The Best Store-Bought Eggnog Near You!

Yes, I know your mom’s homemade eggnog is the best ever, but sometimes you just want to open a bottle or carton of the stuff from the local store.

Here in the Berkshires the best eggnog from a store is High Lawn Farm in Lee, MA, hands down! But you can’t get it everywhere in the land, so I took a highly unscientific poll from all my social media friends and followers asking what they like where they live. Here’s what I found.

My Top Ten Posts of 2023

Once again, as the old year passes and the new year beckons, it is my custom to look back at my most viewed posts of the year. I started this blog in 2009 and 2022 was our best year for both views and visits. This year wasn’t quite as good, but we still had 63,922 views and 50,310 visitors. I thank everybody that came by.

I began this blog as mostly theology and a place to post my writings and sermons. But early on I started posting pictures and recipes of my food. All of those can also be found at my cooking blog “Rick’s Recipes.”

My Favorite Cookbooks

In my recent post about my cooking blog  I boasted that I have over 100 cookbooks. It’s true. One of my friends asked which ones are my favorites? A good question! But, a hard question, because I have so many favorites.

Rick’s German Pancake (Dutch Baby)

My daughter-in-law introduced me to this wonderful recipe. This is simplicity itself. Just eggs, milk, flour and butter whisked together and baked, and you have a lovely breakfast or brunch dish that has a texture somewhere between a pancake and a fluffy omelet. Serves four to six.

Did You know I Have a Cooking Blog?

“Everybody comes to Rick’s.”

Yes, I do. It’s called Rick’s Recipes, and it has all the recipes that are here on this blog and more, 52 in all.

Rick’s Greek Moussaka

One side of my wife’s family is Greek and we all enjoy Greek food.  This recipe is always a hit. A rich lamb tomato sauce between eggplant layers and topped with a rich feta bechamel sauce makes a great main course. Add some stuffed grape leaves and a real Greek salad and you have yourself a meal.

Rick’s Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

Since so many of you liked my humble Chicken Noodle Casserole here’s another oldie but goodie comfort food recipe. If you have the time (and who doesn’t these days) make your best meat sauce. Or, as per this recipe, brown some ground beef and/or Italian sausage, put it in some good jarred sauce, add some cheese, and Roberto is your uncle.

Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken with Mushrooms and Broccoli

We have an Asian dish at least once a week in our rotation. My wife loves mushrooms and broccoli, so this easy chicken stir-fry is always a hit.

Rick’s Paprika Chicken

Sometime on the proverbial “cold winter’s night” you may want to cook this for your family and/or friends. It’s about as easy as it gets, and no one ever complains.

Rick’s Shrimp and Sweet Pea Risotto

Risotto is a nice change from pasta, and it is not hard to make if you are attentive during the half hour or so you need to watch and stir the rice. For special events we make a rich and decadent Risotto ala Milanese with our Osso Bucco.  This recipe is a bit of a lighter tweak on that, without the Parmesan cheese and extra butter. If you use  frozen shrimp and peas  this can be pulled out of the larder, and you can make it in under an hour on a weeknight. And it is very good!