Welcome to Melissa's Kitchen!

Hello there!  Welcome to my new blog.  Let me introduce myself!

My name is Melissa and I'm an at home cook.  My recipes aren't fine dining.  I will never appear on a cooking show.  I'm a single mother, living on a fixed income.  I have to stretch my grocery money just like everyone else!  I'm notorious for using the last little bit of anything I have "on hand" to try and creatively concoct something new for supper.  My kids are most definitely my biggest critics.  That being said, they mostly love my cooking,

I've been sharing my "on hand" recipes on facebook for several years.  A friend of mine suggested I write a cook book.  Another friend mentioned making a cooking blog.  Yet another friend tagged me as the Southern, Sassy, Whatever-You've-Got-On-Hand-Will-Do Chef, lol.  I love it!!! Pondering all this, I decided it would take too long to publish a book.  I'm sharing recipes already.  I may as well start a blog.

Before we get started, let me give you a few of my tips.  First of all, the freezer is your friend.  I buy family packs of ground beef to separate out into freezer bags for future use.  I also buy frozen fish, chicken, and some veggies.  Most of the time I'm only cooking for me and my 6 year old.  I like frozen foods, because I can take out just as much as I want to cook, without ruining what's left.  I keep a container in the freezer to put any little last spoonful of green beans, chicken, corn, or whatever else is left in the serving bowl after supper that might be usable for a casserole.  When I get my bowl full, I thaw it out and voila!  Throw in a can of cream of something, put it in your casserole dish, and cover it with cheese.  Bake till bubbly and brown, and you've got yourself supper!  I'm sure you have your go to ingredients that you always have on hand.  Those are the things you want to use.  Here are a few of mine.

Grated cheese
eggs
crackers
mayonnaise
cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup
canned chicken
beans
rice
corn
frozen spinach
peas
frozen chicken
quick cook oats
margarine
milk

Most all of my recipes originally came from somewhere else.  The difference is...I made it my own.  I substituted with what I had on hand.  If I share a recipe I have not yet cooked, I will tell you. Otherwise, you know it has been tested and tried.  I will also tell you if it's kid approved.  My little Princess is not always thrilled with my culinary expertise.  The joys of Motherhood.  ;)

Anyway, thank you for stopping by!  I hope you enjoy trying my little recipes.  Make sure you cook with a nice portion of love and prayers.  Makes it taste so much better!!!  Feel free to leave comments and let me know how you like them.  Also, feel free to share the cooking love.  Alrighty then!  Let's get cooking!