Strawberry Short Course

garden strawberry

Few things are as delicious as garden-grown strawberries. Unfortunately, the chipmunks, birds and squirrels agree. As a result, despite numerous attempts at fencing and netting, we never yield more than a handful of strawberries from our 4’x6’ patch. Frustrating! So year after year, we trot off to the local U-pick farms for our fill (literally – see photos below). Those berries are good, but they’re still a commercial variety—bred for maximum yield and disease resistance. They’re not the same intensely flavored, deep crimson jewels that home gardeners can experience (if they are lucky enough to live in a squirrel and chipmunk-free zone).

This year, however, we’ve unleashed our latest weapon in the battle of the backyard rodents: Keith’s Strawberry Cage 1.0!

strawberry cage

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Prosciutto-wrapped Shrimp with Basil & Creamy Garlic Sauce

Prosciutto-wrapped shrimp

Need a quick but “wow” appetizer for a BBQ this weekend? These grilled shrimp bites are just the thing. You can prep the shrimp skewers and the sauce earlier in the day, or even a day ahead. When it’s party time, toss the skewers onto the grill and cook for a few minutes until the prosciutto is crisp and the shrimp have turned pink. Serve on a platter with the sauce alongside for dipping, or spoon some sauce onto small plates for an elegant first course.  (I’ve even served the shrimp over pasta and called it dinner.)

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Smashburger Score

Smashburger NJ burger

As much as I love to cook, some days I just don’t feel like it. Or more specifically, I don’t feel like it because I didn’t have time to make it to the grocery store, and/or because there are still dishes in the sink from the night before, and/or because I’m shuttling the kids from one activity to another from school dismissal to dinnertime. For those days, I rely on engineered leftovers, pizza delivery, and the one “fast casual” restaurant the entire family can agree on: Smashburger.

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