 There's a winter storm approaching Georgia and baby it's cold outside.❄️ And with snow in the forecast you know that I had to make a trip to the supermarket to do a supply check.❄️ It's wasn't only to stock our pantry but also to document the food hoarding that happens every time there's a threat of a wintery weather in Georgia.🍞🥛🤣 These photos of the bread aisle and dairy case were taken at the Wal Mart in my neighborhood last night. We may not have the proper coat or boats to weather the storm but we WILL have the ingredients to make french toast when the storm hits. 😅
For those of you who aren't aware, the threat of ice causes chaos for Southerners. We don't have the proper equipment to prepare or clean the roads during a storm and for reasons that I cannot explain, we forget everything we ever learned about driving at the first sign of a snowflake.🚘 As you might imagine, everything comes to a screeching halt when the snow starts to fall in Georgia. Schools and businesses shut down and the entire state takes a "snow day." ❄️  I was born and raised in the part of Ohio that experiences "Lake effect snow" every winter so I know about all about winter storms.⛷️ BUT I've lived in the South for nearly 25 years and over time, I feel like I've slowly morphed into a Southerner.😂 One of the things that I do remember about growing up as a kid in a snowy climate is that my mom always had a steaming mug of hot chocolate or a pot of hot soup simmering on the stove when we would come in from sledding or our snowman building escapades.🛷⛄️🍜 It still believe that the quickest way to warm up from the cold is from the inside out. So to all of my friends out there who are being affected by this cold winter blast: here's an easy chicken soup recipe to warm you up.  Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup 1 cup celery, chopped finely 1 cup onion, chopped finely 1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced 1/2 Tablespoon garlic, minced 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon basil 1/2 teaspoon oregano 4 bay leaves 8 cups chicken broth low or no sodium 3.5 cups egg noodles (8oz), cooked  Combine all ingredients in crock pot, except for egg noodles.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove chicken and dice or shred.  Add noodles and shredded chicken to soup.  Stay warm out there friends.
Ciao!
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 Another little known fact about me: I'm a VERY predictable when I go out to eat. Just ask my family.😂 I order salads when I go out for lunch - mostly because I love them and I don't enjoy making them for myself at home.🥗 When I go out for dinner - I usually choose a grilled chicken or fish option because it's a healthier than fried food.🍤 And on the rare occasion that I find myself at a restaurant for brunch - it's avocado toast for me - just because I love it. 🥑😅  I'm nothing if not consistent.😅 And because of that, I've tried a lot of different variations on traditional avocado toast and I've learned exactly what I like and don't like.🥑🍞 For me, it's all about starting with a thick slice of toasted multigrain bread and a perfectly ripe avocado. Finish it off with a sprinkling of fresh cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of sweet balsamic vinegar and top it all with the perfect fried egg and it's avocado toast perfection.🍳😋 It's not uncommon to see avocado toast served with a handful of arugula, fresh parmesan cheese, fresh herbs or sprinkled with some "everything" seasoning. I enjoy experiencing the different takes on it when I'm at a restaurant but when I'm at home - this is the version that I make for myself.😋  Avocado Toast 1 ripe avocado 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 teaspoons lemon juice pinch salt and pepper 2 slices crusty bread Toppings quartered cherry tomatoes dark balsamic vinegar reduction fried egg
 Add toppings.  Ciao!
 I spent so much time in my kitchen last month that I was starting to feel a little burnt out. Decorating hundreds of sugar cookies and baking dozens of Christmas desserts for weeks at a time will do that to a girl.🤣 So... I decided to take a much needed mini hiatus from cooking last week so we existed on leftovers and sandwiches.🌯🥪 I spent some time scrolling through the 92 recipes in my blog cue to find the inspiration to kickstart my 2025 meals. This Grilled Stuffed Snapper recipe jumped out at me because it's been in my blog cue for over 18 months. It was intended to be made out of a whole fish and finding fresh whole snapper in my little landlocked town proved to be VERY difficult so it just kept getting left behind.🐟😬  With my renewed energy and enthusiasm for cooking, I headed to the grocery store in search of a whole snapper. It was no surprise that I didn't find one but I did score a nice big snapper filet. So with the snapper filet in my car, I headed home to adapt this recipe that I'd waited so long to make.👩🏻🍳 Unfortunately, my inaugural meal of 2025 was a bit of a disappointment.😒 I don't know whether it's because I had to adapt it for a filet instead of a whole fish or if it was the flavor profile that I found off putting but either way - this wasn't my favorite fish dish. I hesitated to even share this recipe with you but I do think that there could be other people who might enjoy it. I still think that it's worthy of a try - especially if you're lucky enough to live in an area where fresh whole snapper is available.  Grilled Stuffed Snapper Stuffing 2 Tablespoons butter 6 scallions, sliced thin 5 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated 1/2 poblano pepper, diced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon allspice 8 ounces fresh spinach 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped Fish 3 scallions, minced 8 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 4 whole snapper, scaled 1/4 cup vinegar (I used dark balsamic but you can also use white) 2 Tablespoons butter lemon wedges
Place packets on grill and cook 15 minutes.  Transfer packets to a baking sheet. Let fish rest 5 minutes. Open packets, slide fish onto filet and serve with lemon wedges.
If you would like the whole fish version of this recipe - check out the printable version. Ciao!  Anyone else STILL dealing with Christmas leftovers? 😅🍗 Don't get me wrong - I love leftovers. Turkey, homemade pasta, chicken soup and leftover fish have made for quick and easy lunches all week. After a couple of days though - I got tired of eating the same things so I had to get creative. I had to turn my leftovers into fancy salads, sandwiches and tacos to trick myself into thinking that they're not leftovers anymore. 😂 I feel like I've eaten my fair share of leftovers this week but my vegetable drawer still feels like it's bursting at the seams. I guess I overestimated how much broccoli, green beans and tomatoes my family would eat even though there was homemade sourdough, buttery mashed potatoes and lobster macaroni and cheese options on our Christmas table.🤣
What's a girl to do with a drawer full of leftover tomatoes?🍅 Salsa, marinara and jam are all good options but my favorite way to enjoy leftover tomatoes is in homemade bruschetta. This grilled bruschetta is a delicious appetizer, lunch or side dish for any meal that needs some Italian flair.  Grilled Bruschetta with Tomatoes Bread 3 Tablespoons olive oil 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 6 slices rustic Italian bread 1 garlic clove Tomato Topping 2 pounds ripe tomatoes , halved 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 Top grilled bread with tomato mixture and drizzle with more oil.
Ciao!  Happy New Year!! I had the best of intentions for frequent blogging last month but quite honestly, December got away from me. You wont get any complaints from me though - I loved every minute of the last 31 jam packed days.🎄 We hosted 2 cookie decorating parties, 2 pasta making parties, several Christmas parties, LOTS of big family dinners and a baby shower.🍪🍝🎄👶🏻 All my hostess dreams come true.👩🏻🍳😅 My social calendar for January is far less busy than it was last month so I'm setting a new goal of blogging 3 times a week this month.😬 A girl can dream, right? 🤣 You can help me stay accountable by commenting on my posts so that I know that there is someone out there who appreciates the recipes.  My December was characterized by an abundance of sugary treats and indulgent meals and while I'm truly thankful that we have the means to make and share holiday goodies with our family and friends, it's about time that I nourish myself slightly less often.😂 January 1st is a good time to get back into healthy eating habits. So to kick off 2025 - I'm sharing my homemade Turkey Noodle Soup recipe. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.  Turkey Noodle Soup Slow Cooker Turkey Stock 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 lbs turkey bones 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp salt 2 celery stalks with leaves attached, cut into thirds 1 medium onion, peeled and halved 2 carrots, peeled and halved 3 garlic cloves, smashed 1 bay leaf 6 quarts cold water Turkey Noodle Soup 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced 2 large sticks of celery, thinly sliced 1 medium onion, finely diced 8 cups turkey stock 4 cups water 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 bay leaves 2 Tbsp parsley 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 1/2 cups egg noodles 3 cups leftover turkey meat 1 garlic clove, minced
 Stir in garlic and parsley. Discard bay leaf and serve.
Ciao! |
