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It’s summer! Finally the season has arrived for strawberry salads and garden tomatoes, cool soups and no-cook meals, and sandwiches for dinner and peach pie and cherry pie and watermelon. Every summer I plunge into gardening with such enthusiamsm that I typically kill off everything I have planted within a few weeks. Apparently vegetables don’t appreciate my particular style of heli
Being a Mom can be tough. Heck, life is tough. And then you became a Mom. One of my favorite moments in the day is the quiet bit after everyone is off to school or tucked into bed and I get to enjoy a few minutes all to myself. It is my chance to do something just for [...]
If I was a smart blogger I would hold this recipe for Oktoberfest. Or I would have gotten my act together and made it back in March around St. Patty’s day. But since I have never been either a smart blogger or an appropriate seasonal menu eater, here you go. Here are some amazing sweet and sour caramelized sausages for your [...]
I can’t even tell you. I can’t even tell you how excited this picture makes me. I LOVE fried calamari. There is no natural explanation for this level of excitement and yet here it is. Yum. There is just something about the tender rings, crisp and chewy, with a hint of the sea. And don’t get [...]
Having shrimp for dinner always feels luxurious and special. Considering how quickly they cook, it is a great way to bring everyone to the table for a special meal in the middle of the week. This is a recipe that Grandpa makes on the grill, fashioning little foil boats of shrimp and sauce, on summery [...]
Chips on Top of Fish or Fish in Chips? That was the debate around the dinner table tonight as we dug in to this delightfully simple meal. We talked about STAAR tests and chores and who said what on the bus to school too but mostly it was what to call the crazy concoction on [...]
Wow, New York, you really know how to have a good time. Of course by have a good time I mean eat til you bust your pants. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you already know that this last week I was invited to New York City to enjoy The Ultimate Coffee Experience [...]
There is nothing better to carry away the day’s troubles than an excellent cocktail. My favorite quote about cocktails is: “Keep it simple, make it stiff.” It is attributed to my hero Mark Bittman but I think actually originated with the Kitchn. The perfect cocktail is a careful balance of sweet, sour, and the nuances [...]
A chocolate giveaway just in time for Valentine’s Day! American Heritage Chocolate is a new line of chocolate products that uses only ingredients available during the 17th century. The chocolate has a dark chocolate bitterness and is redolent of new-world spices-cinnamon, orange, vanilla, and peppery annatto among others. It comes in sticks, blocks, and as [...]
I love this combination of lamb, spices, toasted pinenuts and feta. I could eat it in any form. Today, it’s in stuffed pepper form with some extra herbs and veggies for good measure. This is not a super quick weeknight meal but it is definately a pleasant Sunday in the kitchen make and eat all [...]
I hope each of you had a wonderful, restful holiday. Our holiday was the usual whirlwind, race to the finish dash that seems to happen every year no matter how stalwart my intentions for better planning. I like this dish because it has the same comforting, special feel of a Sunday or Holiday roast but [...]
Salmon is one of our favorite weeknight meals. In addition, to being good for us, it cooks in a snap. These kebabs are a fun way to serve it and, with a grill pan, are great year-round. I forgot to add the tzatziki before I took this picture but it is an essential part of [...]
Why is it that the best recipes are the ones that are hardly a new recipe at all but simply a creative way of approaching an old recipe? There is no secret ingredient here-these rolls are just a traditional lasagna perfectly portioned into individual servings. I wanted them to be extra ooey, gooey, cheesy and [...]
If you had a Czech Grandma she would make you these kolaches. If you are not familiar with this Texan breakfast treat, kolaches are decadent sweet yeast rolls that are stuffed with fruit or savory fillings. Here, while there are plenty of independent kolache bakeries, kolaches can be found pretty much anywhere you can get [...]
I knew the minute I pinned this soup that it would be something we would love. It’s just not a holiday at my house if my mom hasn’t made her squash casserole: a cheesy, creamy mix of yellow squash, butter, onions, and cheddar. Since I always struggle with what to do with all of the [...]
We love Swedish meatballs but I’ve never really found a recipe that I felt was worth sharing. You can make any meatball, combine beef gravy and sour cream and have pretty tasty Swedish meatballs. This meatball recipe is a little fussy: sauteing the onion, using a combination of beef and veal, so feel free to [...]
It is funny how in the midst of summer you can’t imagine ever eating another braise or stew again. You will happily live off of garden fresh veggies for the rest of your life and never heat up the kitchen again. Yet, the first breezy day and the first pumpkins of the season pop up [...]
Oh, fall! I love you so much. From your crisp breezes to your tart apples to your delicious baked goods, your cozy sweaters and swirling leaves and roasts and casseroles and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes-I don’t even know how to start celebrating. Of course pumpkin rolls are one of my favorite this-means-it’s-really-fall treat. [...]
I have always imagined quiche to be an omelet baked in a pie crust, as evidenced by my crustless “quiche” recipe. Yeah, that’s a Frittata. A proper quiche is a more airy, custard-like combination of eggs and cream that couldn’t be more different than an egg-heavy frittata. This recipe is one I typically take to [...]
My kids, like most of us, love macaroni and cheese. My usual recipe calls for boiling the noodles and making a separate cheese sauce, again, too many dishes! This stove-top version has become my new “usual” recipe and it is so easy you’ll never need to buy another blue box! (...)Click here for the recipe [...]
I am still trying to find that weeknight balance. It pains me to say it, but I think it is somewhere between semi-homemade and ordering take-out. Not to say there aren’t wonderful meals that can be made between your commute and bedtime stories. For me it isn’t the cooking, over the years I have learned [...]
If you are like me-and chances are, if you read food blogs you are at least a little bit like me-you probably have a stack of hand me down recipes somewhere in your house. Passed on from friends or family, printed on the internet, torn or photocopied from magazines, these are the “some day” recipes. [...]
Using fresh kale in place of typical salad lettuces is a pretty exciting concept in my world. I am always looking for ways to include more good-for-you ingredients in my meals and sneaking it into a salad at lunch is especially convenient. Kale is perfect for work lunch salads because you can dress it the [...]
I have never posted a pot roast recipe here because I have never been happy with any of the elaborate pot roast recipes I have tried since I started cooking for myself. Why is pot roast so hard? Because everyone (yes, me included) wants to fancy it up with wine and veggies or smother it [...]
It’s not particularly soup time of year but sometimes you just have a craving that demands fulfillment. If you spend any time at all on Pinterest then you know a perfectly unseasonable craving can hit any time. Luckily Glad® sent me a case of their new Freezerware™ containers so I could entertain my weather inappropriate [...]
Thank goodness it’s summer vacation!! We have been struggling pretty hard with making dinner after work and still getting the kids to bed on time. Luckily, now there’s less concern for bedtime and I can focus more on quality time. Not that this isn’t a quick dish. It’s just that in the absence of bedtime [...]
I created chaosinthekitchen four years ago to chronicle my personal recipe box for family and friends. Its popularity over the years with people I’ve never had the pleasure to meet in person has been a tremendous, humbling surprise. I am forever grateful to all of you who have read and shared and participated on this [...]
My mom’s Shepherd’s Pie is one of my favorite recipes from childhood. Every now and then she makes a few small pies and gives me one to heat up on a busy weeknight. I am always thrilled to dig beneath the warm potatoes to the tender beef and vegetables. She is the one who actually [...]
These little candies don’t look like much but trust me they are something special. The butterscotch chips mixed into the semi-sweet chocolate smells amazing and leave people wondering what secret ingredient makes them so addictive! They are a Christmas tradition in my office and but you will find them a welcome treat any time of [...]
Am I too late to post about apple pie? Are apples too fallish to celebrate at the end of December? All who know me know of my unending love affair with pie of all types. I can’t pick a favorite but apple is definitely one of my must-haves. As soon as the air gets crisp [...]
This wonderful rice casserole is one of my mother-in-law’s holiday side dishes but it is delicious and comforting with any meal. It bakes in the oven leaving you time to worry about your other dishes. Her original recipe calls for a can of sliced mushrooms and a can of condensed french onion soup but the [...]
It’s party season! Although between birthdays, showers, potlucks, football, barbecues, when is it not party season? Dips are my favorite party food. They are a chance to indulge without the guilt of eating the whole thing yourself (so guilty). I will warn you, make this dip the night before and put it in the fridge [...]
Are you still eating Thanksgiving leftovers? For me, Thanksgiving lasts for days. Between dinner on turkey day, pie breakfasts all through the weekend, and Thanksgiving redone in the office microwave on Monday, we always cook enough food to last a week. So I don’t typically get very creative with my leftovers. I save the turkey [...]
I can’t believe how quickly the weeks go by. Can you remember when we were kids and a summer was a lifetime? I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is already over and we only have five weekends left for Christmas baking! When Nestle offered to send me a baking kit for an afternoon of baking with [...]
So this spring, chaos in the kitchen will be four years old! And after three official Thanksgiving dinners I have never posted a recipe for mashed potatoes. Wonder why? I suck at mashed potatoes. I make the worst mashed potatoes you’ve ever had. Without fail. It’s OK. I am at peace with my failures. My [...]
Absolutely NO secret recipes. Sharing recipes is so much more than just passing on words on paper. When you share a recipe with someone you are wishing the best for them. You carefully consider the measurements and ingredients so that your recipient can succeed. You want them to feel accomplished and satisfied, for their guests [...]
It’s here!! The first order of business: Brownie Bake Off. I have never used a convection oven before but with the Symmetry Double Ovens on my new range I have the option of both convection and standard baking. So what’s a girl to do? Bake two batches of brownies-one convection and one standard, just to [...]
Do you fantasize about other peoples’ kitchens? I do. I read my favorite blogs and I imagine what spacious, beautiful, high-tech kitchens they must have to be so inspired. And then I look around at my decrepit, aging model home galley kitchen and I sigh. Sigh. Yes all of the recipes you have seen here [...]
There is a small cafe on the college campus near work that I love. They have a large assortment of salads, and the food is always fresh and house-made. This artichoke salad is one of the dishes they serve and it is such a nice accompaniment to their hearty main dishes. (...)Click here for the [...]
I don’t usually use prepared ingredients in a recipe. I like to make things from scratch as much as possible-to both control the quality of the ingredients as well as the cost. However sometimes it is worth the added expense for the convenience of having a wholesome meal on the table between work and bedtime. [...]
I am not sure why I never considered making Greek Nachos before. It is a fun spin on gyros and a perfect light meal for summer. You can make this with any meat or completely meat-less and add as much or as little of your favorite Greek toppings. Above, I mixed the feta into the [...]
If I was a better blogger I would have a bunch of delicious summery meals stored up to post for you while we wind down the dog days. I’m not and I don’t-so you are getting this wonderful fall-ish meal a bit early. Yes, I did actually turn on my oven in this weather and [...]
Tired of vegetables yet? Me neither. This really should be titled: Vegetable Sandwich, but that sounded a little lame. I thought Roasted Vegetable Slider sounded good, but I didn’t actually roast the vegetables and sliders are supposed to be smaller than this behemoth turned out. Balsamic Sauteed Veggie Sandwich would have been accurate, but its [...]
I think my favorite seasons are Fall and Grilling. Luckily in Texas grilling season lasts for most of spring, summer, and fall. Jelly? You should be. This is a great marinade for grilled vegetables. I had a whole bunch of zucchini that needed to be eaten but this marinade would be wonderful on any summer vegetables [...]
One of the best aspects of our newly food-centric world is that we have so many categories of burgers. We enjoy chipotle turkey burgers and Thai shrimp burgers and any kind of burger you can imagine-and none of them trying to be the same thing. Real veggie burgers-burgers made of beans and grains and vegetables, [...]
I love summer food. Abundant fruit and garden fresh vegetables, light meals, and no cook recipes-this is the way I wish we ate all year! As a its-so-hot-the-thought-of-eating-makes-me-feel-sick meal this easily serves four. As a hearty, warm winter salad I’d say it serves closer to two. Whatever time of year you stumble upon this recipe, [...]
Have I ever told you how much I love vegetables? I do, you know. I LOVE them. I don’t know how it happened. There were few meatless meals (macaroni and cheese! grilled cheese!) in my childhood and I was often forced to finish my broccoli or Brussels sprouts until I threatened to barf. Yet somehow [...]
I never really appreciated how difficult it is to be creative after a nine-hour work day. After spending nine hours running, standing, escorting, greeting, consoling, apologizing, cajoling and generally going full throttle around the hospital it is really, really hard to put much energy into dinner. This fish comes together so quickly that I was [...]
I remember reading an article once where Mark Bittman said that steel-cut oats are an “Aha!” moment. As in: Aha! This is was oatmeal is supposed to taste like! I would have to say that my first experience with steel cut oats was exactly that. Oatmeal has never been my first choice for breakfast. Or [...]
We used to have a potluck nearly every weekend at work. Because if you had to be stuck at work on the weekend, at least you could spend twelve hours eating and laughing. This broccoli salad is a great addition to the heavier dishes and sweets that invariably make up potluck fare. I have never [...]
