This is a post about bean salad. A Mediterranean bean salad I made back in June. It has taken me this long to share it, but that’s because I had some other sharing I was obligated to do. It’s a post about Greek seasoning on chicken. It’s a post about stuffing it all together in a pita, serving it with tzatziki to make a chicken gyro and having a wonderful meal with your family and your friends and your neighbors. It’s a post about food. This is a post about the food I... more

I haven’t been getting enough sleep. In fact, I can’t remember the last time in my life where I did get the recommended amount of sleep, which tends to be around six hours. I’m thinking it was probably sometime in middle school, before the piles of AP homework kept me up or long nights on the phone or a job or the ever-present worry, disregarding the four kids I had in there. And while this post here isn’t about sleep and worry, it is about radishes and how adding them to your steak sandwich... more

We all know the feeling of the post-Thanksgiving hunger. You finally get hungry after the mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, dressing and turkey has had time to digest, and when you look in the fridge? Thanksgiving leftovers. Not what you were hoping for. Sure, a sandwich is always an option, but the thought of limp bread, cold Thanksgiving turkey and a slice of cheese doesn’t really have you clamoring to eat those leftovers either. That’s not going to sustain you after or during... more

Summer is great, picnics, pot lucks and back yard grill outs are plentiful, especially in Minnesota where these types of activities are off limits for six months out of the year.  Unfortunately for us, this situation can lead to busy schedules and multiple engagements per week.  And while we always like to socialize, the traditional fare of burgers, brats and hot dogs can wear a little thin, so this year we decided to bring a little flair to the picnic table. The inspiration stemmed from a recent... 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

We had a lot of ham leftover from Easter this week, and something about leftover ham just doesn’t scream, “I would make a fantastic snack!” when I see it there, slimy and going pale in the fridge. In fact, I believe it is screaming, “Toss me in the garbage! Toss me in the garbage!” So, I don’t like ham. I’ll admit it. Not a fan. However, I can’t just throw away the free ham that was gifted to me. So, I turned it into a meal. Before I start, let... more

Flexibility is a necessity when you have to cook for a large group.  Flexibility is essential if you want to buy main ingredients in bulk and be able to use them periodically without repetition.  One of the “must haves” around here is chicken breast.  It is easy to portion out and a veritable blank canvas when it comes to meal options – it works on the grill, with pasta, in salads (or as a salad), you can stir fry it or pan fry it, you can stuff it and ….. you get my point. Well, today... more