I don’t want to say goodbye to summer just yet.  I love the season of grilling, fresh veggies, sweet and juicy fruits, and trying new combinations.  Here’s my latest concoction  – Hawaiian Rib eye Salad.  The steak can be grilled outside or inside on a griddle.  Bacon and fresh pineapple add a wonderful twist.  And [...]

I admit I was a bit skeptical about cooking fish on a plank of cedar wood.  But I bought a couple of cedar planks and some salmon and gave it a try, just for my Taracooks readers.  This salmon was the most savory salmon I’ve ever tasted!  And it passed the family test too.  Although [...]

We’ve made apple chips and apple pie and enjoyed the taste and aroma of all things apples. We’ve had fried apples and we’ve frozen several bags of apples to use through the long cold winter. There really isn’t anything complicated about peeling, slicing and freezing apples. Here’s how I prepared our winter stash from those [...]

By the end of summer, our extra freezer will be full of corn, peaches, and blueberries, and strawberries. I love having these tasty fruit items on hand to make our breakfast shakes and fruit cobblers. Frozen peaches, blackberries, and strawberries can also be used to make preserves at a later date too. I [...]

 
 
For most of my growing up years, I was an only child.  I remember being so very bored at home, and wanting someone to play with.  I cherished the times during summer breaks when my cousin Kelly and I would spend a week at Grandmother’s house.  We would giggle and laugh for hours.  I also [...]

Growing up, Momma had a set of aluminum cookware with glass lids.  Every time she made mashed potatoes, she would use one of those aluminum pots to boil the potatoes.  What intrigued me then about the boiling potatoes was the gray skim that would float on top of the water around the inside of the pot.  [...]

I don’t always make healthy cooking or eating choices. But when I think back about how I USED to cook and eat, I know I’ve made some giant strides in a positive direction. I do cook a lot. But the continual cooking and baking that takes place around here is not only rooted in my [...]