I don’t know about where you are, but where I am it is currently snowing.  I can’t believe that it’s just the beginning of December and we have already had snow several times.  It definitely seems like we are in for a loooooong, colllllllld winter.  When the temperatures are this cold, all I want is soup.  So I guess you can expect a lot of soup recipes from me here in the next several months.  I have toyed around with doing a “Souper Sunday” series.  We shall see.

The first soup up for this winter is Taco Soup.  I know everybody has a recipe for it, but there are a few tweaks I make to mine that makes it the best!  The fact that it can be made in a slow cooker makes it even better!

What would Thanksgiving be without dressing?  I think it would be just another day.  Hands down, the dressing is my absolute favorite part of Thanksgiving!  It is something I look forward to all year.

Dressing, or stuffing as some people call it, can really spark a debate among people.  Different parts of the country have different versions of dressing.  I realize I live in Illinois, but I consider our part of the state very Southern, especially when it comes to food. 

Now that we are into November my mind instantly starts thinking about Thanksgiving.  Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing some recipes that are Thanksgiving staples.  Today I am sharing my Grandma’s dumpling recipe.

My Grandma was a great cook.  Her fried chicken was the best I’ve ever had, but she was probably most well known for her dumplings.  She came from a very large family and she was always in charge of making the dumplings for the family reunion every year.  In fact, some of her nieces and nephews bought her a bigger pan to make sure there would be enough for everyone to enjoy.

Here in Southern Illinois we went from Summer to Winter weather all within a week.  I am afraid we are skipping Fall altogether this year.  We have had a lot of soccer and football games in the cold, damp weather and that has left me craving soup.  We have already had soup twice in one week!

I hadn’t made Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup in a couple of years, but I won’t make that mistake again!  I forgot how good it is!  This soup is one of those recipes that feels like a guilty pleasure because of the cheese, but is actually not too bad for you.

Fall has finally arrived here in Southern Illinois!  Last week it felt like Summer might go on forever!  With cooler temperatures finally showing up, I have a feeling the apple orchards and pumpkin patches will be packed.

One of my favorite fall treats is a caramel apple.  This Snickers Apple Salad reminds me of a caramel apple, only better!  You get the flavors of apple, caramel and nuts, but you also get the creaminess of the cool whip and cream cheese mixture along with chocolate!

The calendar is telling me it is fall, even if it doesn’t feel like it outside.  It might still be hot out, but my internal clock is ready to switch over to fall.  What better way than to start in the kitchen.  This Honey Nut Snack Mix always reminds me of fall!

I love how all of the flavors and textures in the snack mix come together.  The crunchiness of the cereal and nuts are perfect with the chewy cranberries and softened oats.

There is nothing like eating a nice cool salad to help beat the summer heat!  This pasta salad is a family favorite at our house.  Every single person in our household will eat it, which is a nice bonus!

Another thing I really like about this pasta salad is that you can adapt it to whatever your tastes are.  I put different things in all the time.  You can even change the pasta shape to your preference or whatever you have on hand.