Pickled peppers and a few vegetables mix together to become one of those classic sub sandwich condiments. Plus, a few tips for successful pickling adventures this season. I was supposed to share these on Wednesday for the pickling party, but instead, I found myself wanting to sit a bit longer around the dinner table, taking a walk through the neighborhood with the kids and being grateful that I had the opportunity to clean up after all of them. I thought a lot about how I often put off family activities... more

This month in the Eat Well, Spend Less series we’re looking at summer entertaining, and I’ll be taking a look at how to entertain in small spaces comfortably and with ease. My husband and I enjoy entertaining and always have. We invited over 300 family members to our picnic-style reception, where we provided the food with the help of my loving mother and her sisters. One week after my son was born, we had 50 people over to a backyard “meet the baby” barbecue at our college... more

A sweet and tangy watermelon lime sorbet is a great way to cool off in the summer. As a bonus, this recipe is frozen back in the watermelon rind and cut off into slices. It’s hot. The type of heat where when you step outside the door and your skin is wet before the door swings shut behind you. It’s a hot that hangs in the air, letting you breathe it in, that is cured only by two things: being completely immersed in water or hiding indoors, the air conditioning cranked as far as it... more

These red, white and blue cheesecake-stuffed strawberries come together in minutes and are perfect for festive Fourth of July treats. They’ll be the hit of your backyard barbecue or potluck picnic this weekend. Yesterday I packed up the car with the kids and headed towards the Minneapolis Farmers Market. This isn’t anything new. We can often be found browsing the vendor stalls while holding hands and maneuvering the crowds of people, trying to stay relatively together and decide which... more

Summer is here. Cool off and take refuge from the sun with some homemade ginger ale, perfect for sitting by the pool, with rum as a cocktail or with dinner on the patio. (Note to self: finish patio construction.) Most days, my mornings are hectic. I get up to the sound of Ole’s alarm going off. I push him until he gets up, and then I sit in bed thinking about how responsible it would be of me to get up with him and start my day. Instead, I try to savor the low spot in the middle of our... more

A new way to utilize your grill: for dessert with salted maple grilled bananas, served up on thin ginger cookies with just the slightest bit of chocolate for a new take on the traditional s’more. Plus, an evening with fellow foodies at Caribbean restaurant Caribe in St. Paul for Big Banana Night. I have to admit, my head is somewhere else this Monday morning. It’s hot and humid. I’m dwelling on it because I have a load of things to do inside my non-air-conditioned house when... more

One of the things we strive for when planning our menus is making everything fit together into one nice, neat little package. We look to use ingredients in different ways throughout the week so that we’re benefiting from the ability of do-aheads and being able to buy in bulk. We also benefit from a well-stocked pantry. I have to tell you that I’m not feeling much like menu planning. We had a mock Thanksgiving dinner over the weekend, and after a marathon day of cooking and testing... more