Southern Candied Carrots are a very special side dish that often times shows up at family dinners and celebrations. This recipe is made with fresh carrots right out of the garden and seasoned to perfection. The carrots take very little time to prepare and they are ready to be served. I remember these delicious carrots on many a holiday table when our family all came together. I am grateful that the recipe was passed on to me for all of us to enjoy!

  Hello everyone, I can't wait to make this weeks meal plan and get to our big announcement. We have had a lot of rain, which we need for the gardens and plants, and very nice spring days. One of my favorite Farmers Market will open next week for the season, I just love going there to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables that I may not have in the garden just yet. It is a great time of the year to go through recipes and see what I want to add to my seasonal meal rotation. 

Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, this past Monday we had the official beginning of Spring and it is 32 degrees. Hurry inside the cottage today we have a warm fire and a place saved at the table just for you! We have some great features from last weeks St. Patrick's Celebration, I sure hope you enjoy them! I am excited to move on to the spring meal plans and recipes how about you? Thanks so much for coming to the party today, I am excited to see what you will be sharing.

Lemon Pudding Dump Cake recipe is a perfect lemon delight and is very easy to make. For a quick dessert with a great lemon flavor this is  a perfect little dessert. I like to keep the  ingredients on hand for this recipe as it is a great go to recipe when the kids are bringing half the ball team home for supper or some of your friends drop by for dessert. 

Retro Carrot Apple Soup is so delicious and a spring treat. When the spring carrots are being harvested from the garden and the carrots are tender it is a perfect time to make this recipe. Carrot Soup originated in Crecy, France a town near Paris, which explains why I love it so much it's French. The Apple which many folks add to the soup really comes to me from my Grandmother. She would always add the tart apples to the soup and it was delicious. This is a very simple soup and does not take that long to make, but it is certainly worth any wait at all. There is nothing better on a chilly Spring day than a hot bowl of Retro Carrot Apple Soup.

I am looking forward to having my cup of tea and visiting with you while I put this meal plan together today. Spring arrives on Monday so I am looking for some great Spring recipes. I know that we have  some beautiful kale, cabbage and collards in the garden, we will see what I can do with those fresh vegetables.

  Welcome to Full Plate Thursday and Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! We had some wonderful Irish post from last weeks party that are featured today and I sure hope you will enjoy the celebration! Come on in the Cottage, and find a place by the fire, we are having some really chilly weather today, a good day to be indoors with some really good food and all of our friends! Thanks so much for coming to the party today and wishing you a very Happy St. Patrick's Day!

  Roasted Salsa Verde Salmon Bowl is our new favorite presentation to enjoy a great salmon recipe. We are several hours from the gulf coast where we can get some really fresh salmon. We have a great friend that brings us fresh Salmon from the coast and what a special treat it always is. This recipe is so easy to make and has amazing flavor in every bite. The salmon has a very special seasoning then roasted in the oven. We serve it in a bowl of rice, with a garnish of diced avocado and topped with a delicious creamy Roasted Salsa Verde Sauce.

  Our Rosemary-Orange Cornbread Bites are a delicate cornbread mini muffin with a fabulous unexpected flavor. This is a very simple muffin recipe to make and it returns amazing results. I have blended a sweet cornbread with fresh rosemary and a orange zest to bring this flavor that we just love. These mini cornbread bites can be served to compliment any meal, or as an appetizer, with honey on the side.

We always have so much fun making the meal plans for the week of the Irish. Our meal plans for this week always include some favorites from our Irish heritage. We are starting to spend more and more time outdoors as the weather permits. We were able to get some more of our garden planted this week just in time for the rain, that's great timing! I have already checked the pantry, freezer and cold bins in the barn, and have some of my favorite recipes ready to go. We are taking a quick trip to the village market and then we will be ready for our fun week of celebration!

Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, 631 we are so excited to see you here today. March has certainly arrived like a Lion with rain storms and snow storms right across the country. Come on in the cottage and find a comfortable place at the table, we have saved you a place. We have great features from last week for all of you to visit. Please note that we have added some new feature categories that I hope you will enjoy. Thanks so much for coming to the party today I can hardly wait to see what you will be sharing.

  Welcome back to our monthly Food & Recipe Basket, some of our readers and I are so excited to begin this monthly post again. We grow our own vegetables here at the cottage, which allows us to have either fresh, home canned or frozen vegetables available the year round. What we don't have available here, we usually find at one of our local farmers market. I have always been a seasonal cook and enjoy the transitions of the seasons so I hope you will enjoy these ideas and inspirations as we transition into another season.

Old Fashioned Blueberry Pound Cake reminds me of sitting at my Grandmother's table waiting for the pound cake to come out of the oven. It is worth waiting for, so moist and buttery with pops of fresh blueberries in every bite. This is a very simple pound cake recipe to make with very few ingredients for such bold flavors. We love to go to the blueberry bushes and pick the fresh berries, bring them into the kitchen and make this delicious recipe. The cake can be served for any occasion or event and freezes well for up to 3 months.

Hello everyone, I am writing our meal plan early this week as we are in a very strong storm warning for our area. When we have these storms sometimes we will loose our power and internet for a day or two. I have been writing these meal plans and sharing them with you for 12 years now, and I know that some of you look forward to the plan and recipes to help you for your family meal plans. I want to make sure that you get it when you want and need it, if I possibly can. March is here so I look forward to having some of my favorite Irish and fresh early spring vegetable recipes. I am hungry already!

Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, 630 and to March! I love this transition from winter to spring. Of course we have been spending a lot of time in our garden and yard, I even have 2 roses on the wild rose bush already. We have been busy planting and cleaning out some plants that died in the drought that we had this summer. We had some great links at last weeks party and some are featured here today, I sure hope you enjoy them and will stop by and  say hi to the very talented bloggers. I am excited to see what you are sharing at the party today, we have saved you a seat at the table. Thanks so much for coming and making this party the very best!

  Our Cinnamon Roll Brunch Bake has been a big hit for some of our weekend brunch events. This is an easy recipe to put together and is full of flavor. It is like you got up real early to make this special bake for all your guest. The combination of the cinnamon rolls and seasons, with a creamy glaze makes this a winner every time! This is a great brunch bake recipe for a causal brunch or a holiday celebration.

Whats For Dinner Next Week, some of my family will ask that question every Saturday. I am so glad you joined us to get the answer. We have had a fantastic week here at the cottage, we got to start planting our spring garden. It was so great to be out in the garden again. I am already looking forward to the March transition to spring with all the wonderful spring recipes and meal plans that we get to make when we begin that seasonal change. I have some  cabbage from our winter garden that I know we will use this week. I am going to the barn and inventory what I have left in the cold bins that we will be able to use this week. We will be getting some rain this week, when it rains I always think of soup, it sounds so good. 

  Welcome to our Top Ten Features party, the last party of the month. We always feature the Top Ten Views that you have picked from the last weeks party. I am always excited to see the post that you have enjoyed the most from the last week. Come on in the cottage we are so excited to see you today and we have saved you a special place at the table. I can hardly wait to see what you will be sharing with us today, thanks so much for coming to the party so lets get started!

  I am a bread lover and nothing is better than a great slice of warm bread right out of the oven. Our Garlic Cheese Quick Bread will allow you to have a nice warm slice of this bread in about an hour, from mixing to out of the oven. This bread has a great texture with a flakes of melted cheese throughout the bread. The bread is delicious right out of the oven and is special toasted. We have served it with many different cuisine's and is good as a special treat all by its self.

  We love fried chicken, but this recipe for Crunchy Baked Chicken With Spicy Honey will sure give it a run for at least second place. This recipe is so easy and just full of crunchy flavor. The Spicy Honey gives it a special touch to drizzle over the finished chicken. I am serving it with our delicious  Tangy Lemon Cole Slaw ! This recipe will definitely be on our meal rotation list. 

  Good Morning friends, hope you are wrapped up today, its cold outside. One of the first things I do when making my meal plans is to check the weather. If it is going to be ice cold outside I sure won't be planning to grill out, but you will find me planning something warm and cozy. We have a real busy week coming up so I am also going to be looking for some time savers in the kitchen. All of this meal planning is going to help me stay organized during the week, so I can spend more time with family and friends. Are you a meal planner, be sure and leave me a comment and let me know some of your favorite meals during cold weather. 

  Welcome to Full Plate Thursday we are so happy to see you here today. Hope each of you had a great Valentine Day and now we get to move on to Madri Gras. They had a Madri Gras parade near us last weekend, wow it has started already! We have  some great features this week from some very talented bloggers, I hope you enjoy them as much as we have. I am excited to  see what you will be sharing with us today, so come on in the cottage we have saved you a place at the table! 

Tangy Lemon Cole Slaw has become a favorite here at the cottage. Its takes no time to make this slaw and it is ready for the table. The dressing for this slaw is full of great seasons and  tangy lemon, just shake it in a jar and  it is ready to drizzle over the slaw. There are no dairy products in the slaw so it will go to a summer picnic without a problem. It is quick, easy and delicious, perfect for a busy day!

  Toffee Butter Pecan Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is a delicious and rich special treat! The cake has a base of butter pecan and I added a special touch of toffee which we love. We topped the cake with a cream cheese frosting with toffee and pecan sprinkles. This is a special cake that will enhance any occasion or dress up a family dinner. I recently took this to a covered dish dinner and had many request for the recipe. Save a slice for yourself, to be sure you get one!

It's going to be a big week here at the cottage, and we are kicking it off with the big Super Bowl game on Sunday. Then of course we will be having a very special Valentine dinner on Tuesday. It is a lot of fun to make meal plan's for special events and holiday dinners.  We have been getting lots of good rain which our ground needed and we are all cozy in the cottage making our meal plans. I have checked the pantry to see what I have on hand and the cold bins in the barn. I will make a trip to the village to secure some fresh fruit and vegetables for our meal plans then we will be all set for the week.

Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, what an exciting weekend here at the cottage. Yes there will be some football and lots of  great food. Some of the food we will be having are recipes from our features this week, you have got to check them out, just awesome! We have finally seen the sunshine again and it was so nice to have all the ice melt and feel the sun on our face again. I am so excited that you came to the party today, I can't wait to see what you will be sharing, thanks so much for coming and being a part of such a great blogging community!

  I love these little Mini Cherry Pie Cups for a really quick and easy dessert. These cups are filled with a delicious cherry pie mix that has just the perfect spice to make it special. This dessert is perfect to serve for any kind of gathering, that can be served as a finger food or with some delicious ice cream. Either way this is a crowd pleasing dessert. These are great to have for a family supper, they are just perfect for the little kids and big kids hands!

  This Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwich has been a very popular recipe at some of our game day gatherings. It is a very easy recipe to put together and it is so tender and juicy that it just pulls apart. We like to serve it on a sub-roll with a nice layer of cheese on the bottom, the hot beef and juice melt the cheese. We top it off with some pepperoncini and roasted red peppers. It is a delicious sandwich!

  Here we are with one of the first days in a week that we can get outdoors without slipping and sliding, mercy what a week we had. Temperatures in the 20's with sleet and ice on the roads, the bridges we have to go over to get to the villages were closed. I am so happy that my meals were planned and I am blessed to keep a well stocked pantry. We were on an indoor vacation but we sure did eat well, we will prepared. I will be happy to go to the supermarket this weekend just to go out of the house for a bit. I will be sure and replace the items that I used out of my pantry, this is my list that I use,  Stock Your Pantry, Stay Calm, Be Ready: Emergences .

  Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, February Edition! I am so glad that you are here today, February has come to our part of the world with a big artic blast, bringing ice and snow. We are in the cottage safe, warm and cozy with a great supply of food. All the bridges are closed to get in or our of our community and I sure am glad that I keep a well stocked pantry. You all brought so many amazing recipes to last weeks party that we have some outstanding features this week. I can hardly wait to see what you are sharing today and thanks so much for coming to the party!

Slow Cooker Texas Cowboy Beans is one of those recipes that can be the main dish at a family supper or a great recipe to take to a covered dish event. The mix of ingredients for this delicious dish is  very rich and full of flavor. Slow Cooker Texas Cowboy Beans is one of those recipes that can be the main dish at a family supper or a great recipe to take to a covered dish event. A delicious meal is ready to serve, and they will be back for seconds!

  I am planning a special little Valentine Gift for some friends. Sometimes it is fun to give my special friends a little something that they really are not expecting. It wouldn't be unusual for me to give my friends a jar of my home canned  Tomato Basil Jam , or even a  Chocolate Cherry Cobbler  hot from the oven. Today I am making special Scented Bath Soak that I know they will all enjoy, I am having so much fun with this simple project.

  Hello everyone, I sure hope you are warm and cozy wherever you are, we are having some really cold weather right now. With cold weather I always think of warm comfort foods for the meal plan this week. We are expecting a gathering this weekend we will be watching a little football, and I know just the recipe I will be using for game day. It is fun to make meal plans and vision all the meals that our friends and family will enjoy. 

  Welcome to Full Plate Thursday and our Top Ten Features from last weeks party! On the last party of the month we have our viewers pick the top ten post from last weeks party and you all really picked a great group this week! It is so good to see you today, come on in the cottage, we saved you a place at the table near the fireplace where we will all be warm and cozy! Thanks so much for coming to the party today and I can't wait to see what you will be sharing with us this week!

Our Sour Cream Pie With Cherries & Whipped Cream has been in my recipe box since the early 70's when one of my friends shared it with me. Through the years I have changed it here and there, but the base recipe remains the same. This pie is so easy to make with very few ingredients and yet it is so versatile. It is one of our go to pies here at the cottage and I sure hope you enjoy it!

We are expecting some special guest at the cottage, so I reached out to our guest and ask what favorite cottage recipe they would like for me to prepare for them.  Our guest requested the delicious Chicken Alfredo Penne Bake, and it is a great recipe to make. This is a very flavorful creamy pasta bake that will really stick to your ribs. We will serve it with a crisp green salad and some hot crusty bread.  

It is great to sit down with a cup of tea and visit with you about our meal plan for the week. We are having some guest here later in the week, so I reached out to them and ask what they would like on the meal plan. It is always interesting to get their feed back on what their favorite recipes are. We have been very busy getting the final tilling done on our onion patch that we hope to get planted this weekend. We will be having some ball-game watchers here this weekend, so we take all that in consideration for the meal plan we are making today.

  Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, 624! Here we are at the half way point of January already. We are starting to get Valentine post and Big Game Day post, I just love that all of you love the different holidays and fun events as much as I do. We have some very special features that all of you helped me to choose from last weeks party, sure hope you enjoy them. I am excited to see what you will be sharing at today's party. Come on in the cottage, we have saved you a very special place at the table and thanks so much for coming today!

  There are many times throughout the year that we entertain a large crowd of folks for a game day or just a fun gathering. Sliders have become one of the popular menu items that I will make for the party. Sometimes I will make a couple of different kinds just to give folks a variety. Our slider recipes are very simple to put together and delicious to eat, our guest always want to know where the sliders are. These little sliders are a great finger food for any party and one that I love to serve to my guest.

My husband grew up on a ranch and he said that the cowboy stew's were always some of the best. A good Cowboy Stew will have a different combination of protein and vegetables just  about every time, because the bunkhouse cook would use what was available. This is one of my husbands favorite Cowboy Stew's this one is made the  same every time because it is his favorite. It is a great stew for a crowd and it freezes up to 3 months. 

Hello everyone, I am laughing a little because we are all bundled up again. I think only in Texas do we experience such drastic changes in the weather. There will be no grilling on the meal plan this week, this gal will not be standing at the grill in this cold wind. I am thinking more in line with something that I can put in the oven and  warm up the kitchen and have the whole house smelling like what's cooing, I can hardly wait till dinner! I am off to the pantry to see what I have available and then to the freezer, I have a great inventory right now so I may be able to avoid a trip to the super market, that would be nice!

  Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, 623 it is so good to see you here at the party today! We are having a really nice break in the weather right now and we are enjoying some sunshine. We have some great features from some awesome bloggers that I hope you will visit! Thanks so much for coming to the party today, I always look forward to this party and your visit. Come in, I have saved a place at the table just for you!

  Some folks would call a pot of Lima Beans, a main dish soup of ham and beans, while other's may call it a side dish. Here at the cottage it is both a main dish and a side dish. We love this recipe served with a great skillet of cornbread as a main dish or a leftover side dish for a meal the next day. The recipe that I have is a family recipe that has been passed down to me through the generations of amazing cooks in our family. This recipe is budget friendly with just a few ingredients and seasons. As my Grandmother would say, this is a good tasting pot of Lima's!

  When I start looking for a creamy Italian skillet meal that is so easy to put together this is a great go to recipe. This is a recipe that really delivers the Italian flavor. We just add some sausage, spinach, and even some oven-dried tomatoes with some Italian seasons. Next we will stir in some orzo, Parmesan Cheese and cream. All of this goodness goes into one skillet and is on the table in no time. Oh my goodness, creamy, fresh and it is so delicious! 

The temperatures here are still cold, so our meal plans are going to be what I hope will be warm and cozy. There is a lot of sickness in our area and we are trying real hard to stay well, by eating healthy, getting rest and just enjoying life. We are busy here at the cottage making garden plans for the spring and summer garden. It is always a lot of fun to make the garden plot and order the seeds,   Winter Garden and Spring Seeds , will update you on our garden. 

Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, 622 and our first party of 2023! I am so excited about the new year with all the new recipes that you will share here in the new year. I am a seasonal cook and tend to move from season to season through my meal planning. We are featuring some great blog post from last weeks party and hope will enjoy the post as much as I have.   Thanks so much for sharing with us at our party today, just come on in the cottage we have saved a very special place at the table for you!

  We decided to have a winter garden this year and we sure picked a great year to do so. The temperature got down to 9 degrees for a couple of days and that was a real test for the in ground garden and the Veggie Pod. I always look forward to January when all the seed catalogs come in the mail. I love looking through the catalogs and marking all the seeds that I would love to have. There are several steps that I take before I can really order the seed. 

  There are times when an old fashion bowl of Goulash Soup really fills the stomach and the soul. This is one of those times and I could not resist making a pot of one of my families favorite comfort soups to share with you. This is a recipe that is so easy to put together and has a special blend of flavor that makes it delicious! This is one of those recipes that can come to the family dinner table or to a potluck soup supper, it is a winner every time!