This week Sophia’s college roommate, Sam, was visiting, so we had them over for a make-your-own-pizza dinner. What fun to have some guest chefs in the house for Ben’s Day Wednesday! Of course, it was mayhem, and we suffered a major delay when it was discovered that either the oven had never been turned on…
Category: Chef Ben Cooks!
Waffle Bar: for the indecisive eater
Waffling about what to make for dinner? Why not set up a waffle bar to satisfy all palates! Grandma’s Overnight Yeast Waffles are the perfect base for going savory, sweet, or even (gasp) healthy. It first came to my attention, on our road trip to Kansas last week, that each family member approaches waffles in…
Torn
When Sophia was in kindergarten, she had a play date with a friend who couldn’t say his Cs. I had very little interaction with this young gent, but when Phil was serving him lunch (half day kindergarten) and asked him what vegetables he liked, he paused a good long while and finally came up with…
Secret Pig
Pork has figured heavily in our recent Ben’s Day Wednesday meals, and this week was no exception. Though Phil and I were in Miami a few months ago, and we really wanted to try a Cuban sandwich while there, it somehow didn’t happen. This weekend, we tried a highly recommended place in Sunbury, but they…
Spaghetti Tacos
If you or your children were pre-teens circa 2009, you will know iCarly. If you really know iCarly, you know the iCook episode where the gang whips up some spaghetti tacos. Due to this episode, Ben has been pushing hard for spaghetti tacos for years, to no avail. Well, this was Ben’s lucky day. I…
Don’t You Carrot All For Cake?
For Easter, Ben and I planned to make carrot cake. To be more specific, I’ve been craving carrot cake for about 20 years, and Ben agreed to assist me. For some reason, I just couldn’t face making it Saturday, so I got up early Sunday morning and took on the task alone. Ben conveniently woke…
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Phil was away, visiting his parents, when we cooked up this week’s Ben’s Day Wednesday meal, so we decided to dedicate this post to Ben’s grandparents’ culinary specialties, and how our parents have influenced our cooking. If you were expecting mildly inappropriate content from our title, you’ll likely be disappointed. Ben’s grandparents raised us in…
When I Vont Cheese I Vont Cheese!
When my mom was young, she worked in the kitchen of a Mennonite retirement home, where the head cook was an older Conservative (plainer than Mennonite) woman. “Vernie” hailed from Holmes County, Ohio, and had the accent to prove it. One of my mom’s duties was cutting the cheese (which, I guess, explains Ben’s affinity…
Happy as a Clam (for not a lot of clams)
This week’s main dish was not only tasty, but also easy on the pocketbook. We used Katie Lee’s recipe for spaghetti with canned clams: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/katie-lee/spaghetti-with-canned-clams-9629262 and we found it to be pretty good, and definitely satisfying. Canned clams weighed in at $1.89 a can, so if you are looking for a quick, easy, economical pantry…
It’s a Long Way to Tipperary
…but my carbs are right there. To celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, Ben and I concocted an “Irish Breakfast Pizza” that took its inspiration from a delicious breakfast pizza served at Basil Wood Fired Kitchen and Lounge, and from a whole wheat vegan potato pizza recipe that we make sometimes when we are feeling virtuous. Of…