Mastering fall (and the coming winter too) with 6 chili recipes that cook in 30 minutes or less.
I've been willing it to be fall since, oh, mid-August. Now that I'm finally seeing the first leaves change, no one's stopping me from making chili. Lots and lots of chili. I'm partial to the kind that melts cheese and sour cream upon contact. And also the kind with a...
Next week’s meal plan: 5 easy recipes for the week ahead, from a fall Carbonara to your new favorite meatballs.
It’s time to get a head start on your meal plan for next week. From a fall version of Carbonara to your new favorite meatball recipe, we’ve got five weeknight dinners that will get you through the week. So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up before the...
Your last-minute Halloween recipe guide: Over 90 ideas for those of you going as procrastinators this year.
If your house is anything like mine, the excitement and planning for Halloween starts first thing in October. But the execution? Yea, not until the last minute. (Who else hasn't gotten their own costume yet?!) So if you're a procrastinator like me—or just going as one...
Is it okay to pay your kids to eat vegetables? This mom has some thoughts (and other ideas too).
A recent and somewhat controversial article, "Here's Why You Should Pay Your Children to Eat Their Vegetables," at The Wall Street Journal has been causing a bit of chatter among the Cool Mom team. The article highlights a recent study done by the Journal of Health...
8 comfort foods that let you eat your feelings between now and election day.
Ah, election season. A time of elevated public discourse, stimulating debate on the issues that matter most, and constant reminders of why democracy is the best political system on earth. Well, maybe not so much this year. If 2016's presidential race has you...
8 eerily easy Halloween school lunch ideas. You can make these, we promise.
Halloween falls on a Monday this year, which means that I'll have all weekend to actually try to put together a spooky-fun school lunch for my kids. While I have tremendous admiration for parents who pull off incredible bento box creations or toast sculptures for...
Web Coolness: Caffeinated peanut butter, an $11 potato chip, and the Great British Bake Off coloring book.
Here are our favorite food links from around the web this week. We hope that you like them too! Top: The Great British Bake Off adult coloring book Best menu translation ever. Why we should be drinking whole milk, not skim. Caffeinated peanut butter: Don't let...
Non-candy Halloween snacks and recipes that still keep Halloween delicious
Let's get something straight: Halloween is about candy. Straight up, no bones about it. That said, with pumpkin carving parties, pre trick-or-treating Halloween dinners, and fun Halloween snacks for school lunch or after school, there are a lot of opportunities for...
Next week’s meal plan: 5 easy recipes for the week ahead, from a vegan one-bowl meal to the most delicious pork chops.
It’s time to get a head start on your meal plan for next week. From a one-bowl vegan dinner that the kids will love to the most delicious pork chops, we’ve got five weeknight dinners that will get you through the week. So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock...
5 spooky cool Halloween treats for kids we featured on the TODAY show. Fun!
Welcome TODAY Show viewers! If you're here to find more about the Halloween treat recipes that our food editor Stacie Billis shared with Hoda and Kathie Lee this morning, we've got you covered. We found all of these ideas on Pinterest (like everyone) and we happen to...
5 savory pumpkin recipes that have nothing to do with pumpkin spice, and everything to do with easy dinners.
We're in the middle of pumpkin spice season and everything from my coffee to my cookies are now laden with sugary pumpkin flavor. But let's not forget the savory side of pumpkin, which is arguably yummier and (obviously) healthier too. Of course, I've been roasting up...
Debate night drinking game. Because debate night. And drinking.
I'm not sure about you guys, but nothing has made me want to drink heavily quite like this election season. While my personal drinking game tonight will be a simple one—can I keep from drinking an entire bottle of wine all by myself as a way of coping—I thought you...
Our favorite tips, tricks, and kitchen hacks
Non-toxic spring cleaning with salt: 8 unexpected uses in the kitchen beyond cooking.
Springtime means spring cleaning in my house and that means cleaning with salt. Yes, really. While there are some great natural cleaning products out there that are worth every dime (we love Better Life around here, and even housecleaning services use it), the...
Create a more sustainable kitchen with these 10 easy, eco-friendly ideas
With Earth Day coming up in April and spring cleaning season here, it's a great time to reflect on ways we can create a more eco-friendly home and a more sustainable kitchen. If your family spends as much time as my family of five does thinking about, preparing,...
Kitchen spring cleaning checklist: 7 kitchen tasks everyone forgets
With spring having sprung (and the words of Marie Kondo echoing in my head all these years later), I've been doing my best to kick-start kitchen spring cleaning before summer arrives. But one thing I've learned after all these years is it's so easy to miss certain...
Healthy comfort food recipes to get us through the winter without the extra pounds
Healthy comfort food recipes can be hard to come by. I mean I totally get the desire to start new diets in the new year, what with fresh beginnings and all. But when it's winter, I just want to cuddle up on the couch with a blanket and a big bowl of cheesy soup or...
How to tell if food is fresh: Tips for 7 of your top pantry staples
It's good to have some tricks for how tell if food is fresh and still good to eat -- as you know if you've ever opened a jar of half-used tomato sauce that seemed fairly new...only to find furry white spots of mold floating on top. While some spoiled food is quite...
Latest Recipes
Change your margaritas with 10 delicious margarita variations
While we all love a classic margarita, these delicious margarita variations let you celebrate Cinco De Mayo, National Margarita Day, or just a well-earned weekend night in style. Pair them with one of the recipes from our favorite authentic Mexican food blogs and...
The best authentic Mexican food blogs: 6 favorites for Cinco de Mayo and every other day of the year.
I've had the best time seeking out the best Mexican food blogs serving up authentic Mexican cuisine in honor of Cinco de Mayo. I've always loved this holiday; in my hometown of New York City, May 5th marks a point in early spring when we're absolutely sure there's...
5 easy, delicious dinner ideas for those weeks that get unexpectedly busy | Weekly Meal Plan
This time of year always gets busier than we anticipate, and I always want to have easy weeknight dinner ideas on hand for those kinds of weeks. As the end-of-school commitments start ramping up, with hectic evenings driving everyone around -- let alone a quick...
7 spectacular macaroon variations for a big finish at Passover
We've explained many times that macarons are not to be confused with macaroons, the latter being a flour-free, gluten-free, generally chewy coconut cookie that's a favorite treat to finish off your Seder. This being Passover season, it's a perfect opportunity to...
5 easy spring recipes for the week ahead, from 35-minute lemony chicken cutlets to a fresh take on quesadillas | Weekly Meal Plan
It’s time to start thinking about your meal plan for next week. From 35-minute lemony chicken cutlets to sheet pan quesadillas, we’ve got five dinners that make good use of spring produce and lighter nights (yay!) to help get you through the busy week ahead. So...