Many people have asked me, “Doesn’t Shawn cook?” Well, folks, he does. And he does it pretty well. I just don’t typically share his recipes . . . something should be sacred, no?

But this recipe was too good not to chronicle and share. It’s perfectly crispy, juicy fried chicken. I love it made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs the best, but the breasts are good too — and a healthier option.

Looking for a baked version? Check out my Crunchy Oven Fried Chicken recipe. It’s delicious. Read the rest of this entry…

I am Will. Hear me ROAAAAARRRRRRRRR!

Today is Wordless Wednesday. Tomorrow, back to the recipes. Promise. And I’ve got a good one.

Friday? Big news that I want to share . . .

It all started last night, when one of my oldest friends called to say that she and her family were in the area. They wanted to get together. Sure, great! I thought. Living in two different states and different worlds – her in the city and I in the burbs, it certainly hasn’t been easy for us to get together often.

This morning, after setting a time with her, I realized that I absolutely had to bring something with me. After all, we were meeting at her mother-in-law’s and they were serving up lunch. (Coincidentally, the house is located less than a quarter mile from the home I grew up in. Small world.)

What to make though? I’m out of semisweet chocolate chips, but had some white chocolate ones . . . and some leftover semisweet bar chocolate. And lots of cocoa. So, chocolate cookie, white chocolate chips . . . you see the process.

I set to work, kind of winging it but taking note of each step — just in case it all worked out. Fortunately it did. And my chocolate-loving friends loved these.

The bigger challenge? Shawn. But, when he immediately reached for a second cookie after finishing the first, I knew I had scored. Read the rest of this entry…

Hey America’s Test Kitchen/The Cook’s Country/Cook’s Illustrated, listen up. Are you listening yet? I read all about the recipe fracas on Alosha’s Kitchen. First I was hurt, then disappointed, then shocked. How could you allow an employee to act like that?

Shame on you!

Shame, for insinuating that your recipes are perfect for everyone exactly as they are written. They aren’t. Frankly, my friends and I have -GASP!- modified them when they got too fussy or were lacking a bit . . . and they were better for it. In our opinions, at least. And when it comes to eating, it’s my opinion, not some holier-than-thou test kitchen’s, that matters. Read the rest of this entry…

To say we were sweating bullets when we got home from the farmer’s market last Sunday couldn’t be more accurate. It was sweltering. And when it’s that hot, Will doesn’t like to eat (can you blame him?!?).

So, remembering a recent article by Cate O’Malley for 3-A-Day, I whipped up a fruit and yogurt “sundae”. At first he was psyched. Then he tasted the yogurt. Will’s never been a fan of yogurt, but I thought the hearty dose of blueberries — his favorite fruit ever — and the cut up peaches would change his mind.

Uh, not so much. “No Mommy, this doesn’t taste yummy.” It’s something he rarely says . . . he’s a food lover, not a hater, after all. So I was unswayed and insisted he eat. I got him to down five or six bites with some coaxing and then let him go . . .

Then I tried the sundae. . . . Blech, spat, spat!

The yogurt was a new brand we hadn’t had before. Super tart. Totally not us.I couldn’t eat more than a few bites. Will was dead on with his “doesn’t taste yummy,” comment.

Yep, you can send that bad mommy award right here . . . Care of Sarah Caron. Yes, that’s right. I forced my son to eat (gross) yogurt.

I washed the fruit off and let him have it, sans yogurt.

Lesson learned: Should’ve tried it first . . .

Peas in a Pod by Sarah W. Caron - All Rights Reserved

I was going to write a post about all the things that happened last week while I was on vacation from work. While funny, some memories should be just ours though . . . so I won’t. Suffice it to say that Will, Paige and I had a good time and were happy that Shawn could join us here and there (he wasn’t off).

Hope you enjoyed your week too.

As for the snapshot: We eat a lot of food fresh from the farmer’s market and had a good thing going for awhile with these fresh peas. Turns out, we all like peas if they are fresh.

Paige has been exploring lately, wherever I will let her. And wherever it is, she seems to relish in running her fingers through new textures — just-cut grass, warm sand, salt water . . . She’s curious and intrepid, unafraid. I hope she stays that way.

Meanwhile, I’ve been observing and thinking. It’s funny how you can fall into a period of retrospect and lose yourself in moments, memories . . . but we all need that inner movie once in a while, I think. And Will? He’s discovering everyday.

Three girls walked along the shoreline where Will, Paige and I were relaxing the other day. One was much taller with wind scattered hair pulled haphazardly into a ponytail. Another was medium height with straight, shiny raven locks. The third was smaller, shorter, with a sunkissed ponytail. Fifteen years ago, I was one of those girls, carefree, curious and believing that summer truly was just a collection of days spent walking with bare feet across hot sand. Read the rest of this entry…

“Mommy, I wannnnt an app-pull.”

“No, Will, this is a potato, not an apple, silly!”

“Mommy, I want a potato.”

The little hand is outstretched, reaching for the just washed, raw potato . . .

“You will have some, Will, but it needs to be cooked first. Raw potatoes are yuck.”

We have conversations like this a lot in my kitchen. Sometimes it’s the potatoes, other times it’s uncooked pasta or rice. Fortunately, I think he’s beginning to catch on. These days, Will asks for me to “cook it!” a lot more often.

The other night, I knew I wanted to make some potatoes. But time wasn’t on my side. That’s how I came to slice them. I wanted them to be flavorful, but didn’t want the hassle or mess of tossing them in herbs and olive oil, so I drizzled and sprinkled instead. It was only later that I realized the tremendous potential for cheesing them up and giving them a salty zest with bacon. Read the rest of this entry…

“Hun, are you done with this bread?” That’s the kind of thing that Shawn might say to me while the leftover, slightly stale bread dangles inches from the trash heap . . . but not any longer. He’s now an official homemade crouton convert.

I buy bread at the farmer’s market here every weekend. We don’t always use it all. I wish I could say we did, but for quite awhile, Shawn’s been afraid to touch any food I bought home — apparently the baguette incident is still fresh in his mind (tore off a piece of baguette before I could even say “Wait, that’s for my lunch tomorrow!” — thing was stale by morning and I was . . . pleasant. Really. K, so I wasn’t. Now you see why it’s stuck in his head).

With the farmer’s market bread — and my fresh outlook on green living — I hate to waste any food. So, we don’t. Instead, I’ve started making croutons with whatever doesn’t get eaten within a reasonable amount of time.

The first time I did this, Shawn was a little surprised. He didn’t realize that I know how to make croutons . . . or that homemade ones kick the pants off of store bought ones. Fact.

Ready for this? The recipe is really simple, easy, and it doesn’t take too long.

Homemade Garlic Croutons

Leftover bread
garlic
extra light olive oil
sea salt
romano (optional)

Cut the bread into big cubes (about 1 inch by 1 inch by 1/2 inch). Mince 1 clove of garlic per cup of bread cubes.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of extra light olive oil per cup of bread cubes. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the bread and stir vigorously to coat. Give the mixture a good sprinkling of sea salt next.

Cook for about 10 minutes until golden, with me flipping often to prevent burning. If desired, add  grated romano to the mixture while cooking.

Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

They are great for salads or just snacking . . .