photo by Roy Hampton It has been so fun going through my father’s photos of our times in Mexico.  Good memories of a slower life, and my oh my we all looked so young. This is a print of two nopales (prickly pear cactus) growing on a hilltop.  One grey day while taking a walk on the mesa my father noticed he could see these dancers when he was at a very particular place in the road.  A few feet either

  Red Lentils—one of the most colorful legumes around.  They’re nutritious, delicious and they cook fast if you need some quick protein in a meal.  Check out World’s Healthiest Foods for an afternoon read on these adorable orange delights.  They’re best if rinsed numerous times before cooking: pour water into a bowl with the lentils, stir and swish everything around, then drain and repeat a few times until the water is mostly clear.  Rinsing will help remove the dust as

    Spring means freak snowstorms and a gathering of my sisters…and last week we had both.  Once everyone made it through the weather and to our destination safely we had a lovely weekend of eating, laughing, sharing, sight seeing, and then of course eating some more.  On our last day we hung out at Zanzibar Coffee and enjoyed the (midwestern) Mediterranean scenery, good tea, and freshly roasted coffee.           I normally don’t make the effort

  I’m a little under the weather today so have been enjoying numerous cups of this delicious and potent elixir.   When we think of turmeric we probably think of curry and the golden-orange brilliance it brings to many dishes.  This remarkable root has a bitter side with an earthy backbone that may be an acquired taste by itself, but when mixed with other flavors it takes everything to another level.  It is also known as Indian Saffron or Poor Man’s Saffron because of the saffron-like

  An Irish potato pancake just in time for St. Patrick’s day. These are hearty buddies for any kind of meal and a great way to use your leftover mashed potatoes. The basic idea is to mix mashed potatoes with grated raw potatoes and an egg, but there are infinite possibilities of variables that could be introduced.  Herbs, garlic, curry, jalapeños, horseradish, siracha, yams, caraway, saffron…   The origin of the name is likely the Irish phrase arán bocht tí meaning “poor-house bread”.  

  A crust should be both a snack by itself as well as a vehicle to transport delicious toppings to your salivating mouth.  I’ve known of recipes using cauliflower for various crusts but had never tried it until recently.  This recipe has no grain but there is cheese which helps bind everything.  Why cauliflower?  It has a light texture and a mild flavor so it should blend well with whatever toppings you want to add.     Squeezing out the

    I love dips.  I love spreadable flavor that I can eat on a cracker.  Maybe it’s the social aspect of which it hints—Spreadable and Dip-able concoctions often mean time with friends and wine…and that just sounds like fun. We first tried a version of this in Washington D.C. and the salty-with-a-bite was a combination worth exploring.  It’s simple and could be used as a dip, spread, or enchilada filling.  There are many variations you could do with this

 .   Bully at the front door! Pisten Bully, that is.  Eric Anderson on an early morning grooming ride and clearing a path for us after the heavy snowfall.  I can’t resist showing a few more pics from Coleen Sullins of our stay in the Ironwood/ABR winter wonderland—such a magical setting. .   Scott clearing a path to the outhouse.     Keeping an eye on how much those sneaky snow snakes have fattened up over the last week.    

photo by Coleen Sullins This is our cute little neighbor having lunch at the ABR Rock Fence Cabin, a red squirrel who hung out atop the stack of firewood to better peek in our window.  Here he was eating his own snack…but he was also extremely interested in chewing through the top of our freezer-cooler outside the door.  Not so cute.  I’m sure he would have been more than happy to have a pile of these tasty seedy crackers.  

  This was another hearty soup from the deli days.  The cinnamon and clove really help build the layers of flavor, not to mention they smell heavenly while simmering.  The ingredients and flavors are of a Mexican móle or adobo with the cocoa, oregano and clove.  We used to call it a Mexican Black Bean Soup but I’ll change it to Adobo to be a little more specific.  The cumin-coriander dynamic duo mixes well with cloves and cinnamon, it’s that blurring of sweet