The Happier Homemaker Blog: Easy Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipes / April 21, 2020

No flour. No problem! So I had a request from a friend of mine (Hey, Max!) who is trying to go gluten free to see if it clears up some health issues. Before I had a chance to search for some recipes in my cookbooks, this recipe popped up on Pinterest or Instagram or somewhere. (Sometimes mindlessly scrolling turns out to be useful!) This recipe is super easy, with just four ingredients, and they turned out super moist and delicious. These cookies are like peanut butter out of the jar, but kicked up a notch! Click on the image to get the recipe. I have also linked to some of the gluten-free recipes I have posted in the past. Enjoy! More gluten free recipes: Superhero Muffins Deep Dish Skillet Brownie Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons Parmesan and Herb-Crusted Cod Brown Rice Bowl with Edamame and Tamari Scallion Sauce

Easter Menu Ideas
Holidays / April 8, 2020

Easter this year is anything but normal. I know most of us aren’t going to cook an elaborate dinner for just ourselves or our immediate family. But if Easter is a big holiday for you, it still might be fun to make a little something special. I am rerunning my Easter post from last year because things haven’t really changed. We often celebrate Easter with our extended family, but when we don’t the menu is pretty basic: ham, deviled eggs, and cheesy potatoes. I think I will make strawberry shortcake bars for dessert again, so that’s becoming a traditional also. There are links to all of the recipes below. If anyone has a good idea of a salad or vegetable to serve, let me know! Appetizer: Deviled Eggs So for starters, I have to make deviled eggs. The first link is for a pretty standard recipe that I usually make. The second link is a complete deconstruction of the deviled egg. I think I will get in a lot of trouble if I don’t make the standard eggs, but the Bon Appetit recipe does seem easier. Deviled Eggs from A New Turn in the South Deviled Eggs Are a Waste of…

Stuff I’ve Been Cooking, Reading, Watching, Etc.
Favorite Things / April 7, 2020

Since people are cooking more, reading more, and watching more, I thought I would share a weekly update of what I’ve been up to. I did start working from home full-time last week (the week before) was our “spring break”), and my kids sort of started back to remote school, but then there was a pause in schooling (I know, very confusing). I am lucky because my kids are teenagers, so they are not as high-maintenance as young children. But it still has been a busy and tough week, so I understand that many people feel like they are busier than ever. But if you are looking for distractions from the crazy world, I hope these suggestions on how to fill the time are helpful. What I’ve been cooking: Black Bean Soup (with Cilantro Lime Rice): Who would have thought that this would be one of the most successful things I have made since we began staying home? Both of my sons like this soup because you can use it to create your own Chipotle-like burrito. My oldest even learned how to make rice in the Instant Pot, so he could make more. A couple of friends also made it…

The America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook: Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Muffins
Cookbook Overviews , Recipes / April 1, 2020

My husband bought this The America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook (2001) at a used bookstore quite awhile ago, and I hadn’t made anything from it yet. So I sat down and looked through it the other day, and it’s full of good stuff. As I’m sure most of you know, America’s Test Kitchen is a real kitchen in Boston where they test recipes that they publish in Cook’s Illustrated Magazine and demonstrate on their PBS show. Both the magazine and the show focus on “finding the best and most full-proof methods for preparing home-cooked food.” Each chapter of this cookbook, which includes headings such as “Simple Sandwiches,” “All-American Cookout,” and “Fajitas and Margaritas,” includes a few recipes with variations and reviews of the best equipment and ingredients for making the recipes. I took this recipe from the “Muffins & Scones” chapter. The Ekco Baker’s Secret muffin tin took top honors. They also discovered that you don’t need to use fancy butter for baking, just make sure it’s fresh and unsalted. I have to say this recipe, which is pretty detailed, does produce a really good blueberry muffin. I suggest you give it a try!   Makes 12 muffins 2 cups all-purpose…

Stuff I’ve Been Cooking, Reading, Watching, Etc.
Favorite Things / March 27, 2020

I know most people are cooking more, reading more, and watching more. So I thought I would share what I’ve been up to over the last week or so. But first, a shout out to all of the health care, grocery store, and warehouse employees and so many others who are trying to keep us all safe and healthy! And to everyone else, stay home! It will make the jobs of those essential workers so much easier. Ok, off my soap box. Here are some things I’ve been cooking. Shrimp Fried Rice: I make this a lot because I usually have the ingredients on hand. You can use chicken instead of shrimp. I don’t have leftover rice that often, so I just cook some up while I’m prepping the other ingredients and it works fine. And you can use any fresh or frozen veggies you want. Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup: I’ve made a lot of versions of tomato soup, but this one has been the most popular with my family. And since it’s made in the slow cooker it’s super easy. I bought some basil in a tube, so I could make this again soon. I’ll let you know…

Cook Something: Gnocchi
Recipes / March 25, 2020

OK, today I’m trying something new. I call it Anatomy of a Failed Recipe. I think it’s good to admit that not every recipe we try is going to work out great, even if we have been cooking for a long time. It might be the recipe isn’t great. It might be that you are trying a new technique. It might be that you substituted ingredients that did not work out. And it might be that you didn’t have much patience, so you tried skipping a step or simplifying the recipe. The reason that this recipe didn’t work out is probably a combination of all the above. So my youngest son Logan loves gnocchi. When I saw a recipe (that looked pretty simple) for homemade gnocchi in the Cook Something cookbook, I thought this would be a good project for Logan and I to work on together. It did turn out to be fun, and it was probably a good first step on the way to successfully making gnocchi. Unfortunately, the final dish wasn’t a huge success. My husband and I still ate it, but Logan didn’t (my older son is not a fan, although he was a sport and…

Cook Something: Pimiento Cheese

Ok, so since we are all cooking at home a lot, I thought I would go ahead and share some recipes. Canal House Cook Something: Recipes to Rely On by Christoper Hersheimer and Melissa Hamilton is one of those basic recipe cookbooks that are great gifts for anyone who is just starting to cook. A lot of the recipes are just variations on a simple recipe. The one I tried out, Pimiento Cheese, is about as basic as it gets. This is something my husband makes a lot, but he doesn’t really have a set recipe for it. So the other day when I was hosting my neighborhood book club (remember those days when you were allowed to have other people in your house :-)) and wanted to make something, I looked up the pimiento cheese recipe in Cook Something. My only complaint about this book was some of the recipes seemed a little old-fashioned and not really the kinds of things I’m usually cooking. My two favorite basic reference cookbooks are How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman and the always reliable Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. In fact, I need to get updated copies of both of these! Anyway,…

Everyday Italian: Beef and Cheese Manicotti
Cookbook Overviews , Recipes / February 19, 2020

I guess I have Food Network nostalgia, because here’s another TV star cookbook. Everyday Italian: 123 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Giada De Laurentis is true to its name. These recipes are Italian-American dishes that are quick and easy. She’s not trying to be super authentic or artisnal in her cooking, but she is trying to create dishes that are inspired by her Italian heritage that are easy for home cooks. I think she has succeeded. Serves 6 1/2 pound ground beef or turkey 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 (15 ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 3 teaspoons olive oil 12 pieces of manicotti pasta 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce 1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces (optional) Heat a medium-size skillet on medium. Add the ground beef and onion. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley, garlic,…

Smothered Pork Chops from Emeril’s Potluck
Recipes / February 13, 2020

Whatever happened to Emeril? I remember when he was super popular on the Food Network, and I was a big fan. I lived in Louisiana for a little bit, and I learned to love Cajun food. It’s become a lot easier to get pretty decent Cajun food in the Midwest, but it’s still fun to try some of these dishes at home. I have several Emeril cookbooks, and they are all good. But Emeril’s Potluck: Comfort Food with a Kicked-Up Attitude is the one I use the most. (Warning: There no photos. Just some illustrations.) His recipes are not always super simple, but they are definitely doable for a home cook. These melt-in-your-mouth pork chops, which take a little time, are a great Sunday dinner option. They are quite popular in my house!   Smothered Pork Chops Makes 4 to 8 servings 8 to 6 thinly pork chops 2 teaspoons Emeril’s Original Essence* 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups thinly sliced onions 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 3 1/2 cups chicken stock 2 cups water 1 pound smoked sausage or andouille, cut into 1-inch slices 1 pound russet…

The Fresh and Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook: Korean Chicken Bowls
Recipes / February 11, 2020

It’s a new year, and I should be posting about a new cookbook. But right now I have been pretty stuck on The Fresh and Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. I even bought my own copy, which is rare. I already posted the Crunchy Lentil Salad, which I’ve been making a lot. The recipes in this book are simple, healthy, and tasty! So if you have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend you get a hold of this book. Korean Chicken Bowls Serves 4 1/2 cup soy sauce of tamari 5 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1 tablespoon Sriracha 1 clove garlic 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup white rice 1 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons 1 red bell pepper 1/2 red onion 1 cup fresh baby spinach 1 tablespoon arrowroot or corn starch 1/2 cup chopped green onion Sesame seeds, for garnish Add soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, Sriracha, and garlic to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Place chicken on top of the sauce in a single layer. To cook the rice at the same time, position the Instant Pot trivet over chicken breasts and place a 7-inch oven-safe bowl on top. Add…

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