Chew on these stories...

My kids are suckers for peanut butter (it's likely genetic on their mom's side). Problem is in this day and age is that peanut butter is verboten in many a school lunch room. I've got some conspiracy theories about the whole deal, but the fact remains that my kids are gonna have to come home for a PB fix. My son begged and nagged me to make this recipe ever since he found the original recipe in one of his favorite wildlife periodicals. The recipe as wrote is vague as to what kind of nuts and dried fruit should be added to the mix. As I was feeling…

Ok, when was the last time you had a brimming, hot bowl of split pea soup? Alright, now everyone that gets their split pea soup from a can please put your hand down. Wow, not many left huh? Well, that's a shame because homemade split pea soup is a real treat. It's not at all difficult to prepare; but cooking the right ingredients the right way swaps out "just ok" for descriptors like "hearty," satisfying," and "fantastic". The way I do split pea soup means starting with a slow cooker stock based on smoky pork hocks originating from locally-raised pork. Fresh veggies sweat in butter and herbs make for the kind of savory foundation where a half pound of dry legumes can't help but end up being tasty.

Packaged food doesn't always mean processed food; and in this video recipe, we've got three great examples. Firstly, you can't go wrong with dry pasta; and if you wanted to go with the whole grain stuff (love it in salads) you'd probably be ok as anymore the stuff doesn't taste like the box it came in. Second, frozen vegetables are fantastic for so many things; adding a bit of color, flavor, and nutrition to main and side dish alike. Lastly, boneless…

Beta recipes are my own experiments that I've only tried once. Usually palatable, they often could be better with a little tweaking - So please do, and let me know what works!

I don't know about you, but if I'm having company over, I feel compelled to bake. And when your ninety-year-old Grandma comes to visit? Well, you wanna do it up right; and you can't get much more right than a pie. I'm also a bit impatient; and when I want pie with less fuss, I turn to the "rustic tart" interpretation of said baked good. This particular tart begins with a whole wheat and all-butter crust that's filled with fresh Colorado peaches seasoned with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. A fitting celebration of…