this week: This Week…A Little Pre-Halloween Devil For Dinner - 10/02/26 04:53 PM
This Week…A Little Pre-Halloween Devil For Dinner
 
In an attempt to revisit some of my previously prepared meals, I found this old one. 
Since it’s Fall (well, in some places it is), I love making dishes using apples. 
Use any type of cooking apple!
Make sure your pork chops are at least ½ inch thick so they won’t be dry. 
If you don’t have watercress, use parsley or even cilantro. 


 
Deviled Pork Chops
INGREDIENTS
Butter
1 Medium Red cooking apple, cut into wedges
1 Pound mushrooms, sliced
¼ tsp pepper
Salt
4 Pork Chops-½” thick. If they are too thick, butterfly them (slice horizontally)
½ cup Mayonnaise
⅓ cup Bread crumbs
1 Tbls chopped watercress
1 Tbls … (10 comments)

this week: This Week…A Surprise Memory in a Cookbook - 09/25/26 05:30 PM
This Week…A Surprise Memory in a Cookbook
 
Through the years, I’ve given away many of my cookbooks. I’ve kept a handful for sentimental reasons. 
This week, I was thumbing through one of my cookbooks, and a recipe card fell out. It was from my good friend’s mother.  We’ve known each other for almost 50 years, and all I can say is, if her mom invited us for dinner…we were thrilled.
 
Marian was an excellent cook, and she was kind enough to give me a copy of the recipe. It’s been ages since I made it (probably because it was “lost” in my cookbook), … (15 comments)

this week: This Week…Easy Pea-sy - 09/18/26 04:25 PM
This Week…Easy Pea-sy
 
Two things I love to eat… pasta and bacon!
This dish is easy to make, and chances are you already have most of the ingredients on hand. 
 
You can make it for yourself or your family. Just adjust the ingredients!
Basically, there are FIVE ingredients:
Pasta, peas, bacon, onions, and parmesan cheese. 
 
You can use any pasta you like. I’ve used regular spaghetti, but it’s also good with angel hair or linguine.
Bacon is something I always have in my freezer, but you can also use pancetta!
Frozen peas or fresh peas are better than using canned peas. 
 
 
Pasta with Peas and Bacon
 
INGREDIENTS: (This serves about 4, … (14 comments)

this week: This Week…Sea-sonal Dinner - 09/11/26 04:26 PM
This Week…Sea-sonal Dinner
 
This week I returned to a dish I learned to make in classes at Williams-Sonoma in Reston, VA.  What I like about this dish is that it takes very little time to make, and it can be an appetizer or main dish.
Seared sea scallops with tropical salsa sounds elegant but is also simple. 

If you have fresh pineapple and mango, that’s great, but it can also be made using frozen fruit. If you do, make sure they’re patted dry.
Scallops can seem small, but it doesn’t take many to fill you up!!


Seared Scallops with Tropical Salsa
 
Salsa Ingredients:
½ cup Diced pineapple
½ … (10 comments)

this week: This Week…Comfort Food For My Neighbor - 09/04/26 01:16 PM
This Week…Comfort Food For My Neighbor
 
These past few weeks, I’ve been taking a meal or muffins to our neighbor who is ill. I know his wife, Pat, is a great cook, but she’s tired and has more on her mind than what’s for dinner. 
 
 
While searching for an easy casserole (because they’re easier to share), I found one I hadn't made in many years.  Grandma’s Hamburger Casserole is one I’m sure has passed through many families in as many different forms. 
 
As with most savory dishes, nothing is set in stone. You can substitute ground turkey or tofu if you want. Make it … (14 comments)

this week: This Week…An Adult Treat - 08/28/26 02:33 PM
This Week…An Adult Treat
 
The first time I had this desert/beverage, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.  It was served at Bud Bigelow's in Houston, which just happened to be next to the apartment I lived in. Sadly, Bud’s is no longer there. 
This Brandy Freeze is the frozen version of a Brandy Alexander.  However, the recipe I was given is a bit different from what you’d find in Cyberville. 
 
Although I rarely drink alcohol anymore, I would never turn this drink down. (or champagne!)
 
Brandy Freeze
 
1 pint coffee ice cream (2cups)
3/8 oz(little less than 1 TBL.) crème de cacao
3/8 oz.  Drambuie
3/8 oz. … (16 comments)

this week: This Week… An Old-Fashioned Salad - 08/21/26 04:24 PM
This Week… An Old-Fashioned Salad
 
In my first apartment complex, our courtyard was like one big family. During the summer, we played water volleyball all weekend and went out as a group for drinks and dinner on Saturday. 
 
 
 
We also had group dinners in which we all contributed something. I have no idea where this recipe came from, but we loved it because it was easy to make and fun to eat. 

Like most dishes, you can add, delete, or mix and match whatever you want into it.

If you’re not eating meat…leave it out!  The sugar is optional as well. What it does … (15 comments)

this week: This Week…Kind of Corny - 08/14/26 03:54 PM
This Week…Kind of Corny
 
While going through my recipes, I found one I’d not made in quite a while. It’s a great side dish for colder weather, but there’s nothing wrong with pairing this dish with summer BBQ ribs or brisket! 

 
 
Or, you could add sautéed ground beef or sausage to the dish, add a salad, and you have a meal.

Jiffy Corn Casserole
Ingredients
¼ cup butter 1 large onion, diced ½ large green bell pepper, diced 1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimento peppers 2 large eggs 1 (8-ounce) package Jiffy corn muffin mix 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles 1 (15.25 ounce) can … (15 comments)

this week: This Week…Make Ahead Appetizer! - 08/07/26 01:55 PM
This Week…Make Ahead Appetizer!
 
Sometimes all we want to eat are appetizers. You can get a chicken or salad anywhere, but appetizers have always seemed special. 
 
These Spinach-Artichoke Puff Pastry appetizers are delicious and can be made and frozen ahead of time. 
 
If you’ve never worked with Puff Pastry, don’t worry. It’s easy! 

 
Spinach-Artichokes in Puff Pastry
 
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ c. mayo
½ c. grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
1 (17.3oz)  pkg frozen puff pastry.
 
 
Drain spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels.
Stir together the spinach, artichoke hearts, and the … (16 comments)

this week: This Week…Comfort Food Tex-Mex Style - 07/31/26 05:09 PM
This Week…Comfort Food Tex-Mex Style
You don’t have to be a Texan to love Tex-Mex food.  I came across this recipe for Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas while going through old recipes I’ve made before. If your market sells fresh tortillas, I'd grab those! It's a good way to use leftover chicken or use frozen chicken breasts!

This recipe is easy to make and takes very little time. You can serve it with a small salad, rice, and beans. or whatever you wish!!!

 Chicken-Sour Cream Enchiladas
 
Makes 6
 
1 med. Onion/chopped
1T. olive oil
2 c. chopped cooked chicken (I used 3 frozen precooked chicken breasts)
1 (16oz) carton … (14 comments)

this week: This Week…Who Needs Lettuce!? - 07/24/26 04:59 PM
This Week…Who Needs Lettuce!?
 
Anyone still eating their salads???  I’m just kidding!  I don’t scare easily, so we have salads every night. That said, I continue to do as I’ve always done…soak greens, etc., in vinegar and water and triple wash them.
 
But, you don’t need greens or lettuce to have a salad. This is one of my favorite summer salads to make. You can put your own touch to it. If Feta isn’t your cup of tea, you could us any other cheese. 
 
Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty, here’s a vegetarian recipe for you!  And, it goes well when stuffed in a … (19 comments)

this week: This Week…Something Easy for My Friend - 07/17/26 05:34 PM
This Week…Something Easy for My Friend

When you’re not accustomed to doing the cooking, it’s not easy to take over that role, especially when you’re older. After my best friend was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, her husband became the “head chef” in their home.
It hasn’t been easy, because cooking doesn’t come naturally for him. This is something I made last week and shared the recipe with him. It’s easy. Chicken Tenders with Joe’s Stone Crab Sauce.

There is no recipe, per se. All you do is take your chicken tenders and dip them first in an egg wash, water, milk, or even mustard! Then … (16 comments)

this week: This Week…No Oven Needed! - 07/10/26 04:49 PM
This Week…No Oven Needed!
 
It’s hot!  However, we still need our desserts…especially one that involves chocolate! Time for a Chocolate Ice Box Pie!
Ice Box pies were popular in the 1920s and 1930s, with the Chocolate Ice Box Pie becoming popular in the 1950s. 
 
 
You can make this even easier by using Cool Whip and a store-bought pie crust.

This recipe is a light and silky chocolate pie.  However, if you like the more dense and fudgier version, try this recipe from Luby's Cafeteria that uses marshmallows!
 
*** Don’t despair Nina Hollander, Broker ! I have a link below the recipe for a version that’s … (19 comments)

this week: This Week…All You Need Is a Cup of Coffee - 06/26/26 04:38 PM
This Week…All You Need Is a Cup of Coffee
 
To say I love coffeecake is an understatement. I was eating Sara Lee’s Coffee Cake long before I was old enough to drink coffee.  That said, coffee cake now falls under the category of “special occasion” treats for me. 

 
This is a recipe by Geoffrey Zakarian that I make for brunch at family gatherings. I would make it more often, but for the “special occasion” category.  
 
 
 
NOTE: If you do not have a springform pan, you can use any round or square cake pan instead. For easy removal, lay parchment paper strips in an X, … (18 comments)

this week: This Week…Put a Bowl of It In Front of Me! - 06/19/26 04:38 PM
This Week…Put a Bowl of It In Front of Me!
 
Growing up in Texas, guacamole was like its own food group.  You ate it as a snack, as part of your salad, or whenever you had Tex-Mex. Now people are eating it on toast.  It was one of the first things you learned to make when you were out on your own.
Guacamole can be as easy to make as you want it to be. Or, you can frou-frou it up with roasted peppers and tomatoes. 
 
You can make it in a molcajete or whatever bowl you have. If you’re near an H-E-B, … (16 comments)

this week: This Week…A Tropical Pound Cake - 06/12/26 02:47 PM
This Week…A Tropical Pound Cake
 
In Florida, one of my favorite cakes to make was a South Florida Tropical Poundcake. It was perfect any time of the year, but even better in the summer. 
It requires mixing and measuring ingredients, and mashing bananas and pitting dates. Since Nina Hollander has introduced me to the wide use of boxed cake mixes, I went looking for a hack of sorts for a tropical pound cake.

If you’d like the original recipe I used, contact me, and I’ll send it to you.
 
 
So here’s what I came up with!!

Tropical Pound Cake
1 box (16 oz) butter, … (16 comments)

this week: This Week…Remembering D-Day and a Special Birthday - 06/05/26 05:42 PM
This Week…Remembering D-Day and a Special Birthday
 
Every year on June 6, my post is the same. It is a post to help us remember D-Day, June 1944, Operation Overlord, and the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. 
 
 
Much has happened in the 82 years since the Allies, using over 5,000 ships and landing craft, landed 150,000 troops on five beaches of Normandy: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. 
 
The facts are staggering, and so are the individual stories. One man told of carrying a rifle and trying not to punch a hole in the glider he was in. He also had … (16 comments)

this week: This Week…Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner! - 05/29/26 04:39 PM
This Week…Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner!
 
This is a dish I made about four years ago for our Christmas brunch, and the whole family loved it.  It’s a Sausage Spinach Crustless Quiche …ideal for anyone watching their carbs! (The recipe is on The Southern Lady Cooks website.)
 
 
Sausage Spinach Crustless Quiche
Ingredients
1/2 pound pork sausage 3 cups chopped fresh spinach 1 4 ounce can chopped mushrooms, drained 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup chopped green or regular onion 5 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon black pepper  
Instructions
Cook the sausage on … (14 comments)

this week: This Week…So Easy Jeffrey Dimuria Could Make This! - 05/15/26 04:20 PM
This Week…So Easy Jeffrey Dimuria Could Make This!
 
This dish is easy, and you can make it with whatever you like.
All you need is the ability to boil water. If you can use a knife without cutting yourself…all the better. If not, you can buy pre-cut veggies. 

Cold Tortellini Salad
 
1 package Tortellini
1 Bottle of Caesar Dressing (Don’t use the creamy kind)

Diced celery (as much or as little as you like)
Cherry tomatoes -halved (or use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil)
Chopped parsley or cilantro
Chopped Bell Pepper (optional)
Chopped Cucumbers (optional) 
Olives (green or black) halved (optional)
Onion (I use a red one)- chopped (optional)
Salt & Pepper … (18 comments)

this week: This Week…Sock It To Me! - 05/08/26 04:09 PM
This Week…Sock It To Me!
 
Lately, I’ve been revisiting recipes that we used to make.  The Sock It To Me cake was popular in the early 70s and a go-to dessert for me. 
If you remember Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, then you’re familiar with the phrase “sock it to me.” The cake, introduced by Duncan Hines, used their Classic Butter Cake Mix. Perfect way to sell your produce!!!
 
                                          
 
Sock-It-To-Me Cake
 
1 pkg Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden Cake mix
1 c. (8 oz) dairy sour cream
½ c. Crisco Oil
¼ c sugar
¼ c. water
4 eggs

Filling: 1 c. chopped pecans
2 T. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat … (13 comments)

 


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