After much pleading and prodding, Ole shares his secret sauce: Homemade South Carolina Style Mustard Barbecue Sauce. Or does he? Getting this recipe was like pulling teeth, and I’m pretty sure we have an impacted molar still hiding in there somewhere. Read on for barbecue wisdom. In the summer of 2003 I pulled the trigger. I was a lifelong (26 whole years) resident of Minnesota. I had a college degree, an honest job, a trendy apartment in uptown Minneapolis, but I wasn’t done learning.... more

Creamy yogurt-and-honey key lime pie frozen pops on a stick with a crunchy graham cracker pie crust. Excuse the mess. My kids are home for the summer. The skies are crying. No. Literally, the skies are crying and the kids are stuck inside with me. Send help. This rain is casting its dark-clouded self over my carefully laid (read: sort of considered and mentally noted) list of summer activities for the kids. I’m taking it as a sign that this week is a week for planning out the rest of our summer... more

Beat the heat with these Vietnamese-style shrimp spring rolls, with honey-soy marinated shrimp. Fresh, cold, and crunchy, they make an ideal hot weather food. I hope you’re in a forgiving mood. It’s Thursday. The week has flashed by in a flurry of phone calls and well-laid plans gone wrong. It rained on the one day I needed it to remain dry, and it was hot and unforgiving as I hid out in a hospital room, holding the hand of my daughter as she had a golf ball that isn’t actually... more

Looking to switch up your grilling routine? These pork chops are stuffed with brown rice, sweet peppers, and oregano and grilled for a two-in-one meal. It’s no secret that we love to grill around here. Many who visit often comment at my grill and smoker collection (which grew by one yesterday). Sometimes I use charcoal, sometimes I use hardwood, but most often I use gas to fuel our outdoor cooking. While gas is quick, easy, and consistent, it can sometimes fall a little short in the flavor... more

Spiced and grilled fajita-style chicken, peppers, and onions meet a bolillo and become a perfect outdoor grilling food, topped with guacamole and paired with spicy baked black beans and fun, summertime drink. Dinner has taken on a new feel around here, and not just because the patio is finished and we have a real table to eat outside on (though that doesn’t hurt by any means). No, instead, the days have been hectic and rushed, running from one place to another, back and forth and back and... more

Honey-sweetened lemongrass soda brings a delightful zip to any party, especially when it’s a baby shower for a few Peas and Their Pod. Soft fuzzy skin and sweet-smelling heads. Tiny little fingers that grasp on tightly when you place your finger in their palm. They way they curl into themselves, looking so vulnerable and Even the little cries that come from newborns sound so different than the demanding cries they start emitting just a few months later. It’s no secret that I have a soft... more

A honey-sweetened jam made with summer raspberries, fresh peaches and Gewürztraminer white wine for a bit of added complexity and fun. Too much to do. I’m desperately trying to fit in as much as possible into the last weeks of summer. Suddenly it was here, and I wasn’t ready for it. Where did the blueberry-picking season go to? Where have all the raspberries gone? Did they run off while I was gallivanting in Pennsylvania? Did they sneak under the rug while I pulled tomato blight leaves... more