Whenever I interview a food personality, I try to slip in a question about their go-to items in their pantry and fridge. It’s always so interesting to hear what people say. Of course, it’s only fair that I answer the question myself too.

Here goes … In my freezer, there are a few things you will always find: shrimp (both cooked and uncooked ones!), super sweet corn, peas, ground beef, gzoya and … salmon. I buy frozen wild-caught filets whenever they go on sale. One grocery store here sells them individually wrapped and sealed, which makes them ultra-easy to grab and defrost for a meal, whether it’s a lunch for one or a dinner for four.

That was exactly what I did tonight for dinner. Grilled Pesto-Topped Salmon is as easy as it comes. With just two ingredients, it comes together and cooks in no time. Plus, the flavorful pesto makes for a fabulous filet.

Serve this with a green salad and pasta.

Read the rest of this entry…

Things change so quickly. When I was a young child, we had a television. It was a really big deal when my grandmother and I went shopping for a VCR for my grandfather … and that wasn’t a small, inexpensive present. Back then, there was no on-demand, no home computer, no iPods. Then, all of a sudden, all those things were. Likewise, when I started blogging, something that I wasn’t entirely comfortable with at the time, the food blogosphere was a relatively small place with a Cheers-like feeling. It really seemed like everyone knew each other.

But things changed. Many new voices added their photos and words to the food blogging community. Soon, there were whole conferences related to food blogging. There are so many food bloggers today that I feel like I can’t even keep up with the ones I love, let alone get entranced by the many new bloggers. Still, I try to read a few new blogs each week.

Another big change? When I started this blog, Will was an infant – a tiny, quiet, hungry infant. His diet was limited to milk and he hadn’t yet had his first bite of so-called solid food. Today, that tiny infant is graduating from preschool. Where did the time go?

This summer, we will practice his reading skills, writing skills and those dreaded scissor skills. We’ll read letters off of billboards as we hit the road for a few fun excursions and sound out the words on menus and boxes. We’ll go hiking and camping and dig for clams at the seashore.

But today? Today is about Will’s accomplishment. He headed to preschool two years ago, so excited and full of anticipation. He liked it so much that day that he didn’t want to leave. Since then, he’s learned to write his name, draw people and color like nobody’s business. He’s made friends and shared laughs. He’s been inviting to new classmates who joined the class midyear and hasn’t forgotten the ones who no longer are in the same class. My baby has become a wonderful little boy.

We’re heading out soon to Will’s graduation (actually, they call it a moving up ceremony, but whatev. It’s graduation). His clothes are laid out and ready to go, and all we need to do is eat and get going.

If you will excuse me, rather than make some attempt at a creative transition, I am going to launch into the recipe now.

I used to think that marinating was something that you needed to plan ahead for and start early in the day. But I have learned more recently that some marinades need only a half-hour or an hour to do their magic. This is one of those.

All in all, this can be made in as little as an hour – marinade to table. The chicken is left with good flavor with notes of garlic and basil.

I served it over rice with caramelized onions and mushrooms. But you could serve it with roasted potatoes and a big salad for a tasty dinner too. Read the rest of this entry…

Today is Will’s last day of preschool. Ever. I can hardly believe it. You always hear people say that children grow up so quickly, but only in experiencing it can you appreciate just how true that is. It seems like just yesterday that I was uncomfortably pregnant with him and now he’s almost 5. Time really does fly.

I’ve been thinking the same thing about Paige recently … she’s gone from round-faced baby to thinking, plotting, planning little girl in no time. The other day, I was working on a recipe (this recipe, in fact), when Paige pulled up her trusty pink stool and started asking questions. I was photographing some cubed chicken at the time. She wanted to know what it was, why I was taking pictures and what I was going to do with it.

She followed me through the kitchen as I added all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and then stirred it all together. I explained every step of the process as I went, with her listening and watching intently and with great curiosity. She is at a point where she really wants to understand everything she sees.

These children … they are amazing.

In regards to this sandwich … it’s a wonderful, easy fast lunch that involves no heating of the kitchen (SCORE!). Perfect for hot days … or any day … the combination of briny olives, crunchy bits of cucumber, moist chicken chunks, creamy, salty feta and an easy dressing is fabulous on pita bread. For the chicken, I used leftover grilled chicken, but you could easily substitute rotisserie chicken or even those premade chicken strips (Trader Joe’s sells them in the freezer section).

It’s definitely a crowd pleaser.

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The hardest thing about freelancing is waiting for the checks to arrive … and this was one of those waiting weeks where it felt like they would never, ever come. Fortunately, thanks to My Spending Diet, I have money set aside in the bank for when the finances get challenging.

Aside from this, this was an okay week for spending.

What Happened: Last week, I started using a mostly cash-only spending plan. This week I continued that. We did our grocery shopping as planned last weekend. I ended up breaking it into two days, with one day being a Target (dum da dum dum!) day. We needed some bigger supplies, so it cost more than other weeks. I’d share exact numbers, but I just can’t remember right now. After groceries, we had about $80 left.

Of course, my grocery shopping was majorly flawed this week. For one thing, I forgot to actually buy everything on the list, which meant I had to make a midweek stop at the store. Even with that stop, I still forgot to buy some things. SIGH.

On a good note though, I made a smart choice this week — passing up take out on a busy night for a trip to the grocery store for what we needed. Honestly, I wanted the homecooked meal more anyway!

Also, I used my Amex card this week once or twice for clothes, since it’s summertime and I have finally lost enough weight that I need clothes to fit. As Cate always tells me, it’s a good problem to have. I also used my debit card to pay for tickets to see Shrek Forever After with Shawn and the kids. It was a really cute movie that we all enjoyed — and totally worth seeing. We went to the matinee, which was $6/ticket … a big savings over the normal $8.50/ticket.

It wasn’t a perfect spending week — but then, what week is?

Another thing that happened? I found a big snafu on a bank statement. A few months back, I opened a savings account for Paige to save for her tuition for school. Under the Uniform Trust to Minor Act (a Connecticut law, though other states have their own versions – either called the Uniform Trust to Minors Act or the Uniform Gift to Minors Act), a parent can save for a child for any expenses whatsoever and usually with no penalties for having low balances, etc. However, Paige’s account was getting hit with service fees for having a low-balance. Knowing that this shouldn’t be, I immediately phoned the bank this morning and after a bit of discussion, got it resolved. It just goes to show that you really need to pay attention to your bank statements … mistakes happen (in this case, the account wasn’t properly labeled as a custodial account), and with a little effort you can get them fixed. Read the rest of this entry…

Pork chops are one of those foods that elicit either really positive or really negative reactions in my house. Some recipes, like Pork Chops Saltimbocca and Rosemary Garlic Pork Chops are total favorites, while others fall completely flat — leaving us silent and brooding. And honestly, whenever I say we are having pork chops for dinner, the statement is met with silence …

Yes, I find pork a challenging meat to work with.

Fortunately, I’ve learned over the years that if I plan ahead and really think about a recipe before I make it, I more often than not meet with pork chop success. That’s the case with these Marinated Grilled Pork Chops. These babies are a little tangy (thanks to the lime!) and definitely flavorful. But it’s not overpowering flavor, instead it’s subtle and light … just right for serving with rice and a big salad.

What is great about this recipe, I think, is that it’s largely a throw-together one. The marinade takes just a few minutes to whisk together, then you set the meat to soak it up for between 30 minutes and an hour, and then you grill it. Easy peasy, and it doesn’t even heat up your kitchen.

So, what did my crew of tasters think? There wasn’t a spec of pork left after dinner … in fact, Paige asked to be excused, leaving some on her plate, but then quickly returned to finish it. Frequency of that happening? Close to never.

Do you have a killer grilled pork chop recipe? Share the recipe (or a link) in the comments! Read the rest of this entry…

Do you love strawberries? I do! When I was a little girl, I would eat them dipped in confectioners sugar. … Or straight from the vine if we went strawberry picking. If you have ever eaten one from the vine, you know that the sweet, warm berry is enough to make you close your eyes in enjoyment and just moan out loud.

They are just so good. I am salivating just thinking of it.

And this year, berry picking season is already here for Connecticut — two weeks early. Considering that the typical season lasts only three or four weeks, that means that in around the 15th of June, the super-sweet berries (typical of late season picking) will be all ready to go.

According to local farmers, the unseasonably warm conditions in May made the strawberries mature at lightning speed. If you are in the local Fairfield County area, Jones Family Farms is in full swing with their strawberry picking.

What are you to do with all the berries? Well, eat them of course! From Strawberry Sauce to Strawberry Kiwi Fools to Strawberries and Cream Crepes, there is so much that you can do with these ruby gems of summer. I also suggest that you freeze some for the winter months — that way you will always have the freshness of summer available and ready. Whether you prefer them plain (so good like that!) or used in other recipes, they are best eaten fresh and in season. There is just no comparison between the berries picked fresh and locally and the ones you get in the supermarket in January. None.

Do you berry pick? We do every year!

Is it really Tuesday? You’d think that working from home, I wouldn’t be phased by the short workweek — but I am. It’s hard to believe that we’re nearly half-way through the week already. It’s got me a little off-kilter today.

In any case, we had an awesome past few days. This holiday weekend was so much fun, filled with family parties, good laughs and splashes in the pool. And, of course, we cooked out a lot.

On Sunday, we had some of our family over for a barbecue. We served hamburgers, hot dogs, Antipasti Pasta Salad, tossed salad and this German Potato Salad. I adore German Potato Salad. The combination of sweet red potatoes, tangy vinaigrette and salty bacon just can’t be beat. You can bet we’ll be having this again and again this summer.

How was your long weekend?

Psst! Got kids? I give mine chalk and let them draw all over the foundation. It washes right off … and is so much fun. Try it! Read the rest of this entry…