Category Archives: Recipes

Creamy Stirred ( not Mashed ) Potatoes

Creamy Stirred ( not Mashed ) Potatoes

These delicious and creamy potatoes are totally customizable … you can add cheese, broth, your favorite seasonings, whatever. It’s more of a technique than a recipe, so I’ll walk you through it. Basically, this came about because I was having a lot of people over, wanted to make a lot of mashed potatoes, but don’t… Continue Reading

Delicious Pancakes with Fresh Blueberries

Delicious Pancakes with Fresh Blueberries

The blueberries in the store are starting to look so good. They were on sale recently and we bought a bunch. Sometimes we like to have breakfast for dinner. You know, make all the fantastic breakfast foods that we don’t have time to make (or don’t feel like making) before we go to work in… Continue Reading

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I made a carrot cake. I took half of it to work, where it was hidden and hoarded like a treasure, until the coworkers who hid it had savored every bite. The other half? My husband ate it all. Except for the slice I cut in this post (which I ate). It looks so pretty… Continue Reading

Chocolate-covered Deliciousness (pretzels and marshmallows)

Chocolate-covered Deliciousness (pretzels and marshmallows)

So, here at my Joyful Abode, we’ve dipped cherries and clementines in chocolate. And we’ve made chocolate Ritz sandwiches. So I guess this is the third edition of the chocolate-dipping extravaganza. First, I gathered my materials: Chocolate for melting, pretzel rods, crushed Oreos, sprinkles, and marshmallows (regular and cocoa). I actually used milk chocolate, white… Continue Reading

Chicken Broccoli Onion Mushroom Cheese Casserole

Chicken Broccoli Onion Mushroom Cheese Casserole

I’ll admit it needs a shorter name… seriously. Any suggestions? I threw this together one night on a whim… and it was so fantastically delicious, I just had to share my recipe. So here’s the recipe: You will need… a bunch of broccoli, cut into florets and steamed 2 onions 1 package of mushrooms (a… Continue Reading

Vanilla Extract Follow-Up… Finally!

Vanilla Extract Follow-Up… Finally!

Can you tell I’m trying to tie up loose blog ends? First the quilt, now the vanilla. In June, I started making vanilla extract … basically you just get an air-tight container, fill it with liquor (vodka, rum, or brandy are good choices) and stick in several split vanilla beans (just cut them lengthwise with… Continue Reading

Skip to Spring Pasta Salad

Skip to Spring Pasta Salad

So it’s winter, and the produce at the grocery store is looking kind of sketchy… But you’re dreaming of spring, and you want something light for dinner. Enter the recipe for “Skip to Spring” Pasta Salad Start with about 3 cups of tri-color rotini. Throw it into a pot of boiling salted water, and let… Continue Reading

Chewy Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mmm… does it get any better than this? Chewy cookies that are the perfect consistency for milk-dipping… Perfection! I’m not a banana-eating person. I don’t like bananas at all. I can’t even stand the smell of bananas. I used to say that when I became a teacher, I would tell all of my students’ parents… Continue Reading

Crabettes hors d’oeuvres

Crabettes hors d’oeuvres

One night, much to the dismay of the guy, who likes huge slabs of meat next to piles of starch… I was really in the mood for hors d’oeuvres. Call them what you will: appetizers, starters, or-dervs… I think they’re excellent. Little bites of yum, no matter what kind they are. So I dug around… Continue Reading

Pumpkin Crumble – Dip-esque Dessert

Pumpkin Crumble – Dip-esque Dessert

If you like pumpkin desserts, you’ll love this quick and simple pumpkin pecan crumble. It’s sort of like a crustless pumpkin pie with a soft cake-y topping. You CAN spoon some onto your plate and eat it with a fork or spoon (with vanilla ice cream. Mmm), but It’s also great served as a dessert… Continue Reading

Yummy Simple Meatballs

Yummy Simple Meatballs

So, if you don’t feel like going all out with making delicious meat sauce for your spaghetti, meatballs are a little faster and just as yummy. Here’s how I made mine: 1 lb. of lean ground beef 1 egg, beaten minced garlic (however much you like) 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs Mix it all together with… Continue Reading

Keep dipping stuff in chocolate, ok?

Keep dipping stuff in chocolate, ok?

So, since the cherries-and-clementines chocolate fest, I’ve experimented with dipping everything in the house in chocolate, then tasting it. Chocolate covered olives? A no go. But chocolate ritz cracker sandwiches? Quite tasty! They would probably be even better if the sandwiches were dunked in chocolate, so there’s chocolate EVERYwhere. The buttery-salty flavor and airy texture… Continue Reading

Hi! I'm Emily. I'm a Navy wife and stay at home mom of two beautiful children. I cook simple, delicious, grain-free recipes, do crafts, decorate my home on a budget, and keep a happy household. I tandem breastfeed, babywear, cloth diaper, practice elimination communication, homebirth, and co-sleep, but I'm not a hippie.

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