Homemade Vanilla Almond Granola

Dateline: Thu 13 Aug. Ever since my big effort at weight loss back in 2018, I've undertaken a variety of habits and routines to try to maintain. For quite a few months or over the last year or so, my morning snack has been yogurt and granola. As long as I could find it reasonably priced, I didn't mind the storebought granola but I thought it was time to make my own. That's what happened near mid-August, while I was still home on summer break. What resulted was a terrific sheetpan of sweetened oat goodness with a healthy mix of sliced almonds. It's not quite the same, mind you, but it also has ingredients that I know about and can pronounce.

This experiment reminded me I'd tried making granola in bar form when I was in the first year of this weight management effort, and on that singular occasion, I thought I did all right, according to that blog post.

---

"Vanilla Almond Granola," from Alyssa Adams of The Floral Apron. [Published 30 August 2023]

Meal No. 4177: Salmon Croquettes

Dateline: Wed 12 Aug. A fine foursome sat down to dinner a couple of Wednesdays ago, on a mid-week movie night, with the main feature being salmon croquettes (i.e., cakes, patties, or burgers: call ‘em what you will.) A chili-garlic-lime aioli is always the right choice for dipping bites into, and I also spiced and roasted whole green beans. I sure didn’t grow up eating dishes like this but boy howdy have I come to like ‘em a lot.

It would have seemed like a missed opportunity not to have dessert, so I’d grabbed blackberries and raspberries on a recent grocery run and had a multi-berry version of Gerry’s cobbler in the oven while we ate our dinner. It really came out awfully sweet this time, and I wouldn’t have minded the filling setting up a little better. But I absolutely ate every bit and crumb and sent my bowl to the sink well-scraped of all its residual goodness.

---

Adapted from “Salmon Burgers,” from Denise Austin, Shrink Your Female Fat Zones, Rodale Books (2003), p. 396.

"Chili-Lime Aïoli," from David Wald of Princeton, NJ, May 2009.

Adapted from "Gerry's Blackberry Cobbler," by Baritone Bob. In allrecipes, Summer 2024, p. 43. Also found online at AllRecipes.com. [Updated 14 January 2022]

Meal No. 4174: Chicken Caesar Wraps

Dateline: Sat 08 Aug. With August well underway by the time we rolled up onto its second weekend, I found myself thinking some spiced grilled chicken was still what the season called for, especially when it could be used for another round of massive chicken Caesar wraps. Freshly homemade creamy Caesar dressing, chopped Romaine, diced tomatoes, and shaved parmesan and Asiago, all rolled up in a flour shell and lightly toasted in the skillet in melted ghee. As long as I still had tzatiki, why not use it as a dipping option?

---

Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]

Meal No. 4173: Chicken Souvlaki on Yogurt Flatbreads

Dateline: Thu 06 Aug. Well, lordy, I went and did it again. Marinated chicken, eased onto skewers, and grilled. Yogurt flatbreads, prepped and ghee’d with reckless abandon. A Greek salad with fresh tomato and red onion. And tzatziki: check!! It was a bit overwhelming to eat two complete versions of these, which I could only manage in open-face fashion.

I might, with enough practice, just come around to the idea that I could become comfortable with the basic challenges of yogurt flatbreads. I’m not pretending they are all that difficult but it is a time-sensitive process that I’d love to perfect so that I can make these for company sometime.

---

"Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe with Tzatziki" [Published 11 June 2018 / Updated 16 October 2020] and "Authentic (Easy) Tzatziki Sauce" [Published 03 June 2016 / Updated 27 September 2023] from Suzy Karedsheh of The Mediterranean Dish.

"Layered Yogurt Flatbreads," from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. [Published 30 April 2020]

Based on "Greek Salad Dressing," from Jeanine Donofrio and Phoebe Moore of Love and Lemons. [Updated 13 May 2024]

Vanilla Ice Cream with Sweet Apples Compote

Dateline: Wed 05 Aug. Was it only two weeks ago that on Amy’s regular dinner visit we indulged in a strange concoction for dessert? Why yes: homemade vanilla ice cream topped with a sweet apples compote, which was really an over-sauced stewed diced apples filling like one might use to stuff handpies with. But I overdid its runniness and had also just made ice cream and I thought: Why the heck not?

Dateline: Fri 07 Aug. A couple of days passed with that delicious runny apple filling in a storage container, and in the meantime, I’d also made pastry for a double-crust pie but only used the bottom crust. What remained in the fridge was the perfect amount of dough to create four well-filled apple hand pies, brushed with egg yolk and cream and coated with cinnamon sugar, baked to a toasty doneness, and consumed with another big scoop of that vanilla sweet milk ice cream.

---

Based on "Sweet Milk Ice Cream," published in the King Arthur Flour catalogue some years ago, but the recipe is no longer available on their website.

Adapted from "Hand-Held Apple Pies," by Diana Rattray of TheSpruceEats.com. [Updated 10 September 2019]

Meal No. 4172: Pimento Cheese Tomato Pie

Dateline: Wed 05 Aug. It was starting to feel like summer menus were about to get away from me and I’d not made a good tomato pie in a while. So that became my mission, after stocking up on tomatoes on a recent run to the market. And what better occasion to serve this than when Amy was here for her mid-week drop-in? We decided that the crust was awesome, the tomatoes were terrific, the pimento cheese portion was inspired, and the mix of parmesan and panko on top was better than more crust. The extra basil and diced scallions weren’t bit players, either. The simplicity of canned green beans beside it all made it feel like a complete plate, even though it was clear what the star of the meal was.

---

Pulled together and based partially on “Tomato Pie,” by Lauren Allen of Tastes Better from Scratch. [Updated 05 July 2022 ]

Based loosely on ”Quick Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic and Thyme," from Suzy Karadsheh of The Mediterranean Dish. [First Published in 2015 / Updated 11 September 2020]

"South Carolina-Style Pimento Cheese." Recipe worked out by me, based on Sharon's Palmetto Pimento Cheese. [Published 23 October 2009]

”Cream Cheese Pie Crust," from Dan Langan of Baked by Dan. Originally found on Instagram. [Published 28 August 2024]

Meal No. 4169: Chicken Thighs and Two Sides

Dateline: Sun 02 Aug. Another day of drear and drizzles was upon us on the first Sunday of August (which also marked 45 years since my father passed away), and I was in the mood for a Sunday dinner feast. That proved prime for baking to juicy perfection a set of herbed chicken thighs, and then adding in lima beans and stovetop stuffing. 'Twas a wondrously simple and soothing meal and a gracious reward for small kitchen labors.

---

Based on "Oven Baked Chicken Thighs," from Joanna Cismaru of JoCooks.com.

Meal No. 4168: Chick-Fil-A Dupe Sandwiches

Dateline: Sat 01 Aug. We welcomed August two Saturdays ago, with downtown busy and alive with patrons and supporters of the National Black Theatre Festival, albeit tempered by rain showers and overcast skies. Our municipal water crisis had mostly passed, and we were no longer under a “boil water” advisory. At dinnertime, I gave easily into the temptation of fried chicken fillet sandwiches, of which it was necessary to put away two all on my own.

I did have some delicious snacking opportunities earlier that day, by the way, which included homemade bread from neighbor Ashley, which I adorned with some wonderful quince jam brought all the way from Maine by my UNC buddy Kelly. What a treat!

---

"Chick-Fil-A Dupe Sandwiches," from Drew Reilly of Dish with Drew. First spotted on Instagram. [Published 25 June 2026]

Meal No. 4167: Chicken Fried Rice

Dateline: Fri 31 July. July concluded its 2026 run on a Friday, where the temps had begun to creep back up but so had the humidity. Still, the events of the afternoon played out nicely enough that I had both time and inclination to dive into an indulgent dinner that feels like a treat: chicken fried rice. Not that it’s all that difficult to put together, but I guess sometimes I’m reminded how cool it is to make something in your kitchen that tastes like something you have to go to somebody else’s kitchen for.

---

Based on "Classic Chicken Fried Rice" [Published 26 October 2015 / Updated 04 May 2023] and "How to Velvet Chicken for Stir-Fry" [Published 24 March 2020 / Updated 27 June 2022], from Bill Leung of TheWoksofLife.com.

Supplemental Stir-Fry Sauce inspired by "5 Easy Sauce Recipes that Will Make Everything You Eat Taste Way Better," by Sophia Roe on Well + Good. [Published 09 January 2019]

Meal No. 4165: Mushroom Swiss Burgers

Dateline: Wed 29 July. Wednesday nights are for hanging out with longtime compatriot Amy, but as July was ending the City had a catastrophic water main break that left us without water most of the day. That squeezed the meal prep window once service was restored and I figured out how it could happen even if the water was still scarce: Madeira mushrooms and Swiss cheese on grilled juicy burgers. With chips, of course!

Meal No. 4164: Soy Sauce Ramen Noodles

Dateline: Tue 28 July. As we rolled lazily into the wrap-up of the preceding calendar month, I found myself at last inspired to tackle more of the yard chores that have remained neglected. Once our extended rainy pattern had broken, and I could emerge from the bit of cabin fever that had developed, it felt good to labor and sweat in short bursts. That also meant a worked-up appetite, satisfied Tuesday a week ago by the quick fixin’ of the "viral" ramen recipe that let me work late into the afternoon and still get supper on the table before 6 pm. A sauce of simple design but full of flavor, a couple of eggs stirred in to up the protein and heartiness, all over easy ramen noodles with sliced scallions and everything bagel seasoning: it proved pretty satisfying.

---

Based on "Viral Ramen Noodles," from Brian Gerwig [NC]. Instagram Profile: g_bque. [Posted 15 May 2024]

Meal No. 4163: Not So Cajun Chicken

Dateline: Sun 26 July. As July rolled into its final week, the Sunday supper at the Roediger House brought out a classic and old favorite: Not So Cajun Chicken. Often the first dish I’d make for new company, and featured prominently on special occasions (like the first meal in the new kitchen in 2008), this dish comes with multi-faceted nostalgia and triggers all kinds of warm memories and feelings. Also: it’s quite tasty.

---

"Not So Cajun Chicken," a dish I regularly enjoyed at Crowley's Old Time Favorites restaurant and bar on Medlin Drive in Raleigh, NC. (Another version of the recipe can be found here.) A heap of thanks is due to Jimmy Randolph for tracking down the recipe for me.

Meal No. 4162: Hamburger Supreme

Dateline: Sat July 25. The extended cool-down and storm-and-drizzle pattern finally began to break on the final Saturday of July, and its exit seemed to call for a comfort dish of celebration. The long-time family favorite of hamburger supreme stepped in to support that menu, along with plenty of hot buttered corn. I'd worked up a good appetite from a short burst of yard activity, some initial clearing of overgrown areas, even though it was but a small dent in the larger tasks ahead of me before my summer break ends.

---

"Hamburger Supreme," from the late Mrs. John T. (Glynn) Johnson of Buies Creek, North Carolina.

Sweet Milk Vanilla Ice Cream

Dateline: Fri 24 July. While the churning of vanilla ice cream coincided with National Vanilla Ice Cream Day back on July 23rd, it did not get served until after the next evening’s supper. And as is always the case, it was sweet and delicious and much appreciated by its partakers. Some chocolate fudge sauce was an added touch of grandness and it did not take long for the desserts to be disposed of.

---

Based on "Sweet Milk Ice Cream," published in the King Arthur Flour catalogue some years ago, but the recipe is no longer available on their website.

Meal No. 4160: Better Than the Mall Food Court Bourbon Chicken

Dateline: Thu 23 July. After the overnight deluge of rain we received in Winston-Salem the evening before, we had the briefest glimmer of sunshine late on a cooler Thursday afternoon a couple of weeks ago. I had to shift my intentions to grill out, though, thanks to the stormy unpredictability, and it was a perfect excuse to try a new recipe for a bourbon chicken stirfry. Some hoisin haricots verts got a good roasting in the oven to accompany these tender saucy morsels as they sat upon a nice pile of brown rice.

---

Adapted from "Better Than the Mall Bourbon Chicken," by Joanna Cismaru of JoCooks.com. [Updated 20 April 2026]

Meal No. 4159: Skillet Deep Dish Pizzas

Dateline: Wed 22 July. Keeping the Wednesday tradition going, the Roediger House welcomed Amy back for another fine night of supper and hanging out. Knowing her fondness for pizza, it was an easy call to make that the featured menu for the four of us, especially because I regularly hanker for it myself. Two deep dish skillet pizzas with pretty awesome crusts were prepped: one straight pepperoni, and the other was built half pepperoni/bacon and half barbecue chicken/bacon/red onion/blue cheese. That menu had a lot of folks feeling happy that night. Who doesn’t love some pizza, eh?

---

Pizza Crust based on "Fool-Proof Pan Pizza," by J. Kenji López-Alt, culinary consultant for SeriousEats.com. [Updated 30 March 2023]

Vanilla Bean Pudding Cake

Dateline: Mon 20 July. With the latest visit of fellow Tar Heel Chris late last month, some dessert was called for, and I went with the marvelous vanilla bean pudding cake. Simple enough to throw together while I'm making the rest of dinner, so that it can be ready soon after the evening meal, this sweet explosion of vanilla comes across as a real treat, even though it's not a grand production. But the end result is worth even small efforts, for sure.

---

"Vanilla Bean Pudding Cakes," from Susan Reid. Published by King Arthur Baking. Recipe printed July 2017.

Meal No. 4158: Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Dateline: Mon 20 July. On the most recent occasion of a delightful visit and evening hang with UNC chum Chris, as last week launched, we sat down to a new recipe: creamy cajun chicken pasta. I got some chicken breasts spiced and grilled just as the first of the storms rolled through, and back inside the house the pasta was cooking and the creole cream sauce was coming together nicely. We filled our bowls with this fresh addition to the Roediger House options and were glad of it.

---

"Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta," by Sam Merritt of Sugar Spun Run. [Published 15 August 2024]

Meal No. 4157: Poppy Seed Chicken

Dateline: Sun 19 July. A small gathering of a mixed bunch from the regular crew was here so we could watch the recent film phenomenon, Obsession. That called for an earlier dinnertime and a doable menu, but I still wanted it to be a decent one. A Sunday night comfort casserole sounded perfect, and that meant dropping a seasoned whole chicken into the Instant Pot and whipping up the mushroom and onion filling on the cooktop. It all comes together in the baking dish with a Ritz cracker buttery crumb topping. When it’s dished up on the plates, the guests are advised, to their happy delight, that they shall dig into poppy seed chicken. And some roasted herbed whole green beans, too.

After the movie, I had some dessert to put together, with most of the prep having been done in advance: chocolate frosty-style shakes. Cold, creamy, chocolatey, and brain-freeze-inducing: we found the cupsful to be an entirely suitable way to close out the night.

---

"Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole," by Ashley Moore in Cook's Country, February/March 2015, p. 20.

Guidance from "How to Cook Instant Pot Whole Chicken - Rotisserie Style," by Sheena Strain from noshtastic.com (formerly glutenfreepressurecooker.com). [Printed 08 January 2018 / Updated Online 21 January 2023]

"Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning," by Judith Hannemann, The Midnight Baker. [Published 22 March 2017]

"Homemade Chocolate Frosty," from Tieghan Girard of Half-Baked Harvest. [Updated 04 August 2025]

Meal No. 4155: Cheeseburgers for Game Night

Dateline: Fri 18 July. Summertime rolls around, which includes the happy stretch of days with my brother-in-law visiting, and the crew must assemble for supper and game night. That was our collective endeavor Friday a week ago, as our hotter July held sway and it seemed best to keep the heat out of the kitchen. So: cheeseburgers to the rescue, fresh from the grill, with chips of choice and lots of homemade special sauce.

With plates cleared away, it was time to bring out our homemade version of Cards Against Humanity, based on the Dark Shadows gothic soap opera from the late 1960s. With answer options that would color the cheeks of the prim and proper among us, it’s prudent to keep the contents on the DL…but we sure get a lot of groans, gasps, and hearty laughs from the gathered souls.

---

Adapted from "Grilled Juicy Burgers," originally from Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks recipe magazine, July 2003 [Updated Online 03 February 2011], p. 52-53.

"Beef & Cheddar Melts Sauce," a Roediger House creation.