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bloody lucky!

bloody lucky!

We are so lucky to have foodie friends that not only make for wonderful evenings filled with tables of food that would rival that of any restaurant but also sometimes drop off little care packages on our doorstep. So was the case a week ago. We were just leaving to...

first fromage foray

first fromage foray

I do love cheese, but really what's not to love (plus I am married to a guy from Wisconsin after all)? But the thought of making it has always seemed more like a science experiment than cooking. Yes, I realize that's really what all cooking is to some degree or...

smoked caramel corn ice cream

smoked caramel corn ice cream

Maybe this is how a cigarette addict feels... always dreaming about their next smoke – how it will taste, how it will smell. I too am dreaming about my next smoke although in an entirely different way. See I have this amazing cold smoker. In fact, it's aptly named the...

the more the marinara

the more the marinara

It's not like marinara is expensive to buy necessarily and tomato sauce definitely isn't, so each year when the kitchen is destroyed and my back aches from standing all day I question why I go to all the work to make my own sauce. What makes me take on this labor of...

sweet potato salad with bacon and spicy candied pecans

sweet potato salad with bacon and spicy candied pecans

So I has this bright idea to enter a recipe contest for the new American potato salad. Writing a recipe from scratch for something like this is harder that I expected. There are so many junctions that would steer the dish in one direction or another. Do I put in green...

not so special caprese salad

not so special caprese salad

There's certainly nothing earth-shattering about this post. It's a simple caprese salad. No new twist on it. Nothing unexpected. Just the traditional sliced tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella, basil with a drizzle of good olive oil and balsamic (this time, white)...

tortilla pizza-zz

tortilla pizza-zz

I have to give credit where credit is due on this one... this concept is 100% my husband's. I am generally the cook in the house but when he told me about his tortilla pizzas, and then we made them, I was hooked! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 1) I love...

smoke gets in your ice

smoke gets in your ice

I've been smoking a lot lately. Maybe I should clarify... I've been smoking a lot of FOOD lately as once I break out the cold smoker (awesome product from A-Maze-N Products) it's frankly a bit addictive. Perhaps you saw my recent post on Smoked Ice Cream with Candied...

smoked cream ice cream + candied bacon + pecans

smoked cream ice cream + candied bacon + pecans

I have yet to find anything that isn't better with bacon. I'm not saying it's not out there but it's seeming doubtful. I tried testing the theory by making ice cream with bacon in it and let's just say that the theory still deliciously stands. Ben & Jerry's – take...

freezing summer

freezing summer

I love summer for all the fresh fruits. I can't keep myself from buying big bags of cherries and apricots and berries along with the usuals I have on hand – bananas and apples. Problem is I can't begin to eat them all fast enough before they get too ripe and it just...

blackberry sage fizz

blackberry sage fizz

It's easy to get in a rut. To default to the familiar especially when the familiar is known to be tasty. Thus might be the case in our household with mojitos. They are just so dang refreshing on a hot summer day. But the whole thing with writing a food blog is that...

back to the rind

back to the rind

A nice ripe watermelon is right up there with tomatoes fresh off the vine as defining moments that it's truly summer. I cut up the melon and keep it in the fridge – perfect cold snacking food when the temperature climbs. But for all the watermelon I've eaten, I've...

lemon roasted green beans

lemon roasted green beans

Our community garden is kickin' into high gear and the first picking of tri-colored beans (it's just too bad that the purple ones turn green when cooked) was a bountiful one! Since the other partners in the garden were coming to dinner, I laid claim to the entire...

pumpkin banana pancakes

pumpkin banana pancakes

I like to be tricky. Find ways to cut the sugar and the fat on the sly without the diner ever knowing the difference. It's just how I roll. It's amazing how far a banana or some canned pumpkin will go so why not go for broke and use them both? It was so easy in my...

watermelon mojito

watermelon mojito

If you've ever grown mint, you know that you don't ever grow a little mint... if it's not contained, soon it's popping up all over the place. We just take it as a sign that it's time to make mojitos. Normally my husband is the mojito maker in our house but recently I...

seeing red…actually it was more of a burgundy

seeing red…actually it was more of a burgundy

If you're ever given an opportunity to go to one of Chandlers Steakhouse's winemaker dinners, do it. I know the price tag can be daunting – I thought the $125 per person price tag seemed a bit steep – but after being to one, I think it's a bargain. The reception...

it is national blueberry month afterall

it is national blueberry month afterall

I was looking at the posts in my blog the other day and noticed I have a thing for blueberries. There were blueberries on my pancakes, blueberries on my yogurt, and even blueberries in my pasta salad. I figured it IS National Blueberry Month after all, so I might as...

like pie in a glass

like pie in a glass

My husband loves strawberry rhubarb pie. And he's pretty fond of vodka. Hmmmm.... this gives me an idea. Infusing vodka is really very simple, not to mention tasty. With all the wonderful fresh fruit in season, there's no shortage of options like the cherry I was...