These cold noodles are a summer staple. Because they are awesome. At least some of our kids think so. Use any shape of pasta your kids like and don’t worry about the flavor of whole-wheat pasta taking over because in this salad, that nutty whole-wheat taste holds up perfectly. Even better than regular pasta. These noodles are a simpler…
bell pepper sailboats
WHEN IT COMES TO CUTE FOOD SOMETIMES PARENTS GRUMBLE, “But then they’ll ask for something special every day!” I imagine my brood like little emperors reclining on fluffy pillows with pipes perched in the corners of their jam-smeared mouths. In come the demands: “Bring me my grape caterpillars!” “You call that a spider sandwich?” “WHEEEERE is my…
1 dinner 3 ways: stuffed peppers with beef, tomatoes & rice
LAST NIGHT’S DINNER WAS A DISASTER. Sometimes I use a lot of smart strategies for making dinner quickly and easily, but not last night. There I was at 5:30pm, stirring a pot on the stove to make a vaguely Mexican dish I saw somewhere online. You know, the kind that’s not too spicy for the kids but still…
Beef & vegetable roll-ups with balsamic glaze made a little simpler
I CAN’T LIE TO YOU. THESE DELICIOUS BEEF ROLL-UPS WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE WILL NOT BECOME ONE OF YOUR GO-TO WEEKNIGHT DINNERS. But you’ll love making them once in a while. With a tangy, sweet sauce plus a built-in veggie and playful presentation, there’s a lot to like here. The only trouble is the number of steps it…
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.
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…
Kid-friendly turkey chili–plus 15 crowd pleasing toppings ideas
As our BFIM continues at its glacial pace, I am thrilled to present this guest post from a friend, fellow mom to kids under 4 and former colleague (one who used to run Food Network.com, ahem!), Marie Facini. Now if you need me, I’ll be desperately trying to find a big pot somewhere… GUEST POST…
Poached eggs with hash brown potatoes and peppers
BREAKFAST FOR DINNER is one of our go-to techniques for dinner in a hurry. Now that we’ve got a third Foodlet on-hand, make that in-arms, cooking can be a little more complicated. As in, how can I make dinner and look after the toddler, preschooler and newborn baby without anyone accidentally getting grilled in the…
Roman chicken with peppers
THIS WAS A GREEN EGGS AND HAM kind of night. Phoebe didn’t even want to try one bite and certainly had no intention of eating a pepper. But then she did. “Mmm. That’s good!” I couldn’t help myself. I had to call her on it! After all this time (after all, we’ve had nearly 3…
Homemade skillet pizza with pepperoni, salami and peppers
BARBARA KINGSOLVER, in the gorgeous memoir, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle“, says her family eats pizza every Friday. Homemade pizza (her husband whips up the dough), and while toppings always vary, never having to think about “What’s for dinner?” just simplifies their week. I think it’s brilliant.