The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Twice-Baked Potato Casserole

Merry Christmas season, my friends! Christmas is in full swing here at the house, with Christmas movies, parties, shopping, wrapping, cooking, and baking going full throttle! I have so many posts I'd like to share this month, and since cooking and baking are two of my favorite aspects of any holiday, I'll start off with some recipe posts. Twice-Baked Potato Casserole is a perfect potato dish for any special occasion or holiday year round, and can be served alongside just about any meat. A friend gave me this recipe over twenty years ago when we were in the young marrieds group together at church. She served it at a couples' shower with pork tenderloin, and before the night ended, I was ... Read more

Creamy Chicken Chili

This is about the easiest crockpot meal you can put together! I love a crockpot recipe that does not require any precooking, chopping, or other prep besides popping open some cans and a pack of meat and dropping it all in the pot. This one fits the bill! Creamy Chicken Chili Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can corn, with liquid 1 can Rotel, with liquid 1 package ranch dressing mix 1 tsp cumin 1 Tbsp chili powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 8-oz light cream cheese Place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Pour in the can of corn (with liquid), Rotel (with liquid), and rinsed black beans. Add in the ranch mix and other seasonings, and stir. Place cream ... Read more

Thanksgiving (Leftover) Soup

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! If you have leftover turkey, I've got the recipe for your weekend! I just call this soup "Thanksgiving Soup" because it has all the flavors of Thanksgiving in a soup and makes excellent use of leftover turkey.   Thanksgiving Soup ***** -Cook 1 box long grain and wild rice according to box directions; set aside. -Heat 1 Tbsp. butter in a pan. -Saute the following ingredients until golden: 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1 cup carrot, chopped 1 cup sliced mushrooms (fresh are best, but I have a can in the pantry I'll be using this weekend) 1 tsp. dried basil  & 1 tsp. dried chopped rosemary -Add in 2 cups diced ... Read more

Breaking Bread in Good Company

Yesterday was a full day in the kitchen, cooking and baking for the feast to come on Thursday. In addition to the the preparations for Thursday's meal with family, there were also preparations being made for another family meal. It's a meal we'll partake of on Sunday with our church family. Communion. Our church congregation has a rotation of ladies who prepare the bread, and I've been eager to take a turn. Working on the bread yesterday wasn't just another item on my baking list. As I mixed, rolled, and stamped the dough, I reflected on the meaning of communion, for Whom we partake it, and with whom we partake it. The Latin word for bread is "PANIS". It's the word from which our words ... Read more

Thanksgiving Week in the Kitchen

Happy Thanksgiving week! I've had several recipe posts in mind leading up to this week, but with our busy school schedule and a computer crash, I just haven't been able to make them happen. However, I'm excited to report this week that not only are we on our holiday break from school, but I'm also sporting a new computer. So, hold on to your seats because you're about to get several recipe posts in one! The table above is from last year's Thanksgiving gathering. We hosted my husband's side of the family and enjoyed so many blessings from the time together. This year, we'll be eating with my side of the family at my parents' home and are expecting a large crowd. My parents have always been ... Read more

Biltmore in Bloom

In my last post, I shared photos from our tour of the Biltmore house! Today, I'm offering a virtual stroll through the enchanting gardens around the estate's property. I captured these photos with my iphone, but now I'm really wishing I'd taken my "real” camera. Also, as with the last post, I'm fighting the urge to dive into the details and history of each image! However, I'll try and go through these in steady pace. Just the walk alone from the house to the gardens is quite a pleasant experience. There are so many beautiful areas to pass through, beginning with this wisteria-covered pergola. I’m so fond of this side view of the house when looking back after exiting the wisteria walk. The ... Read more

The Beauty of Biltmore

Oh, we had a wonderful time in lovely North Carolina two weekends ago visiting the Biltmore Estate in Asheville! And before I go any further, I have to say that I got so tickled when I previewed this post and saw my tagline "Looking well to the ways of her home" over the image of the Biltmore house! Well, I can't imagine looking well to all the ways of this massive home, but it sure is fun to visit! I would love to go through these photos with lots of detail and history, but I'm playing catch-up this week for a lot of time lost sick in bed this past weekend, so this post will be more pictures than words. Today I'll share photo highlights from our walk thru of the house, and my next post ... Read more

Jack-O’-Lantern Cheeseburger Pie

Our family is big on traditions and celebrating holidays and special occasions in big ways. However, Halloween is just not one of our favorites. The neighborhood we live in goes a little overboard on the spooky, gruesome side of Halloween and our kids have never wanted to be out in it all on Halloween night. So, we've made our own tradition of staying in and watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown while eating Jack-O'-Lantern Cheeseburger Pie! This has gone on for years and my kids still love it and look forward to it. They are not budging. Jack-O'-Lantern Cheeseburger Pie is such a tasty treat! You could easily replace the cheeseburger mixture with a meaty pizza filling, a bbq ... Read more