Italian Family Style

Once again we proved that the kitchen is the most popular room for the family dinners. Despite the rather large television in the den, we all gathered around the 8 inch in the kitchen to watch the Saints hand it to the 49ers. WHO DAT!

For dinner Joanne and Mike put together a wonderful red gravy pasta. It was a dish that would make even Tony Soprano proud. We continue with dessert - homemade peach cobbler and adorable fleur de lis cookies.

Watching the Saints wasn't the only form of entertainment at the Skertichs. Their was coloring, pumpkin decorating and a scarf wearing competition. Now that I think about it, I didn't
hear of a winner of that contest...

It was great spending time with everyone and we are all looking forward to "breakfast stuff" at Nicole and Ryan's on November 17th. Go Tigers!

Miss Mae

I thought you would all like to see a picture of Grace and Ryan's newest addition.

Miss Mae the boxer pup!

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday! WHO DAT!

The Joint

Wow, so October is definitely the busiest month of the year. So much so, that I managed to take an involuntary hiatus from the food blog. Fear not family foodies, I'm back. I figured a good comeback eatery to get all your mouths watering would be one of my favorite standbys, The Joint BBQ. I just so happened to visit The Joint this past Saturday and was reaffirmed at just how good this unassuming, bbq shack can be. They smoke all of their barbeque in house (actually it's out back) and they also make their own sauces. Two different kinds, so you have your choice of a more carolina style, vinegar-based sauce or if you prefer the thicker, kansas city style sauce, theirs is second to none in my book. The ribs are perfectly smoked and super tender, not to mention very popular which is why they were out during our Saturday visit.
No worries, the pulled pork and beef brisket are also home runs, especially with a couple of slices of white bread. Just as respectable and worth the trip to Poland Ave is their selection of sides. The cole slaw, baked beans and potato salad are all just-made fresh and as expected are great compliments to the barbeque. However, the baked macaroni and cheese in on a level all of its own. This is exactly how you want your your mac and cheese to come out every time. Creamy, not over cheesy and cooked just right. Throw in your choice of sweet or unsweetened tea and a great jukebox and this turns out to be money well spent.

My Plot To Farm II - The Dirt on Commitment

Ok, so the first thing I've learned from growing your own produce is that every stage of it requires commitment. Mostly time, but in order to grow something you want and can eat, you have to know your dirt. The best way I can describe it is: you need to know what's in it and what needs to go in it. You have to dig your hands and shovel into the unknown and check back with it to see how it reacted and adjusted to your changes. It's not just mud, it's an ecosystem. I'm also learning that just because you want it to do something, it doesn't mean it will. So, I've turned over the soil and removed lots of grass and weed roots in two of my four plots. I've set up raised beds and have sowed seeds for Detroit Dark Red beets. I've also planted young broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and basil. This started out as a Saturday project, however now I feel like my plots need me to pay attention on a regular basis. I didn't just cut grass and pull out some weeds. I've put some high expectations on this dirt. I threw in some compost to get it fired up and now I want it to grow some food. And I think it will let me as long as I am giving it as much as it is giving me.

Out to Lunch

Due to Anniversary celebrations that lasted late into the weekend, Family Style regrets to inform you that there will be no post this week. We appreciate your continued support as we move into the future, without boundaries, sharing eating experiences both near and far. Have a great week people.

Management