Recipes

When I had my twins, my cousin and her husband made an insane amount of frozen chicken enchiladas to have in the freezer. It was probably one of the most caring and best things anyone could have done. We had people bring us food when I had my fourth baby or when a baby had surgery. It literally made me feel so cared for. It also was wonderful because it took the guesswork out of dinner! It was literally something I never thought about prior. It had always been a thing to drop off food after a death in the family, but I never thought about doing it during other big life moments. I started making a dish for friends...

February is our family’s only month that doesn’t entail making a birthday cake.  For all other months, there is a birthday…and there is a cake.  And this, of course, does not include the cakes that usually are made for events such as graduations, sacraments, Mardi Gras, etc.  Summary:  in our house, there are a lot of cakes. This means that there is often a lot of leftover cake that just hangs around the kitchen until all of the cake is gone. What I learned very quickly as our family grew was that we only needed ONE day of cake because “sugared up” kids were no fun to manage.  Since I am not one to waste, the “recycled cake” was...

  The old fashioned has been around for a very long time. Long enough to have a name like old-fashioned which is derived from bar patrons requesting the drink to be made the 'old fashioned' way. Although the drink has its roots in Kentucky, you can find many versions of it throughout the U.S. Chances are if you are a southerner you have been in the company of many whose go-to before-dinner drink is an old fashioned. Recently it seems the old fashioned is becoming increasingly popular. I have noticed it appearing on menus in a new form, the smoked old fashion. This led me to wonder, is the old-fashioned new again?I first became aware of the old-fashioned when I...

Kids can be involved in cooking younger than most people think, and there are so many good reasons to involve your child in the kitchen. It teaches responsibility, healthy eating habits, and cooking skills. They are not only learning essential life skills, they're also creating meaningful memories with you. Children as young as 2 years old can help in the kitchen by asking your child to hand you ingredients you're prepping for a recipe. They can also assist in rinsing fruits and veggies.  Show them how to scrub the produce and chat about the colors and taste. If your child is  not ready to use a knife yet, they can help with tearing green at any age. Another option is...

In South Louisiana we experience quite a few sunny days in the winter, however, January and February are still usually pretty dreary. Pair the weather with less daylight and post-holiday blues, and these months aren’t usually my favorite (until Mardi Gras, of course!). However, this year, I’ve decided to take advantage of a slower winter pace and give myself some room to rest. I’ve recently been interested in learning how to create cozy spaces in my home and a mindset that leans into hibernating in the colder months. In addition to twinkle lights and candles, I’m going to try to cook low key meals so I can enjoy those last daylight hours outside with the kids as well as...