If you’d asked me back in November how I’d feel with just a few days of school left for the kids, I would probably have said something about approaching it with a mixture of dread and excitement. I love summertime, and appreciate all the freedom it offers us to spend long, lazy days at the [...]
Sitting in a dimly lit restaurant with good company, enjoying good conversation and mouthwatering food and drinks — it’s a colossal treat. A joy, even. To say that we don’t get out enough is the understatement of the century — so when I was asked to go out for a nice dinner and sample drinks [...]
Thanks to UncommonGoods for sponsoring this fun post. When my dear friend Rhian got married a few years ago, she didn’t want any wedding gifts. Her wedding was an intimate affair on Cape Cod, where we gathered for a simple ceremony and a laid-back reception. But I’ve known her for nearly 20 years, and I [...]
Dole Whip This pineapple-flavored soft serve is amazing. Last year when we went to Walt Disney World for Food Blog Forum, we stayed at the Polynesian Resort — and I even picked up a quick dinner at the quick serve restaurant there known for its self-serve Dole Whip machines. Yet, I didn’t even give it [...]
Lobster salad, anyone? Sure, this isn’t your standard lobster salad — but maybe it’s time to think outside the shell with avocado, red peppers and feta cheese. A tangy lemon vinaigrette brings the flavors together in an unforgettable summer salad. But first let’s talk lobster. Whenever we pass the lobster tanks at our local grocery [...]
Lobster salad, anyone? Sure, this isn’t your standard lobster salad — but maybe it’s time to think outside the shell with avocado, red peppers and feta cheese. A tangy lemon vinaigrette brings the flavors together in an unforgettable summer salad. But first let’s talk lobster. Whenever we pass the lobster tanks at our local grocery [...]
Note: This recipe is part of a sponsored series created for Fiber One. With strawberry season arriving in the northeast, I am thinking of all the ways I will use strawberries this season. Typically, I make jam, freeze some, make lemonade, eat a lot and slice some into salads. Strawberries have always been my favorite [...]
Note: This recipe is part of a sponsored series created for Fiber One. I. Love. Fruit salad. Love it. And in the summer, I will often trade a green salad for a fruit salad with dinner — something that my husband thinks is a little odd, but that my kids enjoy. Fruit salad is also [...]
When the weather warms up, I start thinking about lighter foods. The soups and roasts that hit the spot on frigid New England winter days are forgotten in favor of lighter summer fare like fruit, everything grilled and salads. Dinner becomes an art of combining no-cook dishes (can’t heat up the kitchen!) combined with whatever [...]
“You haven’t planned a dinner in a while,” my husband said recently as I stirred a bolognese sauce on the stove. Though I’d planned on making bolognese for dinner that day, I recognized the truth in the statement. Even though I’ve never been big on meal planning, I have always been a plan-ahead girl when [...]
Things change. Opinions. Ideas. Directions. Plans. And you kind of just roll with it and see what happens. Still, I am always a little caught off guard by change — especially change that involves my kids taste buds. And boy, have they caught me off guard recently by enjoying some foods with a nip of [...]
Sometimes, you just feel like a little cake. Especially chocolate cake. (Am I right or am I right?!?) And that’s when mug cakes come in so handy. They are fast, easy and tasty — and they totally take care of the cake craving. To make a mug cake, you stir together a few ingredients in [...]
When my husband and I bought our house nearly nine years ago, one of the first things we did was to buy a shiny new grill — a good one. We were young and excited and spared no expense on our appliances or grill — and that’s something I am very glad for. We made [...]
Once when I was a tween living in Poughkeepsie, New York, my family took a bike ride around our neighborhood with another family we were friends with. It was a cool spring day, and the blossoms were on the trees. Our friends had recently moved into the neighborhood, and — for me — it was [...]
When I saw these portabella mushrooms at a local grocery store, I swooned and my head filled with images of meaty roasted portabellas on a salad. Everything else I had imagined cooking vanished (I had really planned to stuff mushrooms with St. Patrick’s Day leftovers). I just wanted my warm portabellas and cool salad. We’re [...]
Early in 2012, I swore off dieting. I vowed to follow the idea of mindful eating and see where my body ended up. I truly believed that if I ate mindfully, the weight would just melt away. It didn’t. But, for a good while, it remained completely steady. Then, my weight started to climb a [...]
Is it summer yet? I can’t wait until the weather turns warm, and big beauties like this heirloom tomato are ripe on the vine again. I’m already fantasizing about Tuesdays at our local farmer’s market and (hopefully — fingers crossed!) a successful backyard garden. But in the meantime, we need to get through a little [...]
When I was entering the third grade, I transferred from a public school where I had many friends to a catholic school where I had none. While my public school friends were still my friends, I went to my new school every day wondering when I would feel the level of comfort and fitting in [...]
Something happened this weekend. Perhaps it was the effect of our Saturday picnic on the beach (our first of the year!). Or maybe it was the marked uptick in temperatures that seems to be signalling that spring is really, truly, finally here. But this weekend, I suddenly felt so happy and at peace — more [...]
There is so much good all around us, if we only take the time to see it. Goodness is bright and beautiful. It fills us up and reminds us that we aren’t alone. That’s such an important thing. Good was in the Christmas cards that arrived, sharing the kindest of well wishes in the aftermath [...]
Easter is this Sunday. Like, whoa. It seems so early to have Easter arrive, but here it is. And it’s time to start thinking Easter menus. Mine is typically pretty similar year to year — Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast, spiral ham, an egg dish … But the first two are the ones that everyone [...]
What will you be digging into this weekend while watching the Grammy’s? Not sure? How about some creamy, sweet, savory Strawberry, Basil and Brie Bruschetta? It’s super fast, super easy and absolutely delicious. It’s one of the recipes in my latest article on allParenting.com — and I would love if you’d check it out. You [...]
It’s no secret that I really to dig into a plate of good wings while watching football. They just go together. These crispy baked wings are tossed with a sweet-spicy Thai chili sauce that is just heavenly. The flavors and textures come together in a wing-tastic symphony. And on Sunday, you can bet that we’ll [...]
If you’d asked me back in November how I’d feel with just a few days of school left for the kids, I would probably have said something about approaching it with a mixture of dread and excitement. I love summertime, and appreciate all the freedom it offers us to spend long, lazy days at the [...]
Sitting in a dimly lit restaurant with good company, enjoying good conversation and mouthwatering food and drinks — it’s a colossal treat. A joy, even. To say that we don’t get out enough is the understatement of the century — so when I was asked to go out for a nice dinner and sample drinks [...]
Thanks to UncommonGoods for sponsoring this fun post. When my dear friend Rhian got married a few years ago, she didn’t want any wedding gifts. Her wedding was an intimate affair on Cape Cod, where we gathered for a simple ceremony and a laid-back reception. But I’ve known her for nearly 20 years, and I [...]
Dole Whip This pineapple-flavored soft serve is amazing. Last year when we went to Walt Disney World for Food Blog Forum, we stayed at the Polynesian Resort — and I even picked up a quick dinner at the quick serve restaurant there known for its self-serve Dole Whip machines. Yet, I didn’t even give it [...]
Lobster salad, anyone? Sure, this isn’t your standard lobster salad — but maybe it’s time to think outside the shell with avocado, red peppers and feta cheese. A tangy lemon vinaigrette brings the flavors together in an unforgettable summer salad. But first let’s talk lobster. Whenever we pass the lobster tanks at our local grocery [...]
