Shaina Olmanson's Blog, page 13

Peach Bourbon Pie with a Bacon Brown Sugar Crumble

Velvety peaches in a bourbon-spiked caramel-like sauce fill a crisp pie crust and get topped with a smokey bacon crumble in this recipe for homemade summer pie.




I have mentioned before that August is where I would live forever if we could stop time and continue repeating just one month of the calendar year. The produce in my neck of the woods is at its peak. Raspberry season arrives at the beginning of the month, melons are finally ready to be released from their vines, and the peaches have ma...

Peach Sorbet Bellini and Spritzer

Silky smooth peach sorbet bobs lightly in their bubbly bath in this frozen take on bellini. Serve this easy recipe with a spicy ginger ale or sparkling juice for a virgin take on this classic cocktail.




Peaches announce their presence with sweet scented air, enticing you with their velvety soft surface that promises bright juicy flesh beneath it. They need little encouragement to be captivating.


The allure of the perfect peach: a combination of firm but supple interior and the distinct tang of...

Smoked Beef Brisket Secrets

Ole’s technique, tips, and recipe on how to acheive tender, smoked beef brisket to rival some of the best Texas barbecue joints.




My parents were the children of small town Midwestern teachers and farmers who spent most of their formative years in Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Wisconsin. My six siblings and I grew up around the table eating home cooked meals put together with honest effort, but almost always lacking adventure. Mexican food was ground beef seasoned with a packet and spooned into h...

Texas Pepper Barbecue Sauce, Baby

A recipe for a homemade tangy barbecue sauce with a peppery kick straight from the heart of Texas, by proxy.




There are those types of people in the world that live with their heart. The types of people who instantly offer to lend a hand, make the calls to get a limo when multiple taxis don’t show up, offer up their house and extra bedroom for you to crash on (and three others), show up in New York City ready to eat their weight in chocolate without question just because you (and a certain choc...

Green Monster Smoothies Fit for Freezing

A recipe for a green mango monster smoothie that is fit for freezing and sending in the lunch box for school lunches or enjoying immediately. Plus, a Magimix by Robot-Coupe Food Processor is up for grabs!




If I were to keep a list of things I am in continuous denial about you may find such entries as:

:: The number of hours of sleep I require per night.

:: The time it takes to get from here to there.

:: The existence of fairies that are surely coming to clean my house.

:: My children’s ability to t...

Rye and Blueberry Breakfast Tarts for Busy Mornings

A recipe for blueberry-topped breakfast tarts with a rye and hemp granola bar bottom.




I like mornings. The barely there sun just cresting on the horizon, sending a soft glow through the still dark house. The light coming in through the curtains, sending lazy shadows across cool white sheets. The quiet gurgle of bubbles bursting on the surface of the water at the beginning of a boil. The hiss before the flame ignites before the burning lights. The crackle of shell and the sizzle of the egg blis...

How to Prepare and Pack Freezer Smoothies for School Lunches: Eat Well, Spend Less

We’re talking about the ins and outs of freezer smoothies that are practically packable for school lunches for this month’s back-to-school Eat Well, Spend Less.




Everything is back-to-school this month. While my kids don’t go back until after Labor Day, I know that in some parts of the country school is already back in session.


Even with weeks to go before our launch date, the store aisles proudly proclaim the dawn of a new year of education. Brightly colored folders and boxes of crisp new crayo...

Thai Yellow Curry Coconut Rice with Vegetables

A quick and easy vegetarian dish incorporating Thai yellow curry spices and fragrant coconut rice together with fresh seasonal vegetables and herbs.




August is breathing hot and sticky on my neck behind me, reminding me of all that needs to be accomplished within just 30 short days.


Salmon-colored post-it notes are strewn across the surface of my workspace, their notes marking everything from daily to-do lists left unfinished, annotations on the redesign of this site that was put off to accommod...

Quick and Easy Pink Pickled Radishes

Pickle fans will fall over themselves in glee for these pink-hued radish pickles. The recipe take minutes to get in the jar, and then they’re ready for all the things that deserve a pickle.




The aluminum on plastic runners squeals crisply, and I hear the screen door rubbing along its track. Wet feet slap the linoleum, echoing through the open room as the hard floor and skin made slick from the pool come in contact with each other. The refrigerator sucks air in on itself followed by the satisfy...

Blueberry Picking with Your Kids: The Benefits

We’ve been berry picking quite a bit this summer. Take a look at our trip to an organic blueberry farm and how we incorporate it into a healthy and active lifestyle.




On Tuesday we rubbed the morning sand from our eyes, pulled on tennis shoes, and loaded into the vehicle. As we drove, the landscape of urban lakes with walking paths and charming two-story houses from the 1900s shifted first to retailers, massive indoor malls and Swedish furniture shops and then to a selection of oversized suburb...