FOR SOMEONE WHO TOLD ME THREE TIMES she doesn’t like potatoes, Phoebe sure ended up eating a lot of them last night! In fact, she had three helpings. They were toddler-size but still, nine potatoes later, it was quite a night for spuds. Even Estelle managed to mow down two big wedges herself, quite a…
Ham, egg & cheese breakfast cups
MMM, THESE ARE GOOD. That’s the review from my husband. (He’s actually asked me twice now, days later, “what was at the bottom of those?” Believe me when I say this is notable.) Unfortunately Phoebe hasn’t had them yet; things were entirely too flu-y for her this weekend but we’ll try again soon. In fact,…
Healthier chocolate chip cookies
IT WASN’T THE COOKIES’ FAULT. After whipping up a batch of The Sneaky Chef’s “Unbelievable Chocolate Chip Cookies” (pictured above) and another batch of “Chocolate Chip Cookies” from Weelicious, the whole family came down with the flu. Before things took a turn for the worse, we had just enough time to come up with this…
Most Popular Posts of 2011
IT WAS ALL PARTIES AND SWEETS around here in 2011, just a little healthier. Since re-launching Foodlets this fall, these are the top posts according to page views from readers. Both of them.
Barefoot Contessa Makeover: Mini meatloaves
WE HAD COMPANY OVER CHRISTMAS, including a 3-year old guest from Amsterdam. Phoebe was thrilled to have another “big girl” around but as you may know (and be reminded daily), it’s not easy to guess what will go over at this age. But when in doubt, I say go for comfort food. This recipe is…
Salmon-vegetable chowder
IN TIME TO GIVE IT A TEST RUN, we’re considering this salmon-vegetable chowder from The Food Network magazine for Christmas Eve dinner. It’s packed with veggies and just enough seafood to qualify for the Feast of Seven Fishes, a catholic tradition sometimes observed here in Italy. It’s a nod to the Roman Catholic tradition of…
Carroty macaroni & cheese (an excerpt from A Way to Garden)
A GREAT IDEA FROM A GREAT BLOG. I’ll take it! This better-for-you mac & cheese recipe comes from Melissa Clark’s book, “Cook This Now”, by way of the best gardening blog around, A Way to Garden. An excerpt from Margret’s masterful gardening site introduces one of my favorite makeover ideas for comfort food: MELISSA CLARK…
Banana muffins with millet
YES, MILLET. THIS GOOD-FOR-YOU GRAIN is not only a source of protein but also heart-healthy magnesium and niacin. Plus it and adds a mega-dose of fiber to unsuspecting muffins like these. A regular food source in Ethiopia, it’s uncommon in the US (except for bird seed!) and usually found in health food stores. We love…
5 ways to make any dessert recipe a little healthier
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR. Once the tree goes up, the Christmas cookies come out and most of us, my pregnant self included, aren’t kidding around when it comes to enjoying the festivities! But if you want to avoid a sugar-induced meltdown (or two, or seven…) for the smaller members of the household here are…
Spice muffins with cream cheese frosting…and a secret ingredient
THESE MUFFINS STARTED OUT AS Pumpkin Bars from Paula Deen. In their second life they became a healthier version of pumpkin mini-muffins. Now they’re carrot muffins. And they’re delicious. Canned pumpkin is virtually non-existent in Rome and I’m not sure which Italian variety of zucca would work well enough to go through the cooking and…









