Submitted by: SARAH WARBURTON for New River Valley, VA TCI chapter My husband,Tim, and I have just a few cultural differences. He says “jumper,” I say “sweater.” He says “football,” I say “soccer.” He says, “Top Gear,” and I say, “I’ll watch TV in another room.” The one thing that took me the longest to understand was what he meant by “real roast potatoes.” I did olive oil and rosemary red roast potatoes, mixed sweet and white roast potatoes, but nothing was right. After extensive interviewing of his Scottish friend, Colin, his best British friends Daren and Helen, and his mom, Penny, I am no ..read more

Submitted by: SARAH WARBURTON, for New River Valley, VA “Orange is the happiest color.”~Frank Kin Sometimes on a grey day, the only things that brightens things up is a really good soup. If that soup is a cheerful color, even better. And if (as a bonus) the soup is good for you, chock full of vitamins and fiber and even protein, well, that can turn a dark day around. When my kids were in elementary school, I was struggling with the old “put a veggie on the plate” issue at dinner…and I served little bowls of this soup as our veg. Turns out my husband, who doesn’t like carrots (cooked or raw) l ..read more

Submitted by: Anne Deaton, by Christin Mahrlig Cabbage Soup with Smoked Sausage 324 calories per serving Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 25 minutes Servings: 6 servings Ingredients: 1/2 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil 1 (16-ounce) package smoked Kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 tablespoon butter 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium sweet onion, chopped 1 small head green cabbage, chopped 1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth 1 1/2 cups water 1 chicken bouillon cube 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 tablespoo ..read more

Submitted by: Cathy Salter This Thanksgiving, organizations around the world remind us of the need to share with those experiencing food insecurity.  For more than eight months, chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen teams have been supporting Ukrainians by serving more than 175 million meals.  Donations to help Ukrainians get through the winter can be made online (www.donate.wck.org). WCK is also preparing meals in Florida right now following rare November hurricanes Ian and Nicole. In communities across America, there are organizations helping to feed those in need this Th ..read more

Submitted by: Cathy Salter Fall pumpkins recently arrayed on the porch were moved inside when temperatures dipped into the upper 20s and a foot of snow blanketed our neck of Sierra Foothills woods.  Snug as cats curled up in a cozy ball, pumpkins of all sizes, shapes and colors have taken up residence in our living room, dining room and garage. Some will be set outside to feed the squirrels this winter, and leftover seeds will sprout come summer.  In addition, cans of Libby’s Pumpkin Purée in our pantry will soon go into loaves of pumpkin molasses bread or classic Thanksgiving pies ..read more

Submitted by: Anne Deaton of New River Valley TCI, Blacksburg, VA I love this soup.  It’s a favorite with adults and kids!  When I was growing up, Sunday dinner often began with a small bowl or cup of soup. I really like that tradition and this is a perfect soup for it.  I last served it with a dish of fried catfish and salad on the side.  I added hot baguette bread for dunking but also for the catfish.  My Grandmother said “ You take a bite of fish, then a small bite of bread. That’s the way you eat fish.”  Both my Mother and I have always been glad we followed ..read more

Submitted by: CHERYL GREEN of Christiansburg, VA MIXED GREEN SALADBLACKBERRY VINEGAR DRESSING Salad: 10 oz baby spinach/ baby kale, field greens 1 cup fresh blueberries/dried cranberries/pitted  chopped dates/dried cherries 4 oz. crumbled blue cheese/goat/feta ½ cup toasted or candied chopped pecans/walnuts, black walnuts/slivered almonds Sliced fresh mushrooms dipped in lemon juice Dressing: ¼ cup blackberry vinegar/raspberry vinegar/balsamic vinegar  1 TBL sugar 2 tsp prepared Dijon mustard ½ tsp salt ½ cup extra virgin olive oil/canola oil Variations: Dep ..read more

Submitted by: BONNIE BUNGER of Newport, VA Recipe by: SARAH CAREY CHICKEN POT PIEin Martha Stewart Living Ingredients: 2½ pounds of chicken pieces (2 whole legs and1 whole bone-in breast) 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth Kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced and well washed (1½ cups) 2  carrots, cut into a ½-inch dice (1 cup) 2 celery stalks, sliced (¾ cup) 1 medium Yukon Gold or white potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (1¾ cups) ½ cup dry vermouth or dry ..read more

Submitted by: CHERYL GREEN of Christiansburg, VA CHERRY CHEESECAKE W/ CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST Chocolate vanilla nut crumb crust: 1 cup finely crushed vanilla wafers (29) 1 cup ground nuts 1/3 to 1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder ½ cup butter melted 3 squares of chocolate coating mix Mix powder, crumbs, and nuts in a bowl. Then add melted butter and stir well. Press mixture against sides and bottom of a springform pan and bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Melt three squares of chocolate coating mix and spread on cooked crust to seal. Cool.   Cheesecake: 3 cups of cherry pie filli ..read more

Submitted by: AMARA BERRY of Nevada City, CA Amara Berry bakes her great grandmother Freda’s traditional almond Mandlebrot cookies and donates the proceeds from the sales to the UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency).  Here is Amara’s food story— “My Great Grandma Freda was a war refugee from Eastern Europe about 100 years ago, and because she had the support of people who cared, she and her family escaped to the United States. My mom and I would not be here now if it wasn’t for those who helped get as many families to safety as they could. So, the two of us are committed to raising a ..read more