This week, we tried to make good use of summer’s bounty without working too hard. Ben loves these easy, open-faced toasted sandwiches. While soup appears to conflict with his belief system these days, bacon is his weakness, so he consented to the chowder. We fiddled a bit with Hope Helmuth’s recipe from Hope’s Table, and…
Halushki
This week, we were inspired to make halushki, by a recipe Kristie Lee shared. While the term was new to us, it is similar to something served at Odyssey of the Mind tournaments held in Berwick, PA, an event very familiar to our family. Cabbage, noodles and onion seem to be the heart of this…
New-Haul
Since we moved Sophia to Virginia last summer, Ben has been obsessed with U-Hauls, or “New-Hauls,” as he calls them. He has asked about the plans for moving her from Virginia back to Pennsylvania approximately one million, four hundred twenty-eight thousand, five hundred sixty-two times over the course of the summer. I feel like I…
And Now For Something Completely Different… (Just kidding. It’s chicken again.)
When Ben was but a wee tad (maybe 4?) and he was just starting to put words together, we went out for a nice dinner on my birthday. Ben correctly deduced from the Old Corner’s elegant ambience and cloth napkins, that this was fine dining, and he wanted to order without my help (I sometimes…
It Comes With…
People sometimes ask about our cooking process. I would call it an evolving partnership. Ben thinks of a meal he loves, or he looks through his cookbooks, and usually comes up with something that is not practical to make together. Sometimes, it is too complicated, and requires techniques he certainly doesn’t have, and I can’t…
Coq Au Vin
We have been making this French dish for years, and though it sounds a little like “Cocoa Van” when we say it, there isn’t any cocoa involved, just delicious chicken in a red wine sauce. This week’s batch was particularly delicious, and we got to eat it with Charlie, who was here painting. Ben kept…
Give a Man a Fish…
…and he eats for a day; show him how to glaze a whole salmon fillet, and serve it with a dill mustard sauce, and he eats very well for a day! This week’s Ben’s Day Wednesday meal was mustard dill salmon with crushed rosemary potatoes, and a side of Grandma’s applesauce from the freezer. The…
Tapas Tuesday!
Years ago, my sister-in-law gave me a tapas cookbook, which explains that tapas, small dishes served in Spain, are snacks to be enjoyed sociably before a meal, but we decided to do it up last night with a whole meal of tapas. For the week leading up to our “Tapas Tuesday,” we planned what dishes…
Celebrating Sophia
After a year of teaching in Virginia, Sophia is now coming back home to Pennsylvania to teach second grade! She will be teaching in Tioga, about an hour north of Williamsport, and I am thrilled! It has been great to have her home during the pandemic to teach remotely, and I am delighted that now…
Sticky Elbow
Tonight we got carry-out from the Sticky Elbow, and everyone walked (or rolled) away from the table satisfied. Their take-out menu seems a little more subdued than their regular menu, and it is a good thing. We don’t really need kangaroo and rabbit when there’s already the standard elk and bison on the menu. A…