Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for all of your comments, reading and feedback this year. I love hearing from you and hope that I have given you lots of yummy posts this year. May you have a very happy New Year!

And, if you are resolving to be healthier in 2011, join Cate, myself and a slew of great bloggers as we embark on a journey toward healthier selves. Cate and I are seeking to lose 40 pounds, but whether your healthy challenge is to lose, gain or something entirely different, we want to do it together. Learn more about Eat. Live. Be. For a Better 2011 on Monday, and join our Facebook page in the meantime.

Best,

Sarah

Christmas this year was nothing short of magical for my family. It was happy, joyous, relaxing, restful and beautiful — and many other colorful descriptive words too. It was amazing.

On Christmas Eve, the kids decorated gift bags for all the presents they were giving. And they helped to wrap the last few stragglers. When Christmas morning rolled around, Paige woke first, running into our bedroom and declaring that it was “morningtime!” and Santa had come. We sent her to wake Will. I could hear her talking to him, telling him that Santa had brought presents and that he needed to get up. Her bubbling excitement was amazing to hear and watch. Read the rest of this entry…

The year is nearly over. With the kids off from school this week, we’ve been taking it easy and enjoying all our new toys (yes, me too!).

These 10 recipes were the top-viewed new recipes in 2010. The list includes only those that were new to the site this year, and was compiled based on my site statistics. Enjoy!

1. Easy Daikon Salad – This year, I spent a lot of time trying vegetables I hadn’t before. But I was totally shocked to discover that daikon radishes weren’t a new veggie, but rather one that I’ve been eating for at least a decade (without knowing the name). This sweet, crisp salad is awesome served with a flavorful marinated chicken breast.
2. Balsamic Roasted Green Beans – Roasting brings out a fabulous flavor in most veggies, and these green beans — cooked with an olive oil-balsamic flavoring — are no exception.
3. Homemade Ketchup – This delicious Homemade Ketchup is fabulous on big, juicy burgers. Try it.
4. Whole Wheat Biscuit – These tender, layered biscuits made frequent appearances on our table last winter.
5. Greek Chicken Salad Sandwiches – Mayonnaise doesn’t rank high on my “like” list, so I set out to make a chicken salad that didn’t call for the dreaded mayo. This salad is  filled with chicken, feta, olives and more and stuffed into a pita. Read the rest of this entry…

The snowflakes fell lightly at first on Sunday morning. Little polka dots of snow floating to the ground … it was pretty and peaceful. Knowing that more was coming, I ran to the grocery store for all the groceries we were out of (read: everything). Usually I shop on Mondays, but I figured (correctly) that Monday would be a day for digging out. As I was returning home, the snow picked up more. By nightfall, it was coming down fast and furious.

The kids played all day, while Shawn watched a movie and I read a book. It was such a nice, relaxing day.

We woke up this morning to deep white snow blanketing everything. I’ve been in big snowstorms before — including a massive blizzard in Cleveland once — but this was the worst storm I have seen in Connecticut ever.

And yet, it was beautiful.

No recipe tonight …

Merry Christmas! It’s been a whirlwind few weeks of assignments, shopping and wrapping. I hit the mall late at night, and shopped early in the morning too. Several times. But somehow, I managed to get it all done. Now, all that’s left is to enjoy … and I can’t wait. For the first time in weeks, I am all caught up on work, and have the whole weekend off. Time to unplug and be completely relaxed.

Most of all, I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when they open their gifts tomorrow (or should I say today? It is after midnight here, after all).

But first, I’ve been waiting all week to share this recipe with you. When I wrote about this version of Chex Mix, called Reindeer Feed, for a Tablespoon assignment, I had to try it. Rice Chex. White Chocolate Chips. Crushed Candy Canes. Um, yum! It hits all the right notes. I made it for a party, and was so pleasantly surprised to find that everyone — young and old — happily grabbed handfuls and remarked on how good it was.

Heck, you might even have the ingredients on hand to make it right now. If you do, then do it. It’s worth it. You can find the recipe over on Tablespoon. Print it. Try it. Love it.

And now, it’s time to power down and unplug. Have a wonderful holiday and a wonderful weekend.

This is a delicious, easy macaroni and cheese … but we will get to that in a minute.

Until I was in high school, I visited Santa every year — either at the mall or some store that hosted him. It was a thing, a must. But with Will and Paige, I haven’t made it a priority. Honestly, for the first couple years, we tried the whole mall Santa thing, and it didn’t work out. Sorry, but I don’t want any photos of my kids sobbing on some random Santa’s lap (which we all know is one of Santa’s helpers, since Santa can’t be everywhere all the time).

This year, I tried to do something awesome with the kids. Over the weekend, we headed out to a small Santa train ride event not far from our house. Will and Paige have always wanted to ride a train and it seemed like the perfect opportunity when a friend discovered it. Trains? Santa? Hot chocolate? Score!

I don’t even know where to begin. The ride amounted to little more than inching forward, inching back and going forward again. Will was bored. Paige was still waiting for the ride to stop when we were supposed to get off the train and go meet the big guy.

In short: it sucked.

But the very worst part? The unfriendly Santa with the falling-off beard. He wasn’t jolly. He didn’t laugh or “ho-ho-ho.” Heck, he didn’t even say hello or greet the kids at all when it was Will and Paige’s turn (what exactly was he waiting for, anyway?). And it certainly didn’t help that his do-called Elves weren’t even in costume.

Bah, we won’t be going back there. Though I have heard that there are some truly fabulous train rides like this. Have you taken one? Dish in the comments.

Fortunately, Paige met a different helper today who lived up to Santa’s name. He had the booming voice, the jolly demeanor and he was so friendly that Paige voluntarily hugged him. She doesn’t hug often. And look! His beard is where it’s supposed to be!

Now onto the Slow-Cooker Macaroni and Cheese. This has to be the easiest recipe for macaroni and cheese that I have ever, ever made. You basically throw everything in a slow-cooker and cook it up. That’s all. No stirring over the stove necessary. Heck, I might even whip up a double batch for Christmas.

This recipe calls for cheddar, which is my favorite for macaroni and cheese. What cheese do you like in yours?

Read the rest of this entry…

Every December, my family gets together for a holiday celebration. We eat and talk and laugh and watch our children enjoy each others company. Christmas is a magical time, and this holiday gathering is so special. It used to be held on Christmas Eve, but then it was moved to the weekend before Christmas to make it easier. This year, it almost didn’t happen.

When I heard that, I was devastated. Sure, we all get together throughout the year — cousins and sisters and brothers and nieces and nephews — but this holiday celebration is special. We aren’t celebrating one person or playing in the sand or anything — we are just celebrating. Together. As a family.

Thankfully, with a change of venue and an offer to help cook, the tradition held on.

When I saw the recipe for these truffles on Amazing Moms, I knew it would be perfect for the party so I did something that I seldom do: I bookmarked it. When it came time to start cooking on late Saturday night, I was pleasantly surprised at just how easy these were to make. Even having to finish them up the next day wasn’t a big deal — it was simple.

Thankfully, the recipe didn’t disappoint. These truffles might look ultra-sweet, but they are more balanced – a not-too-sweet inside with just enough peppermint candy on the outside. They are refreshing, while at the same time hitting that chocolate spot — where they satisfy perfectly. I bet they would be even better with a great dark chocolate.

What are your favorite family holiday traditions?
Read the rest of this entry…

This morning. 5ish. The phone rings. Through my sleep, I mumble something about it being the school – perhaps a cancellation? Shawn answers the call. “There’s a 90 minute delay,” he tells me. No need to tune into the local radio station, because the school alerted us. Alarm clock switched to off.

My, how things have changed. When I was a little girl, I would listen to the school delays and closings on repeat on snowy mornings, hoping that my one-hour delay would flip to two-hours or, better, a closing. But today, an automated system does the work for us, albeit waking us in the process.

Coincidentally, the school also emailed me and texted me this morning with the same message. They don’t play around. But I am grateful for that. Somehow, listening for cancellations on the radio as an adult just isn’t the same.

I wonder if the same snow-day-anticipation-excitement will exist for children of this generation. Will my kids listen for that pre-dawn call the way that I waited for my district and school to be announced? Will they hope that a second call comes? Or will delays and snow days just be as ordinary as vinyl seats on a school bus?

In any case, when I finally looked outside this morning, there was but a dusting of snow (across town, they had several inches though) — so little that there was nothing to shovel. Heck, there was more grass showing than grass covered.

But, it was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the extra morning time. Will’s been begging for pancakes for a while now, and today I obliged (after sleeping in, of course).

Pancakes have always been a breakfast staple in our house. Not long ago (like, before summer set in, followed by the school year), we ate pancakes several days a week. They are Will’s very favorite breakfast, and generally something we all can agree on. Unlike eggs, where we all have our own opinions on what is the best preparation method, pancakes are universally accepted as is. But the (much) earlier start to the day (courtesy of kindergarten), has curtailed our pancake habit.

There were cheers when the kids found out that we were going to feast on some fabulous homemade silver dollar pancakes. And buttermilk pancakes? They are a favorite around here — so tender. These Very Berry White Chocolate Buttermilk Silver Dollar Pancakes are fluffy little cakes with bits of sweet and tangy all mixed up inside. Deeeeee-licious.

Read the rest of this entry…

It’s hard to believe how close we are to the end of the year. We can count the days until 2011 in weeks, not months. My calendar is almost filled and closed for the year. And in a few brief weeks, blogs everywhere will suddenly be filled with recaps and resolutions — saying goodbye to what has proven a challenging year for many, and help to the hope of a fresh start (albeit an imaginary one).

But first, we have Christmas and all that entails. In the next week, I will bake hundreds of cookies. I will wrap present after present. We’ll go to concerts and parties. We’ll buy and trim our tree.

Dinner? Yea, that will happen to. Somehow. I mean despite being busy, we will still have to eat, right? On weeks like these, this fab recipe for Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork is perfect. It’s easy, fast to throw to together and delicious. The whole family loves it too, which is a gigantic bonus.

Go here for the recipe.

Whenever anyone asks what my favorite recipe is, my recipe Potato Leek Soup is one of the first to come to mind. It’s ridiculously easy — just a few ingredients — and it can be made pretty swiftly with minimal hands-on work. And while simple, this unassuming soup is flavorful and warm — perfect for a chilly New England winter day.

Also, this soup is super waist friendly — it’s under 300 calories per serving, and they are generous servings. Nothing to feel guilty about here. (NOTE: I use SparkRecipes.com to calculate calories, and according to that one serving is 260.9 calories.)

To make this a meal, make a big green salad with veggies to serve with it. Crusty bread is a good side too.

Have a great weekend. Read the rest of this entry…