Janet's Appalachian Kitchen

Home
United States
Quinwood, WV
Janet's Appalachian Kitchen

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL PAGE FOR JANET'S APPALACHIAN KITCHEN which is operated by Janet Crow. I started this page to share my love of cooking.

Cooking has been a part of my life since I was old enough to stand on a stool and stir a pot of something helping out my Grandmothers. There may have been times in my childhood where the only thing on the table might be cornbread and milk, other times a big fat pot roast with all the trimmings. Regardless of what my parents or Grandparents put before us, it was prepared with love and we were alway

s grateful. As a cancer survivor, I appreciate the simple things in life more than ever before and that pretty much sums up my style of cooking as well. While going through treatments, cooking kept me from sinking into depression and gave me focus. Every recipe I post has been prepared in my own kitchen (or a families if I am out of town) and all the photos I post are taken by me as well. I just want to share my stories, recipes and love for life. If one day the Good Lord decides it is time for me to go home...I can only hope that this page has carried on some of the traditions and recipes that meant so much to me growing up.

08/12/2026

Homemade Salsa

We've got company coming in that will be here for a few days, our oldest grandsons, my cousin and her husband. Since I am fixing Mexican for supper, I decided to fix some salsa to go along with it. This is a simple recipe that tastes like it came from a restaurant. I did use fire roasted tomatoes, if you want to cut back on the spice, just use regular diced tomatoes. A quick snack, topping for any Mexican dish or scrambled eggs that takes only a few minutes to make.

I love making my own salsa, I used to can it but haven't done that in a few years as it is just so easy to whip up when I want some and I don't take up space in my canning pantry. Salsa is one of those things you can tweak to your liking. If we go out to eat Mexican food the chips and salsa are where I lose my will power to stop eating and I don't feel guilty for enjoying it. I'm headed back in the kitchen to finish up food prep for tonight, y'all have a great day.

Homemade Salsa

14.5 oz, can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
10 oz. can diced tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro (Rotel brand)
1/4 C. chopped onion
1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 tsp. freshly chopped jalapenos (or to taste)
pinch of cumin
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
1 tsp. lime juice

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse 2-3 times. Pour into a serving dish, cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour prior to serving.

08/11/2026

"Tuesday's Tips"
Is Paying More Worth It?

The other day I found myself in a pickle when it came to my usual ordering of cornmeal. If you remember a few months back the brand I've used for many years, Hudson Cream, started using bioengineered products in their cornmeal. After a conversation with them, they lost me as a loyal customer since they were now using this ingredient. After searching out a new brand that did not have bioengineered ingredients, I found Pearl Milling at Walmart which sold 5 lb. bags for $3.96. When I realized I had opened my last bag I went to reorder and it's no longer available, at least in a 5 lb. bag. I could get a 2 lb. box of it for $4.32, but to me I felt I could find a better deal, so I kept looking.

While I could easily save money and buy the brands like Martha White, Hudson Cream, store brand, etc., and pay a lot less, I really want to steer away from as many bioengineered ingredients as possible, which isn't easy anymore. I spent half the morning doing my research to find a brand that I felt good about using since we eat a lot of cornbread, especially my father-in-law. What I found is that if I was willing to pay more, a lot more, I could get what I was looking for. As an example at Walmart, I could get 5 lbs. of Indian Head Stone Ground Cornmeal which is NON-GMO and only uses organic corn for $8.80. Then I tried searching for what I wanted on Amazon, I could not believe the prices they were asking for what I was looking for and for only 2lb. products.

Finally, I stumbled up a site that had done all the research for me, listing the top 10 brands of NON-GMO and uses only organic corn. I decided on purchasing Iberia Fine Cornmeal in a 4 lb. package for $5.99, I bought 24 pounds of it which I will freeze for 24 hours then store in food grade buckets. While I ended up paying more for a pound less in product, I was happy to have been able to find something that was a product I wanted and at a price that was more affordable than I thought it would be.

As my husband told me, it's going to get harder and harder to find products that are not bioengineered, they are out there and I'm finding store brands are more likely to not contain those ingredients as opposed to name brands. Is it worth paying more to avoid these products well to me it is TO A POINT. There comes a time where I may have to give in as I can't afford to go too far out of our grocery budget to feed us so one day I may have to give in, but it it's only a dollar here or there I will pay more.

What's your thoughts? Is it worth paying more or does it really not matter whether it's bioengineered or not.

08/10/2026

General Tso's Chicken with Broccoli and Pineapple

In rounding my week of not eating the same ole same ole last week I fixed this General Tso's chicken Saturday for supper. The sauce hit the spot waking up those old taste buds of mine and the addition of broccoli and pineapple made it a hearty meal. I did use chicken tenders which is what I had in the freezer, but a couple of chicken breasts will work if that's what you have or use dark meat if you prefer.

We lost a dear family member over the weekend; Carole was a wonderful Southern cook and supporter of my page since I started it back in 2013. She was the same age as my Daddy which really made me appreciate that he is still in good health. We just never know when the good Lord will call us home do we? I also learned over the weekend that my 35 year old daughter who lives in Georgia found Jesus and was saved at church and will be baptized next Sunday evening which I will get to watch live online. She has been troubled with demons for years, but she reached out and took Jesus's hand to walk alongside her now. It's not always easy having family scattered about in several states but a phone call can make it feel like they are right next door sometimes.

General Tso's Chicken with Broccoli and Pineapple

10 oz. pkg. "steamable" frozen broccoli
1, 8 oz. can sliced pineapple, drained and chopped
1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders or boneless breasts or thighs
1/2 C. corn starch
1/2 C. cold water
1/4 C. soy sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. hoisin sauce
2 T. sugar
1 T. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more if desired)
oil of choice for frying

Steam the broccoli according to pkg. directions, set aside. Cut the chicken into 1" pieces and place in a ziploc bag. Add the cornstarch to the bag, seal and shake to coat all the chicken. Add 1/4" of oil to a frying pan. Fry the chicken in batches, shaking off excess cornstarch when you add it to the pan. Fry till lightly golden all over and chicken is cooked through, remove to a plate. Drain off any oil in the pan.

Combine the water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Add to the skillet and bring up to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often while it slightly reduces. Add the broccoli and pineapple, cook for 3-4 minutes then add the chicken back to the skillet, tossing in the sauce. Cook for another minute or so to heat the chicken. Serve over cooked rice and give a sprinkle of sesame seeds if desired.

08/07/2026

Soft Sandwich Bread

We are getting some of the most beautiful heirloom tomatoes from our garden right now and our romaine lettuce is still producing so I decided to make a loaf of homemade bread this morning and have an ultimate BLT sandwich for lunch (I'll put a picture in the comments). This is the softest sandwich bread that is delicious for any sandwich. It's made with bread flour which gives the loaf it's softness and uses milk instead of water. It also is the one recipe that I've made that lasts the longest for homemade bread. It keeps well up to a week. I do use a stand mixer when I make this which is how the recipe is written but if you don't have a stand mixer you can easily do this by hand.

I had to run to the grocery store this morning and even though I didn't need any fresh produce today, our gardens are doing well at supplying what we need right now, I did go through the produce section as it's right at the front of the store. I noticed things were bare and I mean bare. There were very few fresh berries and produce on the shelves, including bananas which I did plan to buy. One of the workers I know well there was in that department gathering up items for clearance and I ask her what was going on. She told me that their inventory is very low but "imported" inventory should be arriving next week. I jokingly said, "and it comes with a higher price too", she said "and then some, I've seen the pricing sheets and I'm not paying what they are going to be asking". If you look back at my Tuesday's Tips posts where I've shared what is coming in the later part of the year, then you know what all this means. It's not just produce, these imports will affect many areas of the grocery store and I'm already seeing it in mine. When I made this bread early today, I was thankful for the flour I currently have stored but in the back of my mind I knew it was not enough to get me through the Winter, so I am going to make sure that problem is remedied soon. If you enjoy homemade breads, grains will also be going up so now is the time to prepare. Just a heads up, things may be different at your stores.

Have a Blessed weekend!

Soft Sandwich Bread

1 C. + 3 T. whole milk, warmed to 98 degrees
2 tsp. instant yeast (or active if that's what you have)
2 T. sugar
2 T. avocado oil
3 C. bread flour
2 tsp. salt

Add the milk, yeast, sugar and oil to the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow to sit for 5 minutes then add the flour and salt. Begin mixing on low speed for 1 minute then increase to high speed for 3 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1-2 hours till doubled.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle, you will be baking in a 9x5 loaf pan so make sure the width is the size of the pan. Roll up the bread and pinch the seams, tuck the ends under and place in a buttered loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour, the top of the loaf should be over the top of the loaf pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Brush the top with butter while hot once removed from the oven.

Allow the bread to cool for 1 hour before slicing.

08/06/2026

"Throwback Thursday"
Mexican Hot Mess

I shared this recipe back in 2019 and it's what I'm fixing for supper tonight. I'm still on my "I'm tired of the same ole same ole" so this will hit the spot. It's a favorite in my house and so easy to make.

I'm curious, is it just me or do others get into the rut of cooking and eating the same things? I find myself more and more in this rut and trying to come up with new ideas to jazz up old favorites. I know, if it's not broke don't fix it, but sometimes a tweak or two brings out new flavors in an old favorite. Daddy has always been that way, maybe I'm starting to understand why in my older years. Nannie Hembree would cook a meal and sit down to the table and not want to eat a bite. I didn't understand that either but now I think I do. I can crave something, fix it, sit down to eat and not want it. Now, that doesn't happen too often, things that I wake up craving and not eating once fixed, but it does happen. I'm hoping this will pass and soon, but until then I'm enjoying trying to come up with new ideas for me and to share with y'all.

Mexican Hot Mess

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1.25 oz. pkt. taco seasoning
15.5 oz can chili hot beans, undrained
4 oz. diced green chilies
2 T. taco sauce
4 oz. pkt. velvetta cheese sauce
4 C. slightly crushed, tortilla chips
1 1/2 C. grated cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions for topping

Brown the ground beef in a skillet, about 3/4 of the way through add the onion and cook till meat is done. Drain well, add the taco seasoning, beans, chilies and taco sauce, combine well and stir in the cheese sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

In a 2 quart casserole dish, place 2 C. of the tortillas in the bottom, top with the meat mixture and 1 C. of cheese. Add the remaining 2 C. tortillas and then the remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Top with lettuce, tomato and green onions before serving.

08/05/2026

Hodgepodge Snack Mix

When Daddy and my daughter came for a visit a few weekends ago, I knew I wanted to have something on hand for us to snack on. Daddy like crackers, peanuts and pretzels so I came up with this hodgepodge snack mix, mixing together a couple of recipes I have for snack mixes. As Daddy said "it's addicting" because one handful is not enough. This made a big bowl full, and they were only here 2 days and what little bit was left went home with him. It's a great snack for when you have company, even to bring to a potluck or family gathering for the holidays which are coming sooner that we think. Use your imagination here, while I used crackers, nuts and pretzels, you could add corn or wheat chex, heck anything your family likes.

I didn't get a post in yesterday as Zaylee and I took off for a girl's day after her band practice. We stopped for a little lunch then headed to Goodwill where we found a lot of bargains. We also headed to Walmart for some comparison shopping as I'm already noticing price increases in my local grocery store on items I normally purchase. I had my list to compare prices, and she enjoyed helping in the hunt to find the best price...if available. Needless to say, Walmart beat Kroger in the majority of items on my list. It was also a good life lesson for Zaylee as she learned the best price is not always at eye level; you have to look around. I did add to my pantry stock on things I knew I would need within the next few months just to save a few dollars over what my local store has it priced. It's getting down to that timeframe I've talked about in "Tuesday's Tips" where we all will start feeling the pinch in our pocketbook.

Hodgepodge Snack Mix

9 oz. box Cheez-it Grooves White Sharp Cheddar
6 oz. original Cheez-its
1 1/2 C. peanuts
1 1/2 C. pretzel sticks that have been broken in half
6 T. salted butter, melted
2 T. ranch seasoning mix
2 T. worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese

Add both Cheeze-its, peanuts and pretzels to a bowl. Whisk together the next 5 ingredients. Pour over the cracker mixture and toss to coat well. Spread onto a large baking sheet, try to get in a single layer. Bake in a 250 degree oven for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Remove and allow to cool. Once cooled, sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the mixture, tossing to mix then place in an airtight container.

08/03/2026

Mongolian Noodles and Ground Beef

Over the weekend I was glancing through some old church cookbooks and ran across this recipe which sounded really good to me. I decided to fix it today and I was surprised at just how tasty this was. It has the flavors of mongolian beef that I enjoy from a Chinese restaurant but with noodles and ground beef. It's a little sweet and a little spicy, if you don't care for the spice, you can leave out the red pepper flakes. A simple dish that's full of flavor and very easy to make.

As I was fixing up my fried squash, green tomatoes and onions yesterday for lunch, I shared that recipe with y'all Friday, I got to thinking back to when Nannie Polly would fix pretty much the same meal every week, especially when the garden came in. I never tired of eating it as a child and even young adult, but I have to say that I'm tired of the same things now. I ate on that fried veggie dish and saved the rest to share with my father-in-law and after having it a few days before and then again Saturday I was over squash and green tomatoes...at least for the time being. It's not like I'm in a rut as I do cook various dishes for us but lately, I'm wanting something completely different from what I normally fix. We will be eating on many of our favorite comfort meals come Winter, which will be here before we know it, so for now I'm going to try to come up with some new ideas for meals that's just a bit different, like this recipe.

Mongolian Noodle and Ground Beef

8 oz. linguine pasta
1 lb. ground beef
2/3 C. beef broth
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/3 C. hoisin sauce
1/4 C. packed brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Cook the linguine according to pkg. directions. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off the grease and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook over med. heat for 10 minutes.

When linguine is cooked, drain and add to the ground beef mixture, stirring to combine and coat the linguine in the sauce. Enjoy!

07/31/2026

Crispy Fried Squash, Green Tomatoes and Onions

Remember me telling you about the concoction I was planning on making with some of the squash from the garden well this is it and it surpassed my expectations. Y'all, I hate to say it, but it was better than Mama's fried okra with green tomatoes which I love. I pretty much used the same method but used cajun seasoning (Slap Your Mama brand) and it was delicious. I had 2 helpings with supper then warmed up the leftovers in the air fryer for breakfast. I took Zaylee's advice and dipped it in ranch dressing, over the top! I'm waiting on more squash so I can make a double batch this weekend, it's soooo good!

Zaylee really doesn't like certain veggies cooked, she would rather have them raw, but she has slowly come around to fried veggies, nothing like me as a child because I was pickin' fried veggies from the pan as they were being fried up. I loved those Summertime suppers at Nannie Polly's house. Papa would bring up all kinds of veggies from the garden like corn, okra, squash, tomatoes, etc., she would have the pressure cooker full of fresh crowders or green beans, cut the corn off the cob and make the best creamed corn then fry up the squash and okra and have big slices of beefsteak tomatoes on the side. Hot biscuits and cornbread and big glassed of sweet tea that had been brewed in the sun. We ate till our bellies were about to pop then sat around the table talking about everyone's workday. The adults all lit up a cigarette except Papa he would pull out a chew of his Red Man and Mama who didn't smoke at all. Plates were ashtrays back then; smoking wasn't looked down upon as it is today. Daddy and I spent time sharing in that same memory while he was visiting last weekend, sharing all the things we did as a family back in the day. We both agree that those days were better than today's times, life was simpler, slower and families were together without distractions.

Y'all have a Blessed weekend!

Crispy Fried Squash, Green Tomatoes and Onions

1 medium yellow squash, chopped into bite size pieces
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 small green tomato, chopped
1/2 C. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C. all purpose flour
2 T. cornmeal
oil of choice for frying

Place the veggies in a bowl, add the buttermilk, 1 tsp. of cajun seasoning and the salt. Stir to mix, cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. In a ziploc bag add the flour, cornmeal and remaining cajun seasoning, shake to mix. When ready to fry heat 1/2" oil to 350 degrees. Remove the veggies from the buttermilk and add to the flour mixture. Shake well to coat them. Fry in batches till golden brown, this doesn't take long. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

07/30/2026

"Throwback Thursday"
Zucchini Egg Muffins

One thing we didn't plant in the garden this year was zucchini; I couldn't give that stuff away last year from all we had. I did dehydrate a lot of it, just so I can make these muffins and zucchini bread. I shared this recipe in 2020; they are my two oldest grandson's absolute favorite. Cole will send me a picture of them every time he makes them. They are easy and delicious and they also freeze well.

It has felt like Fall the past couple of days. Cool, breezy and sunny but mostly cool as I have been wearing my bathrobe all day. There were moments yesterday that I was praying for a hot flash. For the end of July to feel like October is just a little strange to me. August may come in hotter than satans housecat as Nannie Polly used to say so I may be wishing for these cooler temperatures soon. It does make for cozy naps under a blanket rather nice in the afternoons, something I've done the past few days. I stopped napping for a while, but I realized I felt better in the evening when I took a 30-minute nap, so I try to get one in these days. Do you take time out for naps?

Zucchini Egg Muffins

1 T. butter
1/4 C. finely chopped onion
1 medium zucchini, grated
5 large eggs
1/4 C. half & half
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
good pinch each of salt and pepper
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter over medium high heat in a skillet. Add the onion and zucchini and cook for about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let slightly cool. In a bowl, whisk together the next 5 ingredients. Stir the veggies and cheese into the egg mixture, combining well. Spray 8 cups of a muffin tin with cooking spray and divide the mixture between them. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Once out of the oven let them set a couple of minutes as they will slightly deflate.

07/29/2026

Summer Squash Casserole

Our gardens are coming in strong right now and keeping me rather busy. Yesterday I put up squash and fixed this casserole and today I've got the pressure canner going with 14 pints of green beans in it and still more to can. I'm so happy to be able to preserve our gardens for us. My husband is not a real fan of yellow squash but he's coming around, and he had 2 helpings of this casserole. It was good, but for him to ask for more, I was surprised as he really liked it. There is no boiling the squash prior to baking, just mix it all together and pop it in the oven.

He just brought in more squash from the garden so I'm experimenting with it for a late lunch for me today. It's getting fried up with green tomatoes and onions from the garden, so I'm hoping for good results as I'm hungry. Nannie Polly fried squash to perfection. It wasn't pretty by any means, but it was so delicious. I could not wait to visit with them in the evenings when the squash was in because she fried it up just about every night for supper and that saucer in the oven would have the leftovers that I would eat. If my new squash concoction turns our as I'm hoping, I'll share it with y'all soon.

Summer Squash Casserole

1 lb. yellow squash, sliced to 1/8" thinness
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
6 T. milk
2 T. melted butter + 1 T. for topping
1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C. crushed buttery round crackers
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Put the squash in a mixing bowl. Fry up the bacon till crispy, remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain, add the onions to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the bacon and onions to the squash along with the egg, milk, melted butter, 1 C. of the cheese and 1 C. of the crackers along with salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove and top with 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese and 1/2 C. crushed crackers, dot with the remaining butter. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Address

Po Box 152
Quinwood, WV
25981

Website

https://jcrow216.wixsite.com/janetsaplcnkitchen

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Janet's Appalachian Kitchen posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed Food & Beverage Service in Quinwood?