Work of the Heart

I blogged and did a IG live recently and made a cheeseball. You can see the blog post here. Cheeseballs are a fantastic item to serve at a gathering. They are easy, appetizing and unpretentious. You can make them any flavor to fit what you are looking for. This last weekend we were swimming at a friends house and I wanted to bring something for us to snack on. I made a Italian flavored cheeseball. Think of the flavors of an Italian sub, but in a cheeseball! So good. I like to mix my cheeseballs in an electro mixer... but that’s not necessary. It just needs to be well mixed. Ingredients: 2 finely chopped peperocinos 2 finely chopped cherry peppers 1 block of softened cream cheese 1/2 packet of Italian dressing (dry) 1/4 cup Parmesan Coating: 1-2 tablespoons of dried parsley 2-3 pieces of hard salami, chopped finely (blotted w/a paper towel to remove extra oil) 1/4 cup Parmesan Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Well, it’s that time again. It’s about to be back to school. This year looks different, but regardless of what your school is doing this fall there are things you are going to need this fall. If your house is like mine, school supplies and craft supplies are running low.  Between finishing school at home and quarantine... we are making due. Here in GA, we are starting back to school as normally as can be anticipated. Masks included, if possible. My elementary age kiddo is pretty good on clothes, but definitely needs somethings to start the year. These are a few things that I have bought or will be buying in addition to the required school supplies. First, as a third grader... she needed a bigger backpack. Lands End is my very favorite place to order back packs and lunch bags! They are wonderfully made and hold up so well. My kids love the prints. The website allows you to filter the size of the backpack based on height. For me, this makes shopping for a backpack SO much easier.

Making chicken stock at home. I have been making chicken stock at home for years.  I used to use the crock pot or stove top....but it was an all day adventure.  Now with the instant pot it is SOOOO much easier.  We smoke whole chickens.  So we always have the chicken bones left.  If you cook whole chickens or even get rotisserie chickens from your local store, you can make chicken stock too.  Recently I have seen much on the health front  about the benefits of drinking bone broth. From gut health to joint mobility.  Rich and nutritious broth is all the rage. One of the reasons I like to make my own stock is I have control of what I put in it.  I can control the salt content.  If you have dietary restrictions this is huge.  I have friends who have family members who can not eat onions. Making your own stock is a perfect way to ensure that you have the rich flavor and nutritional content that your family can tolerate. We are big soup eaters in the fall and winter.  I make sur