If I had to pick one thing to describe my childhood, it would have to be chocolate chip cookies. We always had chocolate chip cookies around the house because my father absolutely loved them. And they were always made from scratch—in fact, I can't eat store bought cookies. They just don't taste right. When I was a teenager, my mother taught me how to make some of these classic chocolate chip cookies (a recipe from my grandmother) and I've been making them for my family and friends ever since. ... [ Read More ]
8 Tips for Making the Best Grilled Cheese Ever
When I was a child, grilled cheese was one of my favorite foods. There's just something comforting about that delicious gooey cheese oozing from between two slices of golden and crispy bread. It warms your heart and sometimes burns your mouth and just tastes like heaven. And, even better, grilled cheese is one of this ridiculously simple dishes that is always a hit with kids. Most adults won't turn one down either, and anyone can make one. You really can't go wrong. However, if you're a ... [ Read More ]
Easy Garlic Basil Fries
No matter how you cook them, I think potatoes are some of my favorite foods. However, by far my favorite way to eat potatoes has to be in the form of fries. It's faster than making a baked potato, but much healthier than pan frying or deep frying. Also, it's delicious!! This recipe I made after realizing that I had far too many red potatoes and they needed to be used before they started going bad. The store had a sale on them, so I purchased a ten pound bag a while back. Fortunately, these ... [ Read More ]
Homemade Pita Bread
Pita bread is delicious and ridiculously versatile. It is great for leftovers as you can stuff pita bread with just about anything you can imagine. And, much like any other homemade bread, store bought pita bread doesn't even compare to making it at home. Without a doubt, my favorite thing about pita bread is how ridiculously versatile it is. You can take it with you, you can stuff it with just about anything you can imagine. The bread can also be made ahead of time and either refrigerated ... [ Read More ]
Homemade Vanilla Bean Extract
If given the choice between vanilla and chocolate flavoring in something, most of the time I go with vanilla. Not to say I don't love chocolate, but vanilla is just so much more complimentary and useful. It's also less overpowering. However, a bottle of vanilla extract can be pretty expensive, especially if you get the pure stuff (since the imitation is mostly sugar and not that great for you). But I simply love using vanilla. So, being the old-fashioned girl I am, I decided to make my own ... [ Read More ]
Why I Switched to Glass Storage Containers
I grew up with using old-fashioned thick green, orange, and yellow Tupperware containers to store food, plus some little clear square containers with odd greenish-blue lids. In fact, I think my mother still uses that Tupperware, some of which is stained and pock-marked. So, when I moved out, she went out and helped me get some cheap plastic storage containers which snap-on lids, which I used all through college and for several years afterwards. But I had the same problems: the lids were ... [ Read More ]
Old-Fashioned Pancake Recipe
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who like waffles, and those who like pancakes. Personally, I'm a pancake person. Not to say that I won't enjoy a good old-fashioned waffle from a waffle iron, but I find that pancakes are far more versatile, forgiving, and much simpler to cook. While there are dozens of different ways to make pancakes, it all starts with my basic old-fashioned pancake recipe. From there, you can add whatever you like: strawberries, blueberries, cinnamon, ... [ Read More ]
What it Means to Have an Old Fashioned Kitchen
Being old-fashioned means something different to just about everyone. For some people, it means going off the grid and relying entirely on yourself. For others, it means simply making your own soaps and trying live a little simpler. That variety is part of what makes old-fashioned living so wonderful—it can be used by just about anybody. One of things that I'm the most old-fashioned about has to be my kitchen. But, what does it mean to have an old-fashioned kitchen? You might be surprised to ... [ Read More ]
Simple and Easy Chili Recipe
When it's cold outside, nothing beats a bowl of chili with some cheese and crackers. Absolutely nothing. When I was little, we ate a lot of chili during the winter months, not only because it is delicious, but also because it goes a long way and can be reused a million different ways. This recipe is one that my father uses when he didn't have time to let the chili simmer for hours and hours on the stove, and personally I kind of like the simplicity of it. Here's the recipe: Simple and ... [ Read More ]