About Anita

Pulled Chicken

Have you tasted a chicken salad only to find the chicken apart from the salad dressing has no taste. Here’s a simple way to remedy that! This recipe is large enough for several meals. Use this for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, salads or any recipe calling for cooked chicken.

Continue reading


Portuguese Stone Soup

This is a pretty easy recipe … There is no wrong here. A soup with mainly vegetables and just the right amount of linguica (or chourico) to give it that special flavor. Adding stale crusty bread soaks up the liquids and this soup becomes more stew-like. I love it! And when I want to be really decadent I add butter to the chunks of bread before smothering with the soup. Yikes!

Continue reading


HGTV Addict

Yep, I’ve given up news. Oops! And have become a HGTV junkie. So much for Grandma Rose’s cookbook for now. Getting dirty is my newest high. Just ask my neighbors! I’m sure they’re thinking my cut offs are not my age appropriate. In this 1927 fairytale two-story staying cool while ripping up carpet, removing stapled pad and carpet strips is impossible. Who uses 1 1/2 inch nails for securing carpet strips anyway! Going to make everything around me beautiful! (Elsie De Wolfe) Problem is while the house is improving my beauty regimen is taking a sabbatical.

It all started when I pulled up the carpet in the upstairs hall. Was over it!

Surprised! Haven’t decided about this yet but for now it’s staying. Stenciled hardwood floors … someone really loved loved this storybook home. This is the original floor.

Moving from the hall to the stairway I was hoping for oak like the rest of the house. The stairs were heavily painted and I teased the idea of stripping but chose to paint (too many flaws), riser-white and tread-gray. All was done by me. Visiting is pretty much off limits for now.

Before

 

 

 

 

 

And

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So worth it! Clean and bright! BTW, who’s your favorite HGTV team? I like them all but caught up on Mina and Karen. Karen makes me smile. Big and Erin are a close second. Renovation Island? You bet! The bad thing about watching … I’m now working on the upstairs bathroom … one of those faux painted rugs.

More recipes to come!!


Bacon Chutney

When cooking for the family vegetarians here’s a side that keeps the meat eaters happy. Great on pot beans & green beans, eggs, waffles & pancakes, hot dogs & hamburgers and maybe a crostini. Ice cream, not so much. Honestly, you can use this chutney on just about anything. Few ingredients and simply made this recipe keeps in the refrigerator for a good week. Let’s get to it!

Continue reading


Blackberry Roly Poly

Old fashioned recipe for sure! It’s a cobbler in a roll-up. Use your favorite biscuit recipe or this Fannie Farmer’s. For me, even with cobbler, I prefer a pie crust. Yep, I’m one of those that can eat pie crust with a bit of cinnamon and sugar. See here.

Enjoy this simple blackberry dessert. Oh, and don’t do as I did. Do remove the previously whipped cream from the refrigerator to warm up a bit for a smoother creamier topper … Presentation is often more than 50% of taste.

Continue reading


Chai Donuts

Nothing like a donut with your coffee. My favorite are glazed raised donuts. Not only do raised donuts take some hours they go stale fast … although I have the practice of freezing them before that happens. Sometimes it works. What’s great about these?! They’re ready in 30 minutes. And go stale? Not! Not that quickly … if you have any left that is! What if you aren’t into Chai Spice? How about Apple Spice then? Or Pumpkin Spice? Or leave out the spice and add a drizzle of you favorite glaze.

Continue reading


Beef and Potato Gratin

Main dish for six, or four lumberjacks. Sticks to your ribs and tastes so good goin’ down. Just a hardy easily prepared weekday meal. Careful, it may become a family favorite.

Continue reading


Stovetop Pot Roast

If you’re into Pot Roast you won’t cook any other recipe after trying this one. Seriously! A one pot stovetop meal with little prep and 5 hours undisturbed cooking. The meat is beyond juicy, and vegetables so savory delicious with just a bit of carrot sweetness. I love the seasonings used in the Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe.  So, I’ve duplicated to some degree. I’m not sure why but cooking stovetop makes it so much easier. Here’s an oven version but this stovetop is so much more. It just can’t be beat. Delicious enough to serve a holiday crowd without apology!

Continue reading


One Pan Egg Burrito

Loving this vegetarian (or meaty if you like) burrito. Just happened upon this technique and find it so easy and fast. Perfect for a crowd. Nadiya, winner of a BBC Bake off, calls her recipe an egg role. Adding the tortilla as the eggs are cooking is a perfectly great way to put this together in minutes. Personalize it as you’re cooking. Spicy is my thing. So, green chilies or jalapeños go right into the eggs along with cheeses. If you’re into meaty burritos add crumbled cooked chorizo or linguica. These can be served cold, and preparing a day ahead works. Just tightly wrap individually after cooling and refrigerate

Try this excellent Salsa to go with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continue reading


Portuguese Savory White Beans

Full of flavor and minimal ingredients make this one of my favorites meals. Beans are very much a staple in my kitchen. In fact, if you type beans in the Search Box above you’ll have meals for days. (Or click on beans in the category section.) My children never thought of beans as a penny saver meal but definitely this was part of it in the day. Beans were often underrated but today we know of the excellent nutritional benefits with the rise in vegetarian and vegan diets.

Just a word about beans. Have you noticed your dried beans on occasion take more time to cook even if presoaked? The older the beans the longer the cooking time. There is, too, that rare occasion the beans never cook up … So I’ve heard. Another secret, add salt at the end of cooking. Adding salt too soon can toughen the beans.

The addition of meats pack this with flavor! Enjoy!

Continue reading