Maybe I named this recipe for lemon frozen yogurt the “Yogurt of the Gods” because it has Greek yogurt in it, which instantly makes me think of Greek mythology, or perhaps it was birthed out of how heavenly it tastes. Still, though, there’s a chance that I named it that because my kids have been watching The Lightning Thief, reading the Percy Jackson books and pretending they can control massive amounts of water like any true son of Poseidon could. Maybe it’s a combination... more

Yesterday I was making blueberry crumb bars for Babble when I decided I needed use up some of the produce in the fridge. We were headed up to the Boundary Waters, and I had, well, a lot of produce that wasn’t scheduled to be packed in the cooler and carted up there with us. As I stared at the cherries that had sadly been neglected as life took over and deadlines loomed, I decided they would work perfectly in the crumb bar recipe I’d just tossed into the oven. The cherries had originally been... more

When we embarked on the homemade ice cream path, the next obvious step was consumption of all the delicious gelatos and ice creams that were filling the freezer. First we ate bowls of vanilla bean gelato with mint leaves for garnish, we smooshed it between cookies, made shakes with fresh strawberries, topped it with strawberry sauce and, of course, as root beer floats. Note: Good root beer floats always starts with a good root beer. Goose Island? Pure cane sugar? Check. While dating Ole, I learned... more

The high today is supposed to reach 90. It makes it hard to believe that just two weeks ago I was waiting for the overnight lows to stay above freezing before I put my seedlings in the ground. I am hot and sticky, and I am dreaming of the technology that is called central air. You may have heard of it? I had it at one point. In fact, I had it my whole life until we purchased our own home. Now? I make ice cream and stand in the laundry room on the cement, eating vanilla bean gelato out of the... more

I enjoy cooking with my kids. I believe that teaching them how to cook and bake and feed themselves is an important part of the child rearing process. So, I set out to do that this week. First, we made brownies, but not just any brownies. We made brownies with a mint cheesecake layer, and then we topped them off with a simple ganache. I mean, it was St. Patrick’s Day. What ends a meal of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and Guinness like a rich brownies with a refreshing minty kick? Nothing.... more

What to do when you have food that needs to be used in short order? In this case, the obvious solution was to whip up a bread pudding with a few extra lemons, ricotta, blueberries I’d planned on feeding the kids but then forgot about and a loaf of bread with a forgotten purpose. It all started when I agreed to make broccoli cheese soup for Kiera. She’d asked for it repeatedly, and I’d finally picked up all the necessary ingredients, including a load of bread. But then a few... more

It’s hard to say where this kugelhopf originated from. While other kugelhopfs start from sweet, yeast-risen dough, I grew up eating a rich cake-like version my grandmother made. With its distinct rich taste and buttery texture, this moist cake is the perfect complement to your morning coffee and manages to hold its own after the main course with a cup of coffee. The reason it’s hard to say where exactly my grandma’s kugelhopf came from is that her history is a bit like a rubber... more