Slow cookers can be used to prepare just about any meal imaginable. And it’s simple. Prep the ingredients, add them to a slow cooker and press start. But wait. There is a difference between a good slow-cooker meal and a great slow-cooker meal. Here are some tips to keep in mind when using a slow […]
My first slow cooker was a Rival Crock-Pot, a name synonymous with slow cookers, and looked much like this one. Only mine was avocado green. If you’re in my age group, you’ll remember the days when we colored our world with harvest gold and avocado green and our slow cookers had crocks that could not […]
September is National Rice Month and we Arkansan’s have reason to celebrate. Arkansas ranks 1st in the nation in rice production, producing close to 50 percent of the nation’s rice. Arkansas’ rice industry supports 2,500 rice farms, employs more than 35,000 Arkansans and contributes over $4 billion annually to the state’s economy. Rice is a pantry staple in […]
Have mercy, it is hot in my part of The Natural State this week and the only good drinks are iced cold ones. I learned at an early age that any hostess worth her salt will have a pitcher of iced tea or lemonade sitting in the refrigerator ready to refresh a wilting guest. But, […]
Freezer Pop: Pop the container for your ice cream maker in the freezer! Do not get caught you’re your ice cream ready to go and then realizing you never froze the container. The bowls of most ice cream makers take at least 24 hours to freeze. If you have room, just store the bowl of your ice cream […]
Freshly harvested corn on the cob is a treasured rite of summer, head to the farmers market or check for Arkansas Grown corn in your local grocery because the time to enjoy it is right now. Sweet, crisp and oh so yummy, this humble vegetable is able to capture the essence of the season in […]
As we packed to move last year to our new state park, I counted 18 pieces of cast iron I owned – a variety of skillets, Dutch ovens and the like. I decided to gift about six pieces to friends. Yes, 18 is a bit excessive, but I’m a Southern gal through and through. The […]
Did you know you could shred chicken with your stand mixer, oh yes, you can. I used to dread shredding chicken, and it would take me forever to shred the chicken with two forks. Not anymore. Simply bake or boil your chicken breasts. While they’re still warm, put them in your stand mixer with your flat […]
Milder onions for salads. I love raw purple onions in a salad, but sometimes the flavor can be a little overpowering. If you soak your sliced onion in water with a little salt for half an hour, it knocks the edge off of them so you can enjoy them in your salad and not have […]
No pie pan? Use a cast iron skillet. Your cast iron skillet is the perfect dish for baking a cobbler, a crumble or a pie. The iron holds the heat well so your dessert cooks evenly throughout. Plus a cast iron skillet full of goodness in the middle of a table is one of the […]