A Freezer Full of Pecans

I have some AMAZING in-laws in Texas- my brother-in-law and sister-in-law live with their families in the DFW area (which is like...almost crazy overwhelming for me to experience after spending the past sevenish years living in my rather rural corner of Tennessee...) but my FIL and his wife live, well...a little off the beaten path.  

Drive an hour into the middle of nowhere.  Take a left.  Lose cell reception.  Drive an hour or so down a rural two-lane road with posted speed limits of 70mph (who knew such a thing existed!).  Get turned around lost a couple of times.  Wonder repeatedly how in the world this part of the world ever became populated to start with.  Arrive at their beautiful piece of property.  That's- without exaggeration- exactly how you get to their home.

Avocados Are Amazing!

It's hard for me to think of avocados without remembering the groves of avocado trees on Highway 41 in California.  I have fond memories of drives over to Morro Bay as a kid, and without fail my mom would always point out the avocado trees as we drove past and wax rhapsodic about her love of that amazing, creamy fruit.

It was years before I really appreciated the avocado myself, but boy am I hooked!  I love them.  Remember that avocado salsa I made last month?

They're just phenomenal.  Flavorful, creamy, easily adaptable- not to mention nutrient dense and filling.  Personally, 1/2 of an avocado doctored up a little is a perfect filling snack or light lunch.

More Dippable Veggies

I came across a recipe the other day for cauliflower fritters and, remembering how much I LOVED (continue to love, actually, I've made them a million times now...) the Broccoli Cheddar Nuggets I made, I knew I had to give them a try.

Of course I changed things up a bit, because you know...when do I not?

The original recipe was for something a bit more pancake-like, I think.  Personally I upped the cheese from the original recipe a little, omitted the milk, and baked them like nuggets to make them dippable.

So good.

These yummy little guys have both crumbled bacon and green onion in them- to me that screams loaded baked potato.

Bodacious Broccoli Salad

It's finally warm here in Tennessee!  We've hopefully seen the last of that nasty, never-ending Winter we just experienced.  Spring and temperatures in the 70's really couldn't have arrived at a  better time as my daughter is on Spring Break this week.  Last night we took advantage of the beautiful weather to grill out for the first time this year.

Ahhh...sitting outside in shorts, playing with my kiddos, sipping a glass of wine with a book on the back porch after dinner...so nice after the Winter we just experienced!

Although grilling out often lends itself to side dishes I love like beans, bread, and corn I'm low-carbing it these days and tend to stick to (delicious!) grilled veggies and salads.  One of my absolute favorites is Bodacious Broccoli Salad.

Easter Deviled Eggs

With Easter coming up in a few weeks, my mind has been on holiday cooking (again).  I've been on a quest for the perfect deviled egg recipe.

Let me preface this by saying, a platter of deviled eggs simply doesn't stand a chance in my presence. I start out innocently enough, coyly eying the relish tray, pretending my heart didn't just leap when I saw them sitting there.  

I grab one...then another...

After number three I have to consciously take a step back and remind myself that there are others there who might like a deviled egg as well.  I make the rounds of the room, secretly hoping that- after an appropriate amount of time has passed- more eggs will remain before I return for round two.

How to Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs...Every Time!

I've always made hard boiled eggs using the same, simple technique my mom taught me when I was a kid.  No crazy directions, nothing added to the water- super simple.  They always turn out perfectly, yolks bright yellow, neither under nor over cooked.

They're kind of the most simple thing to make in the entire world aside from a peanut butter sandwich.

Really.

I've always been a little confused by the frustration that seems to go along with making hard boiled eggs- never having dealt with that dreaded weird yolk color myself, I was confused.  I started looking at different recipes and soon discovered the problem- no wonder so many people struggle!

I Can't Believe I'm Writing About Something Called "Tor-Tunas"

I mean...really.

Tor-Tunas?

What....?

I'll sum them up like this- a simple yet yummy tuna salad in a tortilla.

Seriously.  Yup.  I'm writing about it.

Are you really surprised?

I've written about egg salad.

Ham salad.

Chicken salad.

I obviously have a thing for "salads"...