Mama's Best Blueberry Muffins

It wasn't the traditional breadsticks or garlic bread, but it was still the perfect compliment to the soup last weekend.  Last summer my Mom shared with me a recipe for blueberry muffins, and it was been safely tucked away in my recipe box until now.  She called them "To-Die For Blueberry Muffins" and she was right.  These muffins are the perfect combination of sweet vanilla and tart blueberries and are deliciously moist.  Thank you so much for sharing Mom - these will be a regular on the Ayers' menu for a long time.

 

Pasta e Fagioli

Soup was on the menu this weekend, and I decided to make a special treat, Pasta e Fagioli.  After all it was our 8 month anniversary!  For those of you who have been to Olive Garden for "Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks" this recipe is exactly like theirs.  For those of you who haven't tried it before, please add it to your menu sometime soon.  This is an easy recipe, and very, very tasty.  The wine is optional, but highly recommended.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am on a quest to find the perfect chocolate chip cookies.  These ones caught my eye when I was searching the internet last weekend.  Mr. Wonderful loves chewy cookies, so I decided I'd better try them.  His review: good, but a little too chewy. If you decided to bake them, make sure you cook them long enough, as long as 20 minutes depending on your oven.  Are these the perfect chocolate chip cookie?  Not yet.  Are they worth making?  Absolutely!

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

Here is a twist on the classic chicken and biscuits - best part it is all made in one pot.  Super yummy dinner, and minimal cleanup.  The buttermilk biscuits can be made separately and enjoyed with some butter and jam.  Think you like the biscuits from Cracker Barrel or KFC? Wait till you try these.

Texas Sheet Cake

A double treat for you today!  Recipes for both chocolate and peanut butter sheet cakes.  These are perfect for a big family gathering, a church potluck, or just because you're in the mood for cake.  The peanut butter recipe comes from the wife of one of my farmers, and is wonderful.  The chocolate cake recipe is from Pioneer Woman , and it melts in your mouth. Warning though, have a tall glass of milk close by - these cakes are rich!  Feel free to mix and match the cake and the icing.  I haven't tried it yet, but I bet the peanut butter icing on the chocolate cake would be divine.

Chicken Madeira

Raise your hand if you have ever been to the Cheesecake Factory!  What a great restaurant for both the desserts and the main meal.  If you have ever been to one, you know what I mean, and if you haven't made it yet, add it to your list of places to check out.  In the meantime, I am bringing a piece of the Cheesecake Factory to you.  My favorite meal there is Chicken Madeira, and I finally found a recipe that tastes just like the original.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

My favorite spaghetti sauce is the homemade variety that has become a tradition for the Agnew ladies.  We make as much as we possibly can each fall, but it's never enough.  And when you are in the middle of February and trying to ration the delicious sauce, you have to come up with some alternatives.  I have lots of home canned tomatoes in the pantry, so I decided I needed to find a recipe to use them.  Here is a recipe that I found on Tasty Kitchen from Liliputtin, which I adapted slightly, and really enjoyed.  It's not the original, but it is a nice alternative when you are trying to make the original last just a little bit longer.

Chicken Piccata

When Mr. Wonderful and I were on our honeymoon last summer in Oregon, we had dinner one night at a restaurant called, Adam's Sustainable Table, in Eugene.  Just from the name, I knew this place was right up my alley, and it didn't let me down.  It is a high class restaurant that served all local foods from the vegetables to the meat to the beer, and there was a list near our table of all of the local farmers they worked with.  It was here that I was introduced to Chicken Piccata. Shortly after we got home, I tracked down a recipe from one of my most dependable sources, Pioneer Woman.  It has become one of my favorite chicken dishes, and now I am so excited to share it with you.

Better Than a Big Mac

I've lost count of how many years it's been since I've set foot in a McDonald's.  I decided a while back that even though I enjoyed the taste of fast food, it wasn't so good for me.  It's hard to forget what a Big Mac tastes like and every once in a while I get a craving for one.  So instead of giving in, I decided to make my own, complete with homemade french fries.