In lieu (luau?) of a vacation of any kind for the past two years, Ben and I planned a Hawaiian day at home. None of us have ever been to Hawaii, but we imagine a tropical pig-centric paradise. If you have been there, and you were not feted with a pig roasting on a spit…
Category: Chef Ben Cooks!
Peter Piper
True, we neither picked nor pickled them, but a peck of peppers presents a particularly puzzling planning predicament! This week, Ben said he wanted Mexican food, which he asks for nearly every week (after he pitches steak and gets rejected). Can’t blame him. Mexican food is awesome. I knew it was the time of year…
Home is Where the Pierogies are (and “You gotta see this.”)
Disclaimer: We are not Polish, and I had never heard of pierogies before moving to Pennsylvania. This week, we needed something fast, nutritious, and satisfying for supper, so we turned to this recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/20-minute-crispy-pierogies-with-broccoli-and-sausage-3363184 This pierogie sausage broccoli dish comes together in no time, and (bonus) it was really tasty. Phil is given to making…
“Squitching” Things Up
Big doings for us this these days! I started back to school, where I am teaching in person, Sophia has taken a new teaching job and apartment in the area, and Ben began his life as an adult! He will be served by several different agencies for activities and life skills at home and in…
Keep the Yottle in the Bottle
Our meal this week was inspired by an appetizer we had at Barrel 135. Ben took one bite of the Mexican elote flat bread, and declared we should make it for Ben’s Day Wednesday. I did my best to recreate what we ate, but I have never actually had elotes (grilled Mexican street corn) so…
Oodles of Zoodles! (The Great Zucchini Rebellion)
At some point, Ben discovered that zucchini is Phil’s least favorite vegetable. It will come as no surprise to you, that this only made Ben request it more. He knows that I will never turn down a vegetable request, and if it has the added benefit of sticking it to the man, where’s the down…
I Love Starbucks Coffee! (without the coffee)
This week we made corn poblano lasagna, but Ben is suspicious of poblanos. We had some hot ones once, and you would think I was Mommy Dearest. I didn’t make him eat them, mind you. They were just nestled in a dish he really wanted a go at, so he picked them out and still…
The Big Salad
It’s like a salad, only bigger, with lots of stuff in it. What’s not to love about summer? These days, we are taking advantage of every ray of sunshine and every piece of produce that comes our way. We had the best weekend ever by doing both. From top to bottom: Tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, olive…
Something Bold, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Bleu
Saturday, we had the pleasure of attending Tyler and Lindsey’s beautiful, perfect wedding. The bride’s mom took care of Sophia and Ben when they were just little, and we’ve never known a nicer family. I’m a wedding crier anyway, but when I saw this: All I could think of was this: Given Ben’s sweat and…
A Father’s Day Meal that Sticks to the Ribs!
For Father’s Day, we made barbecued baby back ribs, which was a first for me. You would think that, as Ben’s mom, I would be wildly confident about meat preparation, but it seems nobody checked my credentials when I took the job, so I’ve been kind of slipping by. Sure enough, when he declared that…