Soup-a-Season: The Fall Embrace

For me, nothing says Autumn like soup. Nothing. Pinterest, on the other hand, seems to think that Autumn is about putting pumpkin spice into as many foodstuffs as possible:  Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake, Pumpkin Spice Bacon and Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Kahlua Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, Triple Pumpkin Spice Nutella Swirl Quinoa Apple and Walnut Chewy Bars. You get the point. Every year, I’m dragged kicking and screaming from Summer into Fall. September is brutal: the weather is still gorgeous, but with all the back-to-school hoopla {Read More}

Cooking From the Hip ~ Summer Fare

Hey there, little blog readers! Here’s a quick and easy summer side or light main dish recipe! With the weather getting warmer, no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen cooking heavy meals like we may have been doing in the winter. And by “may have” I mean every day for me. Seriously, why do I wonder about how I put on weight when it’s cold? Anyway, this recipe comes from a “Taste of Home” magazine cookbook that jumped {Read More}

Cooking From the Hip ~ Comfort Food

Ahh winter… when a girl’s fancy turns to comfort food! While I am not a vegetarian, I have found myself turning to more and more veggie meals in this cooler weather.  The combinations of flavors and spices are just as comforting as the staples of meat and potatoes (or my usual fave, pasta and cheese). But with these meals, I have less guilt about indulging in dessert later! Moroccan Vegetable Stew 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 {Read More}

Cooking From the Hip ~ Blueberries

There should be a law about cooking shows on TV late at night. I cannot tell you how many times I have been wide awake at 1 a.m. watching some Food Network show that only served to make me hungry and even less tired than I was before I turned it on! Case and point:  A couple of weeks ago I was curled up in my chair watching Guy Fieri at DMK Burger bar in Chicago (stay with me vegetarians; {Read More}

Cooking From the Hip ~ Peaches

Sometimes I get frustrated living in a small town. Our largest store is Walmart, and our nicest restaurant is Chili’s (no offense, I just can’t eat fried onion blossoms more than once a year). We don’t have a mall and Main Street rolls up the sidewalks on Sundays!  But with all the minor inconveniences, there are the wonderful little perks as well. One of these happy gems fell into my day while I was at the local Farmer’s Market.  I {Read More}

Cooking From the Hip ~ Pesto

I have a confession to make: While I do enjoy cooking, I despise trying to decide what to make for dinner. I go online, read cookbooks, watch Food Network; but usually, I come up with nothing. To make matters worse, my family expects food EVERY DAY! What is up with that? One of my only saving graces (other than take out) is when our garden starts to come in season. But alas, my husband got a late start this year; {Read More}

The Lazy Vegetarian ~ A Day of Meals

Just so we’re clear, I’m not kidding about being lazy when it comes to cooking. I am usually cooking only for myself, and I don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up for a meal that I’m probably going to eat on the couch in my pajamas while I watch tv.  I actually love to cook for other people, but when I’m cooking for just myself, I want to do something quick and {Read More}

The Lazy Vegetarian

I first became a vegetarian at the age of seventeen.  Initially I cut red meat and pork from my diet and within a couple of months I gave up poultry, as well.  Fish was never an issue because I didn’t eat in in the first place — I never could stand seafood because I cannot abide the smell. One might think this meant that I had a pretty healthful diet, but sadly, no.  I was a “vegetarian” because I didn’t {Read More}

Are those Pomelos; Or are You Just Happy to See Me?

They’re back! And to celebrate, we revisit an early post. Enjoy! ~ Jennifer I love veggies. I’d like to tell you that I eat them for the health of it; but the truth is I like the way they taste. I’ll eat anything green and leafy, go back for seconds and, once the table is cleared, polish off any additional stems and leaves — all before the dishwasher soap dispenser pops open, heralding the wash cycle. It’s fair to say {Read More}

Fruit Loopy

I love veggies. I’d like to tell you that I eat them for the health of it; but the truth is I like the way they taste. I’ll eat anything green and leafy, go back for seconds and, once the table is cleared, polish off any additional stems and leaves — all before the dishwasher soap dispenser pops open, heralding the wash cycle. It’s fair to say that I get my daily 3-5 servings as well as yours. I credit {Read More}