How To …

Dustin and I experimented with creating our own sourdough starter from scratch. We’ve always been intrigued by making sourdough bread. And, when I say intrigued, I mean we have talked about it for years but have never done anything about it. We ran across this sourdough starter recipe from Pinch My Salt and figured we’d [...]

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I’m very thankful to say ours went very well.  This was our first chance to host Thanksgiving Dinner in our new home so we have been looking forward to it for quite some time.  Plus — you know…all the tasty food is nothing short of greatness! Well…so…umm…I was [...]

Ever tried making your own pumpkin puree? Homemade pumpkin puree is really quite simple to do and is absolutely delicious in… pumpkin spice muffins (post coming soon!) pumpkin bread pumpkin pancakes pumpkin cookies pumpkin cheesecake pumpkin soup pumpkin frozen yogurt pumpkin butter and oh so many other tasty treats. Pumpkin!!  Sorry, I got a little [...]

Food photography is arguably one of the more tricky types of photography, given that, after just minutes, your prepared food is subject to change colors, melt, fall flat or harden. Given this, it’s very important to plan ahead.   To help you, I’ve compiled a list of 21 tips you can use that will completely [...]

I love peanut butter. My 2-and-a-half-year-old loves peanut butter. I like Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Protein Shakes for breakfast on the weekdays. My 2-and-a-half-year-old loves Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Protein Shakes for breakfast on the weekdays. You can imagine we go through quite a lot of peanut butter.  And bananas.  And shakes. So, as the [...]

The more I learn about photography — and, in particular, food photography — the more I recognize the importance of a background to an overall image. I really like how food looks on a wood background.  Like on an old picnic table, white-washed door or faded pine. After searching in vain for possible backgrounds, I [...]

When Dustin and I were first dating, he used to cook with store-bought, pre-packaged spice mixes all the time. He’d use them to make meals like Stroganoff, fajitas and tacos.  They were what his dad used, so they were what he used. Well, over time, as I became more comfortable in the kitchen (and in [...]

I have had it up to *here* with store-bought tortillas. Now, usually, homemade anything is better than store-bought.  Agreed? Sure, it’s easier to just drop a box of croutons or a bag of bagels into your cart at the store — or that jar of Alfredo sauce that’s on sale… But, is it better? Not [...]

Did you know they don’t sell hard alcohol on Sundays in Texas? Me neither. Did you know they don’t sell hard alcohol — at all — in supermarkets in Texas? Me neither. That last fact would have been *super* helpful last week and would have kept me from: (1) walking around the Beer and Wine [...]

We made pickles! Dustin and I have been talking about making pickles for what seems like forever. You would not believe how easy it is, either. After making Fresh Peach Jam this summer, I thought pickles would be similar in the amount of work. Truth is — pickles are even easier. Basically: Cut, Pour and [...]