Sugar & Spice by Celeste

This is one of those dishes that sort of sneaks up and surprises you with how delicious it is.  It has all of your favorite egg roll flavors - pork sausage, cabbage, green onions, garlic and ginger - over a bed of rice, and I'm totally here for it! A sprinkling of roasted peanuts and fresh cilantro over the top finishes it off perfectly.  My Homemade Wontons , which can be either fried or cooked in an air fryer, would be a great addition on the side, too. I used a simple bag of coleslaw mix to speed up the process and simplify things a bit.  With a relatively short ingredients list and quick preparation, it makes for an easy weeknight meal, for sure! Enjoy! Sausage Egg Roll in a Bowl Adapted from::     Allrecipes.com Ingredients : 1 cup white rice 1 pound ground pork sausage 6 cups bagged coleslaw mix (with carrots) ¼ cup chopped green onions 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp grated ginger 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted pean...

After traveling to Italy back in 2009 and having *REAL* Italian pizza, we were ruined forever.  Our pizza standards were immediately raised, and once home, we knew we had to try and recreate the pure pizza perfection we experienced in Italy. At almost every restaurant we went to,  Pizza Quattro Stagioni (or Four Seasons Pizza), was on the menu.  This type of pizza has 4 distinct quadrants - traditionally prosciutto, artichoke hearts, olives and mushrooms.  Each section symbolizes the four seasons of the year.  We tried it once and fell in love, so we kept ordering it every chance we got.   Ever since, that has been our favorite to make at home (and a good ole' Pepperoni Pizza has now been added to our pizza nights for the little one).  Instead of separating the ingredients into sections, I cheat a little and spread each of the four ingredients over the entire pizza.  I love the flavor combinations and having them all in each bite is just so s...

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...

Isn't it wonderful that there's an entire day devoted to celebrating the incredible dads in this world?  I'm one lucky girl, because I was blessed with the greatest father in the whole world.  I know, I know...We ALL think our dad is the greatest, but mine truly is.  :) Not only is he a great dad, but he's an equally awesome cook.  Today is your lucky day, because I'm sharing one of his best recipes.  This is one that I've meant to write down for the longest time.  He visited recently and whipped this gravy up for dinner along with country fried steak, and I made it a point to take notes as he went. This isn't your mama's gravy!  It's packed with mouth-watering flavor and is kicked up a notch with the help of red wine and bacon.  The secret to the best gravy is bacon drippings, and this recipe takes full advantage.   Be careful - This is dangerously delicious and has been known to cause dancing in one's seat at the dinner tab...

I've been searching for the perfect balsamic vinaigrette that's easy to make at home and tastes delectable.  I'm thrilled to say that I've finally perfected said recipe and am eager to share it with you all! This salad was inspired by a trip to our local farmers market a few weeks ago.  I purchased some gorgeous arugula, red & yellow tomatoes, and a dozen cute-as-a-button quail eggs.  That's the thing I adore about farmers markets...I always find something new and exciting that I usually don't cook or bake with.   When I stumbled upon these quail eggs, I knew that I had to try some.  This is the first time I've cooked with them, and it was a success.  They taste just like a regular egg (surprise!), with a mild flavor.  Just be careful not to overcook them, and you'll be good to go. A fantastic salad is one of my favorite things to eat during the summer.  The flavor combinations are endless and change with what's in season....

I have SUCH big news to share with you...I have a recipe featured in the May issue of Southern Living magazine, y'all!  After months of anticipation, it has finally hit store shelves.  In fact, we just got back from the grocery store, where I saw it for sale for the first time.  I may have bought 4 copies and excitedly shared my glee with the cashier while checking out.  :) Southern Living has always been one of my favorite magazines.  Growing up, I remember my mom and grandmother's dog-eared copies lying around the house.  Never did I think my name would ever grace the pages! I love the magazine so much, that back in July 2005, I started 2 back-to-back marketing internships for the publication.  It was an incredible experience, where I made great friends and had the opportunity to be a part of on-location photo shoots, marketing campaigns, and fun events like the Southern Living Cook-Off, which was hosted by Tyler Florence that year. ...

In celebration of surpassing 2,000 Facebook fans, let's have an awesome giveaway, shall we?! I recently met Mary from Gourmet Garden at FoodBlogSouth 2013 back in January.  They were sponsoring the conference, and I got to taste samples of their goodies.  I love the convenience of their products, because I'm not always able to have a big selection of fresh herbs hanging out in my fridge.  That's where Gourmet Garden really comes in handy.   Their herbs are organically grown, and then washed, chopped, blended, and packed into handy little tubes for everyday use.  They also last months in the fridge, which is another big plus for me.  Some of their varieties include Parsley, Cilantro, Chili Pepper, Basil, Garlic and even Lemon Grass! Last night, I whipped up their recipe for Quinoa with Parsley & Bell Peppers.  I added some diced, leftover roasted pork loin from the night before, taking it from a simple side dish to a full meal.  ...

This week kicks off a virtual potluck, celebrating Tasia Malakasis' beautiful new cookbook, Tasia's Table, Cooking with the Artisan Cheesemaker at Belle Chevre ...I'm excited to be a part of this fun event!  When the folks at Belle Chevre asked me to pick out a recipe from the cookbook, I had a hard time deciding on just one.  However, this recipe for Bacon and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney stood out and was calling my name. This is an outstanding meal, which actually isn't too complicated to make.  The ingredients are simple and the results are savory, scrumptious and comforting.  A pork tenderloin is stuffed with a trio of goat cheese, bacon, and fresh parsley.  After a quick trip to the skillet to brown the tenderloin, it roasts in the oven until done.  The tenderloin is topped off by a few spoonfuls of an easy apply chutney, adding a fruity-citrusy flavor to round out the entire meal.  Plus, on top of all that del...