 Are you looking for a recipe for a spicy shrimp and rice dish? Well, I may have found just the recipe for you! Every time I see someone make a paella, I start to drool! I’ve always wanted to give it a try myself, but I don’t have a pan that big! So when I stumbled across this spicy cajun recipe, I thought it would make a delicious substitute. I’ve cooked this simple recipe a few times, and it tasted great every time! If you’re looking for an easy spicy dish that feeds a few people, this is your dish! As always, I doubled the original recipe (link at the end of this blog) to accommodate my family of five…
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 Freshly baked mulberry muffins. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2023. There is simply nothing like harvesting your own food for tasty recipes! My backyard garden has become one grand experiment to see what I can grow and how to use the plants in homemade recipes. But I never even realized there was a berry tree in my yard (planted by previous owners) until a couple of years ago when the branches started hanging down low around the raised garden. It was then that I noticed the purple berry mess covering the ground. After investigating, I discovered that this “annoying” tree was mulberry!  Spaghetti with meatballs baked. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Spaghetti is one of the cheapest meals you can make—and I love it for that—but my family has become utterly sick of it! This “cost-effective” meal has become a waste of money, as 75% of it generally ends up in the trash…after a couple of days sitting in the fridge in quiet desperation. So much for saving money, right?! And then I brainstormed a way to ensure my poor spaghetti and meatballs got eaten…Add cheese and bake them in a casserole! This has been a game-changer! The ingredients are essentially all the same, with the addition of one ingredient— mozzarella cheese. It’s as simple as layering all the ingredients in a baking pan and cooking in the oven for 30-40 minutes. So here’s my simple (and cheap) Baked Spaghetti with Meatballs recipe…  Festive vegetable bake dish. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Are you tired of having green bean casserole during the holidays? I have been using a recipe for several years now that is a variation of the green bean casserole using mixed vegetables, and it has been a hit at my holiday dinners! And since we are on the doorstep of the winter holiday season, why not change things up a little bit with a new recipe with that same home-cooked goodness? This is the easiest recipe ever…just FOUR main ingredients! But of course, you can play with the recipe and make it your own! I usually double the ingredients to feed more people, but here is the basic recipe…  Chili cooking in a crockpot. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Each year when the weather turns cold, the anticipation in my household runs high, everyone eagerly waiting for me to bust out one of our favorite meals—belly-warming chili! Nothing is better than warm, spicy food on a cold, wintry day! And when I say spicy, I mean spicy!!! We’re talking “make your family cry” spicy…and yet they all go back for seconds and thirds! I know, we’re sick people! Today, I’ll share the recipe for my homemade spicy chili. The recipe you will find below is a general one--I make it less or more spicy, depending on my mood. Once in a while, other spicy ingredients make their way into the pot, my sinister way of experimenting on my family to see just how much they can take!  Homemade rosemary muffins with eggs and sausage. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. For some crazy reason, the fall weather has awakened a craving for breakfast muffins! After weeks of brainstorming, this recipe on Epicurious for rosemary muffins came to my attention, and the proverbial lightbulb went off. I have this wily-looking rosemary plant that needs to be pruned and harvested…But what to do with all of that herbal goodness?!  Apple crumble dessert with vanilla ice cream. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Something about the crisp fall air triggers the inner baker in me! In my household, apple and pumpkin pies appear in October and become staple desserts throughout the holiday season. And even though it’s a heck of a lot of work, I usually insist on making my apple pie crusts from scratch using the good old-fashioned flour and rolling pin. Sometimes, I even take it to a whole new level of insanity by creating a two-crust pie (one bottom crust and crust for the top), but on those occasions when I need a shortcut, the crumble topping makes a delicious sugary substitute. (If you’d like to see my homemade apple pie recipe, you can find it here in an older blog post from a few years back.)  Homamde lavender, chamomile, and lemon potpourri. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Nothing speaks to being calm and relaxed like the aromatic floral scent of lavender. Retail stores are filled with essential oils, incense, candles, and potpourri with the lavender scent.  My chamomile has a ladybug visitor. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. I’ll let you in on a little secret—chamomile is my favorite herb! I have to tell you, I have developed quite an infatuation with this gorgeous little flower. Two years ago, I planted chamomile in pots that eventually ended up on my back patio.
 Mint growing in my garden. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. A few years back, I bought this packet of mint seeds to plant in my yard for fresh mint. Not only did I have no idea how to grow mint, but there was no thought given to how I would use the stuff when it started to grow…and grow it did! So, the first thing you should know is that mint is prolific! No, seriously, you'll have to keep on top of it so this plant doesn’t spread all over your yard. But it needs little care to keep it alive, and you get a lot of it for whatever uses you have in mind. Which brings me to my second point…What can you do with fresh mint?
 Wrap with green pepper, onion, tomato, chicken, and shredded cheese. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. I’ve decided March will be the month I start thinking about a healthier me. Part of that equation means planning healthy meals that will help lower my cholesterol and help me lose weight. I remembered I used to make a lot of chicken with roasted veg. There are so many variations of this recipe that work well. You could add potatoes, carrots, broccoli, or any vegetable you prefer.  Salmon chowder cooking in a pot. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. I’ve wanted to make seafood chowder for a while now. I was planning on making clam chowder, but I came across this recipe for salmon chowder and thought I’d try it. This ended up being an easy meal, and the ingredients weren’t too expensive either, which is a major plus these days with the high cost of food. As usual, I roughly doubled the ingredients because I had to feed a family of five. This time around was a bit of an experiment, and—though this turned out delicious—I’m going to admit up front that I needed maybe one or two more cans of salmon to get the full flavor. So here goes…  My finished Irish Potato candies. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Yep. It’s that time of year again…St. Paddy’s Day. And my family would disown me if I didn’t make my yearly homemade Irish Potatoes! (Well, I certainly hope not!) So what are Irish Potatoes, you may ask? According to Eater, this candy was never actually made in Ireland but originated (probably) somewhere in the Philadelphia area, in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. The Irish immigrants of the time seem to have invented this VERY sweet candy that looks like miniature potatoes, hence the name. The recipe I typically use as a reference can be found on AllRecipes.com. I modified this recipe a wee bit and doubled the recipe to satisfy a family of five. Ready to get your hands messy? Here goes…  Homemade banana and raisin bread. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. The end of winter can be so dreary, can’t it? I find myself chomping at the bit with anticipation for the warmer weather that seems like it’s taking its good old time getting here! I’m craving the warmth of the upcoming spring. Maybe something warm and home-baked will help…
A recent trip to the family doctor reminded me that I need to eat healthier! So I thought I’d kick off March with one of my favorite healthy meals— homemade chicken soup. This soup is a slight variation of a family recipe passed down from my great-grandmother—a little Ukrainian woman who could make a paper bag taste good! I have fond memories of helping her peel and chop vegetables and making this soup takes me right back there to that tiny faux marble kitchen table all those years ago.  Chicken soup cooking in a pot. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. What better time to make warm homemade soup than on a cold, dreary winter day? We all need a little cozy comfort food when the dim winter daylight doesn’t seem to warm up our world like the rest of the year. Eating a delicious hot soup while snuggled under a warm, cozy blanket is good for the soul. Even better if the soup is homemade—much more nutritious than anything you can get out of a can!  Homemade creamy potato soup. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.  Tuna Noodle Casserole. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Today's comfort food dish—tuna noodle casserole! I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea (I need to be in the mood for it), but a warm tuna noodle casserole can be perfect on a cold day!
 Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. It’s January. It’s cold and dreary…and I’ve discovered the concept of hygge, of making my life more meaningful, of creating a deliberate sense of coziness and joy. So what else to do but cook some comfort food? There’s no better way to cozy up on a wintry day than to fill your belly with warm, delicious comfort food.
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