Three surprising things that happened when I started giving my kids dessert in the afternoon — and why you might want to do the same.
As a family food expert, the number one question I've been asked over the years is whether my kids eat dessert every night. Okay, it's actually the second most asked question after how do I get my kids to be less picky, but it's the most asked question that has a...
7 unexpected spring veggie recipes that are so much more fun than salad.
I love a great spring salad as much as the next person. Okay, probably more. I always fall into the why-yes-it-could-use-more-raw-radishes camp, which isn't always the most popular, so when I'm cooking for kids or entertaining people who don't share my boundless love...
How to cut an avocado safely. Because enough with the avocado hand, please.
So, apparently, there are enough instances of avocado hand, a serious slash to the hand obtained while attempting to cut an avocado, that one hospital in England reports that it treats an average of four people per day for the injury. British surgeons are even calling...
I’m a culinary school trained food professional and this is what I really cooked for my family for a week.
As a food professional, I used to always get asked what I love to cook most or what my “specialty” is (spoiler alert: I don’t have one). Now that I have kids, the question is what do I cook for my family. I have the knowledge to cook most things without so much as...
10 money-saving finds at Aldi that make it worth the trip.
My sister has been raving about Aldi for a while now, but I’ve been unsure. While I love a good deal, I tend to be skeptical of bargain food. But, last year, Aldi announced a new commitment to gluten-free and organic foods, and stricter guidelines on the ingredients...
The new cookbook every family needs this summer.
It's no secret that we're big fans of Kathy Strahs, the woman who brought us Panini Happy and the genius The 8x8 Cookbook, which perfected the one-pan family meal. The themes of her work alone make it clear that Kathy gets what it's like to be a busy home cook and,...
Next week’s meal plan: 5 easy recipes for the week ahead, from carnitas in 35 minutes to butter roasted tomato sauce. Mmm.
It’s time to start thinking about your meal plan for next week. From shortcut carnitas in 35 minutes to butter roasted tomato sauce (mmmm!), we’ve got five weeknight dinners that will get you through the week ahead. So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up...
How to make carrots taste like bacon, because, yes, carrot bacon is a thing.
Oh, Internet, how I love you, but long to hate you. When I started seeing pictures of vegan carrot bacon popping up on Instagram, I quietly screamed “CALM DOWN, Internet!" Because can we please just leave bacon alone? Then I took a deep breath, clicked on some...
How to throw the perfect Mother’s Day tea party. Because brunch is so 2016.
If you're celebrating a mom who's obsessed with the Great British Baking Show (raises hand slowly), who wants to be Kate Middleton (um, all of us?), or who just loves sweets with a passion, you can bet she'll love an afternoon tea party for Mother's Day. With these...
7 brilliant ways to use labels to empower kids in the kitchen. And get them to do your bidding. (Really.)
I admit it: I refer to our family kitchen as my kitchen. And then I wonder why my kids aren't more helpful with the cooking. Hmm. My boys have been cooking alongside me for ages, but now that they are getting older, I want them to be more autonomous. Well, I can tell...
How to keep guacamole from browning: The one (and only!) foolproof method that passed our test.
If you ask me, guacamole should be its own food group. I love a classic version, a tropical one with pineapple or mango, and -- my favorite -- guacamole with smoky chipotles and gobs of shredded sharp cheddar. You kind of can't go wrong when you mix a perfectly ripe...
Next week’s meal plan: 5 easy recipes for the week ahead, from a healthy twist on burgers to breakfast-for-dinner burritos.
It’s time to start thinking about your meal plan for next week. From a healthy twist on burgers to breakfast-for-dinner burritos for dinner, we’ve got five weeknight dinners that will get you through the week ahead. So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up...
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
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...
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...