Spice Up Your Life

Joey and I tied the knot back in 2010, which meant our 10-year anniversary was pretty anticlimactic last summer with COVID in our backyard.  No date night out on the town. No restaurant dinner. We still enjoyed one another’s company (I mean, it’s not like we could be apart while quarantined in the same house.), …

Continue reading “Sweet peppers are the stuff of dreams”

If anyone can tell me the trick to pitting a firm peach, I’m all ears. So far, my strategy includes cutting numerous slits down the sides, grunting and murmuring regrets under my breath while trying to pull the first slice off, and I can tell you that it doesn’t work all that well. Luckily, the …

Continue reading “Peaches and fresh ginger will help you snap into August”

Not long ago, I saw a spirited discussion on Facebook about online food bloggers.  The general consensus was that nobody wanted to read the person’s back story and long-winded tales from the kitchen—they just wanted the recipe. Honestly, that made me a little sad. Not only because I was sure that means they are definitely …

Continue reading “Potatoes and ground beef make dinner a done ‘dillo’”

I normally like to start this column with a story about the week’s recipe, but I have to tell you about my most recent kitchen fail. It’s a doozy. My parents-in-law gifted us with several packages of frozen tamales that are made by simply boiling the bag for 20 minutes and then serving. They’re great …

Continue reading “Come out of your shell with pistachio cake”

When it comes to cooking indoors, Joey and I share the load pretty evenly. We each take on lunch or dinner regularly, with both of us having our specialties. But when it comes to cooking outside, I definitely fall far behind. Joey has really perfected the use of his kamado-style grill, mostly opting to create …

Continue reading “Grilling cheese is more than just o’queso’”

As a general rule, I have no concept of how long it takes me to complete recipes. Poor Joey has had to wait until 8 or 9 p.m. on several occasions for me to complete a meal, because I was just sure I could finish it for a normal eating time. And he’s thrown up …

Continue reading “Try a spiced cake that’s perfect for your next par’tea’”

The vegetable section of our local grocery store has been calling to me lately. And now that our local farmer’s markets are in full swing, I’m sure I’ll be finding all kinds of reasons to bring home fresh produce. This past week, the siren’s song was coming from the zucchini. It was so pretty and …

Continue reading “Make summer meals direct from farm to ‘vege’table”

There’s a running joke that the people in my generation, Millennials, are completely obsessed with avocados. In our house, we fit the stereotype, although we rarely eat them on toast. The truth is, avocados are more popular with our generation, because it was in the late 1990s that trade restrictions started to ease for avocados …

Continue reading “Explore new ‘pasta’bilities with avocados”

As a complete sweets addict, it figures I would marry somebody who would rather have an extra portion of a savory main dish than eat dessert. That being said, Joey does still have a sweet tooth—it’s just fairly particular. So, while most sugary concoctions I share with you are decidedly something I made because I …

Continue reading “Feel like you’re on ‘toffee’ the world with three ingredients”

No matter how many kitchen gadgets I get, I always seem to need one more. We were invited to a barbecue recently, and I decided to bring something summer-y, settling on making pineapple tartlets. Unfortunately, I don’t have a tart pan, let alone any tartlet pans, but I do have cupcake tins, and it turns …

Continue reading “Mini pineapple desserts are a true work of ‘tart’”