Salmon Mango Salad — “You can’t touch-a the Mango!...

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How to Make an Owl Cake...

So why does one learn how to make an owl cake? Because one’s daughter is going to love it! February turned into the month of cakes at our house. The kids birthdays are both in early February, I was up in the cake baking rotation at work, and my family came to visit for a big birthday weekend bash which was supposed to feature THREE cakes: An Owl Cake A Farm/Tractor Themed Oatmeal Cake A Gluten Free Almost Vegan Cake But how does one find time to make an owl cake, an oatmeal cake, and a vegan cake? As it turns out this did prove a little daunting and the actually...

Plum Torte!...

Plum Torte and Finally, Another Post Wow, we have seriously fallen off the blog wagon.  Between it being way too hot to cook and this time of year being crazy at work, I have had little energy or motivation for cooking.  If we took pictures of our typical meals they would be BLTs, Trader Joe’s chicken pot stickers, or skip and tear soup.  And to be honest, there were a couple of times where once or twice a week you would find us standing at the sink, ripping into a pre-cooked chicken roaster like a monkey on a cupcake (thank you Ray Barone for that quote).  Not...

Three Cheese Summer Squash Lasagna and First CSA Share...

Three Cheese Summer Squash Lasagna Last week, the kids and I headed to the local farmer’s market to pick up our first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share of the season. CSA’s are a great way to support local farmers and to get fresh local produce. It comes with a bit of a risk because you don’t always know what or how much you are getting. But you also benefit when the crop is good and I think the mystery element is fun because it gives you sort of a weekly Top Chef/Next Food Network Star challenge every week. And if you know your local conditions...

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream...

I love ice cream! Especially homemade strawberry ice cream! But who doesn’t love ice cream? In 1983, in his stand-up comedy special Delirious, Eddie Murphy talked about the polarizing effect of ice cream on our nation’s youth. Umm…well…maybe he didn’t use those words exactly.  But it was a hilarious bit about when he was growing up all the kids in his neighborhood would lose their minds when they heard the ice cream truck coming and the antics that would ensue. His material is funny because it rings true.  Kids go a little insane when faced...

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp...

The local u-pick strawberry produce stand opened up a little over a month ago.  Time for some strawberry rhubarb crisp! I picked up the kids after work several times and went over to pick  fresh strawberries.  It worked better than I anticipated.  The first time we went we walked almost to the end of the row of strawberries (maybe a few hundred feet) and started picking.  Sam wanted to pick in the next row over.  Julia was preoccupied with a snack trap of cheerios and Sam enjoyed picking strawberries.  He would run the long way down his row, circle around to my row,...

Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies — Toddler Friendly Food Tuesdays...

Healthy and cookies aren’t words that usual go together. However, there are some recipes that exists for healthy cookies. For toddlers this is music to their ears. There is something magical about the word cookie. And for parents a toddler the magic is a toddler that will actually eat his breakfast! Believe you me, we know all about the morning breakfast struggle in our house. What qualifies as a healthy toddler friendly cookie Your toddler actually has to like them. So basically there need to be enough flavor there so that the buzz word “cookie” wins...

Zucchini Frittata...

This is a good weeknight or quick brunch recipe that is taken partly from Giada de Laurentis’s asparagus frittata and partly from a zucchini frittata recipe of my grandmother’s.  We make this frequently during the summer when we have fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden–I think other vegetables would work also (asparagus, peppers, etc.). Zucchini Frittata 1 small zucchini thinly sliced 1 shallot (or leek, or onion) 1 roma tomato 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil 1/2 Tablespoon butter 6 eggs 1 Tablespoon half and half or heavy cream salt pepper fresh...

Spring Peas and Potatoes...

After two plane trips with two small children in two weeks, we were looking for something simple and easy for dinner.  After a midnight arrival home and a full day of work, I also didn’t feel like braving the grocery store with the kids after work.  So, a quick trip to the farm stand and we were set for dinner–usually we add grilled chicken of some sort, but skipped it tonight.  The most time consuming part is shelling the peas, I almost bought the pre-shelled ones.  We didn’t quite get the peas and potatoes cooked by the kids dinner time, but they...

White Bean Enchiladas, the answer to all your questions...

The clock is ticking. The kids are a little grumpy today. Your spouse is even more grumpy today (Hey, it happens).  The grocery bill for the month is shot. There are no leftovers in the refrigerator for tomorrow’s lunch. How can you possibly pull off a home cooked meal that is going to please everyone and not drive you over the edge? Answer: White Bean Enchiladas Question: What meal is going to be low prep and relatively  easy to make? Answer: White Bean Enchiladas Question: What meal is going to be relatively  inexpensive to prepare? Answer: White Bean...