Recipes
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Grandma Izzie Inspired Round Noodles Soup
This Round Noodles Soup was inspired by a dish my grandma used to make for me and my sister when she was babysitting us. While it was always a hit with us kids, it was sometimes much more flavorful and rich than other times. It all depended on how much beef grandma...
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Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Porcini mushrooms and Hungarian paprika really punch up the flavors in this mushroom soup. It is rich and filling enough to serve for dinner with a loaf of fresh bread on a busy winter weeknight. Ingredients for Hungarian Mushroom Soup 2 T. butter 1 T. olive oil 1...
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Green Tomato Chutney
Whether we break down the garden in late August or late October, I find that it means lots of green tomatoes. Tasty as they are, one batch of fried green tomatoes is about our limit! For a while, what to do with the rest of those wonderful green tomatoes was a puzzle....
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Jim’s Texas Chili
The tradition of chili on Halloween started with my parents when my sister and I were growing up. It is the perfect meal before or after (or both!) trick-or-treating on a cold October night. Made in the afternoon, the chili stays on the stove and can be reheated...
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Neopolitan Pizza Crust
This pizza crust is crunchy with just a little chew and wonderfully versatile! It is a family affair when we make extra crusts and freeze them for easy weeknight meals. Kids love the dough toss step and this has even been a popular birthday party activity! From a...
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Coconut Macaroons
These melt-in-your-mouth meringues are a super easy to make and always a big hit for coconut lovers! (If you're like Grandma Izzie, who wouldn't touch the stuff, these are not for you. As the story goes, she and her brother, Great Uncle George, swiped a whole pound of...
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Madeline’s Quarantine Pot Pie
Quarantine met school work (and dinner) when Madeline received this Practical Living Class assignment to make a one pot meal. We are grocery shopping only once every two weeks while sheltering-in-place and, I will confess, we were nearing the end of the second week...
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Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
I always try to keep a few packages of sun-dried tomatoes in the pantry because they pack so much flavor and can be added to all kinds of dishes to punch things up. (They create a whole new dimension of flavor when added to Basil Pesto pasta.) You can also dry...
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Cheese Puffs
A family favorite, these cheese puffs are on the appetizer table at every holiday gathering in our house. They are easy to make and even easier to eat! They can be made ahead and frozen in larger batches so you can keep them coming. From frozen, heat at 375° for 8 to...
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Shepherd’s Pie
We look forward to this Shepherd's Pie made from leftover roast and mashed potatoes almost as much as the roast meal itself! It is great served up in a larger baking dish, but we like to portion it out into individual size crocks. To do so, form the mashed potatoes by...
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Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese
Sometimes there is nothing that can soothe your soul like a hot dish of homemade macaroni and cheese. It's not surprising that people have come up with thousands of variations on this popular dish. (Certainly, there is room for all kinds of delicious mac and cheese...
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Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce
This is a favorite weeknight meal at our house! If you already have Jim's Italian Sausage and Sicilian Tomato Sauce on hand, it is quite easy to put together and goes a long way (two nights for us). You can certainly get a very tasty result with your favorite sausage...
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Nonna’s Meatball Soup
This soup is the ultimate in comfort food! Similar recipes instruct you to cook the noodles in the soup, but we prefer to cook them ahead, setting them aside to add at serving time. This way, any extra soup doesn't end up with mushy noodles and extra starch in it....
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Festive Holiday Pretzels
For many years our annual family Christmas cookie baking day was interjected with great drama regarding these holiday pretzels. First, the original recipe used small round pretzels, which were only available at one store on the other side of town. In order to add the...
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Autumn Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
These cookies are an original EATS Together recipe inspired by a cherry chocolate oatmeal cookie that we have been making for years. I wanted to incorporate fall flavors and Jim's love of cranberries inspired me to try them, along with a few fall spices and white...
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Jim’s Italian Sausage
Jim's Italian Sausage is so versatile and handy to have around! This recipe makes about 5 pounds of sausage, most of which we freeze in smaller amounts for later use. A couple of our favorite recipes are Italian Sausage Manicotti and Mom's Spaghetti Sauce. Also, you...
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Pork Scallopini with Marsala Mushroom Gravy
This is a hearty, flavorful dish that offers the satisfaction of comfort food without packing on a ton of fat and calories. We like to serve it with "Kluski" noodles or spaetzle (when we have time to make them). Add a vegetable or salad side, and you have a...
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Curried Chicken and Rice
This is an original from our family! It's roots are in a side dish that had just wild rice and a wonderful curry sauce made with egg yolks and half and half. The result is a kind of custard surrounding the other ingredients. To evolve this into a main course dish we...
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Porcini Mushroom Pasta Sauce
Porcini mushrooms have a wonderful, rich and earthy flavor that turns this simple creamy sauce into something really special. Above it is pictured with cheese ravioli that came in the refrigerator case at the grocery store. This combination offers a quick and easy,...
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As You Wish Crustless Quiche
We're calling this "As You Wish" because you really can get creative with this crustless quiche. I have offered several variations at the bottom of this post, but just about any ingredients that you think sound good are worth a try added to this basic cheese quiche....
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Homemade Salsa
One of our favorite summer indulgences – when we have lots of fresh, ripe tomatoes in our garden – is to make homemade salsa. We find it is tastiest straight from the bowl we mix it in. Even after refrigeration, it is far superior to any store-bought, jarred version....
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Chop, Mash, In-A-Flash Guacamole
Talk about "super foods" and avocados are way up there on the list. They're delicious, they are available all year-round and they pack a nutritional wallop! And this isn't news to anyone. While these days we tend to associate guacamole with Mexican dishes, it actually...
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Turkey Oven Sandwiches
These Turkey Oven Sandwiches are a great weeknight meal. We like to cook one pan the night we make them and save the other for the next night in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for an easy meal in the further future. Distributing tomatoes and celery for...
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Cajun Chicken Pasta
We came up with this dish while trying to recreate a fantastic pasta that I had at a restaurant in New Orleans years ago. I think we came pretty close! For a long time the kiddo would not touch it. Perhaps it was too spicy. Recently, however, she has done a complete...
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Chicken Lasagna
This is one of our favorite make ahead meals. It heats great from frozen and the investment of one afternoon yields at least four meals. For our small family, it's more like 8. Sometimes, for Sunday dinner with Gogo and Papa, one 8" x 8" pan serves 4 adults and 1 kid...
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Basic Bread from Starter (Yum!)
We make this bread at least once a month. It makes four medium size loaves. We usually eat one on the day we make it and freeze the other three. It is a perfect bread sliced in a basket for a side at the dinner table, but we also use it instead of pastry puffs and in...
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Irish Farmhouse Salad
This salad is always yummy, but is especially popular in our house during the winter months when many of our favorite seasonal veggies are not available or not at their peak. It evolved from an old Irish recipe that mixed cream and mustard with a cooked egg yoke to...
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Beef in Guinness
This is by far my favorite beef stew recipe! Pictured above with Basic Bread from Starter, it is also delicious with boxty and we often serve it with our Irish Farmhouse Salad on the side. Years ago, we started making this stew by trying a variety of recipes one at a...
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Smokey Chicken Parmesan
Chicken parmesan can be a little bit blah, but using Smokey Tomato Sauce really steps up the flavor, offering a unique twist on an old classic. If you have the sauce already on hand, this comes together fairly easily and, when frozen, is a super easy weeknight meal....
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Schiacciata (with roasted red onions and Gruyere)
A Florentine version of Focaccia, the name for this favorite in our household, SCHIACCIATA, translates as "squashed" bread. The sweetness of the roasted red onion partnered with sharp Gruyere and a touch of salt produce a remarkably delicious treat. You can skip...
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Grandmommie’s Cherry Chocolate Cream
Nabisco introduced their Famous Chocolate Wafers in 1924 and, not long after, the original "Icebox Cake" recipe appeared on the back of the Famous box. This "cake" became popular during the World War 2 era because of its use of premade ingredients and its simplicity....
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Baked Potato Soup
Baked potato soup with all the fixings makes a fantastic meal on a cold winter night. This recipe is also great for parties or to take to potlucks because it works well in a slow cooker on a low setting. It does not have any meat in it to get dry and the base does not...
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Sourdough Starter
Bread, English muffins, waffles, pancakes, biscuits, pretzels – the list of things you can do with a nice sourdough starter is endless! A friend of my mom's turned me on to the wonders of starter many years ago when she served up the most delicious sourdough biscuits...
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Pierogi
These Polish dumplings are the ultimate in comfort food around our house! We always enjoy making them together, too. They freeze well, which gives us several easier future meals in the freezer. Sometimes we indulge in a carbohydrate overload and just eat them as a...
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After Church Chicken (or Turkey) Salad
It's just a fairly straightforward chicken salad recipe that we have tweaked to our liking over the years. It became "After Church" salad when we realized it sized up well to make LOTS of sandwiches for our hospitality gatherings after 10 a.m. services on Sunday....
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Smokey Tomato Sauce
We make this sauce in August when we have more tomatoes than we know what to do with. We love the "hearty without meat" flavor it brings to a wide variety of dishes. Another plus: it maintains it's unique, smokey flavor through the canning process. In our version of...
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Basil Pesto
This pesto recipe is very versatile. It is pictured here with Cavatappi pasta, cherry tomatoes and some fresh mozzarella. We like to make lots of pesto in the summer when fresh basil is readily available and freeze it for use throughout the year. Having pesto on hand...
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Italian Sausage and Cheese (Not) Stuffed Manicotti
These "not stuffed" manicotti may be a little easier to make than the traditional filled pasta tubes we're used to, but this recipe still requires an investment of time. Luckily, once you are committed, you might as well make enough for the future. Recruit the family...
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Basic Tomato Sauce
When you need a fresh-tasting tomato sauce, but don't have all day to make it, this basic recipe is a great option. Fresh carrots, celery, onion and garlic all brighten – and deepen – the flavor of the canned tomatoes. Perfect served simply over pasta and also ideal...
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Inside Out Cookies
Sporting a chocolate cookie and white chocolate chips, we've always called these "Inside Out Cookies." We enjoy them throughout the year, but also always have them on the Christmas cookie tray to satisfy the many chocoholics we know and love! Ingredients for Inside...
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Snowball Cookies
Snowballs, Sandies, Italian Wedding Cookies...the list can go on and on. This popular cookie comes with many names and in many shapes. We like making small balls that you can pop in your mouth in one bite. Grandmommie used to use the same recipe, but shaped them into...
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Holiday Holly Treats
Every holiday cookie plate needs these festive holly treats. They are simple to make and so yummy – but not too many, kids. If your tongue starts to look green, it is said you may be turning into The Grinch! Ingredients for Holiday Holly Treats 1/2 C. butter 30 - 35...
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Parmesan Scallion Popovers
These popovers make a great side to a dinner salad or even with eggs for breakfast. With Parmesan cheese, scallions and a touch of cayenne pepper, they pack so much flavor that they don't even need butter! Ingredients for Parmesan Scallion Popovers about 1/4 C. grated...
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Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese (with pulled pork)
Jim loves to spend a Saturday smoking a pork shoulder – and we love eating it. We usually have guests and my Sweet Honey BBQ Glaze has a competition with Jim's South Carolina Finishing sauce. Even so, we always have some leftovers. Lest these delicious leftovers go to...
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Tomorrow’s Nutty Banana Bread
This banana bread is worth the wait, though it smells so good in the oven that it's hard to hold out as the recipe (and tradition) dictates! Adding some whole wheat flour, pecans, a touch of nutmeg and a hint of vanilla helps create the nutty flavor that perfectly...
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Pear Asiago Spinach Salad
Everyone loves this salad! The balsamic vinaigrette dressing is so good that we like to keep it in the refrigerator and use it with any recipe that calls for a vinaigrette Ingredients for Pear Asiago Spinach Salad 5 T. olive oil 3 T. balsamic vinegar 1 T. honey 1 t....
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Three Tasty and Simple Veggie Sides
Here are three veggie side dishes that we make on a regular basis. They are flavorful, but what we like most about them is that they are simple. With just a few fresh ingredients we can quickly prepare a hot vegetable side to go with dinner. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive...
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Vegetables in Fragrant Cumin Tomato Broth
We enjoy this flavorful Indian vegetable dish for lunch during the colder months of the year when a salad just doesn't sound good. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be heated quickly on the stove or in the microwave. It is chock full of healthy ingredients and...
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The Day After The Day After Thanksgiving Panini
This turkey panini puts a new twist on the leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich. The cranberry relish adds a nice sweet, tartness while the melty fontina cheese offers richness and flavor variation. Ingredients for After Thanksgiving Turkey Panini Leftover turkey...
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Grandma’s Cranberry Bread
This delicious cranberry bread was adapted from one of our favorite Thanksgiving storybooks, Cranberrry Thanksgiving. We continue to make it throughout the holiday season and are often nibbling a slice as we open our Christmas gifts. (And by the way, it also makes a...
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McGuire Cranberry Relish
This fresh cranberry relish is very easy and always on our Thanksgiving table. We like to make extra and can it for the rest of the season. Put a bow on a jar of cranberry relish for a nice holiday party hostess gift. Ingredients for McGuire Cranberry Relish 1 quart...
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French Bread Pizza
I try to keep a loaf of French bread from the store in my freezer for those nights when real cooking is just not going to happen. Making these can be a no brainer when my brain is finished! You really only need three ingredients to make it work, but many additional...
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Irish Boxty
These traditional Irish potato pancakes are a little firmer than other varieties because they are made with both mashed and grated potatoes. While the recipe is 100% authentic Irish, our favorite way to eat them strays a bit from tradition. We cook up some turkey...
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Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce
Using refrigerated or frozen tortellini and homemade sauce that was canned in the summer offers a quick option for a fresh tasting, healthy meal. In a pinch, use your favorite store-bought tomato sauce. Ingredients for Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce 1 clove...
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Dinner Rolls
Only second to eating them, Madeline loves to make these traditional dinner rolls with me. When I was learning to make them with Grandma Izzy, she would recite a story about my uncle as a boy snatching a roll to eat while they were still proofing. Every time, she'd...
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Pumpkin Bread with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
The flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves combine with maple icing to make this pumpkin bread an ideal autumn treat! Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting BREAD 2 C flour 1 C packed brown sugar 1 T baking powder 1 t ground cinnamon 1/4 t salt...
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Sicilian Tomato Sauce
I'll put it to you straight: this is NOT a fast recipe. However, it is beyond worth the time to make and save for quick meals in the future. It is delicious, versatile and best of all, you know what's in it. (Many commercial tomato sauces have as much as 16 teaspoons...
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Pasta with Walnuts
Our whole family loves this recipe! The ingredients can be kept on hand for a night when you need a quick, satisfying homemade meal. Add a side of sautéed spinach or steamed broccoli (see Three Tasty and Simple Veggie Sides) for balance and nutrition.Ingredients for...
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Cream Sauce with Shallots and Thyme
This sauce is great with any meat. It holds up well in the slow cooker with meatballs, but is also delicious with pork scallopini or sautéed chicken breasts. Ingredients for Cream Sauce with Shallots and Thyme 3 T butter 3 T flour 1 shallot, finely chopped 1 1/4 C...
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Meatballs
These savory meatballs are fun to make together and delicious for dinner tonight or next week! Ingredients for Meatballs 3/4 lb Ground Beef 3/4 lb. Ground Pork 1/2 Cup Toasted Bread Crumbs 2/3 Cup Milk 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt 1.5 Teaspoons Fresh Thyme, chopped 2 Egg...
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Tomato Pie
Starring two of our favorite garden crops, tomatoes and basil, this recipe is a great summertime side dish. Use Roma or other paste variety tomatoes to keep your pie from getting runny!Ingredients for Tomato Pie 9" pie crust 2 - 3 large tomatoes or 6 - 8 Roma tomatoes...
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