Although I love to cook, I don’t really like to bake; it’s tedious and messy. I’d rather make soap if I am going to make that big of a mess.

For the record, I do make an awesome Banana Bread ( a top, top secret recipe). I also have a delicious Cognac Brownie recipe that takes way too long to make so I only make them on very special occasions (or when my man is upset with me). Oh, and I also make a great Peanut Butter Pie, which I know, sounds gross, but it’s to die for. My son loves it.

I digress. This blog is about frosting. Frosting needs cake. I can’t begin to guess how many cake recipes I’ve tried over the years in an attempt to make a dark, rich, super moist, chocolate chocolate cake. I'm talking about...

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Castile Soap (pronounced cass-teel’) originated centuries ago in the Castile region of Spain, back in the day when soap was available only to the rich and royal. It was (is) made with 100% olive oil.

This is a very mild bar of soap that gently cleanses, making it safe for babies and people with allergies or sensitive skin. I prefer unscented goats milk soap for sensitive skin and kids, but that’s just my own personal opinion. I have customers who would disagree.

These days, it seems as though many companies and a lot of Soapers call their soap “Castile Soap” when it’s made with less than 100% olive oil. "Castile" now appears to be a name given to any soap that is vegetable oil based, but this is just not fair to a real deal bar of Castile Soap. If the soap...

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Real Chili, a Milwaukee tradition, serves bowls of chili with your choice of mild, medium, or hot, with or without spaghetti noodles, with or without beans, or with spaghetti and beans. I always order mine medium, with spaghetti and beans, plus sides of sour cream and shredded cheese. The secret is in the meat which is ground up super fine, like gravel, and has a unique indescribable taste. It's spicy, but not hot, and almost clove or cinnamon-like. The kicker, however, is that this meat is super oily. Dark orange oil sinks to the bottom of the bowl and gets soaked up by the oyster crackers that are served on the side. At least that what I do with the crackers; I toss them in the bowl and stir them in to soak up every last drop of that ju-ju and I...

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I love shopping for food, talking about food, trying new foods, all day cook-a-thons, growing, harvesting and preserving food, dining out, and recipes. I believe that just about anything can be fixed, solved, resolved, or decided over a good meal. I am talking about a meal that comes from the soul. A meal that is prepared with thought and served with intention. Comfort foods in particular.

I have been collecting recipes for 25+ years that I keep in a 3-ring binder. But before any recipe makes it into that binder, I prepare it and taste-test it. Sometimes I tweak the recipe and sometimes I toss it. Only OMG! recipes make it into my binder. Those recipes are my “go-to” recipes. Here's one of those recipes I’d like to share with you. It’s a pasta dish because I happen to think that pasta is the center of the...

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