Oven Roasted Okra

Oven Roasted Okra

Today I am sharing a quick and simple twist on traditional fried okra. My mom’s fried okra happens to be one of my most favorite things to eat in the entire world. Salty, crunchy and fried to a crisp – coated in a light cornmeal/flour 

Sheet Pan Norwegian Cod w/ Roasted Summer Garden Veggies

Sheet Pan Norwegian Cod w/ Roasted Summer Garden Veggies

Time for a simple & speedy meal that’s packed with garden-fresh flavors! This Sheet Pan Norwegian Cod is ready in under 25 minutes, perfect for a busy weeknight meal. And for me, as a little bonus, all of these veggies & herbs came straight out 

Washington Cherry Upside-Down Cake

Washington Cherry Upside-Down Cake

Oh my. Cherry Upside-Down Cake. You really must taste it. People often ask me – “why ‘Food for a Year’? Do you make meal plans? Do you show people how to store up enough food for a year?”….  I think this recipe a good way 

Sweet Basil & Thyme Blossom Pesto

Sweet Basil & Thyme Blossom Pesto

Summer is in full swing, and for me that means I’m elbow deep in the garden. I am in the middle of year no. 4 for working my very own veggie garden and this year is (by far) the best year yet!

The BEST Smoked Pork Butt {{thanks to one simple secret step}}

The BEST Smoked Pork Butt {{thanks to one simple secret step}}

Hubby & I have been making smoked Pork Butt for for years. It started off as a Christmas Eve tradition ((serving to 20 of our closest friends & family)) and then we started doing them in the summer as well. “Why pork butt?” – you 

Brown Butter Sheet Cake

Brown Butter Sheet Cake

This recipe is a simple & yummy twist on one of my all-time favorite cake recipes :: White Texas Sheet Cake. This cake recipe has it all – it’s easy, quick and yields such a moist, flavor-packed cake. And — 

The Hot Dog Man’s Special Sauce

The Hot Dog Man’s Special Sauce

This little recipe was shared with me recently by a man who makes a living selling hot dogs. This sauce is the star of his “secret menu”, which I stumbled into finding out about as I ordered my hot dog. He asked me how I 

Million Dollar Mac Bake

Million Dollar Mac Bake

This little recipe needs to be tucked away for that moment dinnertime has snuck up on you. A semi-stocked pantry and fridge should have just about everything you need to get this yummy, satisfying meal on the table in under an hour — AND with 

Ten Herb Grilled Chicken — ’tis the season

Ten Herb Grilled Chicken — ’tis the season

It’s starting to get hot outside, the days are growing longer & all sorts of green things are leafing out in my gardens. All three of those facts combine to form the perfect opportunity to grill 10 herb marinated chicken. Are you wondering if I 

An Okie Girl’s take on Green Bean Beef

An Okie Girl’s take on Green Bean Beef

Here’s another twist on one of my family’s favorite foods – Chinese take-out ((Green Bean Beef)). Now, right away, the part of the title that says “An Okie Girl’s take…”  should

My Favorite NYC Eats

My Favorite NYC Eats

Whew – what a time we had in NYC last week. It felt like we squeezed in 2 weeks of fun into 4 food-filled days! In all, we walked 42 miles and tested over a dozen restaurants. I have my favorites listed below:

Spicy Cilantro & Garlic Shredded Beef ((so easy and tender))

Spicy Cilantro & Garlic Shredded Beef ((so easy and tender))

Here you go – an easy, flavorful, crowd-pleasing dinner solution! This dinnertime meal is a real life-saver, whether you turn it into tacos, serve it over steamed  rice or just shred it up and eat with a side salad – it’s sure to become a