Baking powder biscuits, made with buttermilk and butter, and hand formed.

Hand-Formed Buttermilk Baking Powder Biscuits

There are a lot of 30-somethings around me who are on low carb diets right now, taking spin classes, working out and running marathons. They all look great too! Seeing as I could certainly afford to drop more than a few pounds myself, I wish I was that motivated at my age to do any of that, I really do. But I'm not.

I also wish I could live without those white flour carbs, but, but... biscuits!

I don't make them regularly (though lately I've made them a few times more than usual), but for sure, I just can't imagine a life without real biscuits! And yeast bread. Oh, and pasta too. Those are my biggest weaknesses in the world of white flour carbohydrates.

A sausage and peppers dish, using spicy Cajun sausage, pan seared cabbage wedges, sweet onion and diced tomatoes with green chilies, served over rice.

Cajun Sausage and Peppers with Cabbage

This is just a little different take on the old sausage and peppers dish, adding a mix of colorful peppers, spicy Cajun sausage and pan-seared cabbage wedges. Instead of a sauce that's typically used with sausage and peppers, I'm using diced tomatoes with green chilies in order to allow the individual elements all shine on their own and not be buried in sauce. For the sausage, I'm using smoked instead of a raw, encased sausage.

I'm also using a Cajun variety of Conecuh from Alabama, which is an andouille style of smoked sausage and pretty spicy. You can tone it down by using plain diced tomatoes and a mild smoked sausage or kielbasa. Fair warning - if you use andouille and make intentional leftovers, understand the heat will intensify.

Oven-roasted shrimp served in a fiery, tomato-based, Italian Fra Diavolo sauce with pasta.

Roasted Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Fair warning. Sort of like shrimp sauce picante, just by virtue of the name, this sauce is fiery!! I ain't lying y'all. Let's just say I didn't need any lip plumper after eating this.

Now I made it exactly as I have written it, but if you prefer things a bit more on the mild side, simply eliminate the Cajun seasoning on the shrimp and reduce the red pepper flakes. Take note too though, that with any leftovers, heat will be intensified even further!

Meatloaf mix, shaped into thin, bun-sized, oval patties, pan fried and sandwiched on soft hoagie rolls with caramelized onions, cheese and a meatloaf glaze, wrapped and baked in the oven.

Meatloaf Patty Melt

I am a big fan of meatloaf. Always have been! And let's be frank here, who out there doesn't enjoy that next day meatloaf sandwich?

For some folks it's actually their favorite part of meatloaf, so how about we make those sandwiches intentionally to begin with, and,.. how about we make them in the form of one of my favorite hamburger sandwiches? A patty melt, yes indeed!