Author: singingaboutcooking

I started this blog at a time in my life where everything centered around feeding people and singing everytime I could. That's why my site is named SingingAboutCooking. And since then I have continued to both find things that have served me and release others that were only destined for a season. If you are finding me in 2026 (last time this was updated), you are finding the CeCe who is still passionate about food, has retired from singing due to a medical condition, suffers daily from some new menopause symptom combination, has been diagnosed with autism as an adult eldest daughter female (IYKYK), is moving to the Anchorage-ish Alaska area in 2027, and has embraced her Scorpio crystal and divination witch self.
Posted in Cooking, Healthy in Mind and Body

Greek Penicillin–Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

There’s this new local soup and sandwich shop Ladles in Sweetgrass (the new Harris Teeter off Hwy 17 N) that serves up a fantastic Greek Lemon Chicken Soup…not tart, but fresh lemon flavor, hint of garlic, and just oh so comforting…even in the hot Lowcountry summer, which has gotten an early start.

But it’s not always convenient to go get it. And I needed something to make for my lunches this week that would make a little extra for one of our dinners. And…I’m a soup fanatic. Love it….hot or cold weather…but not really many cold soups.

So…what makes Greek Lemon Chicken Soup special? Well, to tell you the truth, it’s basically homemade chicken noodle soup with a special touch right at the end. Here’s how it goes.

Ingredients:

  • 6 large chicken breasts, skinless and boneless (about 4 lbs)
  • 64 oz (8 cups total) chicken broth (homemade is best; for corn free, use Pacific Organic Free Range Chicken Broth or Harris Teeter Organic Chicken Broth)
  • 4-6 large carrots, cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 1-2 large sweet onions, roughly chopped
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper as desired
  • 2 cups Israeli couscous (little tiny pasta balls)–or 2 cups white rice which is more traditional and naturally gluten free
  • 3 eggs
  • juice and zest of 2 large lemons (alternate: 1 cup lemon juice)

Place the chicken, carrots, onions, garlic, bay leaves, and salt and pepper in a stock pot; cover with 32 oz of chicken broth (about 4 cups). Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. This is to cook and flavor the chicken.

Remove the chicken and add the couscous and another 32 oz of chicken broth (about 4 cups). Cover and simmer while you shred (or chop) the chicken.

Add the chicken back in and stir well.

At this point, you have a fantastic and well-flavored Chicken Noodle Soup…and might very well choose to stop here.

Or…you can make and add the “Greek” part.

Whisk together three eggs and the juice and zest of two large lemons (about 1T zest and about 1/2 cup juice) in a large bowl. Be sure to use a large bowl, much larger than you think you need, because next you are going to add 2 cups of soup broth while whisking.

Get 2 cups of hot broth out of the soup pot; it’s okay if there’s some onion or couscous in it. I dip the broth out with a soup ladle and into a large measuring cup with a pour spout. This will come in really handy as I pour it into the egg mixture.

Now, take the measuring cup of broth in your left hand and your whisk in your right hand (or vice versa if you are left-handed).

Start whisking away gently.

Dribble the hot soup broth into the egg mixture very slowly, whisking the whole time.

It will take about five minutes, so be patient and DO NOT rush this  step. This is called “tempering” the eggs, warming them up without cooking them so that when you add the mixture to the soup, it will become naturally creamy from all of the proteins!

When you’ve incorporated all of your broth, take the soup off of the heat and add the mixture to the soup. Taste and see what you think.

If you want more lemony taste, add some more lemon juice.

NOTE: this recipe is based off of one posted by Whole Foods for Greek Lemon and Chicken Soup.

Posted in Everyday Musings

Rebounders (aka, can guys and girls be friends?)

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

Hmmm…sounds like it might be the title of a great sitcom, right?

So, how many times have you had or been the rebound relationship? I guess a better question is “what is a rebound relationship”? I mean, what function is it supposed to serve versus what actually happens?

Caveat: I am a classical economist, a political centrist, so in my mind there is only “what is” and almost never “what should be,” mainly because no one has let me be in charge of the universe yet. Then I’ll (or you’ll) get to decide “what should be” and then make it happen.

That said, what is the function of the rebound relationship? Technically, a rebound only follows a relationship that made it into the serious, big “L” love, on the way to marriage and kids and til death do us part level. Doesn’t have to have gotten than far for both parties, and generally that’s why the pre-rebound relationship ends. So you, assuming you are the one who believed in the happily ever after-ness and still in that mindset, find a lovely person to whom you can transfer those feelings. Rarely are they real, but they are so strong that you can’t just stop on a dime. It’s all bottled up inside you and you need somewhere to stow them. So you meet and date a fun, fantastic person; you might even meet his/her friends and family on some group dates.

Thing is, that love really belongs to someone else, not your rebound.

I mean, think of the word itself, re-bound. The primary definition of “to bound” is bounce. Add the prefix “re” and you’ve got a fancy way of saying “bounce back,” as if you’ve just fallen down and you are bouncing back up. Another way to use it is straight out of basketball…means exactly the same thing…ball is thrown for the basket and misses (relationship #1) and someone else catches it and tries to score. Yes, sometimes the person who threw it also catches the rebound; that’s the relationship we’ve all seen at least one of our friends in, where the pair break up and reunite over and over again, rebounding with each other.

Where am I going with all of this? Well, my rebound and I just “broke up.” But first, the man I love and I had to break up. Before that we had to be in a relationship that included the connections that lead up to love.

And that’s precisely what happened. The thing is, I knew I was in a position to be a great rebound girl for someone else, but I never considered how much having a rebound guy would benefit me.

And boy, did I get lucky. My rebound guy had his messy, nasty, self-esteem shattering break-up about six months after I had mine. Okay, I admit, that’s not really how mine happened; we loved each other but had very different expectations about how things could or would happen to move us toward something more than just loving each other…that life together. I spent about four days crying and not eating over mine, but an amazing snuggle of friends supported me through that. My rebound guy wasn’t so lucky; that is, his ex spent about two months viciously shredding him to pieces, everything from how he looked to his career choices to his age, even hitting so low as to suggest he was a shame to his family. I know this because he and I were friends, just friends, through all of this. I even took care of him a couple of times when he was so busted up that he needed help.

But earlier this year, we were talking about our relationships with others and our relationship with each other. He and I share an intimacy that is uncommon among men and women, that rare “best friends” intimacy between a man and a woman. We wondered if there was something more, so we consciously decided to take some time to see if there might be something more there.

I still had my love for another man bottled up, nowhere to put it, but had been meeting up with this friend for “date-like” occasions.

He had several years worth of love for a women who now hated him, and nowhere to put it. I even met her a month or so before the 2-month-long break up began.

Might as well see if we fit. So we had dates. For events and especially family occasions, we attended as an unspoken couple. In fact, that was key for us; we never declared to anyone that we were a couple. But we are both guilty of not correcting what we knew was their assumption.

So for the past five months, we’ve spent about two weekends a month together, usually one with his family and one with mine (we live in different areas of the state). And it’s been rare that a day goes by that we don’t talk, even if just a little. We do little special things for each other.

But the fact is, we did all of this as friends, when we were each seeing other people, in love with them, in fact.

I’ll admit, I’m less guarded than he with my feelings and let myself enjoy and show my joy in spending time with him and loving him; I even told him that I love him a few weeks ago. That’s the tricky part. I do love him, and I know he loves me. But it’s easy to mistake our intimacy with the kind of love that makes people want to make a life together.

So last week, my rebound guy and I “broke up.” I have to put it in quotation marks because we were always just seeing where our special, rare intimacy boundaries were.

And the best part is, there is no one else for either of us right now. We “broke up” because we simply aren’t into each other that way. I love knowing that we simply aren’t “the one” for each other rather than came in second place to someone else.

And I have to admit, I was worried about the conflict that would flare up inside of me if I really loved two men with the same intensity. Because I do still love my ex, in a way that makes me want to make a life with him.

So what did I get out of this rebound relationship? That’s an interesting question, and I’m not sure I know all of the answers to it yet. But I learned to have fun with a man, just fun, no expectations. To open myself up to new experiences, not just the ones that we share but the ones that could become important parts of my life. To share myself openly with someone else, knowing that I could be hurt but trusting his care for me and that his honesty is something I can trust. Perhaps I learned that the kind of man that I’ve always dreamed of finding and loving really does exist, isn’t just a figment of my imagination.

It would have been so nice and easy if he and I could have fallen in love with each other…the marriage kind of love. It’s certainly what both of our families and friends were rooting for. But it’s not what happened.

The Moral of the Story: the rebound doesn’t have to be a bad or dangerous relationship to be in. I still think I make a great rebound girl, as long as I know I’m in that role. I’ve dated and stayed friends with many men who found me just as their marriage was busting up. Being honest with each other about having a good time and enjoying the companionship can make a rebound relationship fun!

Posted in Cooking

Charleston Macaroni Pie

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

I just love to see people’s faces…people not from the south, that is…when I talk about macaroni pie. I kind of do it on purpose, knowing they are trying to reconcile the sinful sweetness of fresh ripe peach pie in a homemade sweet pastry crust with pasta and tangy cheese. Not really what I want to eat either.

Then as I explain, they always say, “but I like my macaroni and cheese creamy.” Ha! If you’re eating Charleston Macaroni Pie like I grew up eating, then it is creamy. If you’re not, the cook should be shot!

The key is in the….custard. Yep, macaroni pie uses a custard…a milk, egg, and flour mixture that “sets”. It doesn’t scramble or cook hard like eggs alone, but neither is it juicy from the milk.

Here’s what you’ll need from your pantry and fridge…because every home should have these ingredients at all times!

  • 1 box of elbow macaroni
  • 1 lb of sharp cheddar cheese, grated in 1/4 lb piles
  • 1/2 stick of butter
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp ground mustard (never use prepared, ick)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pepper

Some notes on the ingredients:

Naturally any bite-sized pasta will do, but theres just something about the way truly good and creamy cheesiness slides off of the elbow curls all the while evading your fork!

A variety of cheeses, even a combination, can certainly be used, but sharp cheddar is traditional and basic.

Arguments may now ensue regarding the fat content of the milk…anything from heavy cream to canned condensed milk to half and half to skim. Personally, I find that it doesn’t matter which one you use as long as you are conscious of the consistency of your custard.

Okay, now to get cooking:

Boil your pasta just like the box tells you to. I like to start with scalding hot water in the pot; it will boil almost 2 minutes faster.


While the pasta is going, cut your block of cheese into 4 equal pieces and grate in individual piles. This will make it much easier to mix into the hot pasta in batches.

And before the pasta is done, whisk together your eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Now once you’re more experienced in making this, you’ll be able to adjust the balance of this custard to meet your desires…creamier set demands perhaps one less egg and a little more milk while a firmer set calls for the same mix but perhaps 2-3 egg whites added. Regardless, you always need approximately 3 cups of custard mixture per recipe.

As the pasta finishes boiling, get ready to mix fast; you want to take advantage of that steaming hot pasta to create the creaminess that is the base of macaroni and cheese. Quickly dump your pasta in a colander, draining just slightly, maybe 5 seconds at the most. Pour the pasta right back into the hot pot, add the butter (cut into slices), sprinkle over 1/4 of the cheese (one pile if you followed my instructions), and about 1/2 cup of the custard mixture.

And stir…a lot…gently…watching for all of the cheese to “disappear” as it melts. Then add another pile of cheese and keep stirring. When that one’s all melted in, add a third pile of cheese.

At this point, you should be able to eat a spoonful of the macaroni and cheese and think to yourself, “Wowsers, I can’t believe I ever ate the stuff out of the box! But why on earth should I bake this rather than eating it right now?” Simple, it gets better, trust me!

Pour your macaroni and cheese into a greased baking dish (9×13) and spread it out nice and even with your spoon.

Pour in your remaining custard mixture, letting it sink in and settle out evenly.

Finally, sprinkle the remaining pile of cheese over the top; this will make a scrumptious crust on top of the pie.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on humidity. When it’s done, lightly touch the center to test for springiness; you want the pie to bounce and jiggle, but not squirt out juice.

Macaroni Pie is a classic southern dish that is traditionally served as a side dish with anything at all: chicken, bbq, ham, steak…probably not fish or seafood, though. It can also be easily transformed into a complete meal casserole with the substitution of half of the cooked pasta for meat and vegetables; I’m fond of chicken and broccoli, myself.

PS–this is what I made to go with ginger ham and blue cheese cole slaw on Rapture Day (aka May 21, 2011).

Posted in Cooking, Healthy in Mind and Body

The Bliss of Homemade Popcorn

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

About five years ago, I took a chance and made popcorn in my own soup pot on a gas stove; you see, I was trimming the budget, and a bag of loose kernels is much cheaper than 24 bags of the microwave stuff (that’s an equivalent amount of popped corn).

And it couldn’t be simpler.

In your big soup pot (the lighter weight the better, if you have a choice), pour in cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pot, perhaps 1/8 inch. Dump in about half a cup of popcorn kernels and maybe 2 tablespoons of salt.

Then the secret: snap the lid on tight and don’t you dare open it up again until the popcorn has all popped.

Gently slide the pot back and forth over high heat. Don’t worry, be patient. You will definitely know when the action is heating up. You’ll hear the sizzle of the oil just a second or two before the first kernels pop. And they will pop up and hit the lid. Don’t be scared…and don’t you dare open the lid. Not only will you let out the heat and steam necessary to pop the corn, but you may lose an eye.

Keep sliding the pot back and forth as you hear the popping speed up. But listen carefully for the first signs of the slow down. When you can hear only one kernel at a time pop, it’s time to take the pot of the heat entirely.

Lift the lid carefully. You may get to enjoy the surprise of a few more kernels popping up and out of the top layer, which is a special delight for kids if you’ve got them helping with this!

Transfer the popcorn into a large bowl to let it cool off.

Now, if  you’ve used a good quality cooking oil, you will not need any flavoring. But…if you must, melt a whole stick of butter in the microwave and pour it over the popcorn; stir immediately but gently.

Other seasonings, which I recommend you add prior to popping:

  • 1/2 sugar or Splenda for sweet kettle corn
  • cayenne and chili powder for spicy
  • cumin for smokey
  • curry and sesame oil for earthy

Oh, and if you are on Weight Watchers and enjoy your 5 cups of 97% fat free microwave popcorn, just imagine what it’d be like to have delicately butter-flavored popcorn (same 5 cups) for 2 points…and feel so much more decadent!

Posted in Everyday Musings

High School Flashback…folding notes

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

Today, I enjoyed a day-long exchange with an old friend…actually my old high school boyfriend…mimicking the age-old tradition of passing notes…but Facebook style!

Yes, there are a few more exchanges, but only because he butt-dialed me and I heard the book he was listening to in the car.

But this all made me think about that classic way we used to fold our notes, thinking somehow that our “secret” folding technique made our notes impenetrable by teachers. I also remember writing backwards, again thinking that my teachers would be too stupid to figure it out and wouldn’t be able to read the note out loud and embarrass me.

So I grabbed a piece of paper from the copy machine and let my memory take over:


Fold diagonally from the top right corner to the left straight edge, matching up what was the top edge with the left edge and making a perfect point at the top left.

Fold the remaining bottom “tag” upwards.

Fold vertically from the bottom right to the bottom left, matching up the two bottom corners.

Fold horizontally and to the back so that the top point now points downward.

Fold that point back upwards over the front.

Fold the remaining little point tag down into the pocket made by the paper.

There were also variations on how to fold that final point into the pocket, sometimes making a pull tag, but that’s pretty much the gist.

Crazy sometimes the things you remember from high school. Crazier still that twenty years later a good-looking man can still make you blush by asking you to check yes or no to let him know if you like him. I mean like-him like-him 🙂

Posted in Cooking, Healthy in Mind and Body

Super-simple Sloppy Joes (and a tiny soapbox moment)

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

I have a love-hate relationship with sloppy joes. I do love the flavor, but there’s a soupiness threshold for me. Sure, it’s easy to buy a can of Manwich or some other pre-made sauce mix, but I think when you know what the sauce basic are, you just might want to try your own.

Brief Soapbox: The key reason I object to canned sloppy joe mix is that they all use corn syrup because they are tomato-based. I’m on a less-traditional bandwagon against corn syrup–and I don’t really care if it’s high- or low-fructose. First, why in God’s name does tomato sauce need sweetening? If the tomato is picked at the peak of ripeness, rather than forced into ripeness chemically, then they wouldn’t be bitter when cooked. Second, like milk allergies 15 years ago and nut allergies 10 years ago, the newest mass produce allergy is to corn; while research is too young to be conclusive, the prevailing medical, biological, and horticultural opinion is that this is because these products/industries are the first and largest to move into GMO production.

Okay, lesson over…for now.

Aside from that, don’t you want to be able to control the flavor of your sloppy joes! All they are is ground meat, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worchestershire sauce, and seasonings. Sure, you can add other stuff like onions, peppers, tomato chunks, heat, etc., but that’s the basic recipe.

Ingredients (in the order they’ll go in the pan)

  • 1 lb ground meat–whatever you like, but tonight we have turkey
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 cups of tomato sauce (about 1 can)
  • 2T of tomato paste (often contains corn syrup so steer towards the international tubes of tomato paste like Amore)
  • 2T Worchestershire sauce (make your own GF/CF/SF with this recipe!)

After that, whatever you add is essentially your personalization of the basic sloppy joe:

  • green peppers
  • diced onion
  • crushed or diced tomato
  • chilis
  • bbq sauce
  • honey
  • any variety of spices

Serve this delicious concoction on a hamburger bun (traditional) or in a hot dog bun (practical). We are especially fond of eating them with a whole green onion. And tonight, our sloppy joes are paired with tater tots and fresh cooked green beans.

Posted in Cooking, Healthy in Mind and Body

My Favorite Summer Pasta Salad

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

It’s summer, which for many means that all the best produce is in season, fresh, and readily available. Definitely true for all of the ingredients of my favorite summer salad.

It couldn’t be any simpler or take any less time or effort…and you’ll find it very versatile:

  • 1 package of your favorite shaped pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled (try an all-rice pasta for gluten free and corn free needs)
  • Equal volume of your favorite medley of fresh veggies (equal volume to the cooked pasta)
  • Seasoning: salt, pepper, thyme
  • Olive oil, about 1/4 cup for the whole salad
  • Lemon juice, or other acid like apple cider vinegar (to keep some of the veggies from turning brown)

Me…this week I’ve paired rotelle (spiral) pasta with what I think of as my classic medley: 1 pint of grape tomatoes, 1 large hothouse cucumber (seeded), 1 orange bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, and 2 small Hass avocados. I love how the avocados, regardless of how firm they are when you cut them, start to “melt” and become part of the dressing, keeping everything nice and lubricated without extra oil in the dressing! And I went with 2 T of herbs de provence to season everything nice and brightly…it’s the lavender flowers that I love best in the American version from Whole Foods.

Some alternative combos:

  • artichoke, orange, red onion with red wine vinegar
  • broccoli, cauliflower, shelled sugar snap peas with grapeseed oil

Sometimes I add a small bag of edamame, organic and non-GMO, if I don’t have any regular protein to go with it (either freshly made or leftover). But this week, I’ve cooked up several chicken breasts with herbs de provence.

The chicken, salad, and a banana will comprise my lunch for the week…all made in about 30 minutes.

But this salad is fantastic to make up on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and just have in the fridge as a quick side or even late-night snack. With the sweet and crunchy veggies, it’s often an acceptable alternative to your palate’s oreo craving at 10:30 pm.

Finally, this is my regular go-to contribution to any summery potluck, especially if I know any vegetarians will be attending; I make a special point to let them know I will be bringing the salad and how I prepare it so they can be comfortable eating it. I’ve had several vegetarian friends attend a potluck for the first time because they knew there’d be something for them other than just what they brought. (In the winter, I do a mushroom risotto for my vegetarian friends.)

Posted in Cooking

Taking a Helping Hand from the Experts: Ginger-glazed Ham (Momentum 1 pt/oz; PointsPlus 1 pt/oz)

Posted on by singingaboutcooking
Ginger-glazed Ham a la Nigella Express

I’ve got a few favorite shows on Food Network, and Nigella Express is tops for me. She cooks just like me, in a throw it together, don’t measure anything, do whatever it takes to make it ooey gooey yummy and then watch your friends and family enjoy!

So a few weeks ago, I caught an episode where she made a Ginger-glazed Ham. Now anyone who knows me personally has just lifted their eyebrows to the ceiling (perhaps beyond, in a few cases)…because everybody knows I hate ham. Wait…sshhhhh…about a month ago, to be polite, I ate some ham at Sunday dinner at a friend’s house a month or so ago, and it wasn’t horrible. Still not my favorite meat preparation, but I learned I don’t hate it anymore.

But when I saw Nigella combine ham–a mediocre meat preparation–and ginger glaze, my eyes lit up and my mouth watered. Now, I may be just okay with ham, but I LOVE ginger!

You can find the original recipe at Nigella Express on Food Network, but I changed it just a little and made it perhaps more American kitchen friendly:

  • 1 8-lb ham shoulder (bone in)–because I couldn’t find boneless ham joint at my grocery store
  • 1 2-liter of ginger ale–just use the store brand
  • 1 cup (or about half a jar) of ginger preserves–I find Dundee’s to be the best, with a strong, spicy flavor and natural ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard–again, I had store brand in the house, so that’s what I used
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar

Put the ham in your crock pot and fill it up with ginger ale; mine took about 1.5 liters. If the ham is too big for you to put the lid on (like mine was), just cover it snuggly with foil. Put it on whatever setting you need to get it through the day; I happened to be at home the day I made mine, so I stuck with Nigella’s original 4 1/2 hour cooking time, setting my crock pot on the 4 hours on high button (mine has four buttons, 4 or 6 hours at high or 8 or 10 hours at low).

30 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees

When it’s done in the crock pot, take it out with some large meat forks/scoops and place it on a baking rack in a foil-lined pan (with high sides, preferably). With a fork, perhaps some tongs, and a sharp knife, cut away the skin and most of the fat, exposing the dark pink meat of the ham. While it’s cooling just a little, mix up the glaze ingredients in a bowl: ginger preserves, mustard, cloves, and brown sugar. Then slather on the glaze and pop it into a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your glaze.

PS–this glaze is about the most amazing spicy sweetness I’ve come across in a loooong time. I can imagine it topping just about any grilled, baked, or roasted meat: chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, tuna or swordfish steaks. I think I also prefer it to Major Grey’s mango chutney for my spicy curry topping too.

Ginger-glazed Ham a la Nigella Express

Paired with this sweet and spicy ham is a baked potato salad and steamed broccoli.

Oooo, and the best thing is that you can repeat this process with any flavor combination. Imagine cooking it in pineapple juice all day before glazing it in pineapple preserves, or orange juice and orange marmalade, or apple juice and apple butter, or ginger ale and sweet potato butter…the list is endless!

Better yet, cook it on low without any special flavoring or liquid and then glaze with some yummy bbq sauce or whiskey sauce or maple glaze.

For such a strong flavored meat…that cured ham…it sure can take a lot more flavor the more you cook it!