My grandmother lived in a small town in Arkansas, the town where my father grew up. She died when I was six, so my memories of her are somewhat limited. But those I do have are vivid to me, though undoubtedly burnished through the patina of time. I particularly remember visiting her with my brother in early summers, when we had relatively free reign of the area around the … [Read more...] about Orange Slice Candy Squares
Snacks
Pralines for Idiots
Candy making is not something I typically try my hand at. All that talk about thermometers and stages and testing methods. Those recipes always look like the kind of thing I don’t have the patience for. Plus, once you’ve been badly burned by hot sugar, it makes you candy-shy. But this is an exception. I call it Pralines for Idiots, because it really does away with all that … [Read more...] about Pralines for Idiots
Green Chile Cheese Puffs
I love these little puffs. They are tender and cheesy with a nice bite from the green chiles and couldn’t be easier to make. They are a great nibble to start a family taco night but are also elegant enough for the swankiest party. Green Chile Cheese Puffs I love the extra little hit of smoked paprika on top, but use sweet paprika if that’s what you have. ½ pound … [Read more...] about Green Chile Cheese Puffs
Butterscotch Babies
Every once in a while, it’s nice to take a step out of the brownie box. Technically, I suppose these qualify as a blondie, but for some reason, that term has always bugged me. I don’t really remember where this recipe came from, but I seem to remember cleaning out the panty and finding a surfeit of butterscotch chips (probably from Apple Pie Bars) and improvising these babies … [Read more...] about Butterscotch Babies
Bacon Popcorn
Bacon Popcorn. Yep. How about a giant bowl of this in front of the big game? Slightly sweet, perfectly salty with the amazing flavor of crispy bacon. Popcorn cooked in bacon fat is nothing new. I imagine it was a popular method before cooking oil could be readily bought and folks were a bit more thrifty about waste. I often use bacon fat from my stove-side canister to … [Read more...] about Bacon Popcorn
