Sweet and Smoky Dry-Rubbed Steak

There's nothing I love more than a big piece of steak.  I'm assuming the feeling is mutual on this one?  Sure I drink smoothies for breakfast and eat girly salads for lunch, but I'm a total carnivore at heart!  So when Howie said that he wanted to stay in and cook strip steaks with homemade sweet potato fries and salad for his 25th birthday instead of going out to eat, I was a happy camper.  While I was whipping up the sweet potato fries, he made an awesome sweet and smoky dry rub that infused a ton of flavor into the steak!  It only took a few minutes to prep, but the flavor combination was so complex that each bite was a little sweet, a little salty and a little spicy - all at the same time!  Not to mention it was extra extra juicy from the caramelization of the brown sugar on the outer edges.  Seriously though, do you see the "final product" picture?  We didn't even use a grill and it came out this good!  Heaven on earth.

Italian Wedding Soup

There is nothing better than soup on a cold day.  Scratch that.  Nothing better than Italian Wedding Soup made on the Saturday morning of a cold weekend so you can reap the benefits for Saturday and Sunday's lunch and dinner!  Howie and I have been loving every minute of it!  I know it's starting to warm up...and all you can think about is how much you want to bust out your grill...but you gotta try this Italian Wedding Soup.  How could you resist homemade, oven-baked meatballs soaked in a savory broth with tiny little pearl pastas?  I can't!  And besides, the highs are still around 40.  Despite the fact that every car I've driven past today has had it's front windows cracked open, it's still pretty darn cold outside in any non-Clevelander's eyes!  Warm up with this delectable creation. Mmmm!

Nancy's Crock Pot Italian Beef

My younger brother, Robert, came home on Thursday for his Fall Break from Miami University.  I was so happy to see him, but was even happier that we get to spend time together as a family the whole weekend!  In the Schill household, family time = bonding over funny stories, scary movies and copious amounts of food.  We kicked off the weekend right with my mom's recipe for crock pot Italian beef.  It tasted delicious, just like our favorite kind we eat at Portillo's in Chicago!  All it takes is 15 minutes of prep time before you leave for work, and a little fun crafting the sandwiches with fix-ins like spicy giardiniera or banana peppers right before you eat.  So. Delicious.  And perfect for football weather!  I'm happy to feature my first guest recipe on No Place Like (O)Home...she did a great job with the pictures!

Slow Cooker Sunday

MIDTERMS ARE OVER!  I don't even think that all caps does that statement justice.  School and work have been so busy that I haven't gotten to post anything this month, so I wanted to make a really special dinner for a relaxing Sunday night and practice my Crock Pot skills.  I made Howie and I a deliciously tender beef pot roast with potatoes, veggies, and a side of flaky biscuits.  I'll admit, it's definitely a winter dish, but it was also snowing yesterday, so I think it's justified.  And who wouldn't pair this comfort meal with a night that involved making (non-visual) progress on our 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle and watching American Hustle.