DID YOU KNOW MOST CHEESE BALLS INCLUDE NUTS? And all sorts of spicy ingredients? At least the recipes I found do. This was a problem because two forces aligned this week: it was our turn to take the preschool snack and my former Martha Stewart Omnimedia alum, Michelle Buffardi, has an adorable new book out…
A “Cupcake Wars” Inspired Birthday Party
SHE DID IT AGAIN! Remember the rainbow spa birthday party? Or the sweet shop birthday party? Now Amber, who blogs at Cake Pops and Squats, has created a birthday bake off competition for her 10-year-old’s big day. It was “Cupcake Wars” for 14 ten-year-olds in one kitchen, and if you’re wondering how she pulled it off,…
peanut butter hot toddies
IT’S NOT SMOOTHIE WEATHER ANYMORE. We’re heading straight into hot chocolate season here but I’d rather not spend the rest of fall with three kids crying, wrestling, climbing kitchen counters and “mommmmmmy-ing”, all thanks to the inevitable sugar crash from cocoa. No can do. Enter, the warmest little mug of goodness to hit our kitchen…
maple syrup sweet potato whoopie pies
IT’S ON. Fall is here and things are so pretty in our corner of North Carolina that I don’t miss Rome one bit. Except for maybe the food. And the amazing architecture. And the 1 euro cappucini on every corner. And the general public’s unabashed love for children. Except for that stuff. But here’s something…
chicken soup with noodles
I HAD TO PHONE A FRIEND FOR THIS ONE. Last night was a much needed ladies’ night for myself and the first friend I made in North Carolina, an outsider like me, only Therese came to Durham from Switzerland. She’s also the mother of three, two girls and one boy, but hers are older and…
pumpkin bran muffins with chocolate chips
WELL, WE MAY HAVE A PICKY ONE. Usually a voracious little eater, every time I’ve tried to give 17-month-old George a bite of anything other than carbs lately, he chucks it across the room. Airborne. Veggies, cheese, certainly meat, all of it hits the floor moments after I set the offending food in front of him….
spicy pasta with chicken, spinach and goat cheese
I’M BREAKING A PRETTY BIG RULE HERE. The idea of making two meals, one for the kids and another for the adults, is just too exhausting for me to even consider on most days. But for our Halloween lunch, I decided to spare the moms those mummy turkey dogs. Instead we adapted a recipe from…
halloween party food for preschoolers
SHHH. SINCE WE’RE NEW TO THE U.S. this year, we’re skipping trick-or-treating…because our kids don’t really know what it is. But that doesn’t mean they don’t want to dress up! So we had four friends over on Friday–a ballerina princess, a super hero, a unicorn-pegasus and a fairy princess, plus Pooh and Piglet (Tigger was…
easy penne pasta with cauliflower, sausage & parmesan cheese
IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO GET KIDS EATING veggies. Especially those with a funny smell when you cook ’em. That’s right cauliflower, we’re talking about you. The good news is, we’ve discovered three ways to make cauliflower an easy sell at dinner. Roasted cauliflower, baked into macaroni and cheese, and this way right here. I…
oven roasted cauliflower
YOU’VE HEARD ME SAY IT OVER AND OVER. And it’s not just to be annoying (I gave that up in high school. Mostly.) If I want my kids to eat more vegetables, I always roast them. Cauliflower is actually the most delicious. It’s our kids’ favorite. Really. And here’s another bonus. It’s easy.