My mom loved to bake—and her cinnamon rolls are baked into my memory. She served them every holiday morning. She made them when family came to visit and she made them frequently, “just because.” Now, I want cinnamon rolls for special breakfasts—and everyone in my family knows you cannot have a holiday or family gathering without cinnamon rolls. It has to be on my “Eat-to-Save” mission. Yet, how could I make them and serve them hot out of the oven and not stay up all night or bake them the day before? I challenged myself to figure out how to make them fresh and easy. Make Ahead Freezer Cinnamon Rolls are my answer.
My family, the Ensminger cousins, meet for a weekend reunion each fall. We travel from all over the country and enjoy a weekend of fun, laughter, reminiscing, and of course, eating. This year, the gathering was in Oklahoma and the large cabin had a kitchen so we could cook together. We always enjoy the local sights and foods—and eat far too much. This year, the crowning glory of the weekend was a chuck wagon dinner, cooked and served from an antique chuck wagon. It was great fun and they served wonderful food! [Read more…]
Chicken and Dumplings
Gathering around the table to enjoy a meal is the fiber of a good life. We all need to eat to live so why not make memories, create joy, show love and enjoy a good meal at the same time? I love to listen to the podcast each week of The Splendid Table with Lynn Rossetto Kasper.
A few weeks ago, Lynne was conducting an interview with a chef and I experienced one of those classic “aha” moments. The topic was, “Eat to Save”, particularly referring to not wasting food but additionally referring to the experience we have each enjoyed when we taste a food or smell an aroma from the kitchen that reminds us of home or a particular time in our life. Eat to save is what I hope my family and friends experience when they enjoy a meal at our table. It is probably the number one reason that my life and career has been devoted to food. My mom and dad created the most amazing food experiences and traditions at our table. It may have been for our family of four or a meal for thirty four but each of those memories was an eat to save moment. The rhythm of food preparation in our kitchen growing up will always be a part of me and music to my ears. [Read more…]
Fig Glazed Pork Chops Recipe
Do you like figs? That is a hard question for me, as my path toward fig lover has been more rocky than sweet. It is a funny story that takes me from avoiding figs at all costs to using them to make these fantastic and easy Fig Glazed Pork Chops.
Midwestern gal here—and believe me, the orchards of my childhood were packed with apples and peaches—not figs. Dried figs were far too gourmet for my mom—so a Fig Newton was the only fig I had met. Then, Roxanne and I went to a professional convention many years ago—and at one of the cocktail parties, we ate a bacon-wrapped fig. We chewed and suffered through a terrible flavor and texture. Now, I understand that the dried fig was spoiled or poorly prepared or something for neither of us liked it, but when faced with awful foods at a fancy cocktail party, what does one do but grin and bear it? We laughed about it for years. The poor, under appreciated fig became our symbol for a food to avoid. [Read more…]
Apple Pie
You had to see this coming….surely you read the writing on the wall. Crisp fall air, first signs of autumn, football games, and that twinge of excitement for the unfolding of all the days to come that lead to so many traditions. Yes, that’s right it was apple pie time at our home this week.
A dear friend called one evening to say that her apple tree had gone bananas…hmmm? The drought in our area had been good to the apple tree and the apples were in the hundreds and counting. I was the lucky one because she dropped off a huge bag of apples and well, you know…the rest is history. An apple pie that hardly had time to cool before we enjoyed each and every bite. [Read more…]
Grilled Chicken Bruschetta Salad
Is it a salad or an open-faced sandwich? No matter what you call it, Grilled Chicken Bruschetta is a tasty, easy dish—and we love it.
The Midwest has been through a terrible drought—so bad that gardens withered and the produce shriveled. Yet, some—like tomatoes and peaches– seem sweeter or at least, more precious. That juicy summer flavor shines in this dish!
It is one of those dishes that tastes so fresh and yet is easy, so it is perfect to serve on a busy evening. It is also ideal to serve on an evening when you feel you can catch your breath, pour a glass of wine and just enjoy. I am grateful for evenings like that! And, it is perfect for this time of year—when the tomatoes and basil are still thriving and the taste of summer lingers. [Read more…]
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