Hoppin’ John

Heather says: In my corner of the south, Hoppin’ John is a traditional New Year’s dish believed to bring good luck. I’m not superstitious, but some traditions, like this one appeal to me. Every year on New Year’s Day we serve Hoppin’ John, collard greens, and cornbread. Hoppin’ John is a nice, flavorful version of …

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Tuna Salad, a Variation

Heather says: I’m usually pretty plain Jane when it comes to tuna salad, a little mayo or cream cheese -or both if I’m really pushing the envelope. Dill weed1, salt, pepper, and some celery finish it off. Everything’s nice, everything’s beautiful, everyone wins. Then, one afternoon I was poking around my friend Linda’s site and …

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Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe

Heather says: Looking for a tomato side dish? How about one with bacon? This easy recipe for stuffed tomatoes comes together very quickly, is company-worthy, can be made the night before, and could even be baked in a toaster oven -I don’t have one, but I plan to remedy that. I want to put it …

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Picnic Possibilities

Heather says: If you haven’t menu planned your Memorial Day weekend already, here are some suggestions for cookouts and picnics.  Let’s start with main dishes and then move on to sides. Shall we? (Just click the pics to head to the recipe!) Safety Reminder: Don’t forget to use common sense and keep food out of …

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How to Roast Potatoes

Heather says: Roast potatoes are a simple side dish. This recipe comes together quickly and can easily be made while the main dish is cooked. In our home we use two different methods to roast potatoes.  Don’t forget that roast potatoes can serve as the basis for other one dish meals like homemade breakfast skillets. Depending …

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Broccoli, Roasted

Once in a while, every cook stumbles on a technique that transforms a vegetable from a tolerated item into a highly anticipated side dish. This technique which can easily be modified does it for broccoli and me. Admittedly I never hated broccoli, I didn’t love it, except in salads like broccoli almond salad, where the …

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