Pork

Eastern North Carolina BBQ Pork My parents were from Virginia originally, and since moving to Chicago in 1964 after what they thought was going to be two years for my Dad’s job, well, they just never left.  While I wonder what our lives what have looked like if they had stayed in Virginia, I have lifelong memories of visiting every single year.  This Instant Pot...

Easy BBQ Baby Back Ribs (No Skill Required) These easy bbq baby back ribs (no skill required) is perfect for a beginner cook, or for someone who has been intimated by their grill to make bbq ribs.  One of the first BBQ ribs recipes on my website goes all the way back to 2009!  The first line of that blog post?  “I overcooked the ribs!!!!” ...

Women’s Retreat Recipes This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend a women’s retreat, and not only attend, but speak for 90 minutes.  When Rose, who coordinated the event, asked me last fall if I’d be willing to do it, I didn’t hesitate.  I said yes immediately.  Did I ask how long I’d be speaking?  No.  Did I ask if there would be a...

Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder (for Meal Prep) For the longest time I thought buying big cuts of meat didn’t make sense for someone who lives alone. But I’ve completely changed my mindset. Now I see it as one of the easiest ways to simplify my week in the kitchen. Instead of cooking something new every single day, I “meal prep” one protein on Sunday, like...

This ground pork dandan noodles dish will soon be a family favorite.  Delish! Last weekend my friend Morgan and I went to 88 Marketplace, which is the largest Asian grocery store in Chicago. If you’ve been to H Mart, this is that times 10!  We probably spent 90 minutes in there. When we got home, we made a Dungeness crab stir fry, braised bok choy...

My twin sister and I have been doing a Chopped Challenge on Instagram based on the suggestions of one of our followers. April suggested these items:  cabbage, bacon, potato and cheese.  We can rely on our pantry and fridge to create a meal, but we have to use all four of those ingredients in some way. The recipes were too long to post in the...

Yep!  Another delicata squash recipe!  Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.  😂. This stuffed delicata squash clicks all the boxes – easy, meaty and delicious! A few years ago I had a zucchini burger slider that went viral on all kinds of keto websites, IG pages, etc.  For some reason people thought my blog was keto/paleo, etc.  One woman even told me she loved me because now...

Am I the only one that can never cook the right amount of pasta without having five cups leftover?  That’s how this goat cheese pasta with meatballs came about. I am the leftover queen!  A quick search in my fridge and I found an unopened goat cheese.  Then I pulled out the leftover pasta, some flour, and almond milk. One way I save on groceries...

These banana bacon pancakes are next level.  They are slightly sweet and have a hint of saltiness from the bacon.  So good! Buttermilk pancakes are the best, but what happens if you don’t have any on hand? How do you make buttermilk if you don’t have any? You simply have to add a tablespoon of any type of vinegar to one cup of any type...

This zucchini lasagna with pork ragu tastes as if I simmered the sauce for days instead of 20 minutes. This is another recipe that came together using what I had on hand.  Several months ago I bought pork stew meat thinking I’d make some sort of stew in the cold weather.  But now it’s almost summer weather and I decided to grind up the stew...