Cooking by the seat of my Pants Cooking the way it should be done. Run into the kitchen, grab a bunch of stuff out of the larder, and wing it!

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This year’s top 5 savory dishes
2007-12-20 16:41:38
It’s funny to think that this blog didn’t even exist at this time last year. In fact, I was still toying with the idea of doing it at all. Now I can’t imagine what I would do if I wasn’t. Christmas is nearly upon us, with the last of the pressies safely [...] ...

Cowboy Cookies
2007-12-14 18:01:40
What is a cowboy cookie? Where did it get its name? I have no idea, but if you ask me, this is just about th best cookie you’ll ever get yer grubby lil’ paws on, and I can’t exactly send you warm holiday wishes from the great state of Texas without sharing the [...] ...
Cookies 

Tea and Brandy. (Cookies, that is)
2007-12-13 19:24:33
‘Tis the season for giving, cheer, gifts, and cookies with a resemblance to snowballs. Today I present you with a double helping of Holiday cheer, from our home to yours. Both of these cookies are guaranteed to warm your heart, and one will warm your tummy as well! Don’t let the resemblance fool [...] ...
Cookies  Tea 

Why Giada, Why?
2007-12-12 15:34:19
This was initially slated to be one of 12 cookie recipes for the Holidays. Instead it has become December’s first Kitchen Disaster. I should have known from the recipe that these cookies would never work as promised from the recipe at Food Network. I would have been right to follow my instincts. [...] ...

Totally Rockin’ Eggnog
2007-12-10 20:42:25
There are things out there that are just too cool for words. this is one of them, andit includes a great eggnog recipe to boot! Have fun! ...

Doctor’s Orders, My Sweet Vegan
2007-12-09 14:40:47
It’s not often that I have to look at the title of a food blog post twice. But when the master of meat himself, the preeminent carnivore of the food blogging world and self proclaimed prof of meat, Dr. Biggles, PhM, of MeatHenge tells me I need to go look at a vegan Cookbook, I [...] ...
Doctor  Orders 

Mamie’s Peanut Butter Cookies
2007-12-08 01:20:37
Peanut butter cookies may not be a part of every family’s holiday assortment, but they always have been in mine. For as long as I can remember, Christmas time meant the prerequisite sugar cookies, my Aunt Thelma’s tea cookies, chocolate chip cookies, my mother’s famous wrecked fudge and my mother’s famous peanut butter cookies. This is [...] ...
Butter  Cookies  Peanut  Peanut Butter 

Mocha Caramel Cappuccino Tartelettes
2007-12-06 20:37:13
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven this time folks. I can’t even begin to do justice to the flavors and textures in this sweet dish. The first thing you are greeted with the crisp phyllo shell, then there is an explosion of espresso and chocolate so strong and rich that it nearly [...] ...

Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies
2007-12-04 15:37:18
The Holidays are the time for indulgences, meaning pastries, cookies, cakes, pies and what have you. In that spirit we’ve dusted off our baking gear for the season to bring you a slew of great recipes for you and yours. So as the dulcet tones of Twisted Sister’s “Twisted Christmas” waft through the house along [...] ...
Chocolate  Cookies 

The All I want for Christmas… Giveaway?
2007-12-04 14:43:12
Yup, I said giveaway, courtesy of Overstock .com. Is there something you’ve been wanting for Christmas that you haven’t wanted to drop hints on? Maybe it’s something that you’d love to have, but you just don’t want to ask anyone for something that expensive. Perhaps I can help you out with that. Overstock.com’s [...] ...
Christmas 

Exciting kitchen finds are only a thrift shop away.
2007-12-02 01:44:09
It’s not uncommon to find my wife and I at the Goodwill store or Salvation Army. They’re a wonderful source for unique food props, fabric scraps, etc. As most food bloggers know, you really can’t have too many different soup bowls, and my prop collection grows daily. (This is a topic for an [...] ...
Kitchen  Shop 

Sinfully Good Hot Dark Chocolate
2007-11-30 21:56:48
There’s nothing that takes me back to my childhood faster than a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Just the smell is enough to bring back the sounds of my mother’s laughter, wrapping paper tearing and my sister squealing in happiness at the latest treasure to find its way out from under the tree. [...] ...
Chocolate 

Delightful Deliveries Named one of the Hot 100 Websites
2007-11-30 17:40:46
I’ve written about Delightful Deliveries here before. I like the company and have used them in the past to send Gifts to friends and family. It’s ice to see that a food related company can be voted in as one of the top 100 retailers online. It kind of warms my heart, [...] ...
Websites 

Leftover Turkey Stew
2007-11-29 17:24:42
I Promise tht this will be the last of my leftover turkey recipes. By now we’re both most likely getting tired of turkey. Personally, I’ll be buying another while they’re still on sale, but it will be getting cut down into component parts and frozen for when the urge strikes later in [...] ...
Turkey 

Green Bean Casserole (For the rest of us)
2007-11-28 14:51:27
The first time I saw a werewolf movie as a young boy it gave me nightmares for a month. Mentioning the “classic” green bean casserole has the same effect on me. It’s terrifying. Overcooked canned beans smothered in a sodium heavy, vaguely mushroom flavored ooze and topped with rapidly softening fried onions. Who thought [...] ...
Bean 

Shopping Alert! Anolon Professional 12-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set
2007-11-27 04:06:32
I just found this deal on Amazon and I had to share it with you. Right now you can get the Anolon Professional 12-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set fo a staggering $139.00. This set normally sells for $803.00, so if you’ve even been toying with the idea of moving to new cookware, now is the time. [...] ...
Professional  Shopping 

Mini Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pies
2007-11-25 17:31:59
Just in case you weren’t aware, the pecan is the state tree of Texas, and around here pecan pies are what people think of first when the word pie is used. I may not be a native Texan, but I’ve had a love of these pies all my life. My Grandma Rosemary made a [...] ...
Chocolate 

Leftover Turkey and Dressing Casserole a.k.a. Dressing, Redressed
2007-11-24 18:30:36
“What am I going to make with all these leftovers?” It’s a pretty common phrase used during the holidays, especially after Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. The refrigerator is overflowing with half-full serving dishes or packed storage containers of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and half-a-dozen desserts still grace trays on the counter tops. Rather than going [...] ...
Dressing  Turkey 

Turkey Stock
2007-11-23 20:56:12
If you haven’t broken down your turkey just yet then there’s something I need to tell you. “Don’t throw out the carcass!” That’s right, don’t throw it out. Use it to make enough turkey stock to get you through the rest of the holidays. No matter whether you can get turkey stock in your local [...] ...
Stock  Turkey 

Giving Thanks
2007-11-22 19:10:01
Thanksgiving is a day to remember all the things in your life that bring you joy, happiness and peace. It’s a time for family, friends, feasting and togetherness. A holiday that is celebrated in many countries and in many ways, throughout the year. I personally have much to be thankful for this year. [...] ...

Good Friends, Goodbyes, and the Best Greens You’ll Ever Have
2007-11-21 17:57:53
I know that most people probably don’t think of collard greens as a part of their holiday table, but for my family they will be made every thanksgiving from now on. This dish was served last night to our dear friends Mike and Naomia, under threat of bodily injury from N. herself. (Seriously, she [...] ...
Friends 

Simply Mashed Potatoes
2007-11-20 15:13:20
Yesterday I received a request through my wife for my mashed potato recipe. Honestly, I’d never thought to post it, because to me, it’s just one of those things that I make without thinking about it. I’ve been helping my mother make mashed spuds since I was six years old and I suppose [...] ...
Mashed  Mashed Potatoes  Potatoes 

It’s all about the pants…
2007-11-19 22:18:31
Several people commented that they would like to see the “pants” in Cooking by the seat of my Pants stay as part of the design. You speak, I listen. I’m not sure where they’ll go yet, but I’ll find a way to get them in to the new layout, though not exactly the same as [...] ...
Pants 

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a…
2007-11-18 03:40:33
Logo. I’ve been using citrus fruits in my designs since the day this blog started, and in working on the new release I was looking for something memorable. I’ve found it. Cooking by the seat of my Pants now has a logo. It won’t change for as long as this blog survives. Curious yet? If [...] ...

Braised Beef Short Ribs
2007-11-16 17:24:11
Slow cooked, rich, sumptuous and packed with flavor. Braised short ribs are well worth the time and effort to make them. If you’ve had a dish like this before, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, shame on you! Rush down to the store right this minute with a [...] ...
Beef 

Spicy Kielbasa and Vegetable Soup
2007-11-16 00:47:22
With the days getting cooler and the nights downright chilly there’s nothing like a nice hot bowl of hearty soup to warm both body and spirit. Add a little extra kick to that soup and it tingles the tongue as well. If you don’t mind taking a bite of something that’s going to [...] ...
Soup  Vegetable 

When Good Cakes Go Bad
2007-11-14 20:30:58
Sometimes all the preparation in the world isn’t enough to stave off a catastrophe. This poor sorry example of what should have been a bundt cake my wife was making for her class and the staff at her school simply did not want to cooperate.  I’m not sure why the thing stick like glue to [...] ...
Cakes 

Chicken Pot Pie, the Cheater’s Version
2007-11-13 22:50:17
Chicken pot pie is one of those simple, wholesome foods that I remember from my childhood. Like may of my generation, I thought all pot pies came in boxes that were plucked ripe off the vine in the valley of the jovial chartreuse midget. (Or something like that.) They were heated, served and [...] ...
Chicken  Pie 

Frustrations
2007-11-13 21:16:29
It seems the site keeps switching back to the default theme on me.  For now, I’ve removed every theme but the one that I’m using.  I hope this stops the issue, or I may have to reinstall the whole thing from scratch.  (Which I may do anyway, but I’ll give you a lot more notice [...] ...

Wow
2007-11-13 18:36:24
OK, that was scary.  I apologize if there were a few minutes when the site was unavailable.  Upgrading will do that sometimes.  As far as I can tell, most of the site is working properly now.  I’ll be working to get the rest back up ASAP.  If you spot an issue, please contact me at [...] ...
Wow