Hiking can be the perfect way to spend a day outside of the RV, but only if you pack enough food to sustain you. We all know the pains of packing lunches—you’ve probably either packed your own lunch for a day at work, or you’ve made school lunches for your kids. It’s amazing how a […]
10 RV-Friendly Meals To Cook While Camping
Cooking while camping can seem like a daunting task. Problems like food storage, time management, and limited counter space can make having home-cooked meals seem impractical. Even with access to electricity, you might be tempted to skip the wholesome meals and head to a fast food restaurant. On the other hand, it’s important to remain happy and healthy […]
Kitchen Essentials: Cooking With Dried Beans
It always surprises me when I meet people who don’t know how to cook. This is what led me to write my Food Camp cookbook, a guide for adults who never learned the basic recipes that serve as the foundation for most any successful meal. For the next few months here on Great Plates, we […]
Soups for a Cold Winter’s Day
If you close your eyes, you can probably see it as clearly as I can: sturdy stoneware bowls filled with rich, hearty soups that warm you up just looking at them. With winter in full swing, my cravings always seem to lean toward the comfort foods of my youth. As soon as the mercury dips, […]
A Healthy Take on Pot Roasts
When I think back, there are only a handful of home-cooked meals that I remember from my childhood. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of delicious food over the years—usually made by the loving hands of my dear Granny—but only a few of those dishes were worthy of being committed to long-term memory. Granny’s […]
Classic Old-Fashioned Desserts
The first version of this month’s column never saw the light of day. You see, I was going to follow the trends and make October the official Pumpkin Spiced Great Plates Month. Unfortunately, I struggled greatly while writing that version because I have a confession to make: I don’t like pumpkin spice…anything. To be fair, […]
Comfort Food Recipes for Fall
Late this month the long, hot summer will give way to fall, and I for one will be happy to see it arrive. To help you get ready for those nights when you need a sweater for your evening stroll, we are going to dive into two comfort food favorites: lentils and chicken soup. Both […]
Recipes for Fresh Tomatoes
Is there anything from the summer garden as beloved as the tomato? There is nothing I love more from my garden, and August is the peak of flavor and freshness. This is the time of year when devoted gardeners are often found in the kitchen, lovingly cleaning and processing bushels of homegrown produce to preserve […]
3 No Heat Recipes for Summer
Summer is here, and home gardens and farmers markets alike are flush with the vibrant colors and robust flavors of fresh onions, tomatoes, peppers and herbs. There are so many fresh food options during these months that I’m half-tempted to argue with crooner Andy Williams that summer is, in fact, the most wonderful time of […]
Picnics & Potlucks
Get-togethers are the high point of spring and summer. It just doesn’t get any better than a day in the sun with friends, family and paper plates loaded with delicious home cooked food. This month we’re going to make some of my favorite picnic and potluck recipes to get you ready for your next cookout. […]
Pizza Perfection
Nothing brings people together quite like pizza. Of course you should start with a crust that is the perfect balance between golden crunch and soft, doughy center, that is unless you prefer the distinctive crunch of thin crust, or the thick, billowy mouth feel of a French bread pizza. Whatever your taste, chances are that […]