The hero of this lasagna recipe is the sausage and mushroom ragu -recipe is below. It’s from Milk Street which is my #1 place to get outstanding recipes. Use this with anything – regular pasta or I used it in lasagna. Make it first and don’t skip the…
Today is the first day of fall – my favorite season. And no, not because of pumpkin spiced anything (have advertisers gone nuts with that obsession or what?) I actually love maple flavor better than pumpkin. There is nothing like the crisp snap of the air here in…
Look no further. The best margarita recipe is here. Once you make this, you’ll never, ever use a mix again. These, hands down are the best drinks to usher out the summer. if you want a plain, delicious margarita recipe, see this. But if you want to shake…
Who doesn’t want a cheesy, vegetable filled pasta dish right now?
I think I may have found a killer chili recipe. Actually, I have several really good chili recipes – but this is no ordinary recipe. This is fancy chili. This ain’t no throw it in a pot and watch it boil type of chili. It’s stay-in-on-a-cold-Saturday-afternoon-light-a-fire-in-the-fireplace kind of chili. in our case, we…
First of all, we all love birthdays. I mean, I love them a little less now that I’m over 35… but it’s nice for people to acknowledge your birth. However, they can be a little predictable. Right? You know the drill: Birthday dinner. Balloons. Cake. A song. Presents. That is…
There is nothing like fresh Sangria in the summer! Well, a margarita is pretty good too. Sure, you can buy the premixed Sangria drinks from Costco, and honestly, it’s pretty good. But ROF has been making his own Sangria for as long as I can remember. See video…
Last year, ROF and I went to Hawaii with some close friends. It was my first time in Hawaii and it didn’t disappoint. You know how people talk a place up for so long and it either disappoints, meets expectations or exceeds expectations? This exceeded expectations. Awesome. While there,…
This quote is the key to entertaining. Memorize it. I love to have people over. The whole experience should be smooth, fun and lovely not only for your guests – but for you. Why? Because whether you are having friends over for dinner, your spouse’s colleagues around for a…
I could give you a top 10 list but I just don’t have it in me. I also can’t find the little symbol to go over the “e” so it is Rose-A not Rose. But I think you get it. Ok. Not going to use terms like peachy…
My boy, ROF, is a cocktail mix master. It is a balmy 90+ degrees here in Mad Town and here are some cool drinks you can make tonight or for brunch this weekend. The Blood Orange Martini The Tidal Wave Rum Punch Jalapeno Margaritas (The Best! No Mix!)…
4 GREAT BREAKFAST RECIPES There ain’t nothing like a good egg. My family loves eggs and we make them many different ways. My sister, Katie makes a mean fried egg. She can even flip the egg in the pan without a spatula. She’s cool. ROF scrambles eggs like no…
Because us folks up north need a little sunshine Springtime right now! 1oz gin 1oz Limoncello 1/2oz fresh lemon juice 2-3oz club soda Lemon wedge Mix first 3 ingredients in a shaker. Pour into glass with ice. Top with club soda, garnish with lemon. Make now and if…
I love this tradition (plus I love steak see here and here!) After hearing about this a couple of times, I decided all of you needed to know about it too. Make this tradition your own! There are so many ideas. I share some of mine after the interview. …
Since the Cowboys aren’t in the Super Bowl, this isn’t a big deal to me. ROF is rooting for New England. In fact, he is giving us all a refreshing cocktail to sip along with this scrumptious dip or these awesome sliders.
i think this may have evolved into a cocktail blog! no, i will be back eventually. to be honest, while i love writing and appreciating i am just a little tired of the whole blogging thing. i read a TON of design blogs and lifestyle blogs and everything…
the weekend is almost here <sigh> and i’m ready for it! i’ve got a fun weekend planned which includes: – wisconsin chamber orchestra rendition of handel’s messiah – five hours of DIY bliss with herbs and essential oils and bath products at a class at the botanical gardens…
all month long , we’re going to feature a signature holiday drink and release it on thursday. one thing that is fun to do if you’re having a holiday cocktail or dinner party is to start with a pre-made signature drink. typically just one to hand people as…
happy thanksgiving! i’m so thankful for you. i appreciate you letting me be creative and you reading and sharing. i certainly am thankful for ROF who makes living life so much fun. today is thursday, so it’s cocktails with ROF time. today, he is celebrating BLACK FRIDAY with…
scrambled eggs? am i off my rocker? what about turkey, cranberry sauce or harvest rolls? nah, you’ve got that covered…it’s too late for that. but what you really need to know is how to make world class eggs. guys, listen up. and by that i truly mean guys. …
living in Wisconsin is just plain fun. it really is. there are so many things that are unanimously loved throughout the whole state that it’s like one big club. here’s a little sample of what i’m talking about: cheese curds friday night fish fry euchre going up north…
this recipe is designed for the person or couple who wants to cook but have a hard time deciding what to cook and frankly, how to cook. sometimes you just gotta say “cook it!” and dive right in. it is the perfect time of year for this recipe!…
wanted to share with you a delicious + easy way to stretch out a chicken dinner. this is great for: joyful empty nesters fabulous singles families sans children families with hungry, growing teens really anyone it’s too easy to get into a habit of ordering take out or…
are you a planner? if not, hosting out-of-town guests would be daunting. even though they may be low maintenance, it never changes how special i want the time to be. so i thought i’d write out how i plan since i’ve had several friends ask me for advice….
just in time for the weekend and back by popular demand… need a “go to” steak recipe? this is it. i call it the “girlfriend steak dinner” because it’s what ROF served his girlfriends if they made it to date #4. i know this because one saturday while we…
you know you’re already thinking about happy hour. whether it’s you and your sig other or maybe you’re looking for something swank to kick off a dinner party this weekend – this is your drink! recipe: 1-2 oz dry gin splash of dry vermouth splash of juice from…
run, don’t walk to the store, buy what you need to make this today. i found this awesome recipe here . HONEY GARLIC GRILLED SHRIMP 1 bottle (8 oz) Italian salad dressing (get the good stuff) 1 cup honey 1/2 tsp minced garlic 2 lbs uncooked medium shrimp…
if you’re like me, you walk into whole foods or your local grocery store of choice and walk right into the fresh produce section. there sits beautiful mounds of blueberries all nicely packaged and wrapped with care. i tend to daydream as step closer to them – thinking…
back again by popular demand is our weekly drink recipe by ROF. if you are headed out to a sporting event, sitting by the pool, hanging out on the lake, this one is for you. recipe is below the video. enjoy! the tidal wave: makes 2 1…
let’s celebrate with a GIN GIN drink recipe from COCKTAILS WITH ROF! 1oz dry gin like Bombay 1oz gin liqueur Juice of 1/2 lime 2 slices of peeled cucumber 3-4 fresh mint leaves Splash of ginger ale put all but ginger ale in a tall glass…
raise your hand if you love asparagus! if you didn’t raise your hand, it’s probably because you don’t cook it the right way. no offense. my friend, terry brown of roswell georgia, showed me the easiest, most fool-proof delish way to roast asparagus (or any veg!). 500…
hey! happy saturday night. watching the cubs game (sniff), drinkin’ this spooky blood orange martinis with my girls – amy & ruby. dropping a huge steak on the grill. life is good. i hope this finds you well. happy halloween + go cubbies! MAKE IT: 1 shot vodka…
if you’re like me, you eat the same breakfast every morning. except those days you get the bacon, egg and cheese mcgriddle from mcdonalds…just kidding…of course i don’t eat that crap! this week’s episode of COOK IT comes with a tasty twist of routine. it’s the best combo…
and you thought you knew how to make a martini…🍸 throw around words like “dirty”, and “up” with confidence. by popular demand, here’s ROF’s martini making magic for your drinking pleasure!
i have written over 350 blog posts in the past 5 years and the blog post i did on 25 things to do with peaches is still my biggest hit. i think it comes up organically in searches. so of course, i’m no dummy, i’ve upped my game….
thank god the weekend is almost here. i’m ready for it. while i haven’t been traveling too much this month, i find it hard to work from home. anyone else think that as well? i seems i need people, action and inspiration. that’s why it was so much…
ever want to grab some wine for a casual get-together, but aren’t sure what you should buy? do you grab a bottle of expensive wine thinking that the more you pay, it must be good? then you wonder if that will be enough and you grab another bottle…
i love having house guests. because it is just ROF and me (and ruby!) having our house abuzz with family and friends really gives me the feeling of home. i love making our company comfortable whether it’s a home cooked meal, special conveniences or little surprises. so i…
you’ve got to check out the bishop arts district of dallas. i can’t wait to go back and explore more. there have been so many changes since we moved away and back. i was there recently and just popped in to stock and barrel to have dinner with friends…
i was feeling very domestic this weekend. there is something i love about making and building – and just doing – things. i guess it stems from staring at a computer screen all week. i was very pleased with myself this past weekend with everything i got done….
after Easter, you will undoubtedly have a couple dozen hard boiled eggs left over. and you’re feeling guilty about throwing away eggs that the chickens worked so hard to give you. i’m just kidding, i have no idea if it was hard or not… so here are four…
happy thursday! i’m happy because it’s ROF’s birthday weekend (starting today and running right up to the big day on monday) and we’re taking off for the great white north – upper michigan. yes, it’s going to be close to 80 degrees here in dallas and we’re headed…
what to make for breakfast? there ain’t nothing like a good egg. my family loves eggs and we make them many different ways. katie makes a mean fried egg. she can even flip the egg in the pan without a spatula. she’s cool. ROF scrambles those eggs…
from the desk of ROF: straight gin “smells like pine needles and tastes like hair spray”. that being said, i think i was hooked after my first one. when i fix a gin + tonic in a heavy, cut glass, i feel as if i’m transported to a…
like the margarita, the martini has many great memories for me. at an early age, i always thought the martini glass was chic, hip + intimidating, all at the same time. as a teenager and in my 20’s, i used to watch clips of the rat pack and…
every man, once he passes the beer only or the tumbler of rum (or jack) + coke phase of drinking, needs to learn how to make a good cocktail. it needs to be one that he likes, impresses his friends + becomes a signature drink his lady friends…
everyone is looking for that killer chili recipe and i may have found it. this is fancy chili. this ain’t no throw it in a pot and watch it boil type of chili. it’s stay-in-on-a-cold-saturday-afternoon-light-a-fire-in-the-fireplace kind of chili. in our case, we made it before the super bowl…
i guess everyone has their idea of someone they’d like to emulate. maybe a mother or father. a mentor. a rich tycoon. maybe it’s a well-curated mish mosh of personalities. the past week i haven’t been able to get ROF’s and my friend louie out of our mind….
i love giving dinner parties. it’s not as trite a love as you might think …loving throwing dinner parties. after all, author hermann hesse wrote in his novel klingsor’s last summer: “this day will never come again and anyone who fails to eat and drink and taste and…