Folks, I have moved the tabyaninn.com website again. We are now hosted on Write.as, and I’m pretty happy with it. I made the decision to move from Substack due to the heavy investment by the right wing oligarch Marc Andreessen and his partners. Couple that with the rise of far right extremism on that platform, and it is just not something I want to be associated with.

Write.as seems to be foster a more stable community, without that kind of conflict. I think we can just write what we want—food, travel and gardening—and simply be ourselves. Substack may have been free, but I feel that the stress on that platform has a cost, too… one I am not willing to pay.

Another thing I like about Write.as is the focus on writing, not on the bells and whistles of a fancy website. It just works, with a stripped down, minimal interface and website. That’s pretty nice.

Anyway, I have moved all of our recipes over to the new platform, and will get back to posting some new ones when we come across some good ones. I’ll also be posting our travels when we go to interesting places, too!

Take care and be safe.

Marc

So I started cooking breakfast sausage patties on the weekend, along with roasting some cherry tomatoes (see below for the recipe). I eat the sausage with a quick scrambled egg and English muffin for breakfast, and the cherry tomatoes on deli sandwiches. Quick, easy and cheap.

The routine of cooking the sausage and the tomatoes is actually relaxing. It’s not complex, and doesn’t take much time. I can just work the food and just take it easy. This is what I like about the weekends—simple, relaxing and just enjoying the cooler temps. Put some British mysteries on TV and putter around the house.

What do you like about this time of year? What are your routines?

Oh, and here is how I roast the tomatoes:

• 1 package cherry tomatoes
• A bit of good quality olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Rinse the tomatoes, and then cut into halves.

Put some foil on a rimmed pan, and put the tomatoes on the pan, cut side up. Drizzle with the olive oil, then add salt & pepper.

Cook for 35 minutes or so, until the tomatoes are slightly blackened and blistered. Let cool and put in a container for future use.

That’s it—simple!

Marc

Why We Moved

Good question. The biggest reason is because we were looking for a place that was more elder-friendly, something with no (or fewer) steps and just some place that was easier to take care of. As we get older, that was a big concern. Not only that, but as Traci’s parents age, we wanted to have a place that could accommodate them as well.

On top of that, we wanted to buy a new house while she was still working. Both of us want to get the delta between what we bought the new place for and what we get the old place sold for to be paid off before she pulls that trigger. Then we could settle into full retirement a lot more comfortably without worrying about a mortgage.

As we started looking, we wanted to stay as close to central OKC as possible. What we found, though, is that the price per square foot was higher in that area, and that started pushing us beyond what we really wanted to pay for the new place. We also found that most houses we looked at had some parts of the house modernized or renovated, but not all of it—we would have still had to pay money to have some work done, even after we moved in.

The place we found actually checked all of our boxes and was still pretty recent (it was built in 2015). It is a little further from her work place and my Mason Lodges than would have been ideal, but we’re getting used to it. The benefits, though, are that we definitely got a house that meets our needs, is bigger than the old one, and will be easier for us to maintain for the next 20 years or so.

Ah, the Trials and Tribulations of Moving

But as most folks know, that is when the hard part begins… moving. Let’s just say that we got through it with the help of family and friends. We paid movers for the Big Stuff, but Traci’s family came down and helped with tons of other things during that time.

We did pay to have new carpet installed and the interior painted (thank you Rug & Carpet of Oklahoma and OKCity Painters!) The previous residents had dogs, so the house had a distinct pet smell. The new carpet took care of that. We also had a designer help us with the paint and carpet choices (thank you Conni Lovelace Interior Design!). So in the end, the house is just what we wanted.

On the other hand, even after her family helped do some improvements like adding flooring in the attic above the garage for extra storage, redoing all of the outlets and switches and getting a new wireless network installed, we still need to do some more work. The biggest things that remain are installation of a sprinkler system, expanding the patio and adding more cover to it, and just general landscaping—all normal home improvement projects.

It has been a very tiring process, too—and one that is not over yet. We finally got everything out of the old house, but we are still working to get things out of our storage unit. It’s a slow process, day by day. We could just move it all at once, but we are taking the time to go through things and whittle them down: what gets trashed, what gets donated and what we keep. I think by the end of July we will be done there, too.

What To Expect From Us Now

So what does all of this mean to YOU? Well… for starters, I’ve been away from writing for a while (been kinda busy!) but I’m starting to get back to it. I’ve managed to finish posting all of the recipes we have so far, and I’ll start working on new ones. One thing to note: the recipes will not have pictures. I want to get them published, but I will go back and add real pictures as we make the dishes again and I get some decent photos.

Another thing to expect from us is info about a new area of town, especially the smaller suburbs neighboring Oklahoma City. This really includes Yukon and Mustang. There are a lot of new places for us to explore and try out, and we are looking forward to seeing them all!

In addition, I am starting to get back into herb gardening. We have a larger back yard, and we are going to take our time establishing a larger garden back there. We’re not sure where we will put everything yet, but it will fit in among the landscaping we put in. I’m really looking forward to this—and using the fresh herbs and veg in our cooking. Definitely more on that in the future!

So, yeah. We’ve been very busy, with a LOT of change. Things are starting to slow down, though, and we are ready to start our next chapter together…

Marc

Ingredients:

• 3 whole garlic bulbs
• About 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt & pepper

How To Make:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Remove papery outer skin from garlic bulbs. Cut the tops off the bulbs, and drizzle the tops with olive soil. Sprinkle with a little salt & pepper.

Wrap in heavy foil and bake for 30-35 min, until softened. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 min.

Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 45 min. Makes 3 bulbs.

Notes

Source: Internet.

#recipes

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lb. boneless pork roast
• 1 large white onion, sliced thin
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 18 oz. jar plum preserves
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
• 3-4 cups cooked rice or couscous

How To Make:

Thinly slice onion and put in a slow cooker. Lay meat on top of the onion. Sprinkle with the onion soup mix.

In a large bowl, combine plum preserves, chicken broth, tapioca and mustard. Stir well, and pour over meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Transfer meat and onion to a serving splatter. Skim fat from sauce and stir well.

Slice meat, then pour some sauce over meat. Serve with rice or couscous, and sauce on the side.

Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 8 hours. Serves: 8.

Notes

Source: Marc Tabyanan.

#recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1” chunks
• 1 green bell pepper, chunked
• 1 yellow onion, small chunked
• 6-8 fresh mushrooms, thick sliced
• 4 oz. can sliced black olives
• 25 slices of pepperoni
• 24 oz. jar of marinara sauce, or 3 batches of TabyanInn marinara sauce
• 1 package of penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 bottle Italian salad dressing
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Red pepper flakes
• Parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese, shredded

How To Make:

Place chicken chunks in a bowl or Ziploc bag, and cover with the Italian dressing. Marinate for 30 min.

While the chicken is marinating, cut up the pepper, onion and mushrooms. Cut the pepperoni into quarter pieces.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add pepper, onion and mushrooms and saute; until slightly softened. Add chicken to saucepan and continue to heat over medium heat.

In a separate pot, cook penne pasta according to directions. Drain.

When chicken is nearly cooked (about 20 min) add pepperoni and black olives. Add Italian seasonings and salt. Simmer for 5 more min.

Add marinara sauce to the large saucepan and heat through, about 5 more min.

Put pasta on a plate, top with chicken-marinara sauce, a dash of red pepper flakes and shredded cheese to taste.

Prep time: 30 min. Cook time: 30 min. Serves: 4.

Notes

Source: Traci Tabyanan.

#recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 1 /2 cup 3-Minute brand quick oats
• 1 cup flour
• 2 ½ tablespoons sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1/3 cup vegetable or olive oil

How To Make:

Pour milk over the oats and let stand for 5 min.

Sift dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in the soaked oats, oil and eggs.

Heat medium skillet with butter or oil. Drop batter onto skillet and cook until done, flipping once.

Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 10 min. Serves: 4.

Notes

Source: Cyd King.

#recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1“ chunks
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• ¾ cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 sprig rosemary
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

How To Make:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 min. Set aside.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 min. Stir in thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 min.

Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo, rosemary and chicken; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10-12 min. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Prep time: 30 min. Cook time: 30 min. Serves: 8.

Notes

Source: Internet.

#recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

How To Make:

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease a casserole dish.

Beat eggs and set aside.

Pour butter into prepared dish. Add corn (whole kernel and cream style) into dish. Add eggs and sour cream. Stir until mixed.

Add ½ cheese and stir until mixed. Add muffin mix and stir until blended. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until center is no longer jiggly.

Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 1 hour. Serves: 8.

Notes

Source: Unknown.

#recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. thick-skinned potatoes
• 3 large onions, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

How To Make:

Preheat oven to 325F.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2” cubes. Place potatoes and onions in 9x13” backing pan. Mix with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered at 325F for 2-2 ½ hours, or until the onions are a light golden color and potatoes mash easily.

Serve immediately.

Prep Time: 15 min. Cook Time: 2 ½ hours. Serves: 4-6.

Notes

Source: Sunset Italian Cookbook.

The key here is some good quality olive oil. With simple recipes like this one, the ingredients really have to shine, so get the best you can.

#recipes