Vegetable Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Heather says: Winter is officially here, and eating seasonally in the winter can certainly be difficult. Well, difficult if you like variety that is. For the most part, we’re reduced to vegetables that store well, like squashes and potatoes, along with hardy vegetables from the brassica genus: brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, etc. I’m not …

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The Gentle Boil Method for Cooking White Rice

Heather says: [pullthis id=”confession” display=”outside”]I’ll never make it as a hippie. . . I don’t like brown rice. I’ve tried to like it, but I just don’t. [/pullthis] For whatever reason cooking white rice seems to frustrate some people. [pullshow id=”confession”]My favorite way to cook rice is to use a 2:1 ratio, water to long …

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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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Soak Rolled Oats for Better Oatmeal

Heather says: Did you know the package directions for oatmeal (rolled oats) used to include directions for soaking? Eventually these directions were removed as it’s not critical if your goal is to have hot, edible cereal and many consumers are only interested in convenience. Soaked oats give an entirely different character to your morning breakfast …

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Freezing Rice, A How To

Dear Home Ec 101, I would like to know if it is possible to freeze cooked rice. I would like to cook a bigger batch and freeze single servings. Cooking a single serving for lunch just takes too much time, but I really don’t like the quicker cooking alternatives. Also, we frequently have stir fry with …

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Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy chicken and wild rice soup

Heather says: This creamy soup is quite rich, perfect for a chilly evening spent calling Midwestern family and asking, “Hey, how’s the weather up there?” (It was -2F yesterday, sorry about that)   Yields: approximately 8 cups of soup Ingredients: 5 cups chicken broth 1 cup wild rice (If you aren’t a huge fan of …

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Fried Green Corn

Heather says: I was browsing through some of my hometown blogs and stumbled upon this entry at A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen. It was the perfect use for the abundance of Silver Queen corn I picked up the other day. Don’t be fooled by this absurdly simple recipe, it tastes of summer. Ingredients: 5 …

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Chicken Bog Recipe

Do you ever have a snippet from a TV show stay with you for eternity? That’s all I can think whenever I make chicken bog Now that you’ve had a peek into my twisted little mind, let’s talk chicken bog. At first glance, some long-time readers may say, “But Heather, that looks just like chicken …

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Rice and Peas

Heather says: My family enjoys this simple dish, it goes well with most standard chicken recipes.  Oddly enough, my kids who are not overly fond of peas do not mind their presence. Get the printable shopping list. Ingredients 1 TBSP butter 1 small onion diced 1 cup uncooked long grain rice 2 cups chicken stock …

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