French fries and squeaky cheese curds get smothered in a dark Guinness Draught gravy for a poutine that would make any Québécois proud. I think. Little Miss Muffet Sat on a tuffet, Eating of curds and whey; There came a big spider, Who sat down beside her, And frightened Miss Muffet away. We replaced Miss Muffet’s whey with beer-spiked gravy and added a few french fries. It all works out. I’m not sure why I’m writing this. Making poutine was Ole’s idea. Still, in marriage... more

A smoked and slow roasted barbacoa recipe, Americanized only by the use of a smoker and a readily available chuck roast cut. A bonus chili recipe from the roasting sauce is included. I’ve spoken before about how our family’s cooking activities have “ruined” certain convenience items for us. In many cases, the recipes or techniques that we’ve developed at home, while they may take more time, result in a product far superior than what is commercially available. Things like burgers, barbecue,... more

A recipe for yogurt and olive oil cupcakes lightly flavored with lime and topped with brilliant pomegranate arils and buttercream or just a simple pomegranate honey syrup. “Is anyone this girl’s mom?” the salesperson asked, staring around the shoe store. He was referring, of course, to my daughter, who at this moment was standing, hands on her hips, in front of a display of TOMS shoes, eying the ones that sparkled and shone. On her head was a bright blue bomber hat to accent the... more

All natural and unprocessed vegan scones with chocolate chips and cacao nibs make an excellent breakfast option with this easy recipe. “Mom, can we bake? Mom. Mom, I want to bake. Mom, bake. Bake.” After a long flight last Friday I headed straight towards the kids’ elementary school to volunteer. When I finally arrived home later that evening, I was tired. Exhausted. Wishing it was later so that the kids wanted to curl up in bed rather than demand dinner followed by popcorn for... more

How to make homemade pasta dough with basil from scratch using a Blendtec Twister Jar (plus, I’m giving one away). The basil here is used similar to how you would make spinach pasta dough rather than just mixing in minced herbs, which results in a green-colored pasta and a strong but not overwhelming basil flavor. This past Sunday we headed off to the farmers market to find the vendors are slowly starting to clear. It happens every year around this time when their particular items are done... more

The classic seasonings and brown sugar flavors of Biscoff speculoos cookies are baked inside biscotti and begging to be dipped into your favorite seasonal latte. I’m sitting on the counter swinging my bare feet, the floor two feet away. It’s summer, and I’m in shorts, my legs sticking to the counter when I shift my weight so that I have to peel them off like a bandaid, only less painful. On the counter next to me is a goldenrod mixer. Just past the mixer are the plastic gallon... more

Make your own homemade Italian soda with fresh pear syrup and top it all off with cardamom cream. My house is full. There are four small bodies that fill it daily with their voices, loud and fun, quiet and contemplative. They fill it with their clothes, hastily thrown in the corner, discarded in the middle of the living room floor, mountains of cloth smelling of the grass and dirt where they spent their day. Their toys spring up from the rug as if their seeds were planted there and they are spontaneously... more