The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Wrapping Up Apple Month 🍏🍎

Hello and HAPPY FALL! I'm so happy we can officially say it's fall now! Today's post will be my last of the September apple recipes. I have 2 new recipes to share and then I'll give a quick run-down of all the apple recipes on my blog so you can have them in one post. Ok, here goes! Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie Anyone opposed to starting with dessert? Good because I've got a delicious one to share today. It's Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie and I try to make it sometime during the fall or for Thanksgiving. It is just heavenly! This recipe is by Brown Eyed Baker, and you can find the link here. Next is a savory Apple and Cheddar Stuffed Chicken that I love to make in ... Read more

Apple Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Here's an easy and delicious recipe for a salad that suits the season! I like to put out the following ingredients and let everyone build it the way they want: Fresh spinach Chopped grilled chicken Chopped bacon Blue cheese Toasted pecans Sliced apples (pears are delicious too!) Dried cranberries Apple cider vinaigrette— this one is delicious! I serve this salad as a whole meal with the chopped chicken or as a side to a chicken or pork dish. I love the flavors and textures in this salad! The sweet apples, savory bacon, pungent blue cheese, chewy cranberries, crunchy pecans, and tangy vinaigrette— it’s my idea of a perfect salad! ... Read more

Apple Brie Stuffed Chicken

Hey friends, I've got a delicious apple recipe today that you can put on your September "Apple Month" menu! Last night I was going to make a cheddar apple stuffed chicken recipe that is one of our favorite fall meals but decided late in the day to switch to a new recipe with brie cheese that I've wanted to try. This recipe is all over the internet so I wouldn't even know who to give credit to, and I made my own adjustments anyway. I'll give you a little run-through with photos and then attach the printable recipe. I washed and patted dry 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast and cut slits into them to create a pocket. Then I seasoned them lightly with salt and pepper, both sides plus ... Read more

The Story of Two Apple Cakes

Happy September, everyone! And Happy Apple Month!! I'm excited to have apples back in season and back on my table in the form of different recipes. My first apple post this year has a little history behind it so this is the story of two apple cakes which starts with the story of two cookbooks. In high school, I worked in the food court of a mall.  My manager's husband worked at a bank and so at Christmastime when she bagged up some goodies for the employees, she included his bank's cookbook called All Aboard, Alabama. I can assure you that I was the only 16-year-old working at that yogurt shop that was actually thrilled to be given a cookbook for a Christmas bonus, ha! I had cooked ... Read more

Fruit Yogurt Smoothies

Smoothies are a favorite in the breakfast rotation around here. My daughter takes hers on-the-go so she can drink it on her way to her preschool job. My son likes his with a muffin or some toast before we begin our school day. I'll usually save mine to sip on throughout the midmorning while we're doing school. I recently had a request to share my smoothie recipe (Hi, Laura!). I know some of you may already have a favorite smoothie recipe, but if not, here's our quick go-to smoothie! Fruit Yogurt Smoothie In a blender, combine: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (regular yogurt works too--just use less or no milk) 1/4 cup milk (more if preferred thinner) 1 frozen banana, broken ... Read more

Kids in the Kitchen, Part 2: Get Them Eating!

Maybe the title of this post should be "Get Them Trying" because I can't make any guarantees, ha! But I have something to share today that I found in my recipe binders while cleaning out. It was a fun little experiment I did with my girls when they were young and I was trying to find healthy(-ish) recipes they could enjoy. I made these cards that I called "New Recipe Survey" and placed them on the dinner table anytime I tried a new recipe. I found that my girls were more enthusiastic about trying a new food if they could leave a review. It was fun for them and gave them the opportunity to respectfully offer their input. Above is what a blank card looked like and below are some of ... Read more

Kids in the Kitchen, Part 1: Get Them Cooking!

As I was cleaning out my cookbooks and recipe binders this summer, I came across so many sweet memories of my children in the kitchen and I realized wow, my kids really liked being in the kitchen! From an early age they were all eager to "help" and were proud to get the jobs of washing fruit, peeling veggies, stirring pots, adding ingredients, and setting the table. Let me just gush a second and say my kids were super cute in the kitchen! I remember that my first daughter at age 2 loved nothing more than to scrub things with the vegetable scrubber while standing on a chair at the sink (Do kids still stand on chairs?). She was so happy doing her scrubbing and I was tickled to have a cute ... Read more

Recipe Binders

As part of my summer organizing, I knew I had to get my recipes back under control. They were such a mess! I've had a great system for about 10 years, but it was time to clean it back up. I'm not talking so much about cookbooks today although I did straighten them and take out a couple to donate. Instead, I'll be talking about those loose recipes you tear out of a magazine, print off Pinterest, or have on a recipe card. When we moved to this house 11 years ago, I came with all my cookbooks and a big basket of those loose recipes. There were so many that anytime I wanted to use a particular one, I had to thumb through the entire stack. This hadn't been a problem when I first started the ... Read more