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Apple Pie

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You had to see this coming….surely you read the writing on the wall. Crisp fall air, first signs of autumn, football games, and that twinge of excitement for the unfolding of all the days to come that lead to so many traditions. Yes, that’s right it was apple pie time at our home this week.

A dear friend called one evening to say that her apple tree had gone bananas…hmmm? The drought in our area had been good to the apple tree and the apples were in the hundreds and counting. I was the lucky one because she dropped off a huge bag of apples and well, you know…the rest is history. An apple pie that hardly had time to cool before we enjoyed each and every bite. [Read more…]

Broccoli Cheese Quiche

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For the first time in almost two years, Kathy and I can pause, evaluate and take a breath in between projects. This is always a great feeling and precious time in our work flow. The aftermath of being swamped with work 24/7 is a pantry that is bulging at the seams.

Last week, I played a game. The rules consisted of no grocery store runs unless it was to purchase fresh produce. Dinners had to be created and deemed successful by all, but they had to be prepared with only items on hand. The great result of the winning game is that we enjoyed meals all week that we would not have “normally” experienced and the pantry became less filled with overflow. (Ok, that last part is an out and out lie!).  [Read more…]

Old Fashioned White Cupcakes

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It seems like only yesterday that I was writing a blog about our daughter returning to school after the summer of 2011 that was jam packed with fun, friends and activities galore. That was so last year. Did I blink? The fast forward button of my life must be jammed. Life is spinning by at an alarming rate. Yes, school started AGAIN this week. Really? On top of all that hormonal emotion is the fact that our daughter began her freshman year in high school.  Four more years! Is that all that is left!? [Read more…]

Marinated Shrimp

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Experience the thrill of the chill. It’s hot outside and there is no sign of any change in the weather for days to come. The shutters inside our home are closed tightly and the entire family is beginning to go a bit stir crazy. Perks and tasty meals are what we look forward to during extremely hot and seemingly, never-ending  summer days. The heat prohibits activity in the kitchen that involves heating ovens, simmering sauces or moving around much at all. We have been turning to a long time favorite dinner recipe that evokes cool and soothing relief. Marinated shrimp is a great hit any time of year, but especially it seems during this drought ridden summer of 2012.

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The Bank BBQ

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When it comes to BBQ I would like to think that I have become somewhat of an expert. Growing up in Kansas City, with a father who was in the meat business, how could one not become an expert? Imagine my surprise when I read about a terrific local BBQ restaurant in one of my favorite New York City blogs.  Not only did I learn about it from NYC but I also discovered that a famous San Francisco chef, Mitchell Rosenthal had visited and written about his food experience too! That was enough for me to twist my family’s arm one more time so that we could experience another food field trip.

The Hillsdale Bank Bar B-Q was the star in these  NYC posts and reports and after experiencing this local find first hand, I can certainly see why all the rave reviews. Not too far outside of Kansas City, south of Olathe, on 169 Highway, you will find Hillsdale Bank. What a breath of fresh air on a Saturday night! It was fun to visit small town Americana and enjoy the setting.

 

Our 14-year old insisted on starting our meal with onion rings. After remembering that this was not her idea of a terrific Saturday night, I consented to appease her. Wow! I was the winner of her selection. These had to be, hands down, some of the best onion rings I have ever tasted.

Now on to the main event. I selected the rib and meat dinner. The secret to the success of this BBQ joint is the fact that that do not use rub to flavor the meat. They prepare the meat slow and low with hickory. The result is beyond delicious. Topped with their famous sauce it is definitely blue ribbon quality. I liked to mix the two sauces, regular and hot. In addition the baked beans were sweet, delicious and obviously cooked slow and low too. [Read more…]