We’ve recently discovered something that’s changed everything: lunch in a Thermos. Instead of stuffing sandwiches in bento boxes every morning, now I have the chance to fill cute little containers with all sorts of hot – and cold – dishes. Not only does the Thermos approach increase the variety of food they are eating at lunch (added nutrition!)…
Dairy-Free Creamy Tomato Soup with a Surprising Source of Protein: White Beans!
You’ll never guess the hard-working ingredient in our creamy tomato soup…white beans. Yep, a simple can of white beans brings protein to a meal that you wouldn’t usually call hearty. And since there’s no dairy, you might not guess creamy. But that’s what this soup is. It’s also delicious. My first grader sure thinks so. I…
My Favorite Pasta Recipe I Learned Living in Italy: Amatriciana
If you came to visit me when we lived in Rome, I would’ve made you this pasta. That’s because it’s my favorite pasta recipe I learned living in Italy: Amatriciana. Like many of the world’s most delicious recipes Italian recipes are awfully easy, this one begins with bacon. Except in Rome it’s pancetta. That smokey flavor…
Your Secret Weapon for an Instant Dinner: DIY Rotisserie Chicken Sandwiches
Sometimes a dinner is so fast it makes itself. That’s the case with one of our favorite ways to use rotisserie chicken: DIY rotisserie chicken sandwiches served along with raw veggies. And for that last part, we like to make things interesting. But still it is not like the one we get in the popular…
The 3-Ingredient Pesto Naan Bread Pizza Our Kids Can’t Stop Asking For
This pesto naan bread pizza taught me two things: Kids love pesto. I’m not nearly as clever as I think. It’s part of our What to Make for Dinner When You’re in a Hurry After Work series that I’m calling Dinner in a Flash. This instant pesto pizza was recommended by a lawyer mom whose girls go to school…
The 12 Best Muffin Recipes I’ve Ever Made
Muffins are so sneaky. Most of them are closer to cupcakes but that doesn’t stop those sweet imposters from parading right through most people’s mental list of Healthy Breakfast Ideas. I was in a cafeteria the other day where each item had a little plaque next to it, listing all the nutritional information. Morning Glory muffins! I thought…
2 Minutes to Gooey & Amazing: Why You’ll Want To Make Apple-Jack Sandwiches for Dinner Tonight
A few weeks ago I asked you guys, “What do you make for dinner when you’re in a hurry after work?” Here’s what one smart mom said: Apple-Jack Sandwiches. A fast, easy, satisfying dinner with a deliciously new combination of flavors. (Flavors our kids already know, only not in this formation. Horizons, prepare to be broadened.) And…
Your Family’s New Favorite Weekend Breakfast: The Big Dutch Baby
There’s a weekend breakfast that makes all four of my kids cheer: Dutch baby. A cross between a giant pancake and a souffle, a Dutch baby’s packed with protein (thank you eggs!) and takes about 3 minutes to prep (you too, blender!). We serve ours hot out of the oven, slathered in apple butter , a SUPER…
Ridiculously Cute Mini Taco Cups
These mini taco cups turned out to be a lunch our kids loved–and a built-in, whole-wheat snack too! I used leftover taco meat & beans from taco night, about a cup to make a dozen mini taco cups, which served 4 small kids. Of course the math would change with the ages of your kids, so…
5 Things Living In Italy Taught Me About Bringing Small Kids to Restaurant
“You know, we don’t have a children’s menu,” the receptionist told me over the phone, his voice suddenly getting a little terse. “Yes, I know,” I said. “We’ll be fine.” I mean, I hope we’ll be fine. When I called for a reservation at one of our town’s nicest restaurants near me that caught my…