It’s here. The 4th of July happens to mark my favorite point in the summer. My lilies are in full bloom, the hydrangeas just started, balloon flowers are popping. Outside of my garden, marshmallows are roasting, fireworks booming in the sky. We start off our 4th of July at a potluck picnic in the park surrounded by family. We end with another potluck in a backyard with fire pits and lawn games and bomb pops, and then, when the time is right, we meander down the street to stake claim to... more

I used to be afraid of baking bread. It felt like this giant activity that required time and planning. And time. Lots and lots of time. Baking bread is for people with time, and time is something I don’t have, I would tell myself. Because, really, I don’t. There are things like a job and four kids that take up most of that, and then there’s the cleaning that is never. ever. done. It’s more of a balancing act, and I promise you that someday (hopefully soon) I will give... more

To start off I have to say, this is not a grilling recipe.  I’ve never tried it on the grill, and I probably never will.  Certain things need stability – a high speed camera, a vintage moped and good cornbread.  The latter requires a type of stability that can only be provided by a highly predictable 400 degree oven.  Would it work on the grill?  Yeah, for the most part, but I can only guess that you would have varying areas of doneness depending on the temperament of your grill. ... more

When it comes to grilling, some things are obvious.  Burgers, hot dogs, steaks, chicken.  But others are less obvious.  Pizza, pineapple, asparagus, crab.  Crab?  Yes, crab.  Why not crab?  That’s what I thought to myself a few years ago when we found ourselves with two pounds of crab legs and the desire to cook them somewhere other than in a big pot of boiling water in the middle of the summer. You see, around the O6 residence, we shy away from air conditioning unless it is unbearable... more

A lot of work goes into main dishes.  For the most part, I tend to focus on the protein portion of our meals, but when possible, I like to double – even triple up on items that can be put on the grill for any given meal.  I’ve already talked about the asparagus that can be done on the grill so today I’ll talk about what is probably the most popular non-meat grillable in the house – my soon to be famous, Super Garlic Toast.   Normally, I’m not so boastful about my... 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

Seeing as how my prior post about bacon wrapped tenderloin medallions glazed over a few steps, I will attempt to fill in these gaps for you.    Tenderloin went on sale again and this time for $4.99/lb – what a steal!  So, even though I had some of these goodies already prepared and waiting in the freezer, I decided to make some more.  The deal was just too good to pass up.  So this time around I was able to take more pictures to better illustrate the process of preparing these carnivorous... more