Zest----through your life

everything you do---do it with your own spin on it---do it with love ---do it with Zest---

whether it's a casual night at home or an important anniversary of some sort-----plan it---enjoy it---put some Zeal in it!

create what you don't have----don't be afraid to add a little something something---change it up---make it one of a kind---your kind-

keep em guessing---what's she gonna serve this time----

I smile as I recall one of my grandsons saying to me---"on the way over here--we were all guessing what nanny would have----and we all decided---it would be pizza or some weirdo casserole"----

yes sometimes we may disappoint we may not please everyone---but hey----you gotta get in there and try---

so I keep planning and dreaming---of having that once a month Sunday dinner----that occasional Saturday morning family brunch----so many ways to bring people together---

I hope you have enjoyed my theme this year and maybe just maybe I have nudged you into a little more food thought-----cause who knows----if you make it---they just might come!!!

Yellow squash---can't make enough!!!!

there was a time---I would never have even thought of using frozen squash----but thank goodness I tried it----to me---it's a no brainer----so much faster and really less expensive----the thing you have to make sure of is cooking it long enough-----

I add lots of onion and a small amount of water----tons of pepper and a good bit of salt and garlic salt---

you can do the same with canned but you pretty much have to fry it to make it the way we like it---

there is one advantage as far as I'm concerned to using fresh squash---when you slice it and fry it individually---

as much as my mother had served us squash---it wasn't until one night at my friend Susan's house that I discovered this delectable way of preparing yellow squash---

her mother was simply slicing them in maybe quarter inch pieces--coating them with flour and salt and pepper and then frying them in some vegetable oil----I thought they were the best things I had ever had--I have to admit I rarely make them that way as it is a timely process----especially since everyone will want tons of them----

yellow squash make a wonderful casserole too---perfect for a church pot luck or just at home----just cook your squash before hand--adding eggs---milk or cream---butter---your choice of seasonings and sometimes I add cheese----top with seasoned bread crumbs or crackers----

 

 

eXperience and the eXtras

that's the thing about cooking and entertaining---like with almost everything---experience will make you hopefully better at it---

 although my mother was a wonderful cook---I didn't know hardly anything about cooking when I first got married---you see my mother was not about other people being in her kitchen and any experience I had was due to my sneaking in there when she wasn't home or from one of my grandmothers teaching----I think Robyn has maybe inherited my mom's kitchen thing---we share the cooking but not the kitchen so much!

now when Robyn was little and she was eager to learn---she made some interesting mistakes in recipes----like for instance---in a cornbread thing I make---actually it's pretty much Paula Deen's recipe----anyway---Robyn put in double the sour cream---and now we make it that way---so much better----as with Paula's ooey gooey pumpkin cake--Robyn used double cream cheese---out of this world!!

yes experience will show you what works---what failed completely---and what you might tweak a bit next time-

oh yeah---Robyn just reminded me another eXample of her successful doubling---now she is becoming a really good cook---but for some reason she hates to make any kind of rice----even the minute kind----one night the stir-fry was ready-when I went to take the lid off the rice---it was soup---she eXclaimed--"I think I put double the water"---now I gotta tell ya---that was the best "sticky rice" I think I have ever had---rivaled my grandmother's--

 

 

What's for dinner Mom?

like I shared before--my mom cooked big meals just about all of her life----now she wasn't much for entertaining---but she took really good care of my dad and her four children---

I remember some of her dishes just like it was yesterday----like her spaghetti ---the sauce was very thin and runny---it was very good---but until I was grown--I didn't know some people had thick spaghetti sauce--

often on the weekends my mother would make us donuts---using canned biscuits dropped in oil and dipped in powdered sugar

another one of her canned biscuit tricks was the fried ones---I recently fell back on that way of fixing them---when our oven was out for a couple of days----I gotta tell ya---they are fantastic that way---

another breakfast treat was her salt herring and corn cakes---that's when we were allowed to have coffee---well really a little coffee in our milk!

Mother always had a meat or main dish----a starch and at least two vegetables---and of course bread---like I said before---rarely dessert---

there was this pear thing she did----canned half of a pear---served on lettuce---filled with a combo of mayo and cream cheese and topped with a marchisio cherry-

Mom fried almost everything---pork chops ---ham slices---bologna---and of course those biscuits--

but a couple of my fondest memories of Mama and food--were not of her cooking-

she and I loved those canned tamales and would split a can sometimes--

and for some reason I go back to the time she and I stopped at McDonald's and both got a chef salad--they had just started serving them---we thought they were huge and so tasty---

we pulled through the drive-thru and sat in the parking lot eating our salads---I can still see her face as she enjoyed her salad---and saying several times----"these are really good" and they were Mama-

Variety is not a spice but maybe it should be

how many of us cooks---ponder the question---what can I make for dinner tonight---and what can I have with it---

some of my go-tos are stocking up on sale soups---trying to keep a few different types of pasta---sauces of all kinds-----

I like to have on hand frozen vegetables and canned---canned beans and meats---and lots of packaged rice blends and potato mixes---and don't forget the instant potatoes---so handy in a pinch for so many dishes

it's nice to have some frozen fruit and canned as well

canned gravy can bring a lot of flavor and consistency to many bland meals or of course just as a garnish

like I have shared before---birds eye has some of the most unusual and affordable blends of vegetables---many with pasta or rice and beans----we really love them---

when you are stocking up on salad dressing---be sure and double up on your preferred flavors---as they make great marinates and sauces---I find typically they are much cheaper than a said marinate---

don't be afraid to try frozen shrimp---it can really jazz up your week---just don't cook it too long---it is almost always cooked already anyway---

stir-fry is a beautiful dish and is easily made with lots of frozen blends of your pick of veggies----add meat or not----any Asian sauce will work---my sister got me on to Korean teriyaki sauce---probably my favorite-


so tonight---go for it---try that new side dish you saw online----make your own subs----make it taco night-----whatever you do---spice it up---you know---Variety!

Utilize Utilize

utilize it---in other words use it haha---

we all have so many kitchen gadgets that never get used or are simply put away and forgotten and sometimes rebought!

remember that cheese slicer doohickey ---hmmm get it out and at least pretend to have used it---the next time you have a cheese party-----better yet---pull out that old or new fondue pot---and actually throw a fondue bash----you know they are back in vogue--

don't use your colander much---if it's kinda pretty---and they come in some great new colors----take some of your fruit and display it in it-

got loads of dessert cups or water goblets----go ahead and make a simple dessert---can be as easy as jello pudding or jello itself---just top with candied fruit or nuts and see how fast it goes----

that huge dish aunt Carrie gave you for a wedding present----toss up your pasta with the sauce and make it extra special in your new favorite pasta dish-

have massive amounts of coffee cups and saucers you hardly ever bring down-----serve your dessert in them or put a small plant in one on your window sill----or just have on the sink to hold your rings when you are cooking or washing---

and what about all of those cookie cutters that are clogging up your utensil drawer----next time your grandkids are over make a pizza crust with crescent roll dough and delight them with their own mini favorite shaped pizzas---or better yet---let them do it

and why not use that egg slicer---now who doesn't like their salad topped with symmetrically sliced eggs

so take a fresh look around your kitchen--and think can I use this and in how many ways!

 

 

summer Teas

over the years Robyn and I have hosted several teas ----it started when she was little----I think the first one was a "summer tea" and then it would be other times of the year---it was meant to be an annual event it was more like a every other year thing

I loved preparing for the teas---we searched for the perfect invitations---napkins----cookies---pastries and the goody bags or gifts for our guests----

I learned a lot about teas and especially afternoon teas--which is mostly what we had-----

I think the first tea I gave was to my daughter in law Adrienne --it was a wedding shower tea---at that one--I actually brewed the tea and like custom says---I poured for everyone---making sure to add the sugar cubes and cream before the tea-----and realizing of course that in true form---cream was not to be used---only milk-----making sure to offer lemon as well-

yes I know probably more than I need to know about teas----

funny story-the teas were a place where the girls knew they could dress up as much as they liked or didn't like--but Robyn liked her attire pretty fancy---well this one year---it was one of the summer teas---an especially hot hot day-----well as Robyn opens the door to her first guests--who are dressed in sweet cool sun dresses---Robyn exclaims---"well I guess I'm overdressed!"