So Scrumptious, You’ll Want To Eat This With A Spoon

Last year I did something awesome. It may not seem like that big of a deal to others, and I certainly didn’t know at the time that it was going to rock my world. What I did was – I made eggplant dip for the first time in my life. I had never even thought of using eggplant this way, and I had my doubts about how it would turn out.

Somehow I wanted to give it a try, anyway, and it turned out better than any dip I had ever tried before! So it quickly became a staple at every game night and potluck I attended since.

It’s amazing how beautifully creamy this looks and tastes like, even though it is vegan and doesn’t have a bit of cream in it. I know the word “vegan” may scare off some people, but please, give this one a try! You may never go back to your old, sour cream/mayo/cheese dip recipe again.

This dip is also easy to prepare and you won’t have to chop anything. In fact, you could throw all the ingredients in a food processor to make it even easier!

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Quick Tip: Serve with chips, crackers or even as a yummy spread on your sandwich.

This Goulash Is Pure Perfection On A Plate!

My parents live next to a wonderful old man called Hans; or Grandpa Hans, as we have called him ever since I was just a little girl. He is one of the kindest, most fun people I’ve ever known and we spent so many afternoons at his house when my parents were still at work. Hans’ wife had passed away before we moved to the neighborhood and he never remarried, so he always said he really enjoyed our company.

Hans is an awesome cook – I’m not sure if he had had to learn since his wife died or if he was always the main chef in the family. He often invited my parents, sister and I for dinner, and we made so many memories listening to his stories about Germany, and also the various places he had traveled over the years.

Hans often made his stupendous German goulash that isn’t at all like the American version. German goulash is made of beef chuck, instead of ground beef like we’re used to. It is super flavorful and I honestly think it’s the perfect meal for any occasion. I like serving it over mashed potatoes but you could serve it with rice or noodles, if preferred.

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Quick Tip: This recipe makes 6 servings.

This Festive Meal Won’t Break The Bank But It Will Make You Feel Like A Million Dollars!

If there is a traditional recipe in your holiday menu; one you can’t live without, I would love to hear about it. I enjoy learning more about everyone’s Christmas traditions, just to see how much they differ from mine. And I guess, also, to see if I would get new ideas! Kind of like what happened with this slow-braised beef in wine that I tried last week.

I wasn’t planning on making a completely new dish this year, but about a month ago I found this recipe and it looked so inviting that I had to give it a try. When my husband came home from work and smelled this stew cooking in the oven, he immediately asked what we were going to have for dinner.

The meal turned out even more flavorful than I had imagined, and we decided we were definitely going to serve this over the holidays, when my sister’s family is coming over for a special dinner.

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Quick Tip: Don’t rush this meal! Cooking it slowly will give you the best results.

These Aren’t Your Grandma’s Cabbage Rolls – Or Are They?

Raise your hand if you’re a fan of cabbage! It’s one of my favorite ingredients in the world, which is kind of a big deal since I didn’t used to like it at all, as a kid. I would go into the kitchen and tell my mother the whole house smelled awful, whenever she was making cabbage soup or any cabbage dish, really. Poor Mom – I was definitely a picky eater when I was little!

But I think I was about 10 when grandma was staying over at our house and she wanted to cook dinner for all of us. She made her famous cabbage rolls and I just didn’t have the heart to tell her I don’t like cabbage. It’s weird, isn’t it? I had no problem at all telling my mother I hated it, but when it comes to grandmas I guess we all act a little differently!

Anyway, I’m really glad I decided to keep my mouth shut because it meant I had to give those cabbage rolls a try. And they were ridiculous. I mean that in the best possible way! They were so tasty I kept eating until grandma laughed and said I was probably going to explode if I had one more.

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Quick Tip: Make a double batch and freeze the other one for a quick meal when you need one!

These will make you feel like you’re dining in a fancy restaurant!

I don’t know about you, but I have been crazy about all kinds of potato dishes since I was a little kid. My parents had a small farm where we grew our own potatoes, so my mother would always experiment with new potato recipes – or come up with her own. Some of them turned out better than others, and some were so good that my siblings and I still make them the same way for our own families now. I always preferred the simple dishes, the ones with a handful of tasty ingredients.

Like these cheesy potatoes, for example. Mom would serve these as a side dish on our Sunday dinners, and sometimes one of us would sneak into the kitchen and eat the leftovers for lunch on their own (it may or may not have been me, and my brother may or may not have gotten really mad at me).

These potatoes always bring back memories from all those years ago and I am trying to pass the tradition on to my children. So far so good – they both absolutely love these! And who wouldn’t; these are super scrumptious!

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Quick Tip: While most people consider these a side dish, they make a hearty vegetarian dinner on their own!

Nothing beats a great slow cooker chicken meal. You place all ingredients into the pot, set it, and forget it. I’ve had experiences, though, where my chicken hasn’t always come out as tender as I’d like it to. However, when I used this recipe for garlic lemon chicken, that was far from the case.

The lemon and garlic in this recipe infuse the chicken breasts with so much zippy flavor, and they make the meat fork tender. My family really enjoyed this Crock Pot meal and has since asked for me to make it again. Guess what’s slowly cooking in the pot right now?

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.

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Quick Tip: I enjoy serving this chicken meal with brown rice and steamed asparagus.

A simple ingredient that jazzes up this classic picnic side dish like nobody’s business.

Most of us love potato salad. This picnic side dish is about as American as you can get (besides apple pie!) when it comes to good old fashioned BBQ food. Whenever I am at a backyard picnic, I often head right for the potato salad before anything else. I even walk right on by the hot dogs! I was thinking of ways that I could jazz up my potato salad a bit. You, know, add a few ingredients that might put a different spin on the flavor and texture.

That’s when I came across this recipe. Bacon makes a crazy good addition to anything, but especially in potato salad. I enjoy using maple bacon in mine because the smoky-sweet flavor gives my spuds the kick of flavor that they need.

Speaking of maple bacon…I recently placed an order with a friend who sells Tastefully Simple products and they have a phenomenal maple bacon seasoning shaker. So good!

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.

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Quick Tip: Black peppered bacon works really well in this recipe, also.