This is the first in a new series of recipes I’m creating for the USO of Northern Ohio. The goal is to provide simple, tasty and economical meal ideas for our active duty military members and their families. These recipes don’t require fancy ingredients or equipment and can feed a family of four for $10 or less. Up first is Johny Marzetti. If you grew … Continue reading USO Johny Marzetti
This is a modified version of my 2017 recipe for banana chocolate chip muffins. I have tested as vegan only and as vegan/gluten free and both options performed really well and tasted great. These make a great snack, breakfast or dessert and prove you don’t have to sacrifice taste to accomodate dietary needs. For printable recipe scroll down. Start by pre-heating the oven to 375° … Continue reading Awesome Gluten Free Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
#Sponsored My friends over at The Farm Stand in Norton, OH gave me some excellent beef and asked if I might cook up some new recipes. The recipe below is for an incredibly easy slow cooker pot roast using a beef chuck blade roast. If you live in Northern Ohio and haven’t been to the Farm Stand you are missing out. They feature local meat, … Continue reading Perfect Pot Roast
My first trip to New Orleans was in the mid 1990’s. I was just out of college and about $1 north of broke. The flight was terrible, the weather was terrible, the cheap hotel was worse than terrible but the food was amazing. I came home with an appreciation for hotels that didn’t have cigarette burns in the sheets and a lasting love of Cajun … Continue reading Naw’lins Style Red Beans & Rice in the Instant Pot
Stacey and the girls really love soft pretzels. The giant ones at the fair, little pretzel nuggets, you name it. Like so many other things that I have just always bought from a store I never really thought about trying to make them at home. I assumed it would be some long, multi-step process that took hours. I was wrong. The whole process only takes … Continue reading Soft Pretzels
When you find an old typed recipe for red sauce in the family collection you have to give it some real consideration. When I saw this requires 6 hours of simmer time I knew I had the real deal. I’ve discussed red sauce with more than a few Italians over the years. Every good family has there own recipe for making it “right”, but the good ones have a few things in common.
Continue reading “Italian Red Sauce”
I love caramelized onions – as a topping for sandwiches, in soup, even in sauces (I puree them and it adds a special little something to gravies and sauces). They are great for making French onion soup – add broth and croutons and top with a little cheese. Unfortunately it takes time to cook them down properly, and I always seem to want them when … Continue reading Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions
Sometimes to find an on-trend recipe you have to go way back in history (ironic, right?). Agriculture began in the Levant, so it makes sense they have had a lot of time to come up with delicious plant based recipes. Hummus (or Hoomus) has been around a good long time. It is simple, clean and delicious. It goes with almost anything from pita chips to … Continue reading Tita’s Hummus (Hoomus) Recipe
A friend at work recently requested a peanut butter pie for his birthday (We both work at the company that just happens to make Jif peanut butter). I borrowed inspiration from the original Jif recipe, and added some premium upgrades. The original recipe calls for a pre-made chocolate pie crust and frozen whipped topping. I made a crust with chocolate graham crackers and made real … Continue reading Peanut Butter Pie
Microwave popcorn is convenient, but it is way cheaper to make your own and you have total control over the ingredients. As an added bonus you can make a variety of seasonings to make it a gourmet snacking experience on a budget. For the basic popcorn, simply combine 1/3 cup of popcorn with 1 tsp vegetable oil and 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl. … Continue reading DIY Microwave Popcorn and Seasonings
