Living the Pantry Lifestyle - A Recommendation and a Link

If the weather continues as it has for over a month now, we are in for a summer of record breaking heat.  As one who would probably be quite content living in parts of Alaska (those without the bears), I am not at all happy about the weather.  Since there is nothing I can do to change it, I've been concentrating instead on creating some make ahead meals that are either quick or can be made ahead and warmed up.

This past week, I experimented with homemade sausage "McMuffins".  They were so-so but I will definitely try again.  We both agreed the Thomas English Muffins were not the best for this recipe. 

As mentioned before, I stocked the freezer pantry with frozen white rice/veggie mix, frozen brown rice, and various frozen vegetables. (I already had some frozen fruit.)  I saw a cook online make a quick fried rice dish using the frozen brown rice and I'm going to try that soon.  I want to try an orzo pasta salad soon.  Orzo is one of my "always have in the pantry" pastas.

Before I get to the recommendations and blog post link, I wanted to say something about Sweet Annie from last week's Pantry Post.  I was going to add a warning and completely forgot until I was reminded by a Comment (I think it was Kristi).  If you suffer from severe hay fever allergies, then Sweet Annie is not for you as it is in that family.

I have mild hay fever and it doesn't bother me, even when it is dried.  One year when I bought a Sweet Annie wreath at our favorite historical reenactment, I was going to hang it close to the kitchen table where we lived at the time and decided that would not be a wise idea or my husband would sneeze throughout meals.  Although that may have been amusing as he wondered why my cooking suddenly made him sneeze... the devil made me write that.

I have had two cookbooks on my desk for a couple of weeks now.  Both reflect my fondness for Southern cooking and I have found great ideas and recipes in both books.  Both books contain basic, homemade recipes of food a lot of us grew up on... even if we didn't live in the South.

I think I talked about the Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Cookbook once before.  I found my all time favorite lemon bar recipe from that book.  It is fun to read, especially if you are no longer a spring chicken.  For it provides favorite recipes from various years that were featured in Southern Living magazine, including long ago classics.

Some of the recipes have the original recipe (Mama's Way) and a revised recipe (Your Way).  The latter often being either healthier, quicker, or both.  The photos are gorgeous, as one would expect from anything associated with Southern Living.

A recent Amazon purchase was the What Can I Bring cookbook.  I often stop by Barnes & Noble either before or after my eye exam each month since my doctor's office is in that part of town.  Before is better since I can actually see before getting injections in my eyes... but I will take B&N when I can go even with temporarily blurry eyesight.

I have been picking up and perusing through that book when I stop by for months now.  It is my kind of cookbook with excellent recipes, lots of fun prose to read, and beautiful photos.  In this book, most recipes are meant for when you have to take a dish to a potluck, a new mom, a road trip, someone who is ill, etc.

I finally had a month where I did not need to use my Amazon credit for birthday gifts so I ordered What Can I Bring and I haven't been sorry.  It has a lot of pantry friendly recipes.  Not to mention, it is one of those cookbooks that is fun to read.  The author is a caterer and a regular food contributor on the Today Show.

The link I'm recommending is to a site many of you probably visit already but for those who don't, I thought Rhonda's latest Down to Earth stockpiling post was excellent.  I was planning on writing another such post and she says it better than I could!  We just have to remember that it is winter there.  ;)

Once again, thank you if you enter your Amazon shopping through a link or the Widget on the sidebar.  I have pretty much zero book budget for cash purchases (sometimes I enjoy buying a new magazine at B&N) but with credit, I can add to my obsession book collections once in awhile.  Not to mention birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, and household necessities like Charlie's Soap.  Thank you!

MENTIONED IN THIS BLOG POST
Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Cookbook... here.
What Can I Bring cookbook... here.
Down to Earth blog... here.

Last week's Pantry Post... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate Links.
Image:  Cookbook & Apples