If you’ve been passionately following along with Kathey Jo’s Kitchen – and I’m sure you have – you’ve noticed that I’ve fallen off the rails of healthy eating. That’s why I’m glad today is Fresh Spinach Day. It’s a reminder that any day is a good day to put healthy food into our meal plans. Spinach is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It tastes good, and there’s many recipes to choose from. When spinach is fresh and uncooked, the nutritional value is the highest. So how are you going to incorporate fresh spinach into your meals today? Let your friends here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know!

Spinach and Edamame Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 tbsp. finely grated ginger
• 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 ½ tbsp...

National French Fries Day is today, and we’re celebrating this delicious day at Kathey Jo’s by eating fries! French fries are believed to have originated in Belgium in the 17th century. Fried potatoes were substituted in the Belgium diet in winter months, when fish were not available to fry. French fries are the most popular fast food item in America. Due to their wild popularity, you can enjoy eating French fries anywhere in the world. French fries can be fried, or baked. Depending on where you are, you can eat them with bacon, butter, cheese, gravy, ketchup, mayonnaise, salt, sugar, or vinegar. Too many options? Let Kathey Jo’s Kitchen give you a couple of ideas.

Breakfast Poutine

Ingredients

• 1 bag frozen fries, baked according to package instructions
• 1 ½ c. shredded Cheddar
• 1/3...

July is a strange month, as it’s not only National Blueberry Month, but yesterday was National Blueberry Day. So, in Kathey Jo’s Kitchen today, we’re planning on celebrating them all at once. Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. You can snack on them without a care in the world. Blueberries are loaded with fiber, and rich in antioxidants. They help lower cholesterol which promotes heart health, can help reduce the risk of cancer, and may help to slow the aging process. How do you like to enjoy your blueberries? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know.

Best Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshl...

Fried chicken is one of America’s favorite meals, and it’s a staple in Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. We know that fried foods aren’t good for us, especially if you have it on a regular basis. But, one day can’t hurt, right? There’s one thing you need to do celebrate: eat some fried chicken. Make some the night before, and take it to lunch. Warm it up for dinner, and balance it out with a tossed green salad. Now for your trivia: fried chicken was a sign of wealth when it first debuted. What’s your favorite seasoning for fried chicken? Let Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know!

Classic Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of different chicken pieces
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teas...

I hope you’re ready to enjoy the lovely weather this month, because here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, we’re celebrating National Picnic Month. Find a great location, like a public park, a beach, or scenic byway with picnic tables. Don’t forget to plan a group activity like a card game, frisbee, or volleyball to keep everyone occupied. There’s countless foods you can prepare to enjoy in the warmth of the sun, such as sandwiches, salad, fried chicken, corn on the cob, and something cool to drink. And because there’s so many recipes, you can go on picnics pretty much every day! What are your picnic staples? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know.

Avocado and Ham Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 loaves of ficelle
• ¼ c. butter
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• .13 tsp. coarse black pepper
• ¾ lb...

We’re excited to eat waffles today at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen! Waffle Iron Day celebrates a great kitchen gadget that help you make a tasty meal that you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A waffle iron is powered by electricity to heat two metal plates that take the goopy batter you made earlier to create light, fluffy waffles with built-in syrup catchers. You can top them with your favorite fruits too. Waffles were discovered in the 1300s in Greece. They cooked flat cakes between two metal pans, topping them with cheeses and herbs, since pancake syrup wasn’t invented yet. What kind of toppings do you like on your waffles? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know!

The Best Belgian Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2...

On June 25, 1987, President Ronald Reagan began a presidential Proclamation 5672 with the words: “more and more Americans are discovering a uniquely American food delicacy — farm-raised catfish.” In doing research to learn more about catfish in general, I learned that 95% of the nation’s catfish comes from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. At Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, we’re going to be enjoying this dish in different ways. A traditional preparation method is to coat it with cornmeal and fried, or blackened in a cast-iron skillet. How do you like your catfish? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know in the comments.

Oven-Fried Catfish

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds catfish fillets
• ½ cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoo...

I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but National Peanut Butter Cookie Day was on the 12^th.  I just found out myself! So, we’re making up for it at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen by celebrating a few days late. Today is not the best day to have a nut allergy, but for those of us who can partake, we should do so with gusto. The biggest promoter of peanuts in the United States was George Washington Carver. He first published a book with over 100 recipes using peanuts in 1918. Today at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, we’ll be celebrating the cookie version. How do you like your peanut butter cookies? Let your friends know in the comments below!

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ½ cups all-purpos...

On International Sushi Day, we’ll be eating sushi at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, if you couldn’t already tell. You could take the easy route, and go to a Japanese restaurant that serves all-you-can-eat sushi. But for the particularly brave… how about trying to make sushi at home? It sounds intimidating but the great thing about it is that you’re allowed to make mistakes. Professional sushi chefs deserve all the respect in the world for doing what they do. But when you’re at home, you don’t have to have that pressure on you. We’ve never made sushi at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, and today is as good a day as any to learn. How do you plan to enjoy sushi today?

Sushi at Home

Ingredients

• 6 sheets sushi seaweed / nori
• 1 batch prepared sushi rice
• ½ lb...

Who doesn’t love sweet corn on the cob? It originated in Mexico, and goes as far back as 9,000 BC. National Corn on the Cob Day is a reason to enjoy this tasty summertime treat. There’s so many ways that we’ve enjoyed it at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, such as the old standard of boiled in a hot pot of water with salt and pepper. We’ve tried it steamed, and grilled. If you didn’t know, sweet corn loses its sweetness quickly, so it’s important to cook them immediately once you buy them from the store or your local farmer’s market. What’s your favorite seasoning for corn on the cob? Let your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen know!

Boiled Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

• 6-8 ears of corn, husks and silks removed and cut in half (if desired)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 stick of butter

Directions

1. Fill ...