Easy Peasy Garlic Parmesan Knots

This recipe contains pre-made dough for biscuits, and Parmesan from the little green can. I'm taking lots of shortcuts lately. Normally I would be ashamed. Not today my friends, not today! These are so delicious warm from the oven, and they take 15 minutes or less to make!

I'm still on my comfort foods craving kick, and last night my mind was filled with the memory of big plates of my grandmothers spaghetti. I'm also still on a "this meal is not complete without crafty little sides" kick, so my mind next wandered to a post I saved for garlic knots. The mister loooves garlic. And I love when the mister loves his dinner!

 

Pair these with spaghetti, smothered in a thick meaty red sauce, as a side to a big hearty salad, as a crowd pleasing finger food for BBQs, or even a pretty alternative to buttered rolls with a seafood dish.

Hearty Chili with a Honey Cornbread Hat

Lately I've been craving homestyle comfort foods. Meals with lots of gravies or sauces, something with meat and soothing flavors. Meals that warm you from the inside... which is weird, seeing as how it's summer. That's weird, right? They are things that make me think of my dad cooking in the kitchen while I was growing up. Cowboy foods always make me think of him, though Im not entirely sure why. Maybe because he is wearing a cowboy hat and worn through jeans in every childhood photo I've seen.

Chili is a big hit in our house, mister really loves a good chili. But with all of my baby hormones swirling around affecting my taste buds, a bowl of chili just didn't seem fully complete. What could I pair with it? Cornbread! What could make it more comforting than cornbread? Mmm, warm, crumbly, sweet cornbread.

Now, unfortunately I haven't perfected a cornbread recipe enough to feel comfortable posting it on the blog. I have a bunch saved to try from other bakers, but I haven't made any of them yet. So this doesn't include instructions for homemade cornbread. And, honestly, getting into my third trimester has me simultaneously getting in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible - I took a shortcut with two little Jiffy cornbread mixes and added a tablespoon of some locally harvested honey.
Always include honey in your cornbread. It should be a rule.
(And I hate honey. So obviously it does something miraculous.)

Rustic Irish Soda Bread

I have a really terrible track record with bread. Or, at least, if one previous experience the day after Christmas counts as a track record, then yes, it's terrible. I have a feeling it's my Achilles heel. It was the first thing I used my brand new KitchenAid for, which I ended up receiving two of. I talked Misters head off about it every time I mentioned baking - i.e. constantly - and my family knew it had been on my "wish list" for years. I ended up opening one from Mister on Christmas and the next one arrived a day later via FedEx from my insanely thoughtful family back home. Communication people. It saves money.

And as a side note let me take this one sided conversation as an opportunity to say I love my KitchenAid. My KitchenAid(s)? I would make shiny little candy apple red mixing babies with them if I could. The first thing I did after tearing the wrapping away was sit on the floor holding the box, crying tears of joy and clinging to it's arrival in my life. Sounds like I'm exaggerating but no, Im serious.

Pretty sure we cuddled in this position until sunrise.

So after taking the past half year to heal from that awful, awful, first bread experience I decided today was the day. Yes, it must have been a fluke! I followed the recipe to a t! Here's this great Tuesday with Dorie Irish Soda Bread with only four ingredients! Awesome! Let's go!