i have said this time and time again, we are so lucky to have an all year growing season. it always makes me happy to see winter gardens. the plants look tough and strong which helps then get through the cold nights.
yesterday we visited a lovely garden of a couple who moved a big farmhouse to their lot 19 years ago. they have created this amazing space and eat from their garden all year long. i left their country home….feeling inspired.
they also had a room of vines that was magical.
if you have ever driven south, i am sure that you have stumbled upon not just one but hundreds of waffle houses along the way. eating at them is always an experience….and i mean that in a good way. they still crack every egg by hand, make every hash brown to order, the coffee cups are stacked in perfect order, and i am always amazed at their shouting system of relaying orders. their old time system works and those pecan waffles keep me coming back!
you can get mac and cheese at just about anywhere you go in the south- and everyone does it different. some cheesy..some creamy. some better than others.
yesterday i made this recipe which i cannot take any credit for. it was surely worth mentioning though. this is one of the best mac and cheeses that i have ever eaten. the nutmeg in the recipe may sound strange but trust me it makes it amazing.
this time of year you see collards everywhere. the frost has sweetened them up, and out in the country, you might see a whole truck load of collards. if a crowd is coming for new years, you may see people cooking up a black cast iron pot full over a fire. some people still do it that way, but most cook a big pot full in the house. we picked a pile of leaves and simply chopped them up, and cooked them down. we ate them seasoned up with a little soy sauce and apple cider vinegar. we had enough to eat for 4 days, just keeping them in the pot on the back porch at night. good eatin’!
this weekend was filled with lots of celebrations to bring in the new year. amongst the collards and black eyed peas i made a spinach artichoke dip to share. this one is always a crowd pleaser.
for our holiday feast, my contribution was sweet potato pie. we ran out of vanilla so i added some bourbon. i think that this will be my new standard sweet potato pie!
there was enough filling for one full pie and another partially filled pie. glad that there was left overs.
click to read recipe
our friend shae is the talented pastry chef at 5 and 10. every year she makes the most amazing gingerbread house. take note of the details. this year she featured the entire kitchen staff including hugh with his uni-brow and radish tattoo.
you can find cheese straws just about everywhere this time of year. these savory and buttery cookies are pretty simple to make and they keep for a couple of months. i personally think that they taste better a day or two after you make them. i love to put them in holiday gift baskets and give them to friends and neighbors.
i like to add toasted pecans in mine and i also like them to have a little bite. so… add a little more cayenne and crushed red pepper if you like yours on the spicy side.
want to make a little gift basket? try out our recipes for candied citrus and spiced pecans.
recipe follows
i always love getting our weekly box of fresh vegetables from our farm. this week was especially exciting when we opened up our box and saw this amazing romanesco cauliflower. last night we made some soup with it. one of many wintry soups to come.
recipe follows
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