My daughter and this year THREE of my bonus kids swam every morning of the summer for swim team. I’m on carpool pickup duty, and last year, I got in the habit of bringing the two of them that were swimming at the time eggy sandwiches every morning to scarf down in the car...
Strawberry Tower and Winter Coat Storage
I’ve got beets and carrots roasting for salads this week, and thought I’d sit down and write about what’s been happening around here. May is a busy month with school and some activities coming to a close, but I’m ready for summer. I asked D last night what she wanted to do this summer...
Graduating
My baby “graduated” from kindergarten this week. She “graduated” from pre-K last year, too, though there was a bit less pomp and circumstance. Is it silly? A little. Is it fun? Sure. Does it tug at a mama’s heart strings? Absolutely. It feels like we are in a season of change right now....
Cheater’s Shrimp and Scallop Paella
This easy paella recipe is from the book, 400 Calorie Fix by Liz Vaccariello (I believe it is out of print, but you can find used copies at that link.) Since it is a diet book, it uses a small amount turkey kielbasa for flavor. If you’re not concerned about calories, you can sub regular...
Shrimp and Fava Beans A Four-Course Meal in 30 Minutes or Less: {Secrets of Easy Elegance}
I’m striving for more peace and elegance in my life. And there are days when I have the time to craft an incredible meal that takes hours to prepare, when I’ve carefully selected each ingredient by hand with purpose, when I revel in the chopping and stirring as a meditative practice, when I sit...
Grilled Spring Salad with New Potatoes
My mom makes a great traditional potato salad. (The secret is using pickle brine in the sauce!) But I’m always on the lookout for exciting new variations. My dear friend Butter puts purslane in hers, which is crispy and tasty (and an abundant volunteer in my garden later in the summer). Emily shared a watercress...
Carrot Top Tabbouli (Grain-Free)
I’m in a hustle season right now. Several years ago, when I had a tiny baby and was lamenting the fact that some days my biggest accomplishment was getting us both clean and dressed, a mom a bit further along in the journy reassured me that this was just one season of life, and...
Making Room for Cupcakes
For years, I thought restriction was the answer. I couldn’t be trusted around food. I was afraid that, given the opportunity, I would eat myself into oblivion. Or, at least into obesity. Cookies were the enemy (especially chocolate chip cookies — especially my homemade chocolate chip cookies). Desserts of all kinds were verboten. And don’t get...
Book Cookin’: Fall 2015 Cookbooks
Well the poor library is wiped out again. If you don’t see any cookbooks on the shelves there, it’s because they’re all at my house – sorry! There are library users, and then there are library abusers – Sometimes I can tread the middle line there, but when it comes to new fall cookbooks...
7 Ideas for Chard
This list just keeps getting longer and longer. It started out with just 4 chard recipes I was in the process of trying, but I’ve found that chard is one of those things where once it’s on your radar you start to see recipes for it everywhere! (I have an inverse and very frustrating...