It’s winter, and this one has been a REAL winter. Tons of snow, a bunch of ridiculously cold days, and that feeling of wanting to do nothing more than wrap up in a blanket in front of the fire. As a side note, man do I ever wish we had a wood burning fireplace, gas…
Pork
Sausage Crostini
Alright, this has to be one of the quickest and easiest things you’ll find to make. The day I made these, I did them as a side. I made some fresh cheese ravioli in a light tomato sauce, and I knew that Bo would be looking for a hit of meat somewhere (he’s not a…
Summer Salad with Cantaloupe, Bocconcini, Prosciutto and Mint
Alright, getting back in to the swing of things around here with a super quick and easy salad. It’s delicious too. What isn’t delicious about juicy balls of fresh melon, soft mild cheese, salty cured meat, and brisk mint. I mean honestly, I could probably eat this daily for a month before I was sick…
Italian Style Sausage and Peppers
I’ve been making this dish for a while now, but it always felt like there was something missing in it. I had gone through a bunch of different recipes, but they were all variations of the same. It wasn’t until I got this great cookbook to review “Lidia’s Favorite Recipes by Lidia Bastianich” that it…
Pork Florentine Casserole
Alright, all cards on the table: I hate spinach. I have never found a way to eat it where I didn’t think it tasted like old socks. Being the great wife that I am though, when I saw the picture of golden brown, Parmesan crusted pork chops nestled in a bed of creamed spinach, I…
The hunt for the perfect pizza
I’ve been trying for a few years now to figure out a way to make the perfect, pizzeria style pizza at home. I’m slowly getting closer. My first few dough’s were almost more focaccia like (not what I was looking for), and while this one is the closest yet to what I’m aiming for, it…
Grilled Pork Tenderloin 2 Ways
I never used to look at pork tenderloin as a meal to get excited about. It was always ok, a little lacking on flavor, but ok. This summer I decided to change this, and I found two incredible ways to do it. The best part? One way is home made, and one way is store…
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Pasta, pancetta, garlic, Italian cheeses, and white wine. Let’s call this STOP PAYING A TON OF MONEY TO GO OUT FOR GOOD PASTA! And forget about good pasta, we’re making great pasta. Great pasta dishes start with great pasta though. I often make my own, but spaghetti and I don’t get along that well fresh….
Simple Pork and Sausage Stuffed Peppers
I should probably let you in on something right off the top: I do not like stuffed peppers. You could even say I hate them. I’m not really sure why, I don’t remember them being a staple in our house growing up. Still, I have this mental dislike that usually prevents me from even trying them,…
Smokey Barbequed Baby Back Ribs
I’m going to say it: These are the best ribs ever. Now, you don’t have to believe me, but if you’re going to doubt at least give them a shot to find out. If after you eat them you still think I’m wrong, well, you’re crazy. Certifiably nuts. These ribs and tender and juicy (thank you brine), they are…
Sweet Sausage, Pancetta, and Fennel Pasta
I wanted something different for a change, and I wanted to finally try out cooking with fennel. On top of those two things, with Oliver still being sick and taking some medicine that’s pretty harsh on his stomach, I needed to make something that he would eat a lot of. It seems like a pretty…
Canadian Bacon and Egg Sandwich
Just another quick sandwich post, clearly I have an addiction going right now. Ciabatta bread, fried egg, fried peameal bacon, a dash of ketchup (if that’s your thing), and some cheese (personally I’m a fan of havarti; I’m a fan of it on just about everything). So, no recipe coming with this one, I don’t…
Shrimp Jambalaya
Quick post of the day week…sorry about that. I made this a few weeks ago but I kind of screwed it up. I didn’t have the right kind of sausage, or the peppers, so I used a jambalaya rice box mix thing with dehydrated peppers in it. I was in a bind, don’t hold it…
Super Quick Carbonara
So, here’s one of those left-over meals that I alluded to earlier. I used a bunch of the ingredients from my Pasta à la Vodka to whip up lunch the next day for Oliver and I (the fresh pasta and pancetta). This is so, SO good! Oh yeah, it only takes about 5 minutes to make…
Creamy Pasta à la Vodka
Now, I’ll admit right off the bat that I think this recipe still needs a bit of tweaking. Bo and I thought it was just too acidic tasting and could use a bit more body. I’m thinking that really cooking some tomato paste with the onions might help a little bit, but I haven’t tried…
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Home Made BBQ Sauce
You want to know what can take these from “Oh my god these are fantastic” all the way to “OMFG if I stop shoveling this into my mouth I will die” in two seconds flat? Garlic toasted buns. That’s right folks. Slather some garlic butter onto the buns before you toast them, maybe…