Keeping the Home

I’m always trying to come up with ideas for easy-to-prepare meals. This is one that I came across a few months ago. I’ve made it a handful of times since then because it is simple, yet flavorful and filling. Ingredients (Adapted from this recipe.) 1 lb. ground beef 1 small onion, minced 6-8 oz. mushrooms, sliced 2 cloves … [Read more...] about Hamburger Gravy

I needed to make some cookies a couple of weeks ago. I could have made regular sugar cookies, but I really wanted to try something new. I didn’t want to run to the store, though, so I tweaked a regular sugar cookie recipe to include some ingredients that I had on hand. The result was fabulous! Though these aren’t specific to Christmas, … [Read more...] about Brown Sugar Cookie Bars with Maple Cinnamon Frosting

My husband loves snacking on appetizers as he watches football games. A few weeks ago he asked me to prepare some meatballs for us to snack on during a game. Appetizer meatballs are really popular and there are so many easy ways to make them. Therefore, you’d think it would have been easy to make some for him. It wasn’t! He’s picky, so … [Read more...] about Maple Bourbon Appetizer Meatballs

I often make this dish when we have guests over or when I take a meal to a family who recently had a baby. I’ve been asked for the recipe nearly every time I’ve made it. The flavor is so good that I’d ask for it, too! This recipe is an amalgamation of Baked Ziti recipes that I’ve seen over the years. I’ve taken a simple approach with … [Read more...] about The Best Baked Ziti

Pecans are one of my favorite nuts. Not surprisingly, I enjoy using them in baked goods. A couple of weeks ago, when I needed to make a treat to share with some other ladies, I had just one thing on my mind: Pecan pie. We were all going to have children with us, so I wanted to make a dessert that could be picked up easily and eaten … [Read more...] about Pecan Pie Cookie Bars (Without Corn Syrup)

I’m not sure if I really love bagels or if I just enjoy them because they are a convenient way to get cream cheese to my mouth. It may very well be the latter because I really enjoy cream cheese! I noticed while shopping some time ago that flavored cream cheese spreads cost a lot more than regular cream cheese. I began adding various … [Read more...] about 5 Homemade Cream Cheese Spreads

‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice! Some of you rejoice over this, but some of you cringe. I’m in the middle: I enjoy the taste of pumpkin on occasion, but most of the time I prefer other flavors. Treats that contain pumpkin are so popular that they often capture all of the attention. Here are some recipes that feature other delicious autumn … [Read more...] about 27 Fall Treats That Don’t Contain Pumpkin

I rarely have time midday to prepare a fancy or complex lunch. For this reason, I’m always trying to come up with new ideas for easy-to-prepare meals. This is one I quickly whipped up a couple of weeks ago when we were low on groceries. It was simple, but filling and tasty. Ingredients 4 eggs, diced 1/2 of a large avocado, mashed 1 … [Read more...] about Easy Avocado Egg Salad