Category: Foodie Friday

Ami Lee: Champignon Bourguignon

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.

Lyndi Fultz: 5 Ingredient Quick Soup

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.

Brittney Lee: Pizza Baked Spaghetti Squash {Foodie Friday}

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.

Follow Brittney:

http://www.razorbackbritt.com/

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https://www.facebook.com/RazorbackBritt/

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Connie Kay Ash: Sweet Potato Soup {Foodie Friday}

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)

Debbie Arnold: ¡Sopa SabrosaTaco! {Foodie Friday}

#CelebrateNationalSoupMonth

As a working wife and mother with a busy family, I learned early on to rely on my slow cooker as a tool for having tasty and nutritious meals on the table so that we were not relying on fast food. Even though I am retired, I still rely on my slow cooker or slow cooking in the oven often. Frankly, I think some dishes just develop a better flavor that way.

My Taco Soup is a variation of that popular one you can find all across the internet. Over the years, as I do with most recipes, I’ve changed it to suit our tastes and, sometimes, what was available in the pantry. I’m sure you probably do the very same thing, right? READ MORE

Keisha Pittman McKinney: Breakfast Egg Sandwiches {Foodie Friday}

Each week for the past year I’ve made these breakfast sandwiches for Mr. McKinney. I need a little variety in my life, but he can eat the same darn thing every, single, day. I came up with the recipe when we were both trying to do a little better with our eating. We jumped on the Weight Watchers campaign, tried the myfitnesspal app for a while and then learned if we watched what we ate instead of watched everything we eat go in our mouths, we could find the balance we were seeking. That and an evening stroll around the neighborhood with our dog Bailey always helped too!

Mr. McKinney was driving through McDonald’s in the mornings for an egg white delight, which is a great option if you can afford to eat out breakfast every morning or travel a lot. Then, we tried the Jimmy Dean frozen option and still with a 250 or below calorie count, they were a good option. But, I’m always convinced I can make something better and cheaper than we can just buy pre-made so the challenge was on! <she says with her hands on her hip in domestic diva mode>

Keisha (Pittman) McKinney is settling in to married life in South AR after she #becamemrsmckinney. A Digital Media Director by day for a church in Northwest Arkansas, Keisha is remembering what its like to plan ahead for shopping trips to “the city,” getting resourceful at her small town Walmart and creating online shopping personas everywhere. She blogs @bigpittstop about daily adventures, cooking escapades, #bigsisterchats, the social justice cases on her heart, and all the activities tied to becoming a new mama in Jan 2018!

Blog –bigpittstop: new journey, new normal, new you – http://www.bigpittstop.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/bigpittstop

Twitter – https://twitter.com/bigpittstop

Instagram – http://instagram.com/bigpittstop#

Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/bigpittstop/

Lyndi Fultz: Salad for Breakfast

Add a salad to your breakfast and start the day right.

Here is one idea you may not have thought about that ensures you get the day started off right by consuming vitamins and nutrient-rich foods from the get-go… try adding a salad to your breakfast plate.

That’s right, salad. Add it right next to your eggs and bacon. You don’t need a fancy recipe or tons of ingredients. I like to use a spring mix with lots of colored leafs, drizzle with olive oil and a dusting of cracked black pepper. I try to always have a pretty bowl filled with cherry tomatoes next to my fruit tray so it is quick and easy to grab a few and add. However, skip the tomatoes and it still will be delicious.

KELLEE MAYFIELD: Gluten Free Flaxseed and Almond Meal Pancakes {Foodie Friday}

This is for all of the gluten sensitive, gluten intolerant, celiac, paleo dieters, and folks who enjoy breakfast.

According to Niall McCarthy, contributing writer at Forbes.com, “The number of Americans going gluten-free has tripled since 2009.”

“Today, some 3.1 million people across the United States follow a gluten-free diet,” McCarthy reports in his article published Jan. 17. “Seventy-two percent of them are classified as ‘PWAGs’ – people without celiac disease avoiding gluten.”

I’m a “PWAG” – person without celiac disease avoiding gluten – and I know I’m not alone. I haven’t had an official blood test done to determine my exact food sensitivities but I know how I feel when I avoid gluten. I have more energy and my skin is clear. Any stomach (read more)

Kellee Mayfield – Delta Moxie

In 2007, my family and I moved to Lake Village, Arkansas in Chicot County (I refer to it as LA…lower Arkansas) smack dab on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.

It’s rural. To give you bigger city folks a frame of reference…there is no Starbucks within a 90-mile radius.

I am an artist, traveler, real-food-eating, sensible-shoe-wearing mother, wife and former sales representative for a medical device company.

Join me as I paint, admire art, and share the experiences that enrich our lives through travel.

And I’ll share my home base in very southeast Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta. All with a southern drawl.

Let’s connect on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn and Facebook – @deltamoxie.

Talya Boerner: The Best Beef Stew Evah! {Foodie Friday}

Momma made beef stew in the fall and winter. It stuck to our ribs when the weather was frightful and noses were runny. It was an inexpensive meal, too, one that called for not much meat but lots of potatoes and carrots. And, it was a good way to sometimes sneak in peas, which I didn’t much like.

After days and days of eating Thanksgiving leftovers, John’s beef stew hit the spot. Giving credit where credit is due, he did most of the work. I only peeled and sautéed the veggies and cut up the potatoes. And I took lots of pictures, of course, because I could tell right off, by the aroma and sizzle and very first taste, this beef stew would be the best beef stew evah! READ MORE

Let @gracegrits show you how to make the Best Beef Stew Evah! #ARWB #FoodieFriday

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Talya is a Delta girl who grew up making mudpies on her family’s cotton farm in Northeast Arkansas. She blogs at Grace, Grits and Gardening and has been published in Arkansas Review, Front Porch Magazine, and Delta Crossroads Magazine. Her debut novel, The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee, recently placed as a National Indie Book Award Finalist for regional southeast fiction. She loves to cook and believes most any dish can be improved with a side of collard greens.

It’s Time for Christmas! {Foodie Friday}

We have some super holiday ideas for your this week.

Lacie Ring: Cheesecake Christmas Trees

Check out this cuteness Lacie did for our #client @TysonFoods #ad.

It is the most wonderful time of the year and I love it! I’m having so much fun creating new holiday recipes. One of my favorites are these super easy 3 Ingredient Cheesecake Christmas Trees that will make you cheer! There is nothing better to get you in the holiday mood than an easy recipe. Especially one that is so much fun and colorful to make. Cheesecake Christmas Trees are the perfect 3 ingredient Christmas treat to get the kiddos involved too. READ MORE

Gina Knuppenburg: Peppermint Biscotti

Nothing screams December like…Peppermint & Chocolate. And nothing speaks louder to me than chocolate, friends! It’s that time of year once again-it’s time for searching for irresistible peppermint recipes, it’s time for jolly old St. Nick…and most importantly {okay, maybe not as important as the birth of Christ!}….it’s BIRTHDAY MONTH!! Yes…a whole month of celebrating my upcoming 19th birthday ? {don’t ask how many 19th birthdays I’ve actually celebrated} READ MORE

Gina Knuppenburg: Hot Cocoa Bar

Want a surefire way to bring surprise and a genuine, toothy smile to someone {or a group of someones}? Find a fabulous hot cocoa recipe {you’re in luck…I have the perfect one for you!}, set out a fun array of add-ins, toppings, and tasty stirrers, and sit back and enjoy the surprise and delight of your giftees. Who doesn’t get all warm and fuzzy thinking about hot cocoa? I think this would be a fun surprise to set up for kids after school, family get-togethers, or even as a gift {package it all up in a pretty package and add the hot cocoa mix with directions. I did this set-up in the lounge at work today . I was truly amazed at my co-workers delight and giddiness-kids in a candy store, I tell ya. READ MORE

BRENDA EMBRY: Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows

First of all, I’m not a huge fan of marshmallows. When I use them for cooking, I don’t feel they are all that flavorful or actually add anything other than some sweetness and texture to a recipe. Speaking of texture, I can hardly stand reaching into a bag and touching those chalky little pellets. I always hope and pray they haven’t congealed together so I can just pour them into a measuring cup without incident. And, even though I know they are an integrative part of the classic s’mores equation, I would rather forego the whole marshmallow thing and just eat the candy bar. READ MORE

DEBBIE ARNOLD: Sara Lee® Cheesecake with Caramel Apple Cider Glaze

#ad Are you feeling all stressed out about the holiday season? If we are honest, most of us have been or are there! We try to be all things to everyone: shopper of bargains that look like a $1,000,000, gift wrapper extraordinaire, party planner/caterer, gourmet cook and baker—you get the picture, right? Let Sara Lee® Cheesecake from our #client @TysonFoods help you out! #TysonMadeWithLove. READ MORE