If I was a smart blogger I would hold this recipe for Oktoberfest.  Or I would have gotten my act together and made it back in March around St. Patty’s day.  But since I have never been either a smart blogger or an appropriate seasonal menu eater, here you go.  Here are some amazing sweet and sour caramelized sausages for your rainy spring dinner.  You can thank me later.      Click here for the recipe »

I can’t even tell you.  I can’t even tell you how excited this picture makes me.  I LOVE fried calamari.  There is no natural explanation for this level of excitement and yet here it is.  Yum.  There is just something about the tender rings, crisp and chewy, with a hint of the sea.  And don’t get me started on the creepy crunchy tentacles.  Tentacles!  Warm and salty, with a generous dollop of chunky marinara and a squeeze of lemon-a plateful of fried calamari is one of those special moments.  It’s one of those perfect, lazy weekend snack-meals.  Like a bottle of wine and a platter of amazing cheese.  Feel free to whip up a garlicky mayonnaise or serve these with a sweet Thai chili sauce but I love them alongside a big bowl of marinara-like a perfectly al dente pasta or a crusty bread.  Click here for the recipe »

Having shrimp for dinner always feels luxurious and special.  Considering how quickly they cook, it is a great way to bring everyone to the table for a special meal in the middle of the week.  This is a recipe that Grandpa makes on the grill, fashioning little foil boats of shrimp and sauce, on summery days when the weather is beautiful and the family is all together.  Maybe that’s why it always feels like a special occasion to come home with that big bag of fresh gulf shrimp.   Click here for the recipe »

Chips on Top of Fish or Fish in Chips?  That was the debate around the dinner table tonight as we dug in to this delightfully simple meal.  We talked about STAAR tests and chores and who said what on the bus to school too but mostly it was what to call the crazy concoction on their plates that they thought was fried chicken.  I have to admit this one was a winner.  Paired with a fresh salad prepared by my fifth grader from vegetables she grew in the garden at school-I can’t imagine a more perfect meal together.

This is a perfect way to serve fish to picky eaters.  Crunchy, buttery, and slightly sweet, you can use any white fish you like and experiment with different chip flavors.  I wanted to use Jalapeno chips but swapped for Salt and Pepper chips for the kids.  Click here for the recipe »