Homemade Ready

I’m very big on any kind of soup, stew or chili, especially in the fall. Nothing says home and hearth to me more than a big, steamy pot of goodness. Rich broth and slow-cooked vegetables are comfort in a bowl and perfect to warm you right up on a cool autumn day.  When it comes to chili, I usually like to make it very thick and hearty. This turkey chili, however, is a little lighter and a little bit like a soup. It has some extra vegetables, too, in case you have have any late zucchini or peppers you’re currently harvesting from your summer garden. In this recipe, I've used canned beans, but you can substitute 3 cups of your own home-cooked or home-canned beans. Turkey Chili Soup with Garden Vegetables 4-6 Servings Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound lean ground turkey 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 bell peppers (any color), diced 1 jalapeno, finely diced 1 large zucchini, diced 2 tablespoons chili powder ½ teaspoon ground cum...

A simple combination of ground meat, tomato sauce or ketchup, and some seasonings, this sandwich is a classic that may just remind you of childhood (and for good reason - it seems like almost all kids love it). The Sloppy Joe’s sandwich is also perfect for back-to-school season because it is just so quick and easy to prepare after a long day at work or school, and is also so warm and cozy for the cooler weather. Now, you could buy a jar of premade sauce, but why spend the extra cash when it's so easy to make this from items you already have in your pantry or fridge? It’s a forgiving recipe, too. I prefer a mix of ketchup and plain tomato sauce, but you can easily use all of one or the other, depending on what you have on-hand. Recipe 4-6 Servings Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil 1 ¼ pound lean ground beef or turkey 1 small onion, diced ¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper ¾ cup tomato sauce ¾ cup ketchup ¼ cup water 3 tablespoons...

I find that ground beef recipes are always real time-savers in the kitchen, and frequently turn to them when I need to get something on the table fast. And while ground beef isn't super-cheap the way it has been in days gone by (and this is probably a good thing), when you make it casserole-style, or serve it with a pile of rice and vegetables, it can still be a frugal meal. Ground beef recipes tend to be flexible, too, so if beef isn't your thing, or you don't have any on hand, you can always substitute another ground meat, like turkey or lamb. You can often even make a decent vegetarian meal from a ground beef recipe by substituting cooked lentils, or another meat substitute.  This easy recipe is one of my quick and easy favorites. It's my take on a traditional ground beef and tomato stew that is found in various Latin American countries and Spain. The way I do it is Cuban-style, using raisins for a bit of sweetness, olives for some saltiness, and the cla...

"Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish, Game, or any other dish? Who would not give all else for two Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup? Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup?" -Lewis Carroll A steamy bowl of soup for supper on a cold winter evening is truly a beautiful thing. When it's made in a slow cooker, with only minimal effort, it's even better. This time of year is the worst for me - the short, chilly days, and long, dark nights. Even in the deep south, we get more cold weather than suits my taste. Plus, let's be honest here, as much as I love the holidays, they can be exhausting. There is the cooking, the shopping, parties, visiting with family and friends. I'm really just now starting to recover. My energy is low and something easy, homey and comforting is exactly what I crave. This French onion soup recipe totally fits the bill. It's rich and velvety, and so simple to prepare - throw it all in the slow cooker, and let it simmer away all day. Th...

Apple butter is one of my favorite treats for fall. I make a batch every year like clockwork, using my slow cooker to make it easy, and to avoid standing at the hot stove stirring for several hours. This year, however, I have found a way to make it even easier . This recipe still uses a slow cooker to do all of the work, however, instead of peeling and chopping all of the apples myself, I start with a big jar of prepared applesauce. I know, I know, it isn’t 100% from-scratch, and not peeling and chopping those apples somehow seems like a bit of a cheat, but trust me, this shortcut is downright practical when you are short on time or energy. Normally, I make an event out of picking up some fall apples to make apple butter, and also pie filling. This month, however, life was just not going to let that happen. It's just been one of those times when I’ve been really busy, and lots of other, more important things have needed my attention. That’s just the way life is sometimes. I...

Earlier this week, on our first chilly fall afternoon of the season, I whipped-up this easy beef and macaroni skillet supper.  Not for the first time, I appreciated that this dish is almost magical, with the ability to transport me back to my childhood, and a far simpler time. Back then, we called it goulash (I know, it’s not authentic goulash), or on the days  it was served in our school cafeteria, we called it beef-a-roni. I loved this meal as a kid, but now as an adult, I still love this little one-pan recipe - it is so darn simple to prepare, but still just so comforting and delicious. OK, maybe this dish seems a little old-fashioned, but it can’t be beat on a crisp fall day, when you want to get a hot, comforting meal on the table fast.   Let’s talk about dollars here, too - this recipe is not only simple, but totally easy on the wallet, too. Ground beef, noodles, canned tomatoes, a few vegetables and some spices – what could be simpler? When you look ...

It's almost hard to believe it when Labor Day rolls around every year - the summer always seems to be over just a little too soon. I’ve been thinking all week about recipes to celebrate the end of this summer season. Grilling outdoors is always a good option for celebrating Labor Day - we may be having nice weather now, but we never know just how many chances we’ll have for grilling before the weather turns cold and wintry. For those hardy souls living in the cold climates, this could be the last hurrah for the year, and it could be quite a few months before heading outdoors for a cookout again. In our house, we’ve had our fill of burgers and potato salad for now, so I decided on grilling some chicken. With the impending chilly months fast approaching, my mind (and my belly) immediately went to something with a warm and spicy Caribbean flavor: jerk chicken, a dish that I quickly grew to love during my years living in South Florida. Jerk is hot and spicy, and just a little e...

In my mind, succotash is kind of an old fashioned dish. It was popular in our grandparents' generation (especially if your grandparents lived in the Northeast U.S. or parts of the South), but doesn’t seem to make much of an appearance on menus today. It was also a popular dish during the Great Depression because it was cheap and made from common ingredients (just the kind of thing we like around here). Its simple goodness of is exactly what makes it a perfect side for a family meal. I like to make it as an easy side dish full of fresh, summer vegetables, and topped with a little bit of bacon, just to make it extra good. (It's also great for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas). There are actually many versions of succotash, but because of its Native American origins, it almost always includes two vegetables native to the Americas – corn and lima beans. Now, I know that the first inclination may be to dismiss this recipe because of those (oft-dreaded) lima beans, but ...

Back when I first started cooking from scratch, it came as a revelation to me that I could make my own homemade ranch dressing from scratch (without even opening a packet of that well-known seasoning mix!) Before this realization, it had never actually occurred to me that this tasty concoction could be made using various combinations of simple ingredients like mayonnaise, buttermilk, milk, sour cream and/or yogurt. Add in some herbs and seasonings, and a little lemon juice or vinegar, and there you have it - ranch dressing! Over the years, I have played with the recipe, based on what I like, and also based on ingredients I typically have on hand. With my herb garden growing full-blast right now, I thought it would be a good time to whip up a batch. For this recipe, I used my batch of ranch dressing to dress a simple salad of lettuce, tomato, and turkey bacon, tossed with a few homemade croutons and a tiny bit of thinly sliced red onions. This salad is great for a light meal...

These hearty taco bowls use one of my favorite old-time money-saving tricks: stretching the ground meat. This is something that grandmothers did regularly back in the day, often adding a little bit of bread crumbs, or some oats to make the meat go a little further. Think of all of the meatloaves, casseroles and stews that came out of the necessity to make the meat stretch a little farther.

Ahh, a fall Friday evening. What a relief. The weather is finally cooling down after a long, hot summer, and the weekend is finally here after a long, trying week. Some days, I crave something warm and nourishing, but there just isn't much energy to spare for cooking a meal. The family is waiting to eat, but I am drained. Normally, I am generous with my cooking, but today I am grumpy, and start mumbling something to myself about how I just fed everyone yesterday. This is just how I felt today. I needed to make something cozy and comforting, but also super-easy. Luckily, I had some leftover grilled chicken, but still needed something to go with it. Spicy Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash was my answer.