A quick, savory broccoli salad

Broccoli + sun dried tomatoes + almonds + sweet peppers + crunchy noodles + sundried tomato vinaigrette/mayo = yummy salad. 

Long version:

Cut fresh, washed broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Combine with sun dried tomatoes (packaged dry, not in oil), toasted slivered almonds, and chopped red bell peppers. Just before serving, toss salad with those odd looking crunchy noodles from the international food aisle and a mixture of sundried tomato vinaigrette and mayonnaise.

Building Soup

Soup comes in a can. That's nice. So does shaving cream.

Make your own soup. It's fresher, healthier, and a whole lot tastier. What's more, you can easily make any number of soup variations from one easy base:

Stock, carrots, onions, and celery.

Crock Pot Yogurt

Yogurt is one of my favorite foods. In addition to its nutritional value, it's also a probiotic. There are as many varieties of yogurt as you could want to choose from. My favorites are unsweetened, tangy, yogurts like Bulgarian and Greek. While these are nice for a special treat, they are a little too pricey to be relied upon for daily use.

I had heard of making yogurt at home, but the prospect of buying yet another appliance, like a yogurt maker, for my small kitchen (and an expensive one, at that) squelched my initiative. Discouraging, no? But, rejoice! It turns out that yogurt can be made in a crock pot.

Soothing Food for Teething Babies

My girl, Cara, is 10 months old. If I drop an ice cube in the kitchen, she pounces on it like a duck on a bug. She eagerly grabs for it, and if she can hang on long enough, wedges it between her sore gums or nibbles at it with her baby teeth. Before long, her hands are red with cold, she is sitting in a puddle, and she is frustrated by trying to handle the slippery piece of ice.

Sweet, Salty and Crunchy Granola

For me, finding the perfect granola in the store was like solving a Rubix cube. There was an infinity of ingredient combinations, and purchasing bag after bag was both disappointing and insanely frustrating. Bought-granola ranges from being expensive to ridiculously expensive, and all of my selections tended to be composed primarily of puffed rice, sugar, and a hefty portion of staleness.

Pickled Cherry Tomatoes (courtesy The Culinary Institute of America)

I know a southerner isn't supposed to say this, but I hate fresh tomatoes.

My Favorite Southern Cornbread

Cornbread should be made with melted butter. Dropping the smooth batter into butter bubbling in a hot iron skillet gives the cake a crisp, golden crust. Don't be afraid of butter. It's magical...