We recently hosted a barbecue for a group of our friends. On the menu that evening were applewood smoked pork chops with jalapeño apricot chutney to pair with Bush’s Texas Ranchero Grillin’ Beans. Ole’s here to show you how easy it is to transform your everyday charcoal grill into a smoker for the pork chops. People who know me know that I live for cooking outdoors, and they are usually most curious about the ribs and pulled pork or briskets that I make on my smoker because... more

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, and with the weather warming, it’s the perfect time to take out the grill for fish tacos and make yourself a margarita. On our block, we joke with the neighbors that once the snow falls, we don’t see anybody for five months. People park their cars in the garage in an attempt to keep warm and stay dry and only poke their heads outside to get the mail or shovel the walk. Fortunately, every spring we emerge and get reacquainted with our friends... more

This orzo pasta salad is loaded full of spring asparagus and artichokes. A bit of white wine vinegar and lemon juice make this the perfect salad for an early season picnic or a a springy Easter dinner. Easter is less than two weeks away. It seems like it’s been coming forever, though, as it is so late this year. I’m not complaining, though. Too often there is still snow on the ground when Easter rolls around here in Minnesota, and a snow-covered yard does not make for good Easter... more

A creamy macaroni and cheese recipe that will satisfy both young and old made with Kerrygold cheese and butter from grass-fed cows. This mac and cheese reheats beautifully the next day with just a bit of milk or cream stirred in. Ole pointed out a few weeks ago that our children were growing up with a different food experience than either one of us had. Things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mac and cheese lunches and daily desserts are not the norm over here. Rather than growing up... more

A white pizza sauce made with garlic and oil graces leftover naan and is topped off with green onions, black olives and shrimp for a quick and easy pizza night or a stunning appetizer tray. Sometimes life has a way of sneaking up on you. It’s the random phone calls, doctor appointments that take longer than usual, an opportunity you can’t pass up and things like spring break, a daughter who needs some one-on-one time or a spring snowstorm that sends you out to shovel for a few hours... more

After his trip to L.A., Ole came home determined to recreate the Korean BBQ from Kogi Taco Truck here in Minnesota. This is his interpretation of the infamous Korean barbecue short ribs, stuffed inside a warm corn tortilla and covered in a healthy amount of Napa cabbage slaw and sriracha. A few times a year I go out of town for work, and while it is a burden for the family left at home, I try to make the best of it. My destinations are usually major metropolitan areas in another part of the country,... more

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine. Buffalo chicken pizza is your favorite buffalo wing chicken resting on top of a crisp, easy-to-throw-together pizza crust and a blue cheese spread and then topped off with a bit of celery, TABASCO® Original Red and blue cheese crumbles. Perfect for adding a bit of spice to your Valentine’s Day. Over the past few months a transformation has been going on. Kiera, the child who once shuddered... more