It hits all of us at some point during our day. Sometimes more than once. It’s often the first thing kids want after school, or what grownups need in the afternoon to get them through those last few hours at the office. Even though we try our best to choose wisely when it comes to food, some days all we really want to do is reach for a candy bar (or a Chocolate Almond Stick like those beauties in the photo above). Or head to the drive-through lane of a fast food chain. Or toss a bag of crunchies in the shopping cart during that quick grocery trip after work. It happens.

Ever since I saw a recipe for a Twinkie/Susie Q Cake from TK member acrafton, I knew that one of these days, I’d like to do a post on homemade versions of popular snacks. Today happens to be that day. I can’t wait to show you all the loot!

Let’s start with all those classic snacks we like to munch on, whether it’s at a fair, or a ballgame, or something we pick up from the neighborhood convenience store or donut shop. Just look at the snackfest that we have going on below.

Top row, from left to right: Boiled Peanuts from missamy, those infamous Funnel Cakes from HeatherD, and Homemade Cracker Jack from Mommy’s Kitchen. Middle row, from left to right: childhood favorite Oatmeal Creme Pies from whatmegansmaking, better than stadium-bought Super Awesome Pretzels from coolguy, and Ree’s dastardly Homemade Glazed Doughnuts. Bottom row, from left to right: summer treat Homemade Jell-O Pudding Pops from Mommy’s Kitchen, Homemade Pop Tarts from kimt, and Homemade Granola Bars from Karly Campbell.

 
 
Or perhaps you’d rather snack on something more savory. Something to tide you over until your next square meal, like some chicken nuggets, fries, onion rings, or Hot Pockets. I found some of those too, so you won’t have to drive out to get them, or buy their frozen counterparts.

Left column, from top to bottom: Oven Baked Onion Rings from ashleyrodriguez, and a hungry teen’s favorite, Pizza Pockets from handmadetherapy. Center column, from top to bottom: amazing Spicy Panko Crusted Chicken Strips from southerngracegourmet, those little Chinese takeout delights called Crab Rangoons from Maeghan, and Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Mayo from novascotian that are sooo much better than regular fries. Right column, from top to bottom: Oven-Dried Potato Chips (and Apple Ones Too!) from jenniferperillo, and, just in time for Cinco de Mayo, some Chicken Taquitos from blessingsinabundance.

 
 
Sometimes, what you crave is one of those popular store drinks. Have a taste for a certain chain’s frappuccino? Try savorysweetlife’s DIY Home Frappuccino and Mocha Frappuccino below. She also has a Mango Orange Smoothie if you prefer that chain’s fruitier menu items. If it’s sweet tea you want, then try the Sweet Tea from ButterYum. Or maybe all you want is a regular bottle of chocolate milk. If so, Ree’s Homemade Chocolate Milk for the Fridge will come in handy. Or try a Frozen Hot Chocolate that MamaFoodie first encountered at a restaurant in New York.

 
 
In my case, however, the snack attack usually comes in some form of candy craving. Preferably involving chocolate. I’ve been known to eye the bag of chocolate chips in my cupboard, deterred only by my inability to figure out a secure-enough hiding place where there’s zero chance of anyone in the house discovering me there with a half-eaten bag of baking chips.

 
I know. I need help.

 
So I thought it only fitting to end this post with the collage that follows. It needs no introduction, and no explanation. I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves. Besides, I wouldn’t want to interrupt you while you look at these and begin to contemplate turning your kitchen into a candy bar factory.

Clockwise from top left: Deliciously Dandy Ding Dongs from Clabbergirl, Homemade Peanut Butter Cups from sweettooth, Homemade Twix Cookies from Rebecca, Homemade Thin Mints from A Cozy Kitchen, Mounds Candy Bars from elanaspantry, and Chocolate Covered Pretzels from Noshings.

 
 
Aah. Snacks. My favorite meal of the day. Snacks, and dinner. Lunch, too. And breakfast. Did I leave anything out?

 
Now it’s my turn to hear from you. Are you a snacker? Do you like munching on stuff, or do you pretty much stick to the major meals of the day? Are you more of a salty snack fan, or does your sweet tooth call the shots? Or are you an equal opportunity snacker who enjoys salty-sweet and spicy-tart and crunchy-bitter and fluffy-sticky (okay, I’m making this stuff up now) combos? Do share!

 
As we approach the weekend, many people are turning their thoughts to their dear mothers, either visiting them, having them over, taking them out for a special meal, or if none of those are feasible, calling them on the phone. This weekend is the weekend that typically sees the highest call volumes of the year, which is not to mean many of us don’t pick up the phone to call mom all those other times we need help with something, asking her how she makes her pie crust so flaky, telling her about what that mean person said to us this morning, or calling just to hear her voice and see how she’s doing.

 
I thought that for this week’s theme, we’d do something special and personal. We could have done a post about brunch ideas, and that would have been great too. We have tons of breakfast and brunch recipes here at Tasty Kitchen, and some of the suggestions we had in our recent Bridal Showers and Spring theme posts work beautifully for Sunday brunch as well. But today, let’s get all nostalgic and talk about the foods that remind us of our Mamas (and Nanas too!). And because there are as many possible answers to that as there are mothers and grandmothers, we’ll make it personal and poll the throngs of people behind the scenes here at Tasty Kitchen. (And by “throngs,” I mean all three of us.)

 
Let’s start with Ree. I asked her what foods remind her most of her mom and grandmother, and she quickly answered that for her grandmother, it’s biscuits and homemade jam. “Oh, dear. Best drop biscuits ever, and I’ll never be able to replicate them.” If it’s any consolation to you, Ree, Alton Brown said the same thing about his grandmother’s biscuits.

Clockwise from top left: Basic Buttermilk Biscuits from loveandbutter (Jamie), Grape Harvest Jam from italianfoodforever, Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits from madisonmayberry, Cinnamon Peach Jam from bertscannery, Easy Drop Biscuits from cookingfromscratch, Apple Pie Jam – Jelly from Mommy’s Kitchen, Biscuits, The Cheater Way from sarahhope, and Easy Homemade Plum Jam from nicoled.

 
 
For her mom, Ree’s reply was just as quick: Cinnamon Rolls. I’m sure many of you have become quite intimate with those luscious Cinnamon Rolls that Ree shared with us in one of her earliest cooking posts. It’s that sinful-looking dish you see in the top photo, and just for kicks, I thought I’d show you a couple of variations that we have here, including a gluten-free version.

Clockwise from left: Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls from glutenfreegirl, Amazing Short Cut Cinnamon Rolls from sprucehill, Caramel Sticky Buns from Heather.

 
 
As for me, I seem to be an anomaly, because the dishes that remind me most of my mom are savory, main dish offerings. My all-time favorite is my mom’s spaghetti meat sauce, and it was always a treat when she made it. And the one, ultra-special once-in-a-while fancy meal that’s so memorable that I can clearly picture in my mind our old dining room and where I sat as my mom brought out the food was a steak dinner served with cream of mushroom soup and buttered corn. To this day, that combination always instantly brings me back to my childhood.

Clockwise from top left: Pepper Encrusted Steak from bell’alimento, Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup from steamykitchen, Corn with Bacon and Green Onions, Oh My from Karly Campbell, and Pastor Ryan’s Bolognese Sauce.

 
 
As for Nanci, the lovely lady who answers your support questions and helps you with anything and everything, she says that her mom makes the greatest cobblers ever, using her great-grandmother’s crust. And her paternal grandmother? She was a master candy maker, and people would travel far and wide to purchase little bags of her peanut brittle every time she would make them for church bake sales.

Clockwise from top left: Old-Fashioned Microwave Peanut Brittle from bitesizebaker, Nectarine and Cream Cobbler from joythebaker, Spicy Peanut Brittle from uwharrie, Blackberry Cobbler from Karly Campbell, The McNally Pie Crust from Courtney.

 
 
She also shared that her grandmother always made a roast when they came over, and that for both her mom and grandmother, pie was a big thing. A really big thing. And as I looked through the pie recipes here, I realized something: pie is a big thing for many, many people. So many of you have shared family favorite pies that have been passed on from mom, or grandma. And it’s so lovely that many of you are determined to continue the tradition, or start one of your own.

Top row, from left to right: Cherry Cream Crumble Pie from sugarnspice, Southern Sweet Potato Pie from bsherrill, and MaMaw Burkett’s Chess Pie from ace75. Center row, from left to right: Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie from Mommy’s Kitchen, Super Healthy Banana Pie from rawmazing, and Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie from A Cozy Kitchen. Bottom row, from left to right: “Just In Case” Pie from jaymielo, Grandma Inez’s Pineapple Pie from Natalie (Perry’s Plate), Blackberry Wine Glaze Pie with Ginger Crust from gastronomicgold.

 
 
And those are all the special Mama and Nana dishes for us here at Tasty Kitchen!

 
We want to hear from you, too. Is there something that your mom makes that you think no one else in the world can replicate? Something special and soothing that she’d make for you when you were sick that made you feel all better? What did Nana make for you every time you came over for a visit? We’ve love to hear it all!

 
And now, if you’ll excuse me for a moment, I think I’ll go look at old photos and find some Jean Nate to sniff.

 
This week, we’ll do a bit of a twist on a spring theme. For many people, spring is not only the time for flowers and vegetables and fruits to start coming alive again, but it’s also the time to dust winter off our shoulders and tackle that annual routine of spring cleaning. The sweaters and heavy jackets are put away, closets and attics and basements and bookshelves are cleared, and the warmer weather seems to empower us with newfound energy to do it all.

For the life of me, I never could figure out how we can end up getting rid of so much stuff every year. Where did all these things come from? Didn’t we just throw out a bunch of things last spring? Sometimes I wonder if my house is a bottomless pit. Or a “stuff” magnet. Do you ever get that same feeling?

Today, however, we’ll talk about a different kind of spring cleaning. The yummy kind. Because we’ve all got things in our fruit basket, bread box, refrigerator, pantry, and cupboard that somehow get left behind. The remnants or neglected ones that, if we don’t do something about them soon, might very well start walking away on their own. And if you’re like me and cringe at the thought of wasted food, then get ready for all the incredible ideas that Tasty Kitchen members have shared that may just make you start planning to have leftovers!

Let’s begin with the photo above. If you’ve got any apples past their prime (maybe they’ve got some brown spots, are quirkily irregular in shape, or you made some pie and have a bunch of cores and peels), jemnenke shares a wonderful Apple Rosemary Jelly that doesn’t even use pectin. If you have old bread, one of the classic ways to use it is to make croutons, and jenniferperillo’s Parmesan Skillet Croutons will make a delicious addition to your salad. Got some leftover risotto sitting in the refrigerator? Make some Arancini from Angela [YourEverydayMama] and turn dinner into the next day’s snack item! Or if you’re looking for ideas to use up some canned beans and spaghetti sauce sitting in your cupboard, Super Veggie Vegan Enchiladas from Jessica can take care of that.

Let’s get back to cleaning out that refrigerator for a moment. We all saw the wonderful idea that Jaden shared using leftover Easter ham in last week’s post, and in the photo below, you’ll see cookincanuck’s take on leftover ham, with her Tarragon Crepes with Ham, Asparagus and Mascarpone Cheese. Or if it’s some extra chicken that’s languishing in there, Annalise has an awesome Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken Noodle Soup that also makes use of any leftover parmesan cheese rinds! Or throw together an Easy Veggie Ramen from foodwoolf, using ham, pork, beef, chicken, turkey, or whatever kind of meat you might have on hand. If it’s bags of frozen vegetables that you want to put to good use, try lizzygoesdutch’s Vegetarian Pot Pie below and make a hearty, healthy meal out of it. And since turkey is often the star of many big gatherings, try some Turkey and Stuffing Scallop from julip1882 the next time you find yourself looking for things to do with leftover turkey and stuffing. (Oh, and it works with chicken, too.)

 
 
If you’re like me, you’ve probably already done the “make a pizza using leftovers as the toppings” trick a few times. But what if it’s just regular non-leftover pizza night at your house, and you end up with extra slices and toppings the next day? If you’ve also got a lone pie crust hoping to be used soon, then throw together the Leftover Pizza Quiche from jodiecoston seen in the photo below (top left). If you’ve got old rice, try steamykitchen’s delicious Tomato and Egg Fried Rice. Or try bell’alimento’s Thursday Night Rice, which uses both leftover risotto and macaroni.

If it’s your vegetable bin that you’d like to empty, fire up a wok or skillet and make Ree’s Easy Monday Night Stir Fry, or some clever little Mini Vegetable Frittatas from whatsgabycooking. Got some herbs that need a home? The Homity Pie from thingswemake seen below can take them in. Or if you still have some wickedly spicy habaneros from the time you had to buy a whole pack just to use one or two, then make this Sweet and Spicy Habanero Jam from Jessica, which would really kick up your sandwiches!

 
 
Now let’s head to the cupboard where you keep your baking supplies. If you’ve got a little bit of this and a little bit of that in terms of grains, oats, nuts, dried fruit, baking chips and other add-ins, you can try mixing them all up to make a batch of mybakingaddiction’s Homemade Granola like you see on the left in the photo below. Or make ivoryhut’s Leftover Cookies and throw in all those little handfuls of leftover crunchies. If granola is actually what you have left over, then bake up some Granola Blueberry Muffiins from A Cozy Kitchen or throw them into Hyacinth’s Everything Cookies posted by Ree. Believe me, those things are amazing.

 
 
And those are just some of the great ideas I found for leftovers here at Tasty Kitchen! They all look so good that no one can tell they’re actually rescue missions in disguise. So the next time you … what? You want just a few more? Maybe something with chocolate?

 
Okay. Just for you, let’s do a few more. Maybe some Chocolate Chip Jam Bars from Tracy (sugarcrafter) that will help you use up that bottle of jam or jelly, or a Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding from Bindi in case you don’t want to make croutons with your leftover bread. Or if it’s your fruit basket that needs attention, Cindy has some Petite Fruit Tarts that can empty it out in one afternoon.

 
 
There you go! I hope these showed you some new ways to make kitchen spring cleaning more interesting and delicious. Plus, it helps us all save money and expand our kitchen repertoire at the same time. It’s a win-win!

 
Now we want to hear from you. What’s your take on leftovers? Do you try your best to cook just enough to never ever have leftovers? Or do you look forward to creating new dishes with what you have on hand? Do you have any favorite leftover tricks? Do share!

 
Ah, finally. Spring has sprung, at least for many of our members. It’s the season when we say goodbye to winter coats, snow shovels, and early sunsets, and start saying hello to those green things coming up from the ground, the sound of birds chirping, and rain showers instead of snow.

The advent of spring also means some of our favorite fruits and vegetables come into season. It’s when those young leaves and shoots of edible plants start emerging from the ground, and eventually end up in our plates as “field greens” or “spring mix.”

One of the lovely vegetables that enjoy their peak season in spring is asparagus. Did you know that a serving of asparagus (1 cup) will give you 114% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin K? It’s also loaded with folate, and vitamins A and C. We’ve got a wealth of recipes here that make use of this wonderful vegetable, so now that it’s in season, why not give some of these a try?

Clockwise from top left: Creamy Chicken Asparagus Soup from taracooks, Asparagus with Goat Cheese Dressing from whatmegansmaking, Soba Noodles with Grilled Sea Scallops and Asparagus from steamykitchen, Patsy’s Marinated Asparagus and Hearts of Palm posted by Ree, Meyer Lemon-Scented Farro and Asparagus Salad from activefoodie, and a beautiful Asparagus, Gruyere and Parmesan Tart from whatsgabycooking.

 
Of course, there are a lot of other vegetables also coming into their peak during spring. Like artichokes, which are high in fiber, calcium, potassium, iron, and phosphorous. They’re multitaskers, and they look pretty, too. Fennel is another one that really loves the spring, and it’s loaded with antioxidants. Vidalia onions and radishes are also at their sweetest and crunchiest in the spring, as well as new potatoes, peas, and beautiful greens like crisp lettuce and arugula.

Top row, from left to right: Fennel in Bechamel Sauce with Parmesan Cheese, Radish Pickles from muskegharpy, and Grilled Salad from patiodaddio. Middle row, from left to right: Potato Parmesan Soup with Parsley-Fennel Pesto from runningwithtweezers, Swiss Chard and Caramelized Onion Tacos from ashleyrodriguez, and Artichokes with Orzo Salad from wynk52. Bottom row, from left to right: Lamb Chops and New Potatoes from bell’alimento, and Arugula Soup with Goat Cheese from A Cozy Kitchen.

 
Of course, with the abundance of the spring harvest, we don’t have to limit ourselves to featuring just one or two vegetables in a dish. After all, the dish named after the season, Risotto Primavera (in the photo at the top of this post), has all the lovely fresh vegetables of spring in it. So why not go on a true “spring mix” spree and combine all your favorites in one dish, whether it be in a salad, soup, or a nice hearty casserole?

Clockwise from left: Mixed Greens with Oranges and Balsamic Steak from goodlifeeats (hint: now would be a good time to grab some navel oranges, because they’re ending their season right about now), those wonderful Springy Shells from Ree, and a creamy French Spring Soup from barefootbelle.

 
Aside from vegetables, spring also ushers in the season for some lovely fruits, like strawberries. We’ve got tons of recipes here using strawberries, and not just as dessert items. There’s a delicious Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette from butterbean, and a refreshing Strawberry Salad with Spicy Pecans from callimakesdo.

 
I’ll also mention strawberry’s usual partner rhubarb here, although rhubarb is technically a vegetable. But they like each other and play together all the time, so who am I to separate them?

Clockwise from top left: Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam from kathyingreendale, an impressive-looking Strawberry Pizza from oneordinaryday, a beautiful Strawberry Meringue Pie (Lovebird Pie) from Farmer Gal, wonderful Rhubarb Ginger Peach Muffins from Tracy (Sugarcrafter), and an elegant Strawberry Crostada from Karly Campbell.

 
There are so many things to look forward to now that spring is here! Of course, the specific vegetables and fruits that come into season around this time will really depend on where you live. So tell us! What are you looking forward to cooking in the coming weeks? Do you have any favorite ingredients that are just coming into season? Or maybe there’s that one special dish that just reminds you of spring and makes your heart sing. We’d love to hear from you!

 
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few more strawberry recipes that can help you celebrate the new season. To me, nothing says “finally, some warm weather!” quite like a refreshing drink, or a frozen treat. Here are some of my favorites.

Clockwise from top left: An irresistible ButterYum’s Strawberry Sorbet from, you guessed it, ButterYum, a thirst-quenching Strawberry Basil Lemonade from whatsgabycooking, and a tantalizing Meyer Lemon Strawberry Ice Cream from Dandy.

 
I hope you enjoy the season, wherever you may be. Happy Spring everyone!