My irises continue to bloom. The garden continues to grow. It’s been a busy weekend. A picnic wedding reception, two backyard barbecues, a karaoke wedding dance at a polka bar, one 30th birthday party and one 1st birthday party later, it’s all over. I did make the birthday cake successfully. I found a wonderful recipe that fit the bill, and I’ll have it up later this week. It didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted due to a flop in the grass (topping, not the actual cake)... more

A lot of work goes into main dishes.  For the most part, I tend to focus on the protein portion of our meals, but when possible, I like to double – even triple up on items that can be put on the grill for any given meal.  I’ve already talked about the asparagus that can be done on the grill so today I’ll talk about what is probably the most popular non-meat grillable in the house – my soon to be famous, Super Garlic Toast.   Normally, I’m not so boastful about my... more

You can find me at Organizing Your Way today talking about our summer schedules and how to organize them when school lets out for summer.  Working from home becomes even more interesting around here when I factor in sports, trips to the waterpark and summer camp schedules.  I cover the basics of staying sane, deciding what’s most important and also go over how that changes the kids’ responsibilities for the summer. While you’re there, you can look around and find my friend Mandi... more

My employer was generous enough to give me Friday off in addition to Monday for Memorial Day this year, so I’ve decided to pass the generosity on with a recipe guaranteed to elevate your backyard BBQ to “best ever” status.  Today we’re doing a Twin Cities original – the Juicy Lucy. Now, even many native Minnesotans may be unsure as to what that is.  I have to admit that I was in the dark until I moved to Minneapolis eight years ago from Southern Minnesota.  One of... more

It’s been a long weekend here, extending into tomorrow. We’re going to brave the possible nature congestion and take the family to a state park, maybe hike a little, stop at a drive-in and play some mini golf. So, if you’re headed to that same state park, I’ll be there with a pack full of sandwiches and a large infant in a Kelty on my back. Say hi. It has been nice here the last week, and it makes me want to eat lighter, fresh foods with the windows open. Liking the... more

A Philly cheesesteak isn’t something to mess with, so we didn’t. Instead, we created our own variety of steak sandwich, topped off with a mound of fresh grilled vegetables and a simple chipotle mayo for a bit of kick. It is the combination we keep coming back to. The vegetables balance the steak and cheese and serve to lighten things up a bit. I even topped mine with some iceberg we had sitting around taking up space to give a little crunch. For these we’re using leftover bacon-wrapped... more

Photo by thebittenworld.com Three years ago, my in-laws bought us a freezer for Christmas. It is one of the best gifts we’ve ever received. My parents were feeling slighted, so they bought us a knife set this past year. Those are also wonderful, but I’m here to talk about the freezer. Our freezer is a magical place, filled with ribs, ice cream bars, make-ahead meals, fish, beef, pesto and vegetables. We often start our menu planning by first going through and seeing what the contents... more