The first time you hear a song on the radio, you dig it. You want to hear it again. Every time the song comes on, you shout "I love this song!" and crank up the volume to fill your passenger-less car with sound. But as time passes, you hear the song more and more, which […]
You know what my favorite thing is? When Jules says to me, "I would love to have _____ for dinner this week." That's usually when the cogs in my brain start grinding away, figuring out how to make the best possible version of whatever she asked for. This week, she wanted a cauliflower puree (she's […]
Now before we get into cooking the really impressive stuff, we need to make sure you're properly equipped. I love browsing kitchen stores and looking at all the cool gadgets, but honestly, most of the cool new kitchen things are completely unnecessary. In my opinion, things like burger presses, egg slicers, and pans with nonstick […]
In Wednesday's post I showed how to grill a hen, and I paired it with this salad. Grilled Caesar Salad isn't new, and it's sort of a trendy dish (perhaps in a bad way?). But there's something about it that I enjoy. A quick char on some of the leaves, mixed with the freshly washed […]
I love cooking poultry on the grill, and my favorite poultry to grill, hands down, is the cornish game hen. You've seen them. Those small birds in their individual packages, frozen rock solid in the meat section of your grocery store. They're small enough to be manageable, large enough to feed 2 people, and take […]
I've somehow morphed my blogging schedule into this weekly theme sorta thing. Not sure how that happened, but we're just running with it. This week - grilling in a less obvious way. Admit it, when you hear someone talk about "grilling," you automatically think about burgers and hot dogs. Maybe ribs and bratwurst. All of […]
I'm all about saving the best for last. Sometimes that gets me in trouble, like on Thanksgiving when I decide to eat my ham last, but by the time I get to it I'm already bursting so I just force it down my throat because I'm determined to enjoy it, but I just end up […]
While working as a quasi-bartender, people often asked what I'd recommend. Of course I always needed more information. If someone just came from the gym, I wasn't about to pour them a hot chocolate. But any time someone told me they were in the mood for something fresh, my recommendation was always the same - […]
I've never met anyone who doesn't like Italian sodas. Who doesn't love going to an old-timey diner, sitting on a stool at the counter and ordering a burger, fries and raspberry Italian soda? It just makes you feel like a kid again, and if you're actually a kid, it just makes you feel important. I […]
All right, Jules is out for the rest of the week and I'm hijacking this blog. You're all mine for the next 4 days, so buckle up. Little known fact about ol' Chris here, I worked as a bartender (no, I don't drink - it was a non-alcoholic bar and yes, I realize that doesn't […]
I've been asked, not infrequently, how to grill corn. Unfortunately, the explanation is so long and intense that, unless I have a ton of spare time, I'm usually not able to explain it to them. Enter Blogsville. I can finally put it here, one time, and not have to go through hours and hours of […]
A man was living in Italy, doing some volunteer work. He had a particularly trying day and decided to visit a friend. The friend could immediately tell that this man had a rough day and asked the young volunteer to describe how he was feeling. The young man described his feelings of frustration, burnout and […]
Heyo, e'rbody! It being Memorial Day, we're spending time as a family and enjoying the freedoms others have fought for. We feel so blessed to live where we do, and pray we don't take it for granted. We hope you're able to spend some time with family and friends, and maybe get together for a […]
All right, here's a quick one for ya. And, as promised, it's a bit on the lighter side (as opposed to the ribs and chicken wings this week). Barbecued chicken lettuce wraps (enough for 2 people - multiply as needed). That's right, lettuce wraps don't have to be Asian. Let's go. I start with boneless, […]
These are not the world's greatest ribs. Is that a strange way to start? Let me explain. I'm convinced that the best way to cook ribs is for about 3 hours at 225 in a smoker (depending on the type of rib, with a proper rub and stuff). Do I own a smoker? You bet […]
About 3 years ago I was in training at a previous job, making $11.50/hr. We had a new baby, lived in a new town, and were what could only be described as "dirt poor." We often look back and stand in awe at the self-control we had with our budget, and also all the great […]
Confession time. Sometimes, there are things I make that are so great, I just want to keep them to myself. I've always thought that every cook needs a few things under their belt that just blow people away, and everyone comes up to you and is like, "This is amazing! Can I have the recipe?!" […]
So something about me - I love seafood. Like, it could possibly rival smoked barbecue ribs for my favorite thing to eat, ever. Unfortunately, I live in ol' land-locked Utah and fresh seafood is not only difficult to find, but abnormally expensive when you do find it. That's why I'm always looking for a "special […]
Despite its significant flavor and long history of health benefits, coriander is frequently overlooked come meal time. But that's not coriander's fault - it's ours! Even though coriander isn't much of a "leading lady," it plays the supporting role so well that, with a little background, you'll be emptying your jar of coriander gathering dust […]
At the end of last year (you may remember from this post), I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and started drug therapy. My thyroid levels were "very bad" and we (us encouraged by the doctor, of course) are pretty sure that hypothyroidism has been the cause of my infertility for the past 2+ years. We aren't sure […]
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