We’re in it, Baby! The school year has begun, and both Phil and I (for the first time in 14 years!) are enjoying getting to know our new classes. I do this every year, but Phil is reacquainting himself with August start-up as a professor. So far, so good. Ben has not been in school…
Category: Chef Ben Cooks!
Speaking of Which…
If you have spent much time around Ben lately, you will likely have noticed that his new favorite phrase is, “Speaking of which…” He uses it correctly and it makes him sound very sophisticated. He has a pretty well-developed vocabulary, though it seems to have some holes. How can the same guy request a charcuterie…
‘Union
If summers had themes, and we really think they should, ours would be family. A new family began when Sophia and Jake got married, existing families came together for the big event, and we also attended both a Sprunger reunion and a Yoder reunion this summer! Ben dispenses with the first syllable of reunion and…
Eat the Rainbow
Thank goodness you chose the rainbow challenge for this week’s cooking adventure! (I couldn’t face those frozen bananas for a second week in a row, especially when paired with pretzels, shrimp and a surprise ingredient!) Besides, summer’s produce is filled with colorful choices for a rainbow meal! We all know that eating a variety of…
Pork Wellington and a Cooking Challenge Hoax!
As you know, last week we came to you, the readers, to help us pick items for our cooking challenge that would help reduce our freezer and pantry contents. Phil and I each put 10 “slow moving” items on a list and you voted for the ones you wanted us to use. I carefully tallied…
Something Old, Something New, Plus a Vote Needed from You
With the wedding behind us and Phil returning to teaching in the fall, Ben and I are excited to start up our Ben’s Day Wednesday activities again. I had in mind starting with something new, but when I asked Ben what we should cook this week, he suggested chicken parm, the dish we have been…
You say you want a resolution…
You know, we’d all love to change the world, but Ben and I think small when it comes to self-improvement. I think small because personal experience has taught me that saying I’m going to do something on January 1st usually results in my doing exactly the opposite that year. I guess it’s reverse psychology that…
Cuckoo for Coq au Vin
Some time ago, I was relaying a story to Phil and I ended with the disclaimer, “But, you know, he’s cuckoo for cocoa…” Before I had the chance to finish, Ben supplied the word I had obviously intended, … “vin.” Those of you in my general age range who lived for Saturday mornings when you…
One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four
Over Thanksgiving, we were in Virginia helping my parents prepare for their big move to a retirement home. We were home in Pennsylvania for two days before Phil returned to help them finish the move. In that two-day window, Phil made a batch of mashed potatoes so large that Ben and I were nearly defeated…
Bentertaining
It feels like years since we last had friends over for dinner, but the last couple weeks have seen a nice return to conviviality. We hosted a revival of “book club” with a group of friends that first started meeting before Ben was even born. When the kids were little, we often hosted because it…