From mid-April through May, our house is a little crazy every year. Phil is in the midst of banquet season, Ben has swim practice, and his play practice amps up fast before they perform the first weekend of May. He is the Wizard this year in the Wizard of Oz. I don’t know if they…
The Book of Good Todays
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Our cooking day together last weekend took many unexpected turns, but ultimately, we landed on our feet. Ben and I planned a supper of grilled pork steaks, ranch potatoes, and broccoletti. We started the day with everyone pitching in to clean the house….
In a Mocktopus’s Garden
Our family’s all-time favorite appetizer at DiSalvo’s is the grilled octopus. It is served with potatoes over a bed of greens that are dressed in a lemony vinaigrette. There may be bacon or pancetta involved, too. Our Ben’s Day Wednesday meal this week was inspired by DiSalvo’s awesome dish. You know what’s easy? Eating octopus…
Play Ball
This year, Lycoming College has its first baseball team in 52 years! We went to watch the opening home game and Ben wore his old Challenger League baseball jersey for the event. Is it possible that the Dunkin’ Donuts sponsorship of his team means more to him than cheering for his “Dad’s college”? Maybe. Let’s…
Best. Day. Ever.
Today is World Down Syndrome Day. Trisomy 21 (3-21, get it)? Ben’s DSP, Rachel, brought Ben into my school today, to bring to life what I had read to the class about Down syndrome. I shared the “About Us” page of this blog so kids could understand that Ben is a unique, talented individual. Should…
Chef Ben on the Road – Uncle David Steps up to the Plate!
Ben and Phil were in Kansas for a week, returning today from their visit. While I’m delighted to see them both again, I’m downright overjoyed to post what Uncle David (Phil’s brother) sent me from their time cooking together. Enjoy David’s fantastic account below! On Friday, we had a packed schedule of financial meetings and…
Let Them Eat Steak!
Yesterday, our morning began with every school district in the area (except mine) running on a two-hour delay because we had this crazy, big, wet March snow that clung to trees and power lines, making everything look like a beautiful cartoon. It covered the playground at 10:00, but was completely gone by 11:30. Ben hates…
Pepper Jack of All Trades
Ben’s cheese of choice is always pepper jack, these days. He’ll settle for shredder (as he calls shredded cheddar), but his heart belongs to pepper jack. I love it too, so I don’t attempt to tamper with his cheese compass. For weeks, Ben has been asking for “branding meat” for Ben’s Day Wednesday. As our…
It was an Itsy Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny Apple Salad with Tahini
Some weeks, it feels like we are swimming in jello. Everything is so much harder than it has to be. To start, our Ben’s Day Wednesday meal was delayed a day. Was Ben happy? He was not. He kept his powder dry, however, so he could demand 3 dishes with various moving parts, by which…
Cutting Corners
This week, high off our Reuben sandwich win from last week, we decided to do another toasted sandwich. We switched up every possible element with Benwich counterparts. The marble rye bread became sourdough. The thousand island was swapped for ranch. The pastrami made way for shredded chicken. The bacon appeared because, well, it’s bacon. The…