Spaghetti and Meatballs and Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

I promise, I'm still here. I know the posts have been a little scarce, but it's been an insane month. We've had several neighborhood birthdays, which gave me a great excuse to open up our home and cook and cook and cook. We've also been snowed in or iced over 3 times since Christmas, which isn't the norm for Eastern North Carolina. It all adds up to insanity around our house with the kids being home a grand total of 2 extra weeks and so many people around! I've also been so fortunate in regards to The Washington Magazine, not only was I lucky enough to be featured in a 5 page article about my love of cooking and this blog, but I also get to prepare the food every other month for photographs of the recipes featured in every edition. Oh! And how could I forget cake for 250 people! I got a chance to say thank you to so many of hard working City of Washington employees and make 5 huge sheet cakes for their annual appreciation luncheon. That took every bit of 2 days of mixing, baking, frosting.

All of this activity prompted me to write this post....how to cook real food when there's so little time and also, some great grocery store deals to help you feel better about what you're feeding your family.

Great grocery stores out here in the middle of nowhere are in no way easy to get to. Over the past month, I've been lucky enough, twice, to find myself 2 hours west of here in Raleigh and gotten to stock up at Trader Joe's and Costco. However, a little closer to home, we have The Fresh Market in Greenville, about a 30 minute drive. It's a high end, pretty pricey gourmet and specialty food grocery store, but if you go for the sales and not all of your normal grocery shopping, it's so worth the trip for quality ingredients! Their newest promotion is a Thursday only special, but its fantastic! It's everything you need for a fantastic and quick weeknight dinner of all REAL FOOD for $20. This month's feature is spaghetti and meat sauce and I couldn't have been happier with our dinner!

By the way, this post isn't sponsored in any way (although, hey! Fresh Market! I'd love to write about your food in exchange for groceries!), just a great tip for REAL FOOD quick dinners on a budget.

So....for $20 this month on Thursdays you get 1 lb of lean ground sirloin, 1 lb of organic spaghetti, 1 jar of organic sweet basil spaghetti sauce, 1 french baguette, 1 jar of garlic salt, 2 bags of organic romaine salad mix, and 1 huge container of cut mixed tropical fresh fruit. It would easily feed 5 or 6 people.


Using this special, I'm giving you guys the recipes for my awesome mini meatballs and homemade ranch dressing. My kids are crazy about ranch dressing (like almost every other kid) but after reading the back of a Hidden Valley bottle, I cringed every time they asked for it. This prompted me to look up several ranch dressing recipes and design my own. It was a hit! Hooray for cool, tangy, creamy ranch with fillers and no preservatives! Time to get cooking! Recipes after the break!

Easy Roasted Chicken and Risotto

Weeknight meals can be a daunting task. Its one of the easiest times to fall victim to convenience food and fast food loaded with all kind of things that aren't REAL FOOD. Obviously there's always the convenience of slow cooker meals or even reheating leftovers, but what if the fridge is empty or you didn't plan ahead enough to put some goodness into the crock pot? Roasted chicken is always a delicious and believe it or not, fairly quick dinner idea. Also, for everyone that's been frightened away from risotto because its so supposed to be so hard and time consuming, I'm going to prove that wrong and make it easy for you.

Before I get into the recipe, I want to take a minute while we're talking about chicken to spotlight an amazing resource we have here in Beaufort County. Acre Station Meat Farm in Pinetown, NC is only 15 minutes up Highway 32 from Washington and has the best meat you can find within 100 miles. If you're reading this and you aren't local, I implore you to find somewhere similar in your area. The slaughter house and processing area is literally right behind the grocery store. They don't truck in huge breasted factory raised chickens, they sell locally raised meats at pretty amazing prices. 2 regular sized whole chickens are bagged together and are usually under $8. They have amazing beef and pork, too. Their hamburger meat is hands down the best I've ever tasted and comes with the added bonus of knowing exactly where it came from, where it was ground and packaged, and it was never washed in ammonia (like most commercial hamburger meat). They also feature locally grown produce. Its truly the best Eat Local option possible.

I would also like to add here, this endorsement is all my own. I've not been paid or compensated in any way for this. I just truly love this place! You can't beat being able to call your butcher by name and being greeted with a smile.

On to Roasted Chicken!

Easy Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp celery salt or seasoning salt

1-2 tsp olive oil

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and get out a glass baking dish (8x8 or 9x13 depending on the size of your chicken)

In your kitchen sink, remove the chicken from its packaging and make sure there isn't anything like livers etc packed inside the cavity. Using a small pairing knife, remove any excess fat or skin around the neck area if there is any. Place the chicken in the baking dish.

Now, wash your chickeny yucky hands!

Brush your chicken's skin with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Err on the side of a little more than you may think you need. Chicken has a tendency to be bland if it isn't seasoned properly. Also, my seasoning suggestions are just that, suggestions. Feel free to add whatever you like. This particular night I substituted Black Truffle salt for regular salt, but you can also use garlic powder, onion powder, smoked sweet paprika or anything else you can think of.

Place the chicken in the oven and set your timer for 30 minutes.

When time is up, using a probe thermometer, make sure that close to the bone it reads at least 165 degrees internal temperature. If you don't have a thermometer, you can always poke a small knife deep into the breast meat and make sure that the juices that run out are clear.

It's extremely important that you let your chicken sit and rest for 10-15 minutes before you really cut into it. That gives the juices a chance to settle back into the meat and ensures that the chicken is juicy and not dry.

If all of this seems daunting, don't stress! Its just a chicken. If you think its done but then go to sit into it and see pink, you can always put it back in the oven. You haven't destroyed your chance at finding world peace or anything, I promise!

Now, if you want to serve this with Risotto on the side, while your chicken is baking, grab a large skillet and my Risotto recipe.

Risotto with Asparagus and Mushrooms

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small sweet onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic finely minced

2 cups dry white wine

2-3 cups chicken stock

1 bunch of fresh asparagus (cleaned and chopped)

1/2 cup sliced baby Portabella mushrooms 

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet with high sides, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in your diced onion and a sprinkling of salt. Stirring frequently, allow the onions to sweat until they start to look a little translucent. Add in your Arborio rice and stir to coat with oil. Let the rice sauté for 3 minutes or so, stirring frequently. Not only does this step add flavor, but it also opens the rice up and makes it easier for it to release its starch to make your Risotto awesomely creamy.

Note: Arborio rice is getting easier and easier to find. You should be able to find it on the rice isle with all the regular kinds of white and brown rices. Even Walmart out here in the middle of nowhere has it. It's a fat, short grain Italian rice and there really aren't any substitutions for it. The starch those fat little grains of rice contain are imperative for making Risotto.

When the rice has sautéed for a few minutes, add in your minced garlic and your white wine. You are going to want to stir this a lot. You can obviously take second after initially stirring it in while your waiting for the wine to come up to a simmer, but don't go too far. Once it starts bubbling, your stirring is what releases all that wonderful starch from the rice and makes the sauce.

When almost all of the wine has been absorbed, its time to start adding the chicken stock. Start with 1 cup, stir it in and keep stirring. After its been absorbed, add your second cup of stock and stir in your asparagus and mushrooms. Keep stirring. When most of that has been absorbed, grab a spoon and check the risotto for doneness. It should be al dente, not mushy. If it still has a bit of crunch to it, add in your last cup of chicken stock and stir while it absorbs.

When you have a little liquid remaining and your Risotto is the right texture, take it off the heat and stir in your Parmesan cheese.

That's it. You're done. Not as complicated and terrible as it seems, huh? I'm not sure how Risotto came to be viewed as such a daunting dish to cook, but it turns out, there's really nothing to it. It should be finished just about the same time as your chicken and dinner is served!

Weeknight dinner in 45 minutes without a bunch of prep work and definitely a great break from the ordinary. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Garlic Bread Crust Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza AND breadsticks all in one delicious slice? The crust on this pizza is ideal for dipping or just tearing off and enjoying all by itself. The last time we made it, I put garlic butter and marinara out for dipping and even the kiddos ate their pizza crust! Seriously, this pizza crust recipe is a crowd pleaser and is pretty easy to throw together. Warning though, I'd make a double batch. Not only did the first large pizza go pretty stinking quickly, leftover pizza is a must!

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque

Is there anything more comforting than grilled cheese and tomato soup? It's been my husband's comfort food of choice since he was kid and has definitely endured the years. While toying around with different ways to make grilled cheese recently, I flipped around the can of tomato soup and read the label. While there are far worse offenders, it still wasn't pretty. Figuring I could do better from scratch, I went to work. The end result was a huge hit with my husband and even the kiddos. It was so good, in fact, that the boys scrapped their bowls clean and even ate the crust on their sandwiches! 

Bacon and Cheese Egg Cupcakes

Sorry I don't have pictures for this one, but they're easy peasy. I'll post some photos next time I make them. They're a big hit with both of my boys and reheat easily in the morning for quick breakfasts before school. 

Bacon and Cheese Egg Cupcakes

12 strips of bacon

8 eggs

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup milk or half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Grab a 12 cup muffin tin and spray it with some pan spray. 

Slice about the last 1/4 of each slice of bacon off. Use the larger part to wrap around the outside of each muffin tin, like a cupcake wrapper. Place the small 1/4 piece in the bottom of the cup so it covers all the metal. Repeat for all 12 cups. 

In a bowl or large measuring cup, crack all 8 eggs in and add your milk or half and half and salt and pepper. Whisk it all together really well. Whisk in your grated cheese. 

Now pour some of your egg mixture into each bacon cup. Don't fill them quite all the way. Right around 3/4 full should give just enough egg mixture to fill all 12 cups. 

Place your filled muffin tin onto a baking sheet to catch any bacon grease that escapes and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the eggs have slightly browned and the tops of the bacon cups look crispy. 

Use a butter knife or small icing spatula to gently loosen around the sides and bottoms of each cupcake after they've cooled for a few minutes. Pop them out and you're ready to chow down! 

12 Layer Cake with Old-Fashioned Boiled Chocolate Icing

I've lived in the South my entire life. My earliest years were spent in Hot Springs, Arkansas where I have so many memories of my Grandparents feeding everyone who graced their doorstep and there was always something being kept warm on the back of the stove. After a quick stop-over in Aiken, South Carolina, I landed here in Washington, North Carolina. Here is where I learned the true value of Southern cooking and a great appreciation for those heritage type recipes that only your great-grandma knew how to make or that momma only brought out for special occasions. At some point during my teenage years, I went to a homecoming at some southern baptist church which are so plentiful in this area. Couldn't tell you what church or even what friend, what I can tell you is there was the most amazing cake there that I had ever seen or tasted. It had these amazingly thin layers and this perfect grainy, fudgey icing that was honestly the best thing I had ever put in my mouth. I never saw it again. I tried to describe it to people and all I could ever glean from them was "Wow! Yeah, I love that cake.". No one knew what to call it or where to get a recipe. I was stumped and gave up. A couple of years ago, I saw an article in the New York Times about this cake! I was overjoyed!

I don't remember why I wasn't able to get this recipe.....it may have been that you had to pay for the online version of the NY Times to access it or it may have been that it was a limited time thing and the link expired before I could use it. Regardless, I struck out at making this amazing Southern heritage cake. Along came Pinterest. I found a great recipe that wasn't from a disgusting boxed cake mix and included directions for making each layer separately, because there's no possible way to slice cake layers thin enough to do for this cake. Hooray! I found an occasion to make it for and went to work. The first try was a learning experience and the later tries have come out better each time. Hope you guys love this as much as I do, and trust me, it's worth the time you invest! It takes 2-3 hours from start to finish, so set aside an evening and enjoy the process. Turn up the stereo or have somebody you love to chat with come keep you company.

Vanilla Sugar Scones

This is my go to scone recipe. It's easily changeable to accommodate any kind of flavor you're aiming for, from fruit to chocolate and even savory scones like 4 Cheese. For those of you who think scones are dry, tasteless British things, give these a try.....seriously. They're flaky, buttery, delicious and far from flavorless. Once you master the technique of cutting the butter into your dry ingredients, you can pop these out in no time and you'll also have a great skill that will help you make lots of other recipes (like biscuits and pie crusts). I'll give you a few ideas to add flavors that are favorites in my house at the end of the recipe.

Iced Lemonade Cookies

Lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice makes these sweet little refreshing cookies the perfect break from all the holiday chocolate. They're slightly chewy with just the right amount of sweet to compliment the sour.

Snickerdoodles

Cinnamon and sugar make for one awesome and classic holiday cookie. These guys are quick and easy to throw together and make the whole house smell like butter and cinnamon perfection. Snickerdoodles are also great for getting help in the kitchen from our little friends! Depending on age and skill level, kids can jump in and help roll them in cinnamon sugar or go all the way up to making these guys all by themselves. 

Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate Chips (Crack Cookies)

This has been my hands down most popular and beloved cookies recipe for years. I can post something about taking them out of the oven and people will magically appear on our doorstep. They really are that good, thus are affectionately nicknamed Crack Cookies for their addictive taste. I'm giving away some big secrets here, so hang on to your hats folks. My youngest son helped make this batch, because they're his favorite, too. They're very kid friendly to make.

Homemade Bread Bowls

Although they may look daunting, these guys are pretty easy to make at home and this is a very versatile bread recipe. You can use it as it is here, or divide the dough up into 2 basic Italian loaves for fresh bread with dinner. As with all bread bowl, these work best with thick soups, chili, or chowders. I've used them for broccoli cheese soup, potato soup and even homemade mac and cheese. Like any yeast bread they're slightly time consuming only because of the rise time, not too terribly long hands-on.

Homemade "CheezIts"

So Goldfish and CheezIts are a staple snack food in our house. I decided this was definitely something I could make and eliminate even more chemicals, preservatives and dyes from our diet. The recipes looked fairly simple, 5 ingredients and not very labor intensive with my handy dandy food processor. I'm going to fool around with different kinds cheeses and see how amazing I can make these little crackers, but for the first batch, they're pretty darn tasty. I adapted this recipe from Rachel Cooks, and yes, Rachel, the "z" in CheezIts makes me absolutely nuts, too!

Homemade Belgian Waffles

Breakfast is one of the easiest meals to let slip to the wayside when it comes to real food. Everybody is half awake, rushing around, trying to get ready for work and school. I know we've been guilty of it, especially since my awesome husband usually handles the morning shift. Pop Tarts, sugary cereals and other foods loaded with chemicals and preservatives are quick and easy and fill tummies quickly. With just a little bit of foresight, you can freeze homemade waffles for quick breakfasts that are REAL FOOD.

A Larger Effort to Eat Real

Kids crave sweets and processed crap. No matter how great your intentions are or what they've been fed at home, eventually they will be out in this wide world without you guiding their choices. Rather than have them make poor choices because they feel like they're missing out, I've been trying make more of the things they love at home. This afternoon I knocked out Belgian Waffles, Cheese Its, and cookies. Here's to hoping it at least makes a dent. And never fear, they still get lots and lots of fruits and veggies. 

Look for these recipes to be up soon. Any other foods that your family is addicted to that you'd like to learn how to make out of REAL FOOD? 

Homemade Pie Crust and Chicken Pot Pie

This one is a bonus recipe. Not only to get to learn how to make an easy pie crust at home, you also get to make chicken pot pie from scratch! Talk about the perfect comfort food! Not only do you get flaky, buttery pie crust, but add in chicken, veggies and gravy....perfection in a baking dish. It's also a great way to get used to pie dough, because it can be rustic, no need for neat crimped edges. You can even piece the crust together if you have trouble transferring it the first time. This recipe goes through all the steps, including cooking the chicken, but this is a great use for leftover chicken or turkey, just skip those steps.

Red Wine and Tomato Pot Roast

I adapted this recipe from a crock pot recipe I've had since I was 19. The original called for canned condensed tomato soup...but I wasn't comfortable with using it because of the preservatives found in the major brands, so I switched up the recipe a bit. It was a resounding success, even the extremely picky 83 year old Norwegian ate it and said it was delicious.

I should also note that I'm in the process of trying to clear out my freezer, so the cut of beef I used for this wouldn't be my ideal choice, but it made for nice pictures.

I've also included tips into this recipe for making it in a crock pot instead of on the stove top, like I did. Be sure and read through any recipe from beginning to end before getting started!

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

The ingredients list on the average box of macaroni and cheese is scary. It's loaded with chemical preservatives, a crap ton of sodium and even petroleum based food dyes. That blue box is the go to for so many busy parents and students. Think you don't have time to make anything else? Wrong! I'm going to show you how to make macaroni and real cheese on your stovetop in the same amount of time it takes to cook your pasta. As an added bonus, this recipe shows you how to make a basic béchamel that can be used as a base for so many other awesome sauces.

Homemade Chicken and Pastry

Some of the most useful tools in the kitchen when you're trying to eat real food versus processed junk are methods. To get the ball rolling on this blog, I've been trying to pick recipes that include methods you can use to translate to other dishes. This recipe includes how to make stock. Once you've made a basic chicken stock you can translate this method into different meat and vegetable stocks that are so versatile in so many recipes.

"Popcorn" Chicken

Ever really looked at a chicken nugget? You know, that chicken flavored paste that's shaped into nugget form and breaded? We can do so much better and make it cheaper, too. With just 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (which are definitely recognizable as a part of a chicken), your family can have plenty for dinner and even a gallon size zip top bag to freeze for quick meals later. Seriously, this makes so much food that I've come to realize "popcorn" chicken from a restaurant at $5 an order is such a rip off!

Homemade Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

There are very few things that make the house smell better than cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. It's welcoming, warming and just feels like home.

If you're a bread novice, the idea of making them from scratch can seem pretty daunting. If you know how the dough is supposed to look during each stage, making these amazing rolls at home is so much simpler. I suggest making any bread dough with a stand mixer, however, if you really need an workout, they can be made by hand. They are slightly time consuming, as they have to rise twice, but it isn't active time in the kitchen, so you can walk away. We'll start with the basic recipe....