I like tuna. Really. I do. I like it as a big, ol’ tuna steak, sliced raw on my sushi, seared and dipped in wasabi-infused sauce. I do NOT, however, appreciate what most American households are likely to have as their tuna standard: Chunk Light Tuna…at least in most cases. You’ve seen it in cans of various sizes. It makes appearances in casseroles, pasta salads, on sandwiches all across the country for lunch, dinner, potlucks and snacks. There are benefits to chunk light... more

I made my first cheesecake when I was 15. My grandma always made cheesecake for Sunday dinner. She would keep it hidden in the guest bedroom or downstairs on the coffee table, but I knew it was there, thick and baked, topped with cherries (always cherries) and with a perfect graham cracker crust. Waiting until everyone had their fill of noodles and gravy, roast and jello mold. When she passed away, I needed that cheesecake, in part because I was longing to hear her call me Schatzi or Schätzchen... more

I know, I’ve been somewhat absent lately. Not entirely, just more absent than I’d like to be. The truth is, I’ve been figuring it out. What is it that I have been figuring? I’m glad you asked. First, my wonderful, patient husband, after months of me begging and pleading, figured out how to rewrite the code in the blog theme so that I can have somewhat of a Recipe Index. While it’s FAR from finished, it makes me feel like you could actually, say, look for a recipe... more

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

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

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