There are many great foods in the world. As a professional chef, of course I love food. I love cooking it just as much as I love eating it. Nothing gives me as much of a thrill as preparing a great meal for the people I love. I've heard it said many times that chefs must have a hard time choosing a favorite meal. For me, that has never been the case. From the time I was a young girl up until now I have loved a good apple more than any other food.

I guess one of the biggest reasons that I love an apple is because of all of the childhood memories I have that include apples. My grandparents lived on a large apple orchard farm, so every summer my siblings and I would spend a few weeks with them and enjoy endless hours of wandering through the apple orchards. We would play hide and go seek until we couldn't stand it any longer and we would sit underneath apple trees for hours and tell stories and laugh as only children can laugh.

When we visited our grandma during ... [more]

If you are grilling BBQ ribs on a regular charcoal grill, then you're probably frustrated when you find that your ribs are tough instead of "meat falling off the bones- tender. If this is the case, then you can learn how to barbeque perfect ribs easily by preparing your ribs properly in advance, before you ever place them on your grill.



Most master grillers prepare their ribs first, before cooking them on a charcoal grill. This is why some grillers cook perfect ribs every time. Usually at a BBQ event, guests see the cook placing the ribs on the grill, never knowing that work was done beforehand to get the ribs ready. Those new to grilling assume that the cook is just brushing sauce on the ribs, and then cooking them until done directly on the grill and this isn't always so.



To prepare your ribs, first bring a large pot of water to a boil. You should do this the day before your BBQ event or dinner. Add a bit of salt to the wate... [more]

When it comes to décor, especially outdoors it's easy to make it classically comfortable with Adirondack furniture. You may be thinking that Adirondack furniture is better suited for a resort on the East coast or a cottage in the woods. But, it now comes in so many shapes, sizes and materials that it is virtually impossible to not find some piece that will compliment your patio or deck.



The Adirondack style has been around since the early 1900's when the first chair was created by, Thomas Lee for his summer home. He gave the design to his carpenter friend Henry Bunnell, who began making and selling them after he patented the design. Adirondack furniture has graced patios, decks and yards with style and ease ever since.



The traditional image of Adirondack style furniture is a wooden slat seat, angled back, high arm rests and usually an ottoman to put your feet up and really relax. While this hasn't really changed much there are va... [more]