Vegetables & Sides Archives | The Sparrow's Home

Cheesy Potato Soup…Yes Please

March 5, 2018 by Susan

I have been making this soup since 1991. (Not this exact pot of soup, that would be weird….and gross). When I moved to Atlanta to go to college, my mom send me with a stack of recipes. This creamy, cheesy, potato soup soon made its way to the top of the stack. And once I made it, it became a regular.

It’s so simple, and can be easily doubled for a crowd.

I made a big pot this week to take for lunch with some dear friends, and of course had to leave a bowl for Greg. It is rich and filling, but still made better with a dip of some fresh baked bread, if you ask me.

Retro Curry Shrimp Spread

January 18, 2018 by Susan

I call this retro because I’m pretty sure it’s a recipe that my mom got in the 1960s. That, and something about it just screams cocktail party. It was at every event my mom hosted…from bridge groups to neighborhood parties. And while I wouldn’t have dreamed of eating cold shrimp in any other setting, something about this creamy, flavorful dip hit all the right notes. Plus, it had a funny name: Shrimp Pu Pu.

We prefer to call it dip. Or spread. Or just yum!

It’s super simple.

Super Fresh & Simple Orange Cranberries

December 21, 2017 by Susan

It doesn’t get much easier than this recipe for fresh orange cranberry sauce. Some might call it relish, but to me relish is a condiment, something you put on a hot dog. This is meant to be eaten by the spoonful, like a more traditional cranberry sauce.

As long as I can remember, these were the cranberries that we had on our Thanksgiving table. The bright, jewel-like red color of the cranberries makes a perfect showing for Christmas dinner as well.

One of the best things is how well leftovers last. They are great for breakfast, or alongside a sandwich for lunch. I’ve also stirred in a little leftover whipped cream for a tasty treat. My sister taught me something new just this year when she described how she puts some in the freezer, and then scrapes off the frozen icee mixture. (And yes, I do have some in my freezer now). Yum!!

Wild Rice & Cornbread Stuffing

November 30, 2017 by Susan

Does it matter to you if I call this stuffing or dressing? I think that technically anything not baked in the bird is called dressing. However, I associate the word dressing with the gloppy wet side dish my grandma made that I refused to eat. It didn’t look tasty.

So this may technically be dressing, but I call it stuffing. Either way, major yum!

I am a real fan of traditional stuffing. But I’m an even bigger fan of this unique and amazingly delicious wild rice and cornbread stuffing. The slightly nutty wild rice and slightly sweet cornbread make the perfect combination.

If you’re looking for something new to try, I highly suggest this recipe.

The Tastiest Homemade Popcorn

June 20, 2017 by Susan

A good, big, pot of old-fashioned stovetop homemade popcorn is one of the most wonderful things, don’t you think?

I have fond memories of my dad making popcorn this way when I was young. As I grew older (think: college years) microwave popcorn was so much easier, so the old ways took a backseat. Well, they eventually took back over the driver’s seat and now it’s all I make. Oh, I’ll occasionally pick up the microwave stuff for my kids. But truly, almost never.

Why? Because the homemade version is SO much better and SO stinkin’ easy!

Baked Rice: The Easy, No-Mess Way to Cook Rice

May 31, 2017 by Susan

Cooking rice is messy. No matter how large of a pot I use, it boils over and leaves a starchy, sticky mess on my stovetop. I even tried a rice cooker. It sputtered the same sticky splatters and had parts that got coated in the muck that I had to wash each time. Gah!

Then I started reading about baked rice. Baking rice in the oven eliminates all the mess. It sounds too good to be true, I know.

But it’s not!