When I picked up Will from school today, one of the other moms asked me about my writing. She’d noticed my email signature, which indicates that I am a writer and editor and a few of the sites that I regularly write for. The question caught me totally off guard — but in a good way.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer. While other kids would pretend to be doctors or policemen, I used an old dressing table in my room to pretend that I was writing a novel or filing an important news story on deadline. It was just my thing.

Writing is very much a part of who I am. Someone on a message board recently remarked about how a profession can’t define you … I totally disagree when it comes to the arts. When you are a writer, an artist, a singer, musician or performer, it’s very much ingrained in who you are.

Since writing is such a big part of me, I am not used to people asking about it from such a ground level. It made me smile to talk — if only for a few seconds — about how I came to be a writer and what I write about.

What I failed to mention when I was speaking with her though was another important part of my job: creating new recipes. I love the art of creating. I love pulling together flavors that just work well together and using them in new and different ways.

One combination that I love is artichokes and lemon — particularly when we are talking about fresh lemon. After Cate confessed how she often uses bottled lemon juice, I started paying more attention to what I use and have found that the taste of lemon juice and zest are far superior than the bottle. Color me a total convert.

As for the roasted vegetables, I absolutely love roasting veggies and tossing them in pasta. Pretty much everything is better roasted. It really brings out the flavors in the veggies … so, when I read about a pasta that Patsy at Friends, Family and Food made with roasted tomatoes and asparagus, I had to make something similar for dinner.

The result? A slightly tangy, rich, light and fresh tortellini pasta … Mmmmmm.

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I’ve been staring at this screen for way too long. Of course, I want to tell you how much I love simple but flavorful sauces like this. I want to describe how the tangy lemon is so well complimented with the mellow parsley and zesty garlic. Really, I do. I really want to you to know that you need to make this and eat it over steak or potatoes … or both (but then you should make a double batch for four people).

It’s kind of like chimichurri … without the spice.

Just try it.

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This photo cracks me up. Hope you enjoy it too.

Food tomorrow.

Rain, rain, rain. Sun. Rain, rain, rain. Sun. That’s been the weather pattern here for the majority of the last week or so. And what does weather like that mean for the foliage? It means lots of growth (yay!) and lots of very tall weeds (boo!). If the weather can hold off for long enough, this weekend will be all about extracting the weeds from the garden. I can’t have a space this pretty with this much … unprettiness.

Meanwhile, the broccoli has really spring up. I am waiting, impatiently, to see the beginnings of the familiar broccoli shape. The red cabbage, which isn’t looking as red as I anticipated, is really getting big too.

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After I photographed these fries tonight, I left the plate on the table while I finished getting dinner ready. I heard the scrape and squeak of a kitchen chair slowly moving across the floor, but didn’t look. Next thing I know, my husband is telling Paige to get off the table and stop eating all the fries.

I think the little angel likes these. She was helping herself. Smart girl.

It is absolutely amazing to me how many people adore sweet potato fries — even if they don’t like sweet potatoes. Take my husband, for instance. The man wouldn’t even touch a sweet potato until last year. But one taste of a good sweet potato fry and he was hooked. Love that. And I love that my kids can’t get enough of them either.

This is a new recipe for us — but one that is literally months (okay, maybe a year) in the making. I have been working, trying and testing to get the right combination of sweet and spicy for these fries. I wanted to get the heat, but not have it leave me with a bitter taste in my mouth.

Finally – FINALLY – I got it right.

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Love these sweet potato fries? You may also like:

• Chipotle Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries
• Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

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Today is Cinco de Mayo, a day that commemorates the Battle of Pueblo where the Mexican army defeated French forces. It’s a big thing for Mexico. I remembered briefly this morning when Facebook reminded me to wish one of my childhood friends a happy birthday. Then I promptly forgot. When I sat down to write this post, I realized what a funny coincidence it is that I am writing about a delicious chili recipe today. But yes, it’s completely a coincidence.

Meanwhile, if we have one more rainy day here in Connecticut, I might just start sprouting parsley from my hip. After a long and cold winter, all we really want to do is to get outside and play, plant and enjoy our yard. Instead, we have lots of rain, which seems to be encouraging weeds to sprout waist-high overnight (I kid you not!).

But if there is one meal that just screams of wanting to warm you up on a dreary, rainy day, it’s chili. Of course, with summer nudging around the corner, we only have a few more weeks (days?) before we need to trade hearty dishes for lighter, cooler fare.

This chili has a definite kick with the chipotle, but I think it’s more medium than hot. The kids? Well, they weren’t that thrilled with the heat but Shawn and I loved it. The chicken is a nice change up in this hearty, slightly spicy chili. Served over rice, this will fill your belly and leave you satisfied. Read the rest of this entry…

Each Friday, I let you have a peek into my garden. This is the first year that my garden has been progressing in such clear and certain order, and I am so excited to share it.

This week, I really wanted to show you the beginnings of blueberries that appeared on the blueberry bushes, promise of berries to come. I wanted to show you the leaves on the apple trees, which suddenly appeared last weekend. And the broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and spinach have been maturing. I wanted to show you the new addition to the garden: a small pepper plant that hasn’t yet distinguished itself. And my very big rosemary plant that I’ve already clipped from to season a roast … I wanted you to see that too.

But it rained today. Not all day, but just enough that every time I went to take more photos, I feared for my camera. So I didn’t. Instead. I snapped just the one photo you see, of my herb container garden on the back porch. Inside is thyme, basil and sage … I can’t wait to eat those too.

As for the crate? Snapple used it in a press kit they sent me. And I loved that I could so easily repurpose it. I would hate for all that wood to go to waste.

Next week? More photos. Lots. I promise.

Hey everyone.

Something very exciting is happening today. Seriously. I am guest blogging over on Glamour’s website (yes, that Glamour!). Christine Coppa, who writes the Storked! blog and is author of the recently released memoir Rattled!: A Memoir, asked me to share some tips on recession-proof cooking. So, of course I did!

Head on over to Storked! and check out my post (along with an absolutely delish recipe for Balsamic Chicken and Veggies). And be sure to leave a comment too!

P.S. You can also check out my interview with Christine Coppa on SheKnows.