There are occasions that call for fancy, over the top, loaded nachos - and then there’s the après ski version. Après nachos need to be delicious, warm, cheesy, and served with a sauce that is unbeatable. These are so easy and so perfect when your fingers are cold and your toes are numb.

There are three tips to making the perfect nacho:

1. You have to grate the cheese yourself. The pre-grated has potato starch on it and it won’t melt properly.

2. Make one thin layer on nachos on a baking sheet lined with parchment. When they come out, quickly layer the nachos on top of each other to serve.

3. You need the perfect sauce. Here is that perfect sauce. Serve with hot sauce + Cilantro Lime sauce.

Topping options are obviously endless. The toppings I used here are the ones I had on hand - and are the ones I basically always have on hand. Cans of beans and cans of olives go a long way to making nachos feel packed full of something.

If I have leftover chicken or steak - they are going on top too - but not before I toss them in some taco seasoning first. It’s dramatic the improvement to leftover meats when you toss them in a little seasoning before they head onto the top of the nachos.

Cilantro Lime Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

zest of one lime

juice of one lime (more or less)

Combine everything together. And drizzle over the top of the nachos when they are hot.

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My oldest turned 18 this past weekend. It’s a weird thing to have your child become an adult. So we had a lovely family dinner that was perfect for the person that he is and who he is becoming.

This child, at age 8, asked for a cocktail party for his birthday. He didn’t want any kids at the party - just our family and some family friends. He’s always been an old soul so a dinner party at one of our favorite places was just as “over the top” as he would tolerate.

I can’t leave well enough alone, so I made cookies, I made Lino cuts of Lars’s favorite things, and handed out favors. Sometimes the best parties are the simple ones that have just a few over the top things added to it.

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Our family loves skiing. I love skiing because we have the best family moments right after skiing when we decompress, laugh about mistakes we made on the hill, and have a cocktail together. It’s more than just a trendy time to post on Instagram; Après Ski is a great time to connect.

Making this chili in the morning ensures that our après isn’t just crackers and cheese, but is something hearty and warm. It’s also the world’s easiest chili. It takes almost no time to put together and can either simmer while you are on the hill (make sure someone is around to stir occasionally!) or pop it in the fridge and bring it to a boil when you’re back off the hill.

Serve with shredded cheese, green onions, and corn chips. You might not even need dinner!

Après Ski Chili

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 pounds ground beef

2 cloves garlic, rough chopped or grated

1 - 28oz can diced tomatoes

1 -15oz can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon beef bouillon or one cube

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 teaspoon ground pepper

STEP 1

In a large dutch oven, brown the onions with the ground beef and garlic. When the beef is browned, pour off any excess fat if it rendered out.

STEP 2

Add the spices + cornmeal to the meat and stir until completely covered and you can smell the spices.

STEP 3

Pour in the tomatoes and stir. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Let simmer on low/very low for several hours. Serve with baked potatoes, rice, corn chips and sour cream on top.

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This is one of the simplest ways to create a cranberry relish that is packed with flavor but not hard to make at all. It’s also something you can do WAY ahead of time. When you refrigerate it, it will set up like a jelly. As it warms to room temperature it will loosen up. But if you want it looser, faster, then pop it in a pan (or the microwave) and let it warm up.

This is a great Thanksgiving side- but it’s amazing all holiday season on your table or as an appetizer over brie.

Cran Cherry Relish

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup tart cherry juice

1/2 cup sugar

Bring all ingredients together in a pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Pour into a dish and serve hot - or refrigerate and serve later on the table.

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This is it. This is my favorite drink. This is what I wait for each night. It’s perfect.

The ingredients in this are what matter most. Everyone is different and your taste may not be the same as mine. I choose Four Roses and an Italian brand of vermouth. Those are the very best in my opinion. The Four Roses is delightful without being too astringent. Maker’s Mark is a great substitute.

The quality of the vermouth is critical too. The cheap ones are really sweet - we need sweet, but not too sweet. And not fake sweet. Real sweet.

Then the cherries. Do not use the dyed red maraschino ones. Those are for ice cream sundaes. These need to be the good ones. Luxardo makes an amazing one. Trader Joe’s does a decent one too - and they leave the stems on, which looks fun in the glass.

Last, don’t water down the drink! Chill the glass. Stir with ice at the last second and strain ASAP. You want this drink to be cold but not watery. And don’t let the alcohol sit on the ice. Strain into glasses right away. If you have extra to save for your second drink (or for tomorrow?) Stash it in the fridge, strained, and serve it later.

The Perfect Manhattan

2 parts Four Roses Bourbon

3/4 part red vermouth

dash of bitters

cherries

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and add ice at the last minute. Strain into chilled glasses and garnish with a cherry.

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This is one of those recipes that I cannot believe I have not shared with you! It’s a regular on our table because it’s so fast, full of vegetables AND full of flavor. My kids like it, I like it - and it’s makes good left overs too.

There is no trick to this. Just be sure to have all of your veggies chopped first because once you start cooking, it goes faster than you realize. Which is perfect because we only have a few minutes to get dinner on the table any way.

OPTIONS

• Use ground chicken instead of pork if that’s your jam.

• You can buy the carrots pre-grated.

• Use regular cabbage if that’s what you have OR Napa cabbage heads are enormous (sometimes they are).

• If you can’t find soba noodles (check the ‘international’ section) a very thin regular pasta works just fine

• I make this is a giant dutch oven any more. It’s so much easier to have all of the space to toss the noodles - and pop the lid on in case you have to keep it hot for late plates.

Potsticker Pasta

Serves 4-6

2 lb ground pork

1 tbs ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp sriracha

3-4 green onions, whites & greens sliced

1 tsp hoisin

1 small head Napa cabbage, sliced thin (you end up with about 4 cups)

1 can water chestnuts, sliced

2 carrots, sliced thin (or about 2 cups shredded carrot)

2 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce or tamari

8 oz soba noodles (about 2 bunches)

1 tbs sesame seeds

STEP 1

Place sliced cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle the top with salt.  Let rest for up to an hour.

STEP 2

In a zip top bag or a bowl, combine pork, ginger, garlic, sriracha, the whites from the sliced onions, and the hoisin.  Mix it together and let rest.

STEP 3

Bring water to a boil and cook soba noodles until done.  Toss the noodles with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce.

STEP 4

Cook the pork over high heat until browned.

STEP 5

Wrap cabbage in a paper towel and squeeze out excess moisture.  Toss the cabbage in the pan with the pork.  Add carrots and water chestnuts to the pan and cook lightly until heated through.

STEP 6

Toss the pork mixture with the seasoned noodles and serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top. My family likes the chili crunch or extra soy sauce on top too!

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The leaves changing, the temperature dipping, and the nights getting darker made me think of making a stew this week. But not a rich beef stew - something a little lighter for the fall. Beef stew feels like it’s for the winter. Chicken Stew, however, is perfect for fall. It’s still comforting and flavorful, but not heavy.

The stew comes together pretty quickly. The longest you wait is for the potatoes and chicken to cook through. And quite honestly, if you chop the potatoes extra small it will go even faster. You can have this ready in 30 minutes or let it simmer for as long as you need. That’s what I did. Half of us were home early and starving and the other half were out until the late evening and we were thrilled to find hot soup waiting.

A loaf of crusty bread and a green salad - and you’ve got a guest worthy dinner.

Weeknight Chicken Stew

serves 4-6

2 large carrots, chopped (about 3 cups)

3 celery stalks, chopped (about 3 cups)

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken stock or bone broth

1 teaspoon chicken boullion

10-15 sprigs of fresh thyme

4 cups chopped potatoes (I like Yukon Gold)

2 pounds chicken thighs

STEP 1

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven (or large soup pan) and cook the onions, carrots, and celery with the garlic over medium/low heat until the onions are softened. Season with salt & pepper.

Wrap the thyme sprigs in cheese cloth and tie it together tight.

STEP 2

Sprinkle the flour over the top of the vegetables and stir until well coated.

STEP 3

Pour in the chicken stock and add a cube of bouillon - or a teaspoon of the paste and bring to a simmer. Drop the thyme packet into the pot.

STEP 4

Drop in the chicken and potatoes and cook about 30 minutes until potatoes are soft and you can shred the chicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper again if needed.

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It’s baseball season! Still! Which is so exciting for us in Seattle. I know there are cities where your team is regularly in the post season, or you expect them to be in the post season - we are not that city. We are the city who always has so much hope in April. And then we turn to football in the fall, because there isn’t another local sport happening.

But not this year! This year, we are in the picture.

It is absolutely something to celebrate, so let’s celebrate! We are making up a few special things and filling in with grilled hot dogs and pretzel bites. It’s a ridiculously simple menu. And even if you don’t make what I’m making, do something! Celebrate! It’s been almost a quarter century since we’ve been here!

Homemade Cracker Jacks

These are the best! And they are actually really simple - which is the best part. It’s super impressive that you made your own. Also wasn’t that hard.

Feta Pretzel Dip

A simple dip with ingredients that are probably in your fridge right now! Plus, it’s great on almost anything you can dip.

Cracker Jack Cookies

Filled with popcorn, white chocolate, and peanuts - you won’t believe how good this combination is wrapped in a buttery cookie.

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Having a great dip in your back pocket is a great hack to make any party feel special. This is one of those dips -it’s basically made with ingredients you have in your pantry already because it’s pretty basic. It’s just the way it comes together that it tastes so good! I keep feta cheese in my freezer because it freezes really well and then it’s always ready to go! If you buy the crumbled feta, then it defrosts super fast too.

I made this for my baseball party, but it’s a great party dip because it literally goes with everything. I like the tangy feta with a pretzel, but it’s also awesome with carrots, celery, crackers, salami, the list goes on! Imagine how good it would be on a burger!

Feta Pretzel Dip

4 ounces feta cheese

4 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon worchestershire

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons milk (or more)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whip until well combined. Serve with pretzel bits, crackers or vegetables.

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When I was a kid, I thought banana nut was the grossest thing I’ve ever heard of. But as I realized banana nut was just banana bread with nuts in it, I came around. Now, when I see a banana nut muffin, I get excited. There’s something about banana nut that feels like fall to me too. I have no idea why. Is it the old bananas? The cinnamon? The chopped nuts? No idea. But here we are - fall + banana nut muffins.

I love these muffins because they are a great way to use up old bananas and they are great meal prep for breakfast. They are also super easy.

Banana Nut Muffins

makes 12

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

STEP 2

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the bananas, butters, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

STEP 3

Add in the flour and baking soda and mix until just combined.

STEP 4

Scoop batter into the prepared muffin tin to about 3/4 full.

STEP 5

Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

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