Buttermilk Biscuits & Pittsburgh Storm Pt. 1

This is the first part to my Pittsburgh Snow Storm series. You can read the second part here.

After growing up in northern Michigan, then living in Chicago for over five years and even in my current residence of Pittsburgh; I’m very accustomed to the glories of snow. But this weekend was ridiculous!
Starting mid-Friday afternoon reports [...]

Sautéed Shrimp with Bulgur Wheat

“Easy” has become one of my most favorite four letter words these days. But, easy doesn’t have to mean boring, mundane or ordinary. In this case, it’s unique and packed with flavor.
I was actually inspired to experiment with bulgur wheat when a coworker was using his French press coffee maker to cook the tiny wheat [...]

Roasted Maple Dijon Brussel Sprouts

My favorite way to cook brussel sprouts is by roasting them. I love how the edges get crispy from the intense heat and they seem to take on a hint of sweetness. Many sprout recipes usually incorporate some sort of meat like bacon or prosciutto. While they are tasty, I wanted to do something a [...]

Dinner Rolls

I don’t make bread from scratch very often, but there are times when I crave the feeling of warm dough between my fingers. Fresh baked bread is a perfect way to add instant comfort to any home as the heavenly aroma from the oven glades through the house.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought [...]

Grilled Vegetable Kabobs

This was the side dish for my Impromptu Dinner Party.
Having grown up with an acre sized garden in northern Michigan, I am no stranger to garden fresh vegetables with every meal.  There were many fond childhood memories with that garden.  I still shutter at the thought of biting into a freshly plucked jalapeno pepper just [...]

Stuffed Green Bell Peppers

After a rainy week here in Pittsburgh, the warm sunshine was a welcomed treat this weekend.  I took advantage of the weather by spending most of the daylight hours prepping my lawn for what will become a canvas of herbs and flowers.  A perfect backdrop for what will hopefully be many meals on the back [...]

Roasted Rosemary Lemon Cornish Game Hen and Vegetables

This was the entrée and vegetable side dish for my Saturday Dinner Party.
The aroma was intoxicating as I placed the large pan of golden game hens on the table.  I watched as he took a bite of the crispy skin and moist flesh.  He closed his eyes, chewed for a moment and swallowed.  Then, quick [...]

Savory Couscous

This was also a side dish for my Saturday Dinner Party.
I work in a completely beige, windowless, office with giant Post-it sheets covering every square inch of my tiny space.  I have three mismatched chairs for visitors, my filing cabinet sticks when I open it, and my tired old desk is piled with my various [...]

Slow Cooked Au Gratin Potatoes

I was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of these au gratin potatoes while Brent was flipping though a list of recorded shows on our DVR.  I commented that his suggestion to add smoked gouda to the recipe was a good idea.  Without missing a beat, he required I thank him to the world.  [...]

Mini Bread Loaves

For some strange reason, the planets were aligned this weekend. As a result of such a celestial occurrence, I decided to bake bread from scratch. Of course it couldn’t be just any kind of bread. It couldn’t even be a normal sized loaf. I decided to pull out the same mini loaf pans I used [...]

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