Monday was my last day of Thanksgiving vacation, so Ben and I planned a dinner that takes a long time to make, but is really pretty easy (if you can start at 2:00 in the afternoon.) We made beef braised in red wine, cheesy grits, and Caesar salad. All afternoon, the house smelled incredible from…
Category: Life With Ben
There’s No Place Like Home
Dorothy was right. Sure, we’ve been holed up in this bunker we call home for 8 months, but honestly, where would I rather be? Answer: nowhere. It’s just the four of us; Phil, Sophia, Ben and me, but it is enough. Of course, we miss our normal Thanksgiving guests like crazy, but this year is…
“Pye of Several Things”
Many years ago, we found this recipe in Gourmet magazine, and have been making it every November since. According to the original write-up, it is an adaptation of a recipe found in a very early collection of colonial recipes. We can’t guarantee its authenticity, or if it was ever consumed by a Pilgrim, but we…
Victory Lap
You may remember that over a month ago, I proclaimed that we were having our final Triumph adventure of the season, as the days were getting colder. I was wrong. As local readers know, the weather this weekend is glorious in Pennsylvania, and we couldn’t resist another road trip.
A Hotly Contested Dinner Race
This week’s Ben’s Day Wednesday was fraught with strife. We were slated to make buffalo meatballs together on Sunday, but alas, the buffalo meat was not thawed enough, despite two days in the fridge. Ben had to settle for leftover soup with “pretty bread,” as he derisively called our garden focaccia. The disappointment was palpable….
Nope. Not this week.
Dutch Baby and Cowboy Hash
All of these words make sense on their own, but when placed together, they become a culinary puzzle to unravel. If you are not familiar with the Dutch Baby, it is in the pancake genre, but is thick, custardy, and baked in a cast iron skillet. Our breakfast-for-dinner side dish was hash. Why cowboy hash?…
Triumph! Our Last Open-Air Road Trip of the Season
What a great time we have had in the last six months, stretching convertible season on either end. I suppose most people who tell children to put their coats on for a living wouldn’t go for the brisk rides we’ve been taking, but Ben asked “Alexa” about the weather for Saturday, and when we heard…
The Kids Are Alright
Nobody’s day looks like it did a year ago, but around here, we take comfort in routine. Ben is going to school 4 days a week, and is home with a care provider on the fifth day. He wears a mask, and seems to be pretty happy to be back at school. Of course, we…
Labor Day Park Crawl
When the kids were young enough to take direction (do my bidding) but old enough to ride bikes, we started a tradition of biking from park to park on Labor Day, ending at Brandon Park at noon, where Phil would walk over for a picnic with us. Lycoming College always has classes on Labor Day…