Savoring Flavors

06/10/2026

Sloppy Toms

No one in my family could tell I used ground turkey, so they were all surprised afterwards when I told them 😁 They all enjoyed it and said as much while they were eating, which means my improvised recipe is worth recording (seasoning amounts are estimates).

1 lb ground turkey (93/7%)
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1-2 T HP Sauce
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 T coconut aminos
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 sq**rt yellow mustard
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t Trader Joe's Umami Seasoning
1/4 t Duck Commander Cajun Seasoning
1/4 t paprika

Saute onion with meat on medium/medium high heat, sprinkling dry seasonings on it and breaking it up as you stir frequently until it's mostly cooked.

Stir in celery, mushrooms, and thin liquid seasonings. Saute for a few more minutes, then add ketchup, mustard, and HP Sauce. Simmer on medium low/low heat till celery is tender - you may need to add a little water to help this along and/or make it more saucy. Cover with a lid while you lightly toast buns. Turn off when buns are done and serve.

Odd notes: I ran out of burger buns, so I had mine on hot dog buns. I needed to use up mushrooms that were shriveling, so I hoped they would add a beefy umami to the turkey, which they did. I would say to use whatever of these ingredients you have, but they are not all needed (ketchup, mustard, worcestershire, onions, and celery is my usual base for Sloppy Joe's).

03/23/2026

Breakfast Sandwich (that I had for lunch since that's typically my first meal of the day)

Fried eggs (yolks poked), Tipperary Red Irish Cheddar with Chili Peppers, and roma tomato on toasted Dave's Killer Bread with Chosen avocado oil mayo on the tomato side and butter on the egg side, s/p (all ingredients from Costco)

03/05/2026

Surprised by cheese blessings! (and it happened at church)

Slowly savoring our way through this unexpected gift from a kind stranger...sort of...he knows my husband who told him how much I like cheese. I'm so grateful 😍🙏🏻

In just over a week, we've eaten the Barely Buzzed Cheddar (more espresso tasting than lavender, but nice and sharp), the Pierce Point (my new favorite), and most of the Red Hawk. We shared the first two with our daughter and son inlaw who also loved the Pierce Point.

Next up will be the two I happened to have just sampled recently - Mt. Tam (had a taste at the SB Cheese Shop) and Wagon Wheel (ate a piece at the Sonoma Cheese Factory). After that, I'm excited to have two new to me cheeses to try! 🧀🧀

02/21/2026

Reuben Two Ways

My husband made this for our lunch - one the traditional way on unheated bread (Oroweat Jewish Rye) and the other in the pan, grilled cheese style. The former was yummy but soggy. The latter was yummier and had a great texture.

My usual way is in between these methods - I toast the bread in the toaster and heat the other ingredients in the pan. I always dip in Dijon (you can see it in the back) and have a kosher dill, in this case Bubbie's, my favorite.

My husband made the thousand island dressing and cooked the corned beef (purchased and frozen around St. Patrick's Day last year). I bought the bread and Swiss cheese at Grocery Outlet. Sauerkraut is from Costco.

01/04/2026

Still a family favorite

Spaghetti Carbonara

This is my family's favorite meal. I adapted the recipe in The Silver Spoon to fit our American palates...

1lb bacon, chopped
24oz spaghetti
4 eggs, beaten
2-3 cups parmesan, grated
3-4 garlic cloves, minced(ish)

While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon, adding the garlic during the final minute. Turn off the heat and combine the drained pasta with the bacon (including the drippings). Quickly stir in the beaten egg and half the cheese. After that's well mixed, stir in the rest of the cheese. Optional: serve with freshly ground pepper and red pepper flakes.