Gone Camping…

Doesn’t that river look inviting? I think that is swimming hole #3 or #7 near Tofte, Minnesota, and that’s where Mark and I are headed tomorrow afternoon for a week of relaxation and camping with dear friends. So, the blog will be quiet here for awhile as I take a much needed break from work. [...]

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Stuff on Rice: Chorizo, Chick Peas and Chard

Being a member of a CSA requires some creativity and improvisation to get through the whole box each week before the next one comes. The only thing lingering in the crisper on Tuesday night this week was a few spring onions and a big bunch of chard. I had some cooked chick peas leftover from [...]

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Fresh Herb Ranch Dressing

The blog world has been on fire this summer with dozens of recipes of homeade ranch. I have to confess a long-held love of ranch that began at Denny’s. Yes, that Denny’s – of the 24-hour diner and Grand Slam fame. I worked at Denny’s for over two years when I was in high school, [...]

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Lemony Chick Pea & Cabbage Salad

I don’t think cabbage gets enough culinary love. It’s a budget-friendly ingredient, as you can get several meals out of a good-sized head, but too often it’s lobbed into boiling water with corned beef, or used to make cloyingly sweet, mayo-laden slaws. Cabbage is meant for greater things than slaw. One of our very favorite [...]

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Cinnamon Spiced Quinoa

While riding home on my bike this afternoon, I was thinking about breakfast options. I’m on a break from oatmeal, now that the weather is warm-ish (summer has yet to truly arrive in Chicago). I always have homeade granola bars on hand, but when I’m riding 11 miles in to the office in the morning, [...]

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Irish Cream Ice Cream

I guess I’m out to prove that I’ll try anything in the ice cream maker. We were out of ice cream, out of sugar, dairy, and I wanted to make some ice cream for Friday night. Rummaging around the pantry, I found a can of sweetened condensed milk, which I usually use to make the [...]

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Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad

I was late to the beet-loving crowd. They were never served at our house growing up, and after (attempting) to serve this salad to some other Sutherlands this weekend, I can only surmise that beets are not natural to the family palette. But, joining a veggie CSA two years ago forced me to explore beets, [...]

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Peach Frozen Yogurt

If you were looking for an easy introduction to making your own frozen desserts, whip up a batch of frozen yogurt. It’s as simple as dumping some fruit, plain yogurt and a bit of sweetener in the blender, whiz it up, then turn it in your ice cream maker. And, it’s healthy! Leave your guilt [...]

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Grilled Veggie Quinoa Salad

We had a busy weekend at our house with Jenn, Brad and our niece and nephew, Laura and Matthew, coming to visit. The weather was absolutely perfect, so we spent a lot of time on our beach, as well as spending an afternoon downtown at Millennium Park. Watching the kids experience the city for the [...]

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Spicy Thai Peanut Coleslaw

Midweek meals can sometimes feel like a real grind during busy weeks, when the workday is long, and errands need to be run on the way home. Last Wednesday was just such a night, and I knew that we’d toss together a quick omelet for dinner, but I was stumped for a side dish. When [...]

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