Spaghetti. Even if you’re not following a low carb diet, this dish is a great way to get your pickier eaters to eat vegetables. I mean, who doesn’t love pizza? Kids and veggie-hating husbands alike will love spaghetti squash when it tastes like their favorite pizza pie. You could top this with whatever pizza toppings are your favorite – we just went traditional with pepperoni. It would be great “supreme style” with olives, mushrooms, onions and sausage. Just be mindful that additional vegetables can add additional carbs.
Enjoy this delicious, healthy low carb pizza bake! READ MORE
Brittney Lee is a native Arkansan with a love for bright lights and big city. She often escapes her 20-acre home south of Fort Smith to shop, eat, and catch a concert in the big city. She blogs about her life, her faith, her adventures, her family, and her country home.
We’ve had a full month of some of the best soups, chilis, stews and gumbos shared by our #ARWB members. Have you tried some of them? Did you find a new family favorite? Let us know which ones.
Lyndi Fultz: January is a Soup-Prolific Month
In honor of National Soup Month (that would be now), I decided to browse the search bar on the ol’ blog and see how many soups we shared together over the years.
We had ten.
Ten!
Ten steaming bowls lifted up to the virtual nostril with eyes closed and then we deeply inhaled their liquid lusciousness.
Cravings are strange creatures. They prowl around whispering about delicious food. They are persistent and determined. A craving caused me to make this creamy Gnocchi Soup, and it did not disappoint. Keep this recipe handy in case your cravings ask for Gnocchi Soup. I found it to be almost identical to the soup at one of my favorite restaurants. My cravings are now well-fed and happy. READ MORE
Ricci Alexis: Lighter Lasagna Soup
Before this recipe I and never used turkey sausage or whole wheat pasta and so I was pretty skeptical but I surprised at how much flavor it had! It also kept me full and has way less calories than regular lasagna or lasagna soup.
It’s a staple around my house during the cooler months! I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do!! READ MORE
Talya Boerner: Cabbage and Potato Soup
Did you ever try to lose weight on the Cabbage Soup Diet? I did. In fact when I worked at State Bank, the entire staff from drive-through teller to bank president succumbed to the nastiness. By God(!) in only seven days we would be the skinniest bankers in Dallas!
Do you ever store something and tell yourself, “I’ll remember that I put that specific thing in that specific drawer or container”? I tell myself that all of the time! Guess what…I never remember! Unless it’s say like the kitchen scissors (which I will use on you, if they don’t find their way back to the drawer…lol!), or sewing pins (which are always in my sewing drawer). But what about the rest of your things??? I’ve always had this idea of making an inventory sheet and I finally tested it out and it’s working like a charm! It’s one of those charts that I could look at and know exactly what contents are in what container and where the container is in the room…check out my method on how to organize a room using this free printable!
For several years I have been focusing on eating a healthy vegetarian diet.Being a vegetarian when you live with a house full of men who are carnivores can be cause for some disagreement at meals.
One vegetarian meal, that two out of three men in my house will eat, is Sweet Potato Soup.
I am not sure where I originally found the recipe for Sweet Potato Soup, but it has turned out to be a quick go-to-meal after a long day of work.
I meal plan on Friday for the next week and try meal prep on Sunday for the whole week. Baking the sweet potatoes early in the week and storing them in the refrigerator helps speed up the prep time on a weeknight.
I serve this soup with grill cheese sandwiches or bagels and cream cheese.
I am a 50-something southern girl, living in a small community in Arkansas, located in the far Northeast corner of the State. I share my home with her husband aka The Big Man, 14 rescue dogs and 20 chickens. Collectively we have five adult near-perfect children, five perfect grandboys, and 4 awesome granddogs.I am a family nurse practitioner who runs a small family practice. My family and I also own and operate Bed and Biscuit Boarding and Faultline Athletics.You can keep up with my abundantly blessed life at ConnieKayA.net (http://conniekaya.net)
Who among us has not been frustrated in our own kitchens by disorganization? At the very least, a lack of organization might cause a meal to be served late, but frequently it causes more serious problems. Maybe your recipe says to heat the oil, then add chopped onion. A disorganized cook will heat the oil, then start chopping the onion, a recipe for disaster.
The French have a term for organization in the kitchen called “mise en place,” which in translation means “to put in place”. For the organized cook this would mean that all the ingredients need to be prepared and ready to use before you start cooking.
My husband bought me both volumes of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” for Christmas and I knew exactly what to make. I instantly turned to bouef bourguignon (beef stew). It was the first video I had watched when I found “The French Chef” on YouTube. I followed her instructions intimately, as I rarely do, and I was rewarded with probably the most delicious French beef stew that could be put into existence by us mere mortals.
