We eat a lot of avocados.  I like them.  In case you hadn’t noticed. Avocados are a lot like mushrooms. People either hate them or they love them, and then there’s a group that just has never tried them because they were never introduced to them when they were sitting around their dinner table at night in third grade. I urge you to give them a try. They’re good for you. Avocados are wonderful sources of B vitamins, fiber, folate and potassium, which can help lower blood pressure.... more

When a man works all day he wants to find some meat on his plate when he sits down for the evening meal (is it dinner or supper?).  With certain meals the meat can be hard to find, for instance, pasta.  Sure you can use a “meat sauce” but I’m usually back in the kitchen a few hours later looking for a snack to take me through until morning.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  I found a great way to bring the meat to the pasta AND use the grill to do it.  Plus it goes together... more

I can be lazy when it comes to cooking. There are days where I’m just wholly unmotivated to get in that kitchen. Like today. I *should* be boiling noodles right now, but I’m sitting here in my chair again, definitely not boiling water… Water is on the stove. Now I don’t feel so bad. I know you were worried about my mental health. How thoughtful you are. For this recipe I used the leftover cornbread muffins I made the week before. I waited until they were completely... more

We’re back from our North Shore of Lake Superior adventure. Bags are being unpacked, clothes washed, snowboards and snow pants are being stored until next winter. We haven’t had much time to plan, but we did come up with a menu focused on clearing out the freezer. We’ll be making our weekly trip to the grocery store tomorrow. Right now, I have to figure out where I packed my face wash so I can crawl in bed and close my eyes before the new week begins. Monday: Chicken pasta salad,... more

We made it! We’re on the shores of Gichigami, enjoying the 14 inches of snow that were dumped here this week. Kola Nut was thoroughly impressed by the deer grazing outside our front door. And outside our back door? It’s Lac-Supérieur itself, greeting me home. How I missed you, Big-Sea-Water. Now we sit and wait for others to arrive with kids and food stuffs. My young ones have already taken advantage of the pool area in the main lodge. There will be snowshoeing, snowboarding,... more

In my opinion, planning a menu and finding a system that works for you is an entirely personal function. What works for one family or one individual may be entirely different from what works for another individual in the same type of situation. Personality types, budget, seasonal foods, work and play schedules, grocery shopping trips and more can all play a factor in what works for you. If you only grocery shop on a specific day of the week or once every two weeks, you may need some flexibility... 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