Ryan Foster 4/3/15 Ryan Foster 4/3/15

Easy Crock Pot Carnitas

The crockpot is typically considered a cold weather accessory. Slow cooking ragu, pot roast, soups, and stews are the norm. But what if I told you I was shaking the slow cooking trend up a bit, and ushering in spring with a crock-pot carnitas recipe? Brace yourselves. I’ve done it. After purchasing some random boneless pork at my favorite market. There’s something to be said about buying unfamiliar things at the market because the price has been reduced. Turns out it’s the ticket to unexpected deliciousness. It took me a few weeks to figure out how to best use it, but it was totally worth it.

The slow cooker is ideal for cooking things that need a low and slow type preparation. I literally tossed this boneless pork in with a can of beer, put it on low for eight hours, and got flavorful, tender, falling apart pork, perfect for tacos and tostados. The hardest part of this meal was toasting the tortillas.

Ryan Foster 4/1/15 Ryan Foster 4/1/15

Sweet Potato Banana Bread

Since ushering a little life into the world, sweet potatoes have become a staple in our household. Apparently, they’re one of the most nutrient rich, easy to digest foods for babies who are just starting to explore table food. So sweet potatoes it is, all around! Sweet potato pancakes, mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato breakfast hash, and my most recent development – sweet potato banana bread. For anyone who loves classic banana bread, this spin kicks it up a notch. You still get the magic of banana bread, with the beautiful color and sweet undertone of the sweet potato.

Also, using a root vegetable puree is a fab way to incorporate beautiful moisture and color into whatever you’re making. One day I’ll bake something using beets, since I’m a hundred percent sure it’s equally as fabulous. Most importantly, this is a super easy recipe that just works for those three leftover overripe bananas in the bunch. We all know no one’s going to eat them. Bake them!

Ryan Foster 3/30/15 Ryan Foster 3/30/15

How to Host a Special Occasion Brunch

Easter to me feels like the real kick off to spring. It’s the first holiday leading into better weather, and an opportunity to get together with family to celebrate. It reminds me of little girls in lace dresses with ankle socks, men in shiny patent leather shoes, and of course, heaping plates of potato salad and ham. I don’t particularly love potato salad or ham. But that’s neither here nor there.

Boyfriend and I typically trek out to various family members’ homes to eat multiple holiday dinners, but this year, we’ve decided to switch it up a bit. Instead of roaming the metro area to cover all our familial bases, I’ll be hosting an Easter brunch. I can’t think of a better time to gather a few family members for a casual yet sophisticated celebration in my new-ish home. I chose to throw a brunch for the obvious reasons. Brunch just suggests casual elegance. Celebratory but not too formal. Special but not too over the top. Also, there’s always day drinking involved, which I obviously love.

So how does one go about hosting a “casually elegant” brunch? There’s only a few things you must do to throw a mostly effortless brunch. Here’s my best insight for success in the special occasion brunch department.

Ryan Foster 3/26/15 Ryan Foster 3/26/15

Dreamy Buttermilk Garlic Mashed Potatoes

In my nearly twenty-six years of life, I’ve learned a few important lessons. I’ve learned to pay my cable bill on time, because a night without Internet is like a night without oxygen. I’ve learned to kiss up to your boss, because even if they’re an asshole, they hold your immediate future in their hands. But most importantly, I’ve learned that mashed potatoes are the most important food in the world, and deserve our utmost respect and benevolence. What’s a holiday table without a platter of fluffy mashed potatoes? It’s blasphemy. In my opinion, they’re the perfect complement to any special dinner. Any meal really.

Ryan Foster 3/25/15 Ryan Foster 3/25/15

Absolutely Easy Pizza Dough

Pizza. It’s one of those universal things that everyone just loves. In my opinion, anyone who doesn’t at least like pizza cannot be trusted. There’s melty cheese and warm crispy bread and sauce- like what is there not to love? And then there’s the utter accessibility. You can order a pizza and have it delivered to you as you drink a couple glasses of wine and watch love affairs gone wrong on the ID channel. No drinking and driving. It just comes to you. It’s just so convenient.

But one snowy day, pizza delivery failed me. One glass of wine into a Wives with Knives marathon, I attempted to order a quick pizza and was rejected. “Sorry ma’am, we’re not delivering due to inclement weather.” Excuse me? This is winter in Detroit. There’s always inclement weather. Unacceptable. I was forced to stomp into the kitchen and make my own.