I’ve tried making broccoli soup for my kids before. With tons of cheese. And love. It took a ton of love to grate all that cheese alone, and guess what? They hated it. The soup. I’m assuming (for my own mental health) they’re into the love. This time I went simpler. MUCH simpler. There’s no milk…
Here’s What Happened When I Cut Out Afternoon Snacks…And Why I Did It
Are you tired of stressing out about dinner? About trying to make something everyone likes? About going round and round on this little gem: “HOW MANY BITES do I have to take?” Me too. So I changed two major things recently. And everything turned around. Let me start with this though: they sound harsh. These…
Sheet Pan Honey-Mustard Chicken with Potatoes and Broccoli
There’s a honey-mustard chicken dish that everyone in my family loves. And when I say family, I don’t just mean my kids. I’m talking cousins. In-laws. Friends of cousins. That sweet and tangy sauce slathered over juicy chicken thighs is hard to beat. Except when you cook the whole thing over potatoes and add a side…
Sausage, Sweet Potatoes & Apples: A Sheet Pan Dinner Your Kids Will Love
I’ve been trying to write this post for 2 years. Roasted sausage, sweet potatoes and apples on a sheet pan is an easy, delicious meal that everyone loves every time. That’s the problem. It’s one of my Hail Mary meals when I need dinner done fast–throwing whatever veggies I can find on a sheet pan, along with…
The Safest Way to Cut Grapes to Avoid Choking and the Age Experts Suggest You Stop
Do you worry about your kids choking on food? I think almost all of us do. And unfortunately it’s for good reason. “Researchers estimate that emergency rooms treat more than 10,000 kids a year for food-choking incidents,” reports Health Day. And it gets worse. “It is estimated that one child dies every five days due…
How to Make Dinner Faster and Easier: 8 Tricks I Learned from a Nutritionist and Mom of 2
It’s just a fact. Family life gets busy and making time for dinner together can be tough. But here’s the thing: making dinner at home –and eating together — is worth it. And thanks to smart tips like these, dinner can be faster and easier than you might think. How can you make dinner at home when…
Whole-Wheat Apple Cookies with Lemon Glaze
“It’s the lemon glaze that really makes them,” my mother-in-law told me. And she was right. These whole-wheat apple cookies with lemon glaze are amazing. She should know, she made them! They aren’t quite good for you (because of said icing) but man, are these cookies a great way to round out a tea party, any…
4 Surprising Ways to Feed Your Family Better Instantly: Lessons from Michael Pollan and More
Michael Pollan is right again. Want to feed your family healthier food? Don’t worry so much about fads or trendy ingredients he says in his new PBS documentary. Just eat healthy-ish. Ever since I started cooking for my first baby six years ago, which was around the same time that I started paying attention to what I…
How to Make Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese in 1 Hour
Have you ever made Marcella Hazan’s bolognese sauce? It’s amazing. But it takes almost 4 hours. If you have one, two, four or nine small kids at your house like I do, this just won’t work. So as part of my quest to introduce our kids to delicious food made from fresh ingredients, with tons of…
How 6 Rules Can Transform Your Family Meals from Stressful to Enjoyable (Even With Small Kids)
Does your family dinner include a lot of complaining? Do you look forward to spending that time together, or is it more stressful than anything else? When it’s time to clean up after a meal, is everyone helping out? You can guess how I used to answer these questions at my own house: YES, THE…