Soy & Ginger Crock-Pot Pork Ribs {Gluten-Free, Paleo Option}

Do you ever wander into the grocery store when you’re having a maniacal, carnivorous rampage?

Perhaps you wander over to the meat counter and pick out two very thick, very juicy, very pricey New York Steaks. Surely this is enough meat to quell your suspected protein deficiency. But, no. You glance over at the sale sign. You see full racks of ribs. You grab one and put it in your very full basket of meat. Did I mention that the only reason you meant to come into the store was to get a can of coconut milk? This is why you opted for the basket. One item. No biggie. Now you look down at a heavy basket brimming with steak and ribs (and ground beef, and chicken — I told you, it was a meat-spree). The check out clerk looks at you like you should be ashamed. He’s most likely vegan. The kind of dude that has carrots tattooed on his forearms. You like him. He asks if you’re having a party. You simply say “A party of two”. He gives you a very distinct look, communicating with garish certainty, “you’re going to die”. The only response to this in that moment is a very toothy grin. […]

Crock-Pot Kalua Chicken Tacos With Chili Lime Mango Salsa

Last weekend we moved.

There is a slow and heavy chaos that comes with moving. A tired sort of chaos. The kind of chaos where your arms and your back start to ache so you just shove boxes labeled “Gina’s Shoes” into the guest bathroom next to the shower. Your box labeled “Super Important Office Stuff” is buried somewhere in a sea of boxes in the garage, most likely under my childhood doll furniture. I still can’t find my favorite bra. It’s getting weird. We’ll figure it out later. The kitchen is unpacked. The living room seems livable. We’re moving through the moving process. Let’s just not talk about the office. Or the bedroom. Or the guest room.

Let’s just not talk. Let’s eat. That sounds best. […]

Slow-Cooker Beef Brisket With Bourbon BBQ Sauce {Gluten-Free & Paleo}

So, remember last week when we did our virtual rain dance while chowing down on these scones? Well, IT WORKED! As I’m writing this, the skies are stormy and the raindrops are pounding rhythmically off of my roof. There are puddles. I should know. Emma jumped in one earlier. This is one of the hazards of Golden Retriever ownership. That whole “I’m a water dog” thing? Yeah, that runs deeps. Instincts are real. Where Emma’s instincts are to throw herself into puddles and try to hurl her body into my bubble bath (yes, while I’m inside of it–it’s alarming to see a vivacious sixty-five pound creature running at you full tilt while you are naked in a confined body of water–trust me), my human instincts are telling me to cook something warm. Take a hunk of beef. Put it in a slow cooker. Take a nap. Watch a movie. Wear a chunky sweater. Meditate on the sound of the rain. Be cozy. Put on some jazz music. Pour yourself some tea. Did some bourbon slip itself into that cup of tea? Whoa. Sneaky. […]

Totally Easy Slow-Cooker Kalua Pork

Happy New Year, Friends! I hope you enjoyed a bit of holiday R&R! What did you do? Did you travel? Did you stay home? Was there any Christmas caroling? How about scandalous NYE romance? Did your crazy aunt get drunk and take off her wig? I want stories. Spill it. You should write me. I enjoy a good tale.
I had a quiet holiday this year. The husband and I enjoyed cozy fires and copious amounts of carbs mixed with cheese. There was bourbon-sipping and movie marathons. There was friendship, wine, merriment and board games. There were cookies, a bag of butterscotch caramels, and a complicated relationship with a bag of chocolate-drizzled kettle corn. I’m just now slowly and reluctantly coming out of my Netflix coma and assimilating back into the real world. I suppose I should start drinking more water and wearing less yoga pants (oh, and possibly doing MORE yoga) — but, let’s just ease into things. I’m needing a little more time to regroup and reboot before I come in here guns blazing a fired up trail of resolutions and green juice. We’ll get there. There will be a notebook scrawled with 2014 intention setting and polar bears doodled haphazardly in its margins. But, for now… let’s just enjoy that sleepy moment right after waking up from a long nap. The late morning sun is shining in through my window and I just want to lay here a little longer with my eyes closed and take it all in. It’s comfortable here. […]