A Simple Home Cook

05/19/2013 03:09 PM

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Cold Oven Pound Cake aka. “Smelly Cake”

My dad did not really cook; fried eggs, oatmeal, toast, and grilled cheese was pretty much the extent of his solo endeavors. However, he did attempt to make a cake on his own…twice. I believe my sister ended up helping him when he made his first, a pineapple upside-down cake. So, I believe the cold [...] Related posts: Mandarin Orange Cake Pineapple Sheet Cake Oatmeal Cake

A Simple Home Cook

05/17/2013 04:17 PM

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Hattie B’s Hot Chicken in Nashville, TN

Crunchy, moist, delicious, and fried to perfection…that is my best description of the Southern chicken from Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. I think it was the best fried chicken I have ever eaten. Nashville is known for a local specialty, Hot Fried Chicken…spicy hot. Some of the hot chicken places only offer varying degrees of heat…no [...] Related posts: Enjoying Athens While

A Simple Home Cook

05/16/2013 04:36 PM

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Simple Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

This classic Cheesy Broccoli Casserole is super simple, only requires a few ingredients, and is quick to make. Thus, I used to make this dish a lot for potlucks and guests when I was in graduate school and first working The recipe calls for Velveeta Cheese. If you don’t want to use a processed cheese, [...] Related posts: Ruben Casserole Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (with or without ham)

A Simple Home Cook

05/12/2013 11:08 PM

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Mom’s Creamed Peas and Baby Potatoes

My mom loved creamed spring peas and baby potatoes fresh from the garden. She made the best that I have ever eaten. She did not fix them very often, which made them even more of a treat. Despite my best attempts to make them the same way she did, I can not get mine to [...] Related posts: Peas and Pasta Grilled Baby Bok Choy…Yum! Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (with or without ham)

A Simple Home Cook

05/12/2013 10:13 PM

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Ovalle’s Mexican Cafe in Chattanooga

There are many places in Chattanooga, Tennessee to eat Mexican food. A few of them are very good and even serve purportedly authentic dishes; however, Ovalle’s Mexican Cafe stands apart from the crowd in a very good way. Ovalle’s is not your run-of-the-mill Mexican restaurant with the standard menu items. Instead, they offer an assortment [...] Related posts: Mojo Burrito in Chatta

A Simple Home Cook

05/10/2013 03:09 PM

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Mandarin Orange Cake

A delicious, easy cake that is a great summertime treat is a Mandarin orange cake with its light, creamy pineapple frosting. Yum! Even when you don’t stir the Mandarin oranges enough to break them up and they sink to the bottom of the cake, the cake is still very good. Although, it is harder to [...] Related posts: Pineapple Upside Down Cake Pineapple Sheet Cake Peaches and Cream Cake

A Simple Home Cook

05/09/2013 05:27 PM

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Simple Pea Salad

A super simple, flexible side dish that is perfect for spring, summer, and salad bars is pea salad. Although there are many, many variations, I like to start with the basic salad bar standard. From the basic recipe, I can add ingredients to fit the meal and the occasion. Other ingredients that go well in [...] Related posts: Simple Pasta Salad Yummy Potato Salad Broccoli Salad

A Simple Home Cook

05/08/2013 10:54 PM

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Afternoon Tea at the English Rose

My daughter wanted to have a “real” tea party. Sure, we have had pretend tea parties. However, for a few years now, she has been insisting on having a “real” tea party. (One of the guests she wanted to invite when she first started insisting on the party was Jesus…not just in spirit form. After [...] Related posts: Mojo Burrito in Chattanooga, Tennessee GollyWhop

A Simple Home Cook

05/05/2013 01:32 PM

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Peaches and Cream Cake

What happens when you bake cakes for a gathering and forget to take pictures for your food blog before service? In my experience, you do not get any pictures of two of the three cakes and the only piece of cake you do get a picture of is sloppy looking at best because your in [...] Related posts: Simply Frozen Peaches Pineapple Upside Down Cake Choclate Chip Bundt Cake

A Simple Home Cook

05/04/2013 07:17 AM

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Dairy-Free Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup

It used to be that I would not eat any asparagus. Then, my sister convinced me to try roasted asparagus…I have been eating it roasted and grilled every since. This spring, I had an abundance of asparagus…so much so that after eating it roasted, grilled, and wrapped in bacon, I decided to make it into [...] Related posts: Dairy-Free Potato Soup Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup Bacon

A Simple Home Cook

05/02/2013 01:55 PM

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First Watch is First Choice for Breakfast

Okay, I am very partial to local, “mom-and-pop” owned restaurants. However, on rare occasion, a chain or franchised restaurant just gets it right. First Watch is one of those rare gems. Although franchised with more than 100 locations, First Watch does not seem to be a typical chain. First, they are only open for breakfast [...] Related posts: A Better Breakfast Sandwich Best Bana

A Simple Home Cook

04/19/2013 10:35 AM

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Rosemary Lamb Chops with Mint Barbecue Sauce

A well-prepared lamb chop can be divinely delicious. However, an ill-prepared lamb chop can turn a person off of eating lamb. Believe it or not, the worst lamb chops (actually, the worst lamb period) I have ever eaten was in a posh Beverly Hills, California restaurant. Ironically, it was the same restaurant where I had [...] Related posts: Tropical Barbecue Pork Chops Lamb Meatballs in a Toma

A Simple Home Cook

04/12/2013 12:25 PM

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Cherry Sauce/Glaze for Ham

I love cherries and I love ham, so it surprising that I did not like my mom’s cherry glaze for ham. After all, other people seemed to really like my mom’s cherry glazed ham. Even my dad, who did not usually like new or differently prepared foods, liked my mom’s cherry glazed ham the first [...] Related posts: Amaretto Cherry Bread Black Cherry Jello Salad Cranberry Relish v

A Simple Home Cook

04/08/2013 11:38 AM

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Choclate Chip Bundt Cake

Looking for a cake that is great to serve for a potluck or a large crowd? Want a cake that would be great for people who like chocolate, but don’t love chocolate? This very easy, semi-homemade Chocolate Chip in Vanilla Bundt cake may just the answer. To me, this cake has about the right amount [...] Related posts: Seven 1970's Recipes, Recipe 2: 7-Up Cake Butterscotch Pudding Cake: S

A Simple Home Cook

04/06/2013 07:29 PM

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Mojo Burrito in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Mojo Burrito is a local Tex-Mex restaurant with three locations in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. Mojo Burrito is akin to the chains like Chipotle and Moe’s Southwest Grill, but much better, in my opinion. The St. Elmo neighborhood location is my favorite. It’s quirky decor is furthered by the addition of a rotating line of [...] Related posts: Best Banana Split in Chattanooga S

A Simple Home Cook

03/23/2013 10:05 PM

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Indian Tacos

A last minute decision to mix up a box of Wooden Knife Fry Bread Mix left me without all the ingredients to make “Indian Taco” meat sauce according to the recipe on the mix box. Thus, I had to make a lot of adjustments, but in the end I had very unauthentic, but delicious Indian [...] Related posts: Chili with Bison and Beans Sloppy Joe Sandwiches WoodenKnife Indian Fry Bread Mix

A Simple Home Cook

03/23/2013 09:09 PM

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WoodenKnife Indian Fry Bread Mix

On a trip to the Badlands of South Dakota we stopped at Cedar Pass Lodge in the Badlands National Park where we had yummy Indian Fry Bread. It was so good that I purchased a box of WoodenKnife Indian Fry Bread Mix to try and make it at home. The mix had a long shelf [...] Related posts: Indian Fry Bread and Taco Rye Cocktail Bread: Entertaining Recipes Amaretto Cherry Bread

A Simple Home Cook

03/22/2013 04:22 PM

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My Brunswick Stew

I enjoy eating Brunswick stew when I find it on the menu of barbecue joints/restaurants here in the South, but my sensitivity to acid (and being wimpy about spices) usually leaves me with a half-uneaten cup of stew and an allergic reaction. Thus, I decided to make my own and just not included as much [...] Related posts: Tropical Barbecue Pork Chops Hearty Soup Beans and Dumplings Grandma

A Simple Home Cook

03/04/2013 06:00 PM

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Pineapple Sheet Cake

I find myself making a lot of sheet cakes whenever I cook/bake for a large crowd (70+ people). Thus, I am always on the lookout for new sheet cake recipes. I found one for a pineapple sheet cake in the Lehman’s Anniversary Cookbook and immediately changed it Yep, that is how I roll anymore. Anyway, [...] Related posts: Peanut Butter Sheet Cake Pineapple Upside Down Cake Seven 1970's Re

A Simple Home Cook

02/09/2013 11:42 AM

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GollyWhoppers in Chattanooga

GollyWhoppers is a local sandwich shop in a small shopping center on East Brainerd Avenue in Chattanooga, Tennessee serving good food at good prices. There sandwiches are on fresh bread and rather large. This is a full sandwich. You can purchased a half sandwich (which I need to remember to do the next time). The [...] Related posts: Wally’s Restaurant in Chattanooga Delicious Chines

A Simple Home Cook

02/09/2013 11:04 AM

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Oatmeal Cake

I must confess that I would much rather skip dessert than eat a piece of a dry, bland cake. Additionally, I must confess that I do not enjoy the act of applying frosting to a cake…let alone multiple cakes. Thus, I love a cake that is moist, delicious, and does not need a buttercream or [...] Related posts: Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes Seven 1970′s Recipes, Recipe 4: Mississippi Mu

A Simple Home Cook

01/22/2013 07:16 PM

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Lamb Meatballs in a Tomato Sauce

For many years now, meatballs have been my main “go-to” dish whether I am having a party or going to a pot luck. Why? There are several reasons. First, they are easy to make. The most difficult part is getting them in a ball shape without over working them.Second, they can be made well in [...] Related posts: Lamb Sliders and Tzatziki Sauce Sensational Sweet and Sour Meatballs D

A Simple Home Cook

01/10/2013 02:38 PM

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Mitchell Deli in Nashville

After only one trip to Mitchell Delicatessen in East Nashville, TN I am hooked. There are so many things to like about it that I hardly know where to begin. This place is not exactly on the tourist beaten path, which I think is a very good thing. It seems to emphasize quality and local [...]

A Simple Home Cook

01/09/2013 09:53 PM

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How to Roast Peppers

Until recently, I did not roast my own peppers. I only purchased roasted red peppers once or twice as I rarely used them in my cooking. Well, no more….it is so simple and they taste so much better than jarred. A super easy way to roast peppers is under the oven’s broiler. You just place [...]

A Simple Home Cook

01/06/2013 08:11 PM

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Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I love this soup! Yes, it is very delicious. Yes, it is full of vitamin C (and rather high in vitamin A also). Yes, it is creamy. Perhaps most importantly, it is versatile, like a good black dress. It can be dressed up and placed in espresso cups, shot glasses or similar elegant appetizer size [...]

A Simple Home Cook

12/31/2012 03:52 PM

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Cranberry Topped Brie Cheese

A party just isn’t a party without cheese and crackers…at least in my mind. While the standard cheese cubes on crackers is okay, a festive presentation of a soft cheese topped with cranberries adds so much more to a celebration. The creamy richness of warm brie cheese is complimented by the tartness of the cranberries [...]

A Simple Home Cook

12/29/2012 11:53 PM

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Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ Chicken and Waffles

I must admit that the records and glossy photos on the walls greeting us as we entered Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ Chicken and Waffles in Lithonia, Georgia did not help my skepticism about eating at a restaurant owned by and named after two music icons. My fear was that it would yet be another [...]

A Simple Home Cook

12/28/2012 04:20 PM

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Eggnog Pancakes

I have never been much of a fan of drinking eggnog. However, I always liked my mom’s eggnog bread. I bought some eggnog to make her bread this year, but discovered that I did not have the right size of loaf pan to make it. Thus, I ended up with a quart of eggnog that [...]

A Simple Home Cook

12/27/2012 01:52 PM

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Homemade Sugar Cubes

To be quite honest, cubed sugar is something I have only purchased a couple of times in my entire life. When I did, it was for my college students to use to pull the carbonation out of soda pop as part of a demonstration for middle school students. I never wanted to pay extra to [...]

A Simple Home Cook

12/23/2012 10:47 AM

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Der Dutchman Restaurant in Holmes County, Ohio

The Amish Country in Ohio is a great area to get home-style comfort food that is consistently delicious. My two favorite place are actually owned by the same company that also has locations in Florida. Although they still own less than 10 restaurants, it is a much larger company than I ever expected to be [...]

A Simple Home Cook

12/19/2012 08:52 PM

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Sweet and Sour Green Beans

I was reading through some of my cookbooks looking for a new way to fix mushrooms and instead found a recipe for “pickled” green beans. It was in one of my favorite cookbooks, A Taste of Toronto (Ohio, that is). So, I decided to give them a try. Although they were called pickled green beans, [...]

A Simple Home Cook

12/19/2012 05:32 PM

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Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Yesterday, I started sharing recipes from my menu of miniature foods for a dinner party at my house with miniature lamb sliders. Today, I am pushing the small bites even further by making what resembles an even smaller version of the popular bacon-wrapped scallop appetizer. The second dish is bacon-wrapped water chestnuts. Why make bacon-wrapped [...]

A Simple Home Cook

12/18/2012 05:49 PM

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Lamb Sliders and Tzatziki Sauce

When planning for a group to come over to my house, I decided to have a selection of finger foods (appetizers) instead of having a formal dinner. Although I did not have a “theme,” I did try to make as many miniature versions of dishes that I would normally make or serve in larger portions. [...]

A Simple Home Cook

12/02/2012 06:06 PM

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Homemade Fifth Avenue Candy

My sister and brother-in-law make these delicious candies every year and often give them away in Christmas gifts. This year I was lucky enough to get to make them with my sister…..you should not expect any as gift this year as I brought most of them home with me (well, minus what we ate on [...]

A Simple Home Cook

11/20/2012 05:59 PM

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Pineapple Casserole

I ran across a recipe in myThe Blue Willow Inn Cookbook: Discover Why the Best Small-Town Restaurant in the South is in Social Circle, Georgia cookbook for pineapple casserole. I had never heard of pineapple casserole before reading this recipe, but I was intrigued…especially since I just purchased a dozen cans of pineapple on sale [...]

A Simple Home Cook

11/19/2012 01:47 PM

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Mom’s Glazed Sweet Potatoes

I think one of the most requested dishes of my mom for extended family holiday gatherings was her sweet potatoes (her minced meat pie was the other). It was also one of the messiest dishes to transport as the sauce had a tendency to spill out on some turn or hill as we went; however, [...]

A Simple Home Cook

11/04/2012 04:13 PM

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Simply Roasted Turkey

It seems there are almost as many ways of cooking turkeys as there are people who cook turkeys…brine, fry, barbecue, smoke, etc. I like them all; however, some of the methods are very time consuming and involve extra tools and/or ingredients. To me, they are great for a special occasion (with the exception of an [...]

A Simple Home Cook

10/17/2012 01:32 PM

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Tropical Barbecue Pork Chops

Sometimes when my husband cooks, he tries to get creative. The results of what he ends up with are usually nothing I would even think of sharing; however, there are exceptions. Much to my surprise, his twist on my ketchup and brown sugar pork chops is one of those exceptions. They were delicious! Frankly, I [...]

A Simple Home Cook

10/07/2012 09:50 AM

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Mashed Potato Pancakes a.k.a. Potato Cakes

There were very few things my mom refused to eat and many of them had some childhood memory associated with them. Cold mashed potatoes were one of those things. She said that by the time the got to eat the mashed potatoes they were often cold. Thus at our house, mashed potatoes were one of [...]

A Simple Home Cook

10/06/2012 10:52 AM

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Simply Mashed Potatoes

Although there are times when I want to make mashed potatoes ahead or to change their texture or taste, I find myself most often making the basic mashed potatoes that my mom used to make. The ones that are smooth (or mostly smooth) and creamy. The ones that go great with gravy. Sure, they are [...]

A Simple Home Cook

10/05/2012 10:05 PM

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Tomato Shed Cafe

The Tomato Shed Cafe on John’s Island in near Charleston, South Carolina is fantastic! It has it all: friendly service, clean establishment, great tasting food, and very reasonable prices. This unique, lunch-only cafe is part of the Stono Market, which sells produce, seafood, bakery items, take-and-bake items, decorative items, cookbooks, and more. Despite the retail [...]

A Simple Home Cook

09/30/2012 04:55 PM

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Pear Cake

This moist, tasty, simple pear cake is super easy to make. Seriously, I don’t think you could ask for much more except if would not require frosting…oh wait, it doesn’t. Unlike many cakes, this pear cake is good if it is still a little warm or made the day before. It is also a very [...]

A Simple Home Cook

09/29/2012 03:42 PM

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Making Old-Fashioned Apple Butter

While there are recipes to make apple butter in a crock pot or an oven, the best apple butter is made over an open fire in a large kettle with the help of family and friends. This very old method may require a commitment, but the taste and the experience can not be matched. It [...]

A Simple Home Cook

09/28/2012 09:30 AM

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Everything is Delicious at Everything Bagels

There is a hidden treasure in Cincinnati. It is a bagel shop, Everything Bagels. Hidden from view of, yet almost next to, State Route 32 in the Eastgate area is this wonderful local gem that serves fantastic bagels and sandwiches. From the first time I ate there, it became one of my favorites and “must go-to” [...]

A Simple Home Cook

09/27/2012 06:15 PM

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Strawberry Mascarpone Filled Cake

My daughter usually wants me to make her a strawberry cake for her birthday. The first year she asked for one, I made the strawberry cake with a strawberry filling completely from scratch. Although it was good, the color was kind of muted and not extremely appealing. The second year she asked for one, I [...]

A Simple Home Cook

09/27/2012 05:59 PM

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Basic Buttercream Frosting

This frosting is a simple classic. it is easy to spread for a “crumb coating,” a filling between layers, and to frost an entire cake. Recipe: Basic Buttercream Frosting Ingredients 1/2 c. soft (room temp) unsalted butter 3 1/2 c. sifted confectioners’ sugar 1/8 tsp. salt 3 – 4 Tbsp. milk, half and half or [...]

A Simple Home Cook

09/24/2012 04:01 PM

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Luigi’s Pizzeria in Louisville, Kentucky

We almost did not eat here. We walked by it to see what else was in the area. After all, it was very close to the Louisville Slugger Museum, so we thought it was probably overpriced and not very good. After walking several blocks, we returned and took our chances. It was a very good [...]

A Simple Home Cook

09/23/2012 09:20 PM

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Cooked Rhubarb

Whether you call it stewed rhubarb, rhubarb compote, or any other name, this simple, delicious preparation of rhubarb reminds me of my mom. She just called it cooked rhubarb. She often made it from the fresh rhubarb in my parents yard or what she had frozen during the growing season. In fact, she often served [...]

A Simple Home Cook

09/23/2012 12:15 PM

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Cookie Crumb Pie Crust

Inspired to make a different type of pie crust for an amaretto cream pie, I decided to try and make a crumb crust using almond spice cookies. The result was delicious. I have found that most crisp cookies work well in this basic, simple recipe. I make either one deep dish pie or two standard [...]

A Simple Home Cook

09/23/2012 11:46 AM

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Amaretto Cream Pie

A few years ago, my husband insisted we go to the Mt. Vernon Restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee for my birthday. As it had always been our tradition for the birthday person to pick the restaurant, I was not happy about going…to say the least. To try and calm me, he explained he had been there [...]

	A Simple Home Cook
	Simple home cooking, good ideas, and great finds are found in the recipes and articles on this blog . It is written by a simple, slightly frugal home cook trying to share what she enjoys while having fun.

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