A certain blue box invokes a certain feeling of nostalgia and I know that it was always was a big hit in Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. Over the years, I had gotten a little concerned about the ingredients in it and ended up developing my own recipe that far outstrips the big box brand. I know that I enjoy making it and have altered it depending on our day to day tastes. I’ve made spicy, sweet and even bacon laced and I have to say, this recipe has to be the best one that I have narrowed down in and you will find yourself saying, Kathleen Raskin, you are right.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound rotini or elbow pasta
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
• 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ t...

Camping is one of the best ways to spend time together as a family.  I often will go out with my extended family, friends and pretty much anyone who has a tent that I like. However, I always hear, “Kathey Raskin, I just don’t have time to make food.” Well, here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, I can help you make easy, fun, and fulfilling recipes to take on your next family adventure. With a plethora of little mouths to feed all wanting the same thing at once, I figured out that this year that there had to be a better way to feed everyone at once.

Ingredients

1 loaf of bread of choice

1 carton of Burnbrae Farms Toast Egg Creations

¼ cup sliced almonds

1 container of fresh strawberries

Confectioner’s sugar

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Nutella (optional)

Syrup

Instructions

Wash strawb...

When I decide to strike out into the wilderness, for a weekend, it usually means that there’s running water, a car and coolers and ice. It’s not really roughing it, but when Kathey Raskin camps, you will not be upset with the food that I bring. Here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, you will have the incredible head start that I will provide. You will be sitting down to a dinner of ember-kissed steaks or hot off the grill flatbreads while soaking up the glow of a setting sun.

Breakfast

Who doesn’t like getting up early, seeing the sun rise on a nice quiet morning? The first meal of the day is the most important and some of my favorites are tried and true recipes that I have developed just for breakfast. Options include Biscuits and Gravy, fresh fruit, granola and milk or yogurt and my person...

It seems a little self-serving but I like helping my Mother’s Day get off on the right foot. My husband always asks me, “Kathey Raskin, what can I do to make your day more special?” It’s hard not to fall more in love with him when he asks, but let’s be real, it’s Kathy Jo’s kitchen for a reason. He can’t cook to save his soul. So, I always give him a fool-proof recipe that even the most hopeless can follow. He’s been getting better every year so I’m going to give him a little bit of a complicated, but quick recipe.

History

The modern holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia...

I get asked, “Kathey Raskin, what’s your favorite holiday?” It’s always so difficult to answer, but I usually pick the most recent, but I do have an affinity for Easter. Since its origins, Easter has been a time of celebration and feasting and many traditional Easter games and customs developed, such as egg rolling, tapping, cascarones or confetti eggs, and decorating. Today Easter is commercially important, seeing wide sales of greeting cards and confectionery such as chocolate Easter eggs as well as other Easter foods. Even many non-Christians celebrate these aspects of the holiday while eschewing the religious aspects. Here in Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, we can help you get prepared for all the best of this holiday.

Peeps

Yes, I had to start with the sugary sweet marshmallow treats...

In the middle of the desert, you see shining cities, beautiful cacti and abundant choices for food. Phoenix, Tucson and Scottsdale are some of the biggest foodie draws in the west. I am Kathleen Raskin, and here at Kathy Jo’s Kitchen, I know exactly what you need to know about the Grand Canyon state and their eating habits. There are many celebrities who have gotten their start, take a day and drive the Apache Trail Scenic Drive into the Superstition Mountains. Enjoy the history behind the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine on the way to visiting Tortilla Flat. Eating locally is a tasty proposition. Chiles, dates, and citrus all grow in abundance.

Mesquite Beans

Now there are some more interesting foods that you may not have heard about made from not quite normal ingredients...

The huge selection of food makes our nation that much more incredible, and I know that my family overseas always asks me, “Kathleen Raskin, when are you going to give me the amazing recipes?” I have travelled through many states and I have found the perfect recipes that are honestly the best of the best. Many of the foods have been inspired by the local flavor. Some of Alaska’s popular annual events are the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race that starts in Anchorage and ends in Nome, World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, the Blueberry Festival and Alaska Hummingbird Festival in Ketchikan.  Now the recipes I’ve found may seem a little odd, but here in Kathy Jo’s Kitchen, you can trust that they are the best.

Reindeer Pizza: Ingredients

This is a specialty from Norway and Finland and ...

My name is Kathleen Raskin, and as a kid, I can remember learning about vegetables, fruits and other edible things. Orange was not only a fruit but the color of it. Potatoes are brown, and everything else you learn in kindergarten. There comes a point in life, however, that you learn that everything isn’t inside of a neat little box. Apples can be green and red. Grapes can be purple, red or green. It doesn’t quite destroy your world view, but it definitely turns your world upside down. I remember when my mom fed me my first blood orange. I was very confused, but then I took out some books in the library. I was amazed and I want to share some of my favorite ones with you.

Vegetables and Starches

One of my now favorites that I have discovered is purple potatoes...

There is a huge diversity of food in our great nation and I, Kathleen Raskin, will take you on an incredible journey, one dish at a time. Today in Kathy Jo’s Kitchen, I will start in the beautiful state of Alabama. However, this isn’t going to be an ordinary tour of culinary delights. These are dishes that you may not be familiar with, like stone-ground baked shrimp and grits or ribs, which are staples around those parts. Before you read much further, remember that there are incredible and delicious things that Alabama offers, like Hot Bama Brown sandwich at Baumhower’s or the Bouillabaisse from Hot and Hot Fish Club.

Ambrosia Salad

It used to be the nectar of the Greek gods. Alabama has decided to change the recipe and make it for a good ol’ boy...

Hello, this is Kathleen Raskin, and I know just as well as anyone that on Friday night, after a long day at work, many of us will be watching a great movie on Netflix and munching on everything that is within reach. For most of us, this means chips, popcorn, or pizza. If you are anything like me, you find yourself saying, “Geeze, stop eating this junk food and get your life together.” I know that there are many healthy recipe snack alternatives online today, and I’d like to share a few of the best healthy foods to help you lose weight, feel better, and even eventually like eating more.

Salty Snacks

We all crave salty snacks at some point; I know I do when I’m super stressed out. But you know that caloric intake can spike with the “traditional choices...