Sugar & Spice by Celeste

Simple weeknight meals are something that I'm always on the lookout for.  After all, it's way too easy to get in a routine of making the same old things every week (I'm totally guilty of this!).  This meal from Whole Foods Market is a great example...It's one of their highest rated recipes on their website, plus it looked super easy.  So, I decided to give it a try. I'm a big fan of kale lately, so it's no surprise I was drawn to this recipe.  I jokingly say that I'm going to turn green one day from eating it so much.  I mean, it IS healthy!  :)  I love it, because it's pretty versatile and has a great flavor.  The ingredients for this meal are also inexpensive, and I ended up with LOTS of extra kale from the 32oz bag to use in other recipes. This dish did indeed  come together quickly.  It's as simple as sauting a skillet full of mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and kale.  Then, slices of polenta are quickly sauted ...

You know what they say - When life gives you left-over buttermilk biscuits, make croutons! Wait a minute, I think I got that a little bit wrong.  ;) But seriously, where have buttermilk biscuit croutons BEEN all my life?!?  They are insanely delicious right out of the oven, and equally amazing after they've cooled and hardened a bit.  I came across the idea in the May 2014 issue of Southern Living magazine, and wondered, "Why haven't I thought of this before?" This is a wonderfully fresh take on the classic buttermilk biscuit and is the perfect way to use up extra biscuits that you might have on-hand.  Because we all know, it would simply be a crying shame to waste something as mouth-watering as a homemade biscuit! I paired these croutons with a flavor-packed salad that will be one of your favorites this summer.  It's filled with fresh strawberries, blueberries, toasted walnuts, goat cheese, red onion, chicken, biscuit croutons, and sunflower ke...

A few weeks ago, we ventured to a wonderful little place called McEnally's Mercantile in Pinson, AL.  It's a great little store, and I hate that it took me so long to discover it.  Their website describes it as:  " McEnally’s Mercantile is a family-owned general store offering hardware, home & garden items, grocery, feed & supplies for those seeking locally made products, home-grown foods and DIY home & décor items."   When we walked through the front entrance, we were immediately greeted by the inviting smells of farm-fresh local greens being sauteed in coconut oil with bell pepper, onion, tomatoes and topped with some of the best bacon you've ever had in your life...all being prepared by a local farmer.  After seeing the rows and rows of local produce, milk, butter, freezers of local meats and several aisles of organic products, I knew I had found my new favorite little place to shop. I filled my cart with peppery arugula, farm fr...

Cornbread is so under-rated, don't you think?  There are so many fun things you can do with it.  For example, this recipe incorporates buffalo chicken, cheddar cheese, blue cheese and freshly chopped cilantro right in the batter.  Um, yum!  And if that deliciousness isn't quite enough for you, a flavorful salad is served right on top of a generous wedge of the cornbread, making this an excellent addition to your weeknight repertoire.  Before eating this, I had never seen a salad served on TOP of cornbread, which I thought was pretty creative and made for a great pairing. Upon first bite, Brad was hooked.  He loved this cornbread, and I'm usually the only bread fanatic around here.  In fact, this dish is so fantastic, that it actually won first place in the Martha White-Lodge Cast Iron National Cornbread Cook-Off in 2009!  I mean, come on...You can't go wrong here. I was also hooked the first time I had this dish.  It was at the ...

So, I've got some wonderful news to share with you all - My blog is featured in the January/February issue of Wiregrass Living magazine, with a 14 page spread (and cover photo)!  Wiregrass Living is published in my hometown of Dothan, AL, and I was thrilled to hear that they'd be featuring my recipes.   As soon as the magazine hit newsstands, we headed to the local Barnes & Noble, and you can imagine my surprise when I first saw the issue, and a recipe from my spread made the cover!  I was even more happy with the recipe they chose for the cover - Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup.  Why?  Well, this is a much-loved family recipe that I originally blogged about HERE . The article features recipes that make it easy to incorporate fresh fruits and healthy vegetables into your meals, during these chilly winter months when it's easy to rely on our favorite, maybe not-so-healthy, comfort foods. I thought I'd share some pages of the spread with you, along w...

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Can you believe 2014 is already here?  Last year seemed to go by so quickly, and I hope it was a fantastic year for you.  Personally, I'm super excited about 2014 and can't wait to see what it has in store.  The recipe I'm bringing you today is a hearty, warm salad that will be an easy, flavorful addition to your weeknight repertoire.  The ingredients are common and making use of a rotisserie chicken takes this dish up even one more notch on the simplicity scale.  Plus, anytime I can incorporate a little healthy quinoa into a meal, I'm in. First, a quick dressing is whipped up using red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper.  Half of this dressing is drizzled over the mushrooms, and then they are broiled until tender.  Delish.  After that, all that's left is cooking the quinoa and then mixing together all the ingredients in a big ole' bowl - baby spinach, chicken, quinoa, mushrooms and the remaining ...

  Oh, how I love this dish.  First of all, Brad and I adore Mexican food.  We make it a point to fit it into our schedules at least once a week, if not more.  Secondly, this dish is so easy and flavorful, that I made it three times within the same week.  See, we had extra ingredients on hand after the first night, and I didn't want them to go to waste.  The solution?  Enjoy it multiple times, of course! Making use of a rotisserie chicken makes this meal even easier.  If you can't get your hands on a rotisserie chicken, simply poach some chicken breasts ahead of time and shred the meat.  In fact, that's what the original recipe called for. The tortillas are covered with shredded cheese and then baked to crispy, cheesy perfection.  Then, they are topped with a mixture of tender chicken, salsa verde, fresh cilantro and ground cumin.  This all bakes in the oven until piping hot, and then it's served with a mountain of shredded le...