8 genius make-ahead Thanksgiving tips. Can you really ever have too many?
No matter what anyone tells you about Thanksgiving, make-ahead Thanksgiving tips always come in handy. Plan all you want, but it’s still going to be a bit of a mad dash right before that beautiful turkey hits the table. But every year I host, I get a little better...
The best Hanukkah food gifts… even if you’ve never sent a Hanukkah gift before.
While we share lots of the best Hanukkah food gift ideas and Hanukkah recipes each year, they're generally for those who celebrate Hanukkah. Which makes sense. This year though, I've been overwhelmed in the best possible way with non-Jewish friends who have reached...
10 spectacular gift ideas for cooks, all supporting small businesses we love | Holiday Gift Guide
So many of us are shopping for gifts for the home cooks and foodies on our holiday lists, and we thought we'd get a little creative with our gift ideas for cooks this year by finding practical but still very cool gifts all supporting for smaller businesses and the...
A realistic 2-3 week Thanksgiving planning calendar for busy parents. Like uh, we can’t all start in October.
One look at the Thanksgiving planning calendars, and it brings up a whole lot of stress. I was supposed to order a turkey *when*? Whether Thanksgiving falls late on the calendar, or early like this year, it doesn't matter -- it's still never enough time for me to...
Is it realistic to go vegan with kids? One mom’s real life tips and tricks.
On World Vegan Day, it seems a good time to share my personal tips and tricks for learning to go vegan at home. Especially with more of us becoming aware of the benefits of a vegan (or at least more vegan) diet, for both our bodies and our planet. For background: A...
21 of the best food Advent calendars of 2023: Counting down with chocolate, coffee, wine, and a few delicious surprises
It's nice to have a celebration to look forward right now, and 2023 Advent calendars--especially food Advent calendars--are such a joyful way to count down to Christmas with the kids. (Or, just for the adults!) However, if you want to get your hands on one of the...
7 spectacular Halloween dinner theme ideas for a fun night at home
A few years back, when we were looking for trick-or-treating alternatives, one of Liz's suggestions was to host a fun Halloween themed dinner with the kids. Even though we're out and about again for Halloween, a themed Halloween dinner is still a great idea --...
5 comfort food dinners for a tough week: A weekly meal plan designed to soothe
We first published this post at a time the world was hurting so many hearts -- the pandemic, politics, wildfires -- and here we are again, the same time of year, turning to food for a bit of "normal.” Next week, I am planning to start baking homemade bread again...
How to host a pumpkin carving party for kids: 5 tips to keep it fun and low-stress.
As the kids get restless for Halloween, we're thinking about pulling together an impromptu pumpkin carving party to hold them over. It's the perfect way to kick off fall and get excited about the upcoming holidays. Even better, it's a low-key, easy kind of party to...
5 fabulous fall comfort food meals to work into your weekly meal plan
The weather is getting chillier (somewhat) where I live and it's dark at 6:30pm, so it's not surprise that warm, comfort food dinners are all I have on my mind. (Well that, and starting to think through all the fun Halloween treats to whip up this month). So this week...
A comprehensive guide to the very best coffee makers for the best coffee at home, and how to use them.
It can be hard to figure out the best coffee makers that will work for your home, your preferences, your lifestyle, and dare we say your counter space? With so many brands let alone types of coffee makers out there, shopping for the best coffee maker can be...
8 suuuuper easy, healthy Halloween treats that won’t take you all day to make.
To be clear, we’re sharing some fun and healthy Halloween treats with you, but remain firmly on #teamcandy. One big old sugar feast this time of year is a blast -- especially if your kids are willing to donate a portion of their Halloween candy or otherwise part with...
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
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...
A week’s worth of family-friendly spring recipes | Weekly Meal Plan
It's finally spring around here with daffodils popping up and flowering trees, which means it's time to start planning some spring dinners and easing out of all those heavy winter dishes. These are the spring dinner recipes that feel a bit lighter and brighter to...
These 11 light spring recipes help you shake off winter at the dinner table
When warm, spring weather hits I immediately lose all appetite for the heavy dinners like chili or pot roast that I craved during winter, and instead, I'm finding myself adding light spring recipes to our dinner roatation, like light pasta salads, cold, fresh...
These 9 recipes are most delicious ways to use hard-boiled eggs this week
These five truly awesome hard-boiled egg recipes may be the best, easiest, and most creative ways to use hard-boiled eggs, should you have a stockpile after Easter egg decorating. And don't worry, I'm not talking egg salad sandwiches a dozen ways either -- though...