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In honor of National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day: Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

In last month’s series of “Tasty Tuesdays” posts, I featured recipes related to several of July’s “national months”, including National Grilling Month (Best Beef Kabobs Marinade) and National Hot Dog Month (Homemade Beanie Weenies). This month, I thought I’d feature recipes related to several of August’s “national days”, so August’s first “Tasty Tuesdays” post features a recipe in celebration of “National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day”! Who doesn’t love an excuse to make this delicious treat?

Even though “National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day” was officially yesterday (08/04/25), I am going to share a recipe whose name practically shouts “YUMMY!”. This is a recipe from “The Essential Amish Cookbook” by Lovina Eicher. Without further ado, here’s Lovina’s recipe for “Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies”.


Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 cups lard, shortening, or butter
4 eggs
e cups peanut butter
4 cups flour
2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces chocolate chips



Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, lard (or shortening or butter), and eggs until well blended. Add the peanut butter, flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Fold chocolate chips into mixture. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Roll dough into balls and press lightly onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or until slightly browned. Let stand on baking sheet for a few minutes after removing from oven, then cool on wire racks, parchment paper, or paper towels.


“Of all the chocolate chip recipes we make, this is the children’s favorite!”



So, there you have it: Lovina’s recipe for Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies. I’m sure this will be the next recipe for chocolate chip cookies that I make. I love the addition of peanut butter, and I suspect that “Sweet Thing” will love this recipe because of it. Only time will tell, though…

As always, if you decide to give this recipe a try, I’d love to find out what you thought of it, so please take a moment to leave me a comment below. Looking forward to hearing from you! In the meantime… Take care!


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First “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe of July 2025

Ever heard of “National Months”?

I hope so because “National Months” is the theme for this month’s “Tasty Tuesdays” posts. For those of you who don’t know, “National Months” are opportunities to have fun exploring a variety of topics each month of the year! I came across the concept of “National Months” while perusing the nationaldaycalendar.com Web site. Lately, I’ve been trying to “celebrate” different “national days” every month (to make my life more fun and less boring), so I’m usually looking for specific days to celebrate, but this month, I ended up more focused on the “National Months” instead of the individual “National Days” like I usually do. I discovered that July features lots of different “National Months”, but I was intrigued by those related to FOOD, a perfect pairing for my “Tasty Tuesdays” posts. So… This month, I’m going to feature recipes that are related to the following “National Months”:

  • National Grilling Month
  • National Picnic Month
  • National Hot Dog Month
  • National Baked Beans Month
  • National Ice Cream Month
  • National Peach Month

Don’t these all sound YUMMY?! I thought so, too! So… This month, I’m going to feature a variety of recipes that will help you celebrate these various “National Months”, but before I get into the recipes, I’m going to share with you Mrs. Beeton’s “Bill of fare for a picnic for 40 persons” since that info is pertinent to National Picnic Month — AND I love picnics! (Note: I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a picnic that had more than “40 persons” in attendance! I think this was probably why I was so intrigued by Mrs. Beeton’s “bill of fare” in her “1861 Classic” called “Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management”. I can’t even imagine what a logistical nightmare the planning of such a large picnic would have been for the hostess!) Anyway… Without further ado, here it is:

“BILL OF FARE FOR A PICNIC FOR 40 PERSONS

2149. A joint of cold roast beef, a joint of cold boiled beef, 2 ribs of lamb, 2 shoulders of lamb, 4 roast fowls, 2 roast ducks, 1 ham, 1 tongue, 2 veal-and-ham pies, 2 pigeon pies, 6 medium-sized lobsters, 1 piece of collared calf’s head, 18 lettuces, 6 baskets of salad, 6 cucumbers.

2150. Stewed fruit well sweetened, and put into glass bottles well corked; 3 or 4 dozen plain pastry biscuits to eat with the stewed fruit, 2 dozen fruit turnovers, 4 dozen cheesecakes, 2 cold cabinet puddings in moulds, 2 blancmanges in moulds, a few jam puffs, 1 large cold plum-pudding (this must be good), a few baskets of fresh fruit, 3 dozen plain biscuits, a piece of cheese, 6 lbs. of butter (this, of course, includes the butter for tea), 4 quartern loaves of household broad, 3 dozen rolls, 6 loaves of tin bread (for tea), 2 plain plum cakes, 2 pound cakes, 2 sponge cakes, a tin of mixed biscuits, 1/2 lb. of tea. Coffee is not suitable for a picnic, being difficult to make.

Things not to be forgotten at a Picnic.

A stick of horseradish, a bottle of mint-sauce well corked, a bottle of salad dressing, a bottle of vinegar, made mustard, pepper, salt, good oil, and pounded sugar. If it can be managed, take a little ice. It is scarcely necessary to say that plates, tumblers, wine-glasses, knives, forks, and spoons, must not be forgotten; as also teacups and saucers, 3 or 4 teapots, some lump sugar, and milk, if this last-named article cannot be obtained in the neighbourhood. Take 3 corkscrews.

Beverages — 3 dozen quart bottles of ale, packed in hampers; ginger-beer, soda-water, and lemonade, of each 2 dozen bottles; 6 bottles of sherry, 6 bottles of claret, champagne a discretion, and any other light wine that may be preferred, and 2 bottles of brandy. Water can usually be obtained so it is useless to take it.”

And there you have it: Mrs. Beeton’s “Bill of Fare for a Picnic for 40 Persons”. All I can say is that the Victorians seemed to love their desserts AND their alcoholic beverages!

Anyway… In addition to that bit of information in honor of July being “National Picnic Month”, I am going to feature a recipe in honor of “National Grilling Month”. Ever since Memorial Day (the unofficial start of summer), we’ve been doing A LOT of grilling lately! Sweet Thing loves to grill “burgers and brats”, but I recently discovered something new to grill: SHISH KABOBS! So… I’m going to share a recipe I discovered online which searching for a good marinade recipe. It’s from a Web site called “House of Nash Eats”, and it’s delicious! Without further ado, here’s the recipe:

Best Beef Kabobs Marinade

Marinated Steak Kabobs are the perfect summer meal idea for grilling season, and extra delicious when the meat is marinated for hours in the best beef kabob marinade, then skewered with potatoes, onions, peppers, and other colorful veggies! This fantastic shish kabob marinade helps make this an easy summer meal the whole family will love!

Ingredients

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon black pepper

Kabobs

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak or sirloin tips, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard

1 Tablespoon dried rosemary

8 ounces Crimini mushrooms

1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade.
  2. Place the cubed meat into a large plastic zip-tight bag and pour all but the reserved marinade over it, then seal and squish to coat well. Place in the refrigerator for 1-6 hours to marinate. This is also a good time to place wooded skewers in water to soak.
  3. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until just tender enough to pierce with a fork, about 6-8 minutes. Drain well, the toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary, and mustard. Set aside.
  4. Preheat grill to high heat while preparing the kabobs. Chop all vegetables into chunks that are roughly the same size as the cubed steak, keeping 3 layers of onion together in each chunk. Drizzle vegetables with the reserved marinade.
  5. Thread alternating pieces of meat, vegetables, and potatoes until the skewers are filled, aiming for 4-5 pieces of steak on each skewer.
  6. Place kabobs on the grill directly over the heat and reduce heat to medium-high. Grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes, until the meat is cooked medium-rare to medium and the vegetables start to char just around the edges.
  7. Remove from the grill and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

So, there you have it: the recipe for “Best Beef Kabobs Marinade. I must say, though, that the “House of Nash Eats” Web site has LOTS of additional recipe about this recipe, including answers to such questions as:

  • What is the best meat to use for kabobs?
  • What vegetables to put on a shish kabob?
  • Should I precook vegetables for kabobs?
  • What kind of onion is best for kabobs?
  • Do you close the grill when cooking kabobs?
  • How far in advance can you prep kabobs?

In addition, there’s a list of “More Grilling Recipes like these Shish Kabobs after the FAQs, including one for “Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers” that might just be the next thing I grill this month — in honor of National Grilling Month. If I do, I’ll certainly let you know how they turn out. Until then, though, I’d love to hear what you think about the Best Beef Kabobs Marinade. Bon appetit AND HAPPY “National Grilling (and Picnic) Month!

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A very tasty way to end…

Wow! I can’t believe that the last day of June 2025 is almost upon us AND that this is the last “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe this month. However, I think I’ve saved the best for last! This week’s “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe is…

Chocolate French Toast!

Anything with chocolate is great, but chocolate for breakfast? That is AWESOME! When I stumbled upon this recipe online (see my note below), I knew that I had to try it, primarily because Sweet Thing is a chocoholic (which just might have something to do with his nickname…). Haven’t made it for him yet, but it’s on the menu for later this week!

And now, without further ado, here is the last “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe for June 2025

Chocolate French Toast

3 large eggs

1 cup 2% milk

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 slices day-old bread, crusts removed

3 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 oz each), halved2 tablespoons butter

Confectioner’s sugar

  1. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Pour half into an ungreased 13×9-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 slices of bread in a single layer over the egg mixture. Place 1 piece of chocolate in the center of each piece of bread. Top with remaining bread; pour remaining egg mixture over all. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  2. In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Toast sandwiches until golden brown on both sides. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. Serve warm.

So, there’s the recipe for Chocolate French Toast — that was, for me, one of those “Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?!” moments. I’m sure Sweet Thing will like it since (1) he already likes me to make french toast for him, and (2) he LOVES chocolate! I’ll let you know what Sweet Thing had to say about this recipe — once I’m finally able to make it for him! I’d love to hear about (1) what you think of this recipe for Chocolate French Toast AND (2) your own favorite french toast recipes!

Note: When I published this post, I couldn’t remember its source, but I (the Queen of Tabs) will go through my browser history to see if I can track down the Web site where I found what is sure to be one of our go-to breakfast recipes!

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How breakfast used to be…

In today’s “Tasty Tuesdays” post, I’m going to be sharing with you some thoughts about breakfast from Mrs. Isabella Beeton (in her “1861 Classic with Advice on Cooking, Cleaning, Childrearing, Entertaining, and More” — “Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management”). Although breakfast was usually only mentioned in passing throughout this book, I was intrigued by the “Bills of Fare” that Mrs. Beeton presented for breakfast — as well as for the other meals of the day, including “luncheons and suppers” as well as “a bill of fare for a picnic of 40 persons”. So… Here’s what Mrs. Beeton had to say about breakfasts:

“It will not be necessary to give here a long bill of fare of cold joints, &c., which may be placed on the side-board, and do duty at the breakfast table. Suffice it to say, that any cold meat the larder may furnish, should be nicely garnished, and be placed on the buffet. Collared and potted meats for fish, cold game or poultry, veal-and-ham pies, game-and Rump-steak pies, are all suitable dishes for the breakfast-table, as also cold ham, tongue, &c. &c.

The following list of hot dishes may perhaps assist our readers in knowing what to provide for the comfortable meal called breakfast. Broiled fish, such as mackerel, whiting, herrings, dried haddocks, &c.; mutton chops and rump-steaks, broiled sheep’s kidneys, kidneys a la maitre d’hotel, sausages, plain rashers of bacon, bacon and poached eggs, ham and poached eggs, omelets, plain boiled eggs, oeufs-au-plat, poached eggs on toast, muffins, toast, marmalade, butter, &c. &c.”

So, there you have it: Mrs. Beeton’s “bill of fare” for “the comfortable meal called breakfast”. I read through “Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management”, hoping to find a recipe for something on her bill of fare, but I couldn’t find anything. (Guess she expected that most Victorian women (and/or cooks) would already know how to make such things.) So… I did what I generally do when looking for new recipes to feature in my “Tasty Tuesdays” posts: I did an online search, specifically for “Victorian Breakfast Recipes”, and I found an article called “Victorian Era Breakfast Recipes: 11 Morning Meals From the Past” on the following Web site: littlethings.com, and because I liked the way this article started, I’m going to begin with that. So, here goes…

“Breakfast is probably — no, definitely — my favorite meal of the day. In fact, I see no problem with enjoying some yummy eggs or piling up a plate of pancakes for lunch or dinner, too. This is why I was so happy to stumble on these scrumptious Victorian breakfast recipes!

… Obviously, things were much different back in Victorian-era England. Still, they certainly knew how to make a good meal that would fill one up for a long day of work. Some of their ideas might seem a little strange to us, but I guarantee that you’ll find more than a few things you’ll want to whip up in the morning.

Take a look at these Victorian breakfast recipes, including a few by Queen Victoria’s own chief cook!”

Although this article featured eleven recipes for such things as bread steaks and egg fritters, I want to share a recipe for something I usually think of as Victorian (or at least, British)… CRUMPETS!

Crumpets

(from: littlethings.com)

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk

2 Tablespoons unsalted melted butter

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Scald the milk, then add melted butter and the lukewarm water. Mix in the yeast and sugar. Stir over heat until frothy. Allow to rise for an hour or until it has doubled in size. Butter muffin tins without bottoms* and arrange on a buttered skillet. Spoon the batter into the rings and cook for about two minutes on each side. Remove the ring and cook again for about three more minutes.

Note:

*If you can’t find bottomless muffin tins for this “true English muffin”, you can use clean tuna cans with both ends removed! (Such a clever idea!)

Because I’ve never really liked “English muffins”, I thought I’d give this recipe for crumpets a try to see if I like these “true English muffins” better. At this point, the verdict’s still out, so I’ll have to let you know when it’s in and what it is. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts about Mrs. Beeton’s bill of fare for the “comfortable meal called breakfast” AND what’s on your “bill of fare” for breakfast. What’s breakfast like for you?

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Another tasty breakfast recipe…

Hello! The theme of “breakfast” continues with a recipe that I have often heard about but never tried myself. So… That is going to change just as soon as try what I hope will be worthy of a “Tasty Tuesdays” post: Baked Oatmeal

Now, before you say anything, I realize that oatmeal is one of those “love it or hate it” foods. Personally, I’m on the “love it” side, but Sweet Thing is on the opposite site, preferring Cream of Wheat instead. (Hmmm… I think Cream of Wheat is another of those “love it or hate it” foods: He loves it, and I hate it. That’s a discussion for another day.) While going through one of my Amish cookbooks (“The Essential Amish cookbook” by Lovina Eicher), I came across the recipe for Baked Oatmeal. As I said earlier, I’ve often heard about baked oatmeal, but I was intrigued by the addition of eggs in this recipe, so I thought I’d give it a try myself — finally! And now, without further ado, here’s this week’s featured breakfast recipe:

Baked Oatmeal

1/2 cup butter, melted; or 1/4 cup applesauce

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

3 cups quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Pour into greased 2-quart baking dish (or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan). Bake 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

For added flavor, after the oatmeal is baked, top with any combination of chopped fresh fruit, such as apples, peaches, or strawberries, as well as raisins and chopped pecans or walnuts. We sometimes like to pour cold milk over the top when serving.

Makes 8-12 servings, depending on portion size.

Lovina’s note:

My dad had oatmeal almost every day for breakfast. I do not care for the taste of oatmeal, but a few of our children like it, so we have it once in a while.

So, there you have it: Lovina’s recipe for Baked Oatmeal, and she confirmed that oatmeal is, indeed, a “love it or hate it” food — some of her children like oatmeal, but she doesn’t. Which “camp” are you in: the “love it” OR the “hate it”? Please leave a comment to let me know whether you love or hate oatmeal AND what you thought of this recipe.

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June 2025’s “7th of the month” Journal Post

Welcome to yet another “7th of the month” journal post highlighting the previous month, which, for this entry, spans from 7 May through 6 June 2025. As Ive done ever since I starting writing this kind of post, I’ll be following the same pattern — by discussing events that fell into the following three categories:

  • Holler,
  • Personal, and, of course,
  • Writing.

Holler Happenings

Hello from “my holler in Kentucky”! This month, I spent some time working outside — once I finally recovered from whatever was ailing me the first two weeks of May (more on this later)! During my “spring cleaning” sessions outside, I picked up trash that either marauding raccoons or a neighbor’s dog had found while rummaging near the barn, where we keep our trash cans; got all of the burnables, recyclables, and trash out of the house and carted off to where they belong; and cleared off the “wood processing” side of the front porch, so we can start stocking up on firewood this summer.

In addition to doing some “spring cleaning”, Sweet Thing and I spent some time talking about our plans for the holler, and we came up with a “plan of attack” — an ordered list of what we want to accomplish in the coming months (and beyond):

  • finally build a place to store all of our trash cans;
  • relocate the trailer to the “back 40” (which will eventually become my “writing retreat”) AND get at least one load of gravel;
  • build a storage shed behind the reliquary;
  • build a ramp up to the front porch (I’ve never liked stairs, so I’m REALLY looking forward to getting this project finished); and finally,
  • build the much-anticipated “loft storage” in the reliquary (so we can turn half of the space into a guest house and the other half into a workshop).

Hopefully, the price of lumber will come down enough to allow us to tackle ALL of these projects between now and the end of this calendar year.

Another “Holler Happening” occurred on 21 May 2025 when we experienced a late-night power outage. I was exercising on the treadmill when the power glitched for the first time, and I was almost thrown off the treadmill when it quit working! Unfortunately, that experience seems to have had a lasting effect on me: I’m VERY leery whenever it’s time for me to get off the darned thing! I need to look down at my feet to check — and double check — to make sure that the moving belt on which I’m walking is no longer moving! Hopefully, I’ll get over the trauma that this late-night power outage seems to have caused.

Anyway… The power was out for two hours and ten minutes, and once I’d recovered from the “treadmill incident”, I spent most of the time shutting down computers: Denny, my desktop computer, and Zenny, my laptop computer. Since I tend to have A LOY of open tabs on both of my ‘puters (being affectionately called “The Queen of Open Tabs” by Sweet Thing), the power outage proved to be agreat time for me to do something about ’em — bookmarking those I wanted to revisit and CLOSING all of them! In addition, I saved and closed all of the documents and other things that I had open. Shortly after I’d finished shutting down both computers, the power was restored, but I can’t help but wonder just how many people were late to work that morning. I am a “night owl”, so I was well aware of the power outage and was able too reset the clocks in the holler house. So, yeah… I wonder how the “early to bed/early to rise” folks fared during/after the late-night power outage.

Well… That’s about all the “news” I’ve got to report about “holler happenings”, so I’ll now move on to the next category: “Personal Events”:

Personal Events

The month of May began with me getting sick after our trip to “Flordida” for my darlin’ daughter’s college graduation! Don’t know how I got sick, but I finally felt ready to “rejoin the living” and get my life back on track — after TWO full weeks of being sick! Unfortunately, I also got sick again near the end of May, but I was able to “sleep off the sickies”, so I wasn’t sick for as long as I’d been at the beginning of the month. Being sick is definitely NO FUN!

Once I was finally feeling better, I got back to working on “Butterflies”, another “Trip around the World quilt that I started during my second “quilt-along” class at the LGCHC. I had stopped working on this quilt so I could get another quilt (“Purples” finished in time to give my daughter after she graduated. I finished the inner border on 20 May, and I expect to have it finished before the start of my third “quilt-along” class on 10 June 2025. By the way, I started taking these “quilt-along” classes in the fall of 2024 after finding out about them when I started working on repairing my daughter’s (well-worn) “trailer quilt” that a dear family friend had given her decades before! I think I’m definitely hooked on quilting! In fact, I suspect that I’ll be writing a few books that will feature quilts and the Amish women who make them.

Anyway… Here are a few more things that fall into the “Personal Events” category:

  • spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out what I need to do to get my life back on track — after the focus of the first four months of 2025 being on getting ready for the ROAD TRIP down to “Flordida” to attend my daughter’s college graduation. After that event became history, I was at a loss as to what I want to focus on now.
  • the “checking on you” phone calls from my darlin’ daughter continued throughout the month, including one during which she managed to get her brother on the phone — a rare, but greatly appreciated, treat. (Found out that he’s still alive (sometimes I wonder…) and working at a Winco — at least I think that’s the name of the grocery store where he works!) In addition, I also had an enjoyable chat with one of our family’s neighbors when I was growing up! It had been quite a while since I last spoke with her, so it was great to catch up on what’s been happening with her ever-growing family!
  • I read a couple of books by Danielle Steele: “The Butler” and “Five Days in Paris”. I’ve never really been a fan of Danielle Steele, but I read those two books to give her another chance — to see whether my “literary tastes” had changed. I like the concept of “The Butler”, but as a romance (which is what I was expecting), it didn’t cut it for me. I much preferred “Five Days in Paris”. Anyway…
  • I FINALLY got DJ back from the repair shop — after over TWO months (much of which was waiting for parts). Thankfully, the repair bill was A LOT less than expected! A VERY pleasant surprise.
  • I created a “Summer Bucket List” — of things that I want to accomplish this summer! It includes many of the things I keep saying I want to do each summer but never do. Hopefully, this is the summer that things like (1) going to see movies at a drive-in theatre and (2) make at lease one batch of homemade ice cream! Once again, I’ll have to type it up, print it out, and post it somewhere prominent, so I’ll be able to check to see how close I am to accomplishing everything on this list.
  • I ended this “month” ( on 5 June 2025) with something I know is my “civic duty” but is also something I dread: JURY DUTY! Unlike jury duty in the state where I used to live, jury duty here is an all-year responsibility — mostly due to the lower population. Thankfully, the local judge understands that jury duty isn’t always a favorite activity for the folks around here, so she does her best to make it so that the “petit court jurors” don’t have to come in until they’re really needed. Well… It turned out that these jurors, including me, were actually needed for a jury trial that day (and into the next), so I spent that morning listening to every that was going on in the courtroom — AND taking notes, so I could possibly include a scene in which one of my main characters has been summoned for jury duty. The taking of notes actually helped keep me calm during that whole “ordeal”, BUT I am VERY grateful that my name was NEVER called for me to become a juror for that trial. I was able to walk away from the courthouse breathing BIG sighs of relief. In addition to NOT being called, there was another bit of good news: the judge’s calendar was filling up fast for jury trials in the other jurisdictions in which she serves, so I won’t have to worry about jury duty again until OCTOBER! Only time will tell whether I’ll be summoned for jury duty in October…

And on that note, I’ll move on to the third, and final, category in June’s “7th of the month” journal post: my writing!

Writing

As far as my writing is concerned, I FINALLY got back to my writing on the 8th of May (after being sick for a FULL TWO WEEKS!), and one of the first things I did was to get all of my postcards mailed for April 2025’s postcard swap! With virtually all of my attention in April focused on our ROAD TRIP (for my darlin’ daughter’s college graduation), working on my postcards got pushed to the back burner. Consequently, I made working on those a priority once I (finally) regained my health! “Better late than never!”

In addition, I continued researching Amish life by perusing Web sites such as “Amish America: Exploring Amish Culture & Communities”, which is a treasure trove of information about the Amish in this country AND by ordering a book called “Pocket Guide to the Amish”, by Mindy Starns Clark, and author of Amish romance novels. (I also checked out her author Web site, too — to get more ideas about what kinds of things I might want to add to my own Web site!) Although this book is small in size, it is packed with LOTS of information that will probably be incorporated into some of my own Amish romance novels in the future!

Speaking of my own Amish novels, I decided to use my jury duty experience as research for a scene to include in my current work-in-progress or, possibly, into a “short” story. I figured that doing this would help keep my mind occupied and off the possibility that my name might be drawn as a potential juror! So… I started taking notes about jury duty as soon as I got into our “little white roadster” (thanks to Sweet Thing agreeing to drop me off and pick me up since there’s a distinct lack of parking at the local courthouse) and continued to do so throughout the whole nerve-wracking experience. Thankfully, I made it out of the courtroom WITHOUT my name being called! (THANK YOU!) Once outside, I called Sweet Thing to let him know he could come pick me up, and then I proceeded to walk to our agreed-upon pickup location: a place that might be a good place for me to park should he not be able to drop me off in the future. Anyway… Now that I’ve got pages and pages of notes from my three-hour jury duty service, I need to start thinking about how to incorporate such a scene into one of my own Amish romance novels (or a short story)! Coming soon to a book near you: JURY DUTY!

The last thing worthy of noting in this “7th of the month” post is that Sweet Thing introduced me to ways AI can help authors, including (1) creating characters, and (2) coming up with plot points for a story based on a given genre and a one-sentence description. For a long time, I’ve been hearing about AI, but I’m rather old-fashioned and just didn’t want to have anything to do with AI. However, that all changed when he started giving me examples of what AI could do the help me as an author. Now, I see the potential that AI has, so I’ll probably be “playing with” it — though NOT as much as Sweet Thing has been doing lately. At this point, “the jury is still out” about how much I’ll allow AI into my writing life, but I would love to hear about your experiences with AI. So… Please leave a comment below.

On that note, I’m going to close June’s “7th of the month” post. Stay tuned for another glimpse into my personal (AND professional) life. As always, I look forward to hearing from you! In the meantime… Take care.

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Let the day begin — in a tasty way!

The theme for this month’s “Tasty Tuesdays” posts will be BREAKFAST, and each featured recipe will be a tasty way to begin your day. This first recipe is for a tasty treat I first discovered in a bulk bin at one of my local supermarkets back when I was living in the High Desert of California decades ago! It was French Vanilla Almond Granola, and I just could NOT get enough of it! Consequently, I tried time and again to recreate the recipe at home, but what I made NEVER tasted as good as what I purchased in bulk from Winco! So… When I heard that my daughter was going to Winco a couple months ago, I asked her to purchase four pounds of it for me. Thankfully, she did — AND she brought it all the way from California to Florida to give to me when she saw me at her recent college graduation. It was just as good as I remembered! However, knowing that I would soon run out of what she’d bought for me, I started looking online to find a recipe that just might turn out as good as what she’d purchased from Winco before her trip, and I found it — on the Delicious As It Looks food blog! And now, without further ado, here is that recipe…

French Vanilla Almond Granola

Ingredients

4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats and sliced almonds.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the sugar and salt into the water. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in canola oil and vanilla. Pour into the oat and almond mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
  4. Spread mixture out on the lined cookie sheet and bake for 2 hours, or until dry. * Do not stir! Remove from oven and let it cool before breaking apart into chunks. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes

  • I’ve found that when I increase the recipe, it requires more baking time. When I double the recipe, I have to bake it for almost 3 hours total.

So, there you have it: French Vanilla Almond Granola… a recipe for granola that rivals what can be purchased at Winco. Since there are no Winco grocery stores in my “neck of the woods”, I’m so delighted to have found a recipe that will satisfy my cravings for granola AND get my day off to a tasty start. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I feel a craving for some granola!

As always, I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe for French Vanilla Almond Granola as well as what your favorite granola recipe is, so please leave a comment below. In the meantime… Take care!

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The First Irish Recipe I Ever Made!

“Tastes from the Irish” continue with (as the title of this post suggests) the first Irish recipe I ever made, and that recipe is for Colcannon, “a classic Irish recipe for potatoes with the addition of milk, butter, and greens like kale, cabbage, leeks, green onion, or chives.”

I first heard about this recipe when a co-teacher of mine (Thanks, Cuca!) made it as part of a St. Patrick’s Day feast that we served to our (primarily Hispanic) students and their families to celebrate this holiday. When I found out exactly what it was, I wasn’t too sure about it since I really don’t like mashed potatoes, but I gave it a try. Much to my surprise, I really liked it, so I’ve been serving Colcannon as part of my St. Patrick’s Day feast ever since!

As with the first of my “Tastes from the Irish” posts, this recipe is from the Web site called theviewfromgreatisland.comm, and here’s some of what the author had to say about this recipe:

“Colcannon Flavor Variations to Try

Though not traditional, I added a bit of horseradish to my Colcannon for an extra flavor boost. I love the flavor of horseradish in my mashed potatoes, it gives a great little subtle kick. But you can definitely leave it out, or adjust the amount to your taste. Here are some more ideas for adding a layer of flavor to your Colcannon.

  • mustard, either creamy or grainy
  • garliic, fresh or dried
  • crummbled bacon (!)
  • sour cream
  • fresh herbs like thyme, parsley or rosemary

Other Veggies to Use in Colcannon

While kale and cabbage are traditional, there are so many other greens you might use if you want to get creative!

  • spinach
  • watercress
  • chives
  • leeks
  • chard
  • raddicchio
  • shaved Brussels sprouts
  • other types of cabbage such as red cabbage, Savoy, or Napa

The Best Way to Mash Potatoes

How do you mash your potatoes? I’m partial to an old-fashioned potato-masher. They make quick work of well-boiled potatoes, and allow you a little more control over the final texture. I don’t like my mashed potatoes to be perfectly smooth, in fact, I usually don’t even bother to peel my potatoes (although I did for this recipe.)

If you do like a perfectly smooth texture, you can use electric beaters, just be careful not to over beat them, over beating can cause your mashed potatoes to become ‘gluey’. Not a good thing.

How to Make Colcannon Ahead

Colcannon can be made up to a few days ahead to time. To reheat, cover with foil and heat in a 350F oven, or in the slow cooker. You may need to add additional liquid and butter to loosen them up. You’ll want to stir a few times while reheating so they heat evenly.”

And now… without further ado, here is this week’s featured “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe:

Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes With Kale)

This authentic Irish dish teams up creamy mashed potatoes with vibrant and healthy kale for an unbeatable side dish!

Equipment

Potato masher

Ingredients

3 lbs russet potatoes (the best for mashing), peeled and chopped

5 Tablespoons butter, divided, plus more for serving if desired

8 cups chopped kale, about 1 large bunch (remove the tough stems first)

1 cup half-and-half or buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 teaspoons horseradish sauce [optional]

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the chopped potatoes, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are very tender. (The tip of a sharp knife should slide in easily.)
  2. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
  3. In the same pot, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter, and sautee the chopped kale over low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes until soft.
  4. Take off the heat, add the potatoes back to the pot along with the rest of the butter, half-and-half, salt, and horseradish sauce. Mash together with a potato masher until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
  5. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve with more butter if desired.

So, there you have it: the recipe for Sue Moran’s Authentic Colcannon. I hope you’ll give it a try and then let me know what you thought about it.

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Life’s short…

Hello! Welcome to the first “Tasty Tuesdays” post of March! In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, this month’s theme will be “Traditional Irish Farmhouse Recipes, and they’ll feature four recipes from “the view from great island” Web site. Hope you enjoy this month’s “tastes from the Irish”.

At the saying goes, “Life is short, so eat dessert first.” In keeping with this sentiment, I’m beginning this month’s worth of “Tasty Tuesdays” posts with… you guessed it… a DESSERT recipe: “Authentic Irish Apple Cake”. According to Sue Moran, the Web site’s author, “This is an authentic old fashioned Irish apple cake, the kind that would be made throughout the apple harvest season all over Ireland, where every farmhouse has its own prized version of the recipe. It’s delicious with or without the traditional custard sauce!”

Here’s what else Sue has to say about this recipe for “Authentic Irish Apple Cake”:

“A CLASSIC APPLE CAKE FILLED WITH JUICY APPLES AND WARM SPICES

This easy apple cake recipe speaks to another era and another continent. But nothing beats a kitchen filled with the warm scent of apples and cinnamon, no matter what your particular spot in the baking universe. The cake is mildly spiced, with an inner core of thinly sliced tart apples, topped with a crumbly oat streusel. Tradition dictates serving it with some thick cream, or a luscious custard sauce. Choose to respect or flaunt tradition: you’re in charge.

BEST APPLES FOR AN APPLE CAKE

I used Granny Smith apples for this apple cake — they’re nice and tart and don’t get mushy in the oven.

Another good choice would be Honeycrisp apples. You can aloways experiment with other types, if you want, yoou can’t go too wrong here. (pickyourown.org has a pretty comprehensive guide to apple varieties.) You’ll need about 3 good sized apples for this recipe, that’s the bottom line. Peel them, and slice them thinly. If you’re making them more than a few minutes ahead, be sure to toss them with a little lemon juuice to prevent browning.

THE CRUMBLE TOPPING MAKES THIS CAKE ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE FOR BREAKFAST< BRUNCH< OR AFTERNOON TEA

This is a not-too-sweet kind of cake in the European tradition. It’s pretty perfect with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning or mid afternoon, though still definitely special enough to serve as dessert, especially with the custard. The custard sauce keeps well in the fridge, and can be served either warm or cold. The cake, however, is especially fabulous and fragrant warm from the oven.”

And now… without further ado, here is this week’s featured “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe:

Irish Apple Cake

An authentic Irish Farmhouse Apple Cake — delicious with or without the traditional custard sauce!

Equipment

  • 9-inch springform pan

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons whole milk or cream
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • about 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced. Mine weighed a little over a pound after slicing.
  • confectioner’s (powdered) sugar for dusting

STREUSEL TOPPING

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

6 Tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut in small pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

CUSTARD SAUCE

6 large egg yolks

6 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups whole milk — you can also use half and half or cream

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Make the custard sauce ahead of time. Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heal. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and sugar until well combined. Drizzle a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Drizzle a little more, then transfer that back into the pan of hot milk and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do this slowly, over medium heat, and I like to use a silicone spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan as it heats. The mixture will become velvety and thickened, but it will not be as thick as pudding. It will continue to thicken as it cools, so don’t overcook or it can curdle. Stir in the vanilla.
  3. Pour the custard through a sieve (to catch any stray lumps) into a heat proof jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface so it won’t form a skin as it cools. Put in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
  4. To make the streusel topping,, blend the bits of butter into the flour, sugar, and oats until the butter is incorporated and the mixture has a coarse crumbly texture. Put in the refrigerator.
  5. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
  6. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture, along with the milk or cream.
  7. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan, and smooth out evenly. Top with the sliced apples, and then the streusel. Note: no need to arrange the apples perfectly, but try to get them in an even layer.
  8. Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out without wet batter clinging to it.
  9. Let cool a bit in the pan before removing. Dust with confectioner’s (powdered) sugar before serving.

So, there you have it: the recipe for Sue Moran’s Authentic Irish Apple Cake.

Even though autumn yielded to winter (and spring is just around the corner), I’m going to be making this Irish Cake this weekend since I’ve got a bag of apples that have been staring at me from the counter, just begging to be used. So, I’m (finally) answering their call. I’m hoping that regular 9-inch baking pans can be used instead of the springform pan since I don’t have one of those fancy pans! Only time will tell…

I hope you’ll heed the adage about life being short and give this recipe a try. (Personally, I like to think that life is LONG, but I’ll take whatever “reason” I can get to enjoy dessert first.) If you do — or you have a favorite recipe for apple cake that you’d like to share — please leave a comment below. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about March’s first “Tasty Tuesdays” featured recipe: Authentic Irish Apple Cake.

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Another “Tasty Tuesdays” First

Rather than being another pie recipe (since February’s theme was “the great American pie”), the recipe I’m going to feature in today’s “Tasty Tuesdays” post is actually yet another “Tasty Tuesdays” First. It is the FIRST recipe that was AI-generated! This evening, my “sweet thing” was messing around with AI on his computer, and he asked the AI something about “eating birds trapped in a car”. The AI told him that eating a bird trapped in a car was NOT a good idea (and I totally agreed!), but it did suggest a few recipes for birds, specifically chickens. So… I selected one of the recipes and then had him print it out for me since I had some chicken sitting in the fridge that I wasn’t sure how to cook. After he asked the AI for a printable version of the recipe I’d selected, he used that to print me a copy of the selected recipe, so I could make it for dinner. Because it turned out to be YUMMY, I decided to feature it as the last “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe of February 2025. Without further ado, here’s the recipe that “sweet thing” got from his chat with AI:

15-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (or canola oil)

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes (about 1/2 inch)

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening)

1 Tablespoon water (optional, for thickening)

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped green onions for garnish (optional)

Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Chicken: Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the Oil: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  3. Cook the Chicken: Add the chicken cubes to the skillet and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center.
  4. Make the Sauce: While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, and minced garlic. If you want a thicker sauce, mix the cornstarch with water in another small bowl and add it to the honey mixture.
  5. Combine: Once the chicken is cooked, pour the honey garlic sauce over the chicken in the skillet. Stir well to coat the chicken evenly. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
  6. Serve: Remove from heat and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve hot over rice or with your favorite side dishes.

Cooking Tips:

  • For an extra kick, you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
  • Serve with steamed vegetables for a complete meal!

So, there you have it: the AI-suggested recipe for “15-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken”. This was the first recipe that I’d ever gotten from AI, and although it was a funny experience, I think I’ll be sticking to my tried-and-true cookbooks like my beloved (and well-worn) Betty Crocker cookbook and my newly discovered tome from Mrs. Beeton.

However, I would love to hear about any experiences you’ve had with AI and, of course, what you thought of this recipe should you give it a try, which I highly recommend since it’s going to be a “keeper” for me — something I’ll be having again on one of my “Asian-inspired” days of the week. Looking forward to hearing from you, so please take a moment to leave a comment below.