You know what they say about invention being the product of necessity? Well, I had a pound of ground beef, and some sorry-looking vegetables that were on their way out the door. Something told me that a meatloaf was in order! Continue reading
Lauren
Rise and Shine! Smoothie
It is Monday. Note my specific avoidance of the phrase “Happy Monday”. I don’t want to be a downer, but Monday mornings are tough, and if you are like me, you are not fully yourself until well after lunchtime.Believe it or not, having breakfast is a big part of feeling ready to tackle your day. It seems so easy to skip this meal in favor of sleeping in an extra 15 minutes, or grabbing some greasy breakfast sandwich at a fast food joint (I’ll admit this is a guilty pleasure on special occasions), but trust me, with either of these options, you are not doing yourself any favors. Continue reading
Slow Cooker Pork Au Jus
In the early years of my culinary life, I wasn’t really one for slow-cookers, and in the early years of my whole life, the same could be said of pork. Pork is dry, pork is flavorless, and pork chops are a poor man’s steak. Right?Wrong!Believe it or not, pork is a unique meat that needs to be treated and cooked very differently than chicken or beef. And when you get it right, oh how the magic does happen. Magic like my slow cooker pork au jus. Here’s what you need. Continue reading
Ranch Potato Salad
At the risk of sounding like an imperialist, ranch dressing just may be the greatest invention our country has given to the world. You’re welcome, world.Somehow in recent history, this humble condiment has gone from a salad staple to an accompaniment of chicken wings, pizza, French fries, you name it. It’s a wonderful blend of tang and creaminess, herbs and onions…well, it should be in theory. A lot of ranch sauces are insipid and heavy, or pretty bland, and while the original, Hidden Valley, is arguably the best bottled version out there, I’m hard pressed to think of a close second. Continue reading
Postcard Art
As I’m sure I will mention in many a post, I live in a fairly small apartment, with another human being, so a lot of modifications need to be made in our space in order for it to be livable and happy. For instance, as much as I may or may not want to indulge in that grown-up female urge to decorate the heck out of every square inch, I can’t. So, what is the answer? To the walls!I can cover every last bit of my wall space in all sorts of things if I want to. Now, I don’t want to, first of all because I have minimalist inclinations, and second of all, because I’m picky. I don’t want just any old thing that anybody is bound to have hanging up in their house, and I want to be creative to any extent that I can be creative. And a few years ago, I discovered postcard art! Continue reading
Peach and Raspberry Grunt
I don’t know about you, but usually by this point in August, while I am ready to do without the heat, the humidity, the Friday beach traffic (when I’m not actually one of the ones going to the beach)…I am just not ready to give up on Summer produce! Fresh corn!? Watermelons and honeydews so crisp and refreshing that they practically quench your thirst?! Peaches and nectarines that are literally dripping with sweetness?! I’d be willing to take these foods year round if I could, and I always love finding new ways to cook with them, even though they are just plain fine on their own. Continue reading
Wine Journal with Labels (aka the second best part of the bottle)
My husband and I really came to enjoy wine somewhere around the time we got married, almost two years ago. We liked the fact that it was a hobby we could share, and quite easily, because what’s easier than drinking wine? We began to learn more about it, to discuss what we liked about certain wines (bright, citrus) and what we didn’t like about others (cough medicine with alcohol in it). Despite the high snobbery level that is associated with those who enjoy wine, there are actually very few right or wrong answers when it comes to drinking it. Continue reading
Your New Favorite Marinara Sauce
If you ask me, and you kind of are, because you’re reading this post, there are two egregious things that a cook can do when it comes to making marinara, or spaghetti sauce. And they are on opposite ends of a tomato spectrum.The first thing is Continue reading
Cheese Me, Please Me
Cheese–Milk’s leap towards immortality ~ Clifton Fadiman
While the word “connoisseur” is a heavy one to throw around, I know I can safely say that I’m a cheese lover, and a cheese adventurer. There is no cheese I will not try, and while I rarely crave chocolate and starbursts (do people crave that?), I have had many a hankering for a crystalline chunk of cheddar, or a gooey baked brie with crunchy, salty pistachios atop. It’s just one of my go-to snacks; it’s the BFF of wine and crackers—some things I also love—and there’s so much variety at a good cheese counter, that you will never run out of things to try! Continue reading
The Little Red Kitchen 