

Ribs Revisited - Again
Again with the new birthday toy: I wanted to see if I could replicate the ribs of yore but with the new Instant Pot - especially since it...


New Favorite - Chicken Tortilla Soup - Who knew?
OK, since I couldn't away my new toy, I used the Instant Pot - BUT really didn't need to. I just used the Sautè setting and used the...


"Rotisserie" Chicken
Thank you, Aunt Peggy and Aunt Anne: After giving away my "Child" Instant Pot to my cousin, I used birthday gift cards to go for a new...


Capon Springs Apple Butter
Once my father married my stepmother, Columbus Day was spent at an unsuspecting "resort" in West Virginia. Yes, I heard it - " resort in West Virginia ." Some of the main events included the flag raising and anthem every morning at 7 am right before the breakfast bell, a large community room with metal puzzles, cider, and snacks right before the dinner bell, and a nightly bonfire with camp songs and roasted hot dogs. (It cracks me up remembering Uncle Craig acting out the mot


White Out Beef Stew
As promised, a white out last night, but miraculously roads clear enough to head to our lake walk. Well, almost clear enough - got dicey in the park (There's only one Jeep.). So the boys are now tuckered, and the stew is on. SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW ( adapted from one of three America's Test Kitchen recipes ) 4 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled apart at seams, trimmed, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces Salt and pepper 2 T vegetable oil 2 onions, cut in large chunks (see


Winter is Coming
So Rip saw his first snow yesterday, and just as quickly as it blew in, the sun melted it off today. (See left and right above.) What he...


Winner, Winner . . .
Two recipes for the price of one here (actually three. . .), since they all complemented each other so well I don't think I'll ever make one without the others. All inspired by Ryan who allowed me to be his sous chef for the night. Whenever I visit Vail, we show each other recipes we have found - excited to try new things. It was a 14-hour drive with the dogs this visit, but sure enough, the next morning Ryan pushed his phone in my face to reveal our Saturday night projects:


The Rib Rack
I have two memories of ribs as a kid. The ONE TIME - ONCE - that my Korean mother made them in the oven and told people for two weeks how she made them so tender. (Why she never made them again irritates me, but it certainly made them memorable.) But once she left, there were so many nights of take out. When my dad would suggest "The Rib Rack," my brother and I would cheer every time. I can see the pile of fried onions on top of white bread served alongside the best ribs ever


Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers
My Bread and Butter has been tweaked both by my shock at how much sugar was in the original recipe and by a dear memory of my grandmother. Between 10 and 12 years old, I was shipped off to my grandmother's for spring break. "Shipped off" has a negative connotation, but who could complain about spending time with your namesake one on one in Winter Park, Florida of all places. It turned disastrous one year when it was the week my boyfriend dropped me for my best friend, but the


Peaches and Pesto
In the middle of June, I found myself with 10 lbs. of peaches, 5 cups of basil, and 7 cups of mint (Some beans and new potatoes too!). I knew I would make basil pesto since I am curing all the garlic that I grew. But what to do with 10 lbs. of peaches??? PEACH MINT JAM! Three years ago, my neighbor brought me her homemade strawberry jam, and it was the best jam I've ever had. She offhandedly texted, "It's made the old-fashioned way - without pectin." I had NO idea what she w




















