Dear Ina Garten, you know I love you and your amazing recipes, but I can no longer spend 45 minutes roasting tomatoes BEFORE the soup making process begins. That is because there are three small crazy people living in my house now. I can however, make a simpler (and healthier) version of your wonderful Roasted Tomato…
even healthier pumpkin spice mini muffins
THESE MUFFINS STARTED IT ALL. The first time I made our pumpkin spice mini-muffins in Rome, I knew we were on to something because the kids liked them, but I loved them. Finally a decadent tasting baked good that I didn’t have mixed feelings about. So we made spin-offs: carrot cake muffins, sweet potato muffins and more. But the original…
Ina Garten’s gazpacho becomes kid-friendly watermelon gazpacho
SOME RECIPES FOLLOW YOU wherever you go. The Barefoot Contessa’s gazpacho is one of them, and I’ve been making it longer than I’ve been a parent. Maybe even longer than I’ve known Paul. There were big batches blended up in small New York City apartments, at least as many in Rome and now our first…
little sandwiches for lunch: rollie pollies kids can’t resist
THERE’S USUALLY A WAY TO MAKE it more interesting, but not always time. I went to a parents’ discussion at our local library last night, something that made me feel extremely grown-up, where the social worker who was speaking described parenthood in two ways: sometimes it’s about surviving, other times we’re thriving. Immediately I thought…
tomato & cheese tart
THIS WAS THE HARDEST RECIPE I’VE MADE in a long time. But I did it. And it was delicious, at least two parents and one preschooler thought so. Baby George and Estelle who is two, begged to differ. But here’s my theory: Phoebe helped me make it and when you’re a kid in the kitchen,…
how to pack amazing school lunches kids love, Katie Morford’s best tips
UGH. THAT’S THE SOUND OF MOST PARENTS MAKING SCHOOL LUNCHES. But not Katie Morford. Katie heads up the popular blog, Mom’s Kitchen Handbook: Raising Fresh-Food Kids in a French-Fried World and just wrote a new book with a promising title, “Best Lunch Box Ever“. Brimming with fresh, creative ideas that look just as tasty as they…
Homemade chicken strips
PICNIC FOOD DOESN’T GET better than this. I’ll just fess up immediately though: this pan-fried technique is more involved than the baked chicken nuggets we made a while ago. There’s oil popping and smoke billowing all over the place. Or maybe that’s just me. But this is for sure: the color is much darker, and…
kid-friendly crudite: personal veggie cups with dip
THANK YOU, PINTEREST. I loved this idea the moment I saw it. They did it for a party, I did it for dinner. Which meant my kids ate a bunch of vegetables for dinner. And they did it with smiles.
homemade chicken nuggets
THIS ONE TIME, WHEN OUR KIDS WERE MISBEHAVING, we used a bribe to get them back on track. And these nuggets were part of it. A delicious part.
An easy pop of color, half way to eating the rainbow
THEY SAY YOU SHOULD EAT THE RAINBOW, and when I say “they” I mean everyone from Grover to Oprah and Michelle Obama, also the editors of Whole Living and you know, the US Cancer Society. OK, we’re listening. But also, we’re very busy and that sounds complicated. Like a lot of shopping and chopping and possibly quite…
The best roast beef sandwiches you’ll ever have
THESE PLAYDATE SANDWICHES WERE MADE WITH ON-THE-GO EATING IN MIND. Admittedly, they were more for the moms and dads than kids–who got turkey sammies smothered with honey mustard and mayo spread–but on this blustery fall day in Rome, every parent not only commented on how good they were, but couldn’t stop talking about the roast…
ham, cheese and apple melts
RECENTLY I’VE GOTTEN A LOT MORE STRATEGIC ABOUT MAKING LUNCHES AND DINNERS. Our kids are so small that we always have tons of leftovers. And while none of us are crazy about eating the same thing over and over, I’ve found that many meals can be made into something tasty later in the week. That’s…
Frittata with spinach, pancetta & ricotta (a Barefoot Contessa makeover)
MY BIG INDULGENCE IN ITALY, other than one trip to the Gucci outlet and one million bowls of gelato (which was probably more expensive in the long run!), has been an international subscription to the Food Network magazine. I’ve definitely learned a lot from Italians when it comes to food, family and the combination of…
Lentil sausage soup with spinach (a Barefoot Contessa lentil soup makeover)
IT’S HERE! I LOVE SOUP SEASON. Even though the Roman weather keeps playing tricks on us–one day it’s cool and crisp, the next is so hot and humid that everyone is sweating before we leave the house–we’ve started making soup. And even better, we’ve started freezing soup too. This recipe makes more than enough to…
no-cook dinner: antipasto with ham, cheese, breadsticks, melon and more…
IT’S BEEN OVER 90 DEGREES EVERY DAY in Rome for weeks. This is a normal summer in Italy but that doesn’t mean we’re not melting! Particularly those of us from the Pacific Northwest where it simply doesn’t do this. Ever. My Floridian husband, however, is soaking up the sun, humidity and all the heat for…
Fresh strawberry milk
While I enjoy my mini-maternity leave, I’m thrilled to present a guest post from fellow mom and former colleague, Marie Facini. The genius in this drink is threefold: it’s exceedingly simple to prepare, it’s a great way to pack the all-important calcium punch, and it puts spring’s bounty of strawberries to good use.
homemade deep dish pizza with pepperoni (with a surprisingly healthy ingredient)
THERE ARE TWO IMPORTANT THINGS to say about this pizza: First, it’s (pretty) good for you. Second, it’s only moderately popular at our place. {Wah, wah.} Estelle and I seem to like it best…which makes Paul and Phoebe something of pizza purists. This is after all, Italy…
BBQ pork & cheese quesadillas
IT DOESN’T GET ANY EASIER. And in my condition (insane 36 weeks pregnant with number 3), there’s nothing better. Using leftover pork roast, plus a little cheddar cheese, I diced my way to a simple dinner for four.
corn dog mini muffins and sautéed green beans with garlic
IS IT ME OR ARE CORN DOGS having a moment? I’ve seen tons of ideas all over Pinterest, including this gorgeous batch of fried mini dogs from Food Glorious Food, and decided to give it a whirl. The results were mixed: one-year-old Estelle liked them, nearly three-year-old Phoebe wasn’t thrilled. If you love your furry…
easy ham & cheese quiche
THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO ME. Toddlers love eggs. Scrambled eggs. Green eggs and ham. Even baked eggs with a crispy crust and tons of tasty fillings. Served hot or room temperature, it’s also as easy to eat like a pizza as it is with a knife and fork. And that’s just the beginning.