Healthy living is and has been for a long time a big goal of mine. I aim to cook real food as much as possible and we shop mostly at farmers markets in the summertime.

But I am not without flaw. Put a bag of barbecue potato chips in front of me and I can’t resist their sweet crunch. I also have a sizable sweet tooth. Oh, and I have been trying to kick the diet soda habit for awhile now (and have been fairly successful in recent weeks).

When I was recently asked to read and review Why Women Need Fat: How “Healthy” Food Makes Us Gain Excess Weight and the Surprising Solution to Losing It Forever by William D. Lassek, M.D. and Steven J. C. Gaulin, Ph.D., I was intrigued. And I am so glad I said yes because this book had me hooked from page one. Read the rest of this entry…

Thank you to Crocs for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Crocs’ new Back to School line. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

It’s been said that I go a little crazy around back to school shopping time. I buy a few more boxes of crayons than seem prudent. I stock up on paints, clay, glue sticks, paper and markers. And I tuck most of it away for later. They call it crazy, I call it smart. Why wouldn’t you stock up on crayons when they are a mere $0.40/box? (Actually I usually stock up when they are $0.25/box, but haven’t seen them that inexpensive yet.)

Besides. I just love the new supplies.

Of course, back to school isn’t just about the school supplies. There’s also the matter of food. School lunch food that is.

My son doesn’t buy lunch at school. Whenever I look at our school’s monthly lunch menu, I cringe at the sight of brownies dished up with pizza and chicken nuggets with tater tots. Haven’t we learned anything yet about serving our kids better food in schools? Why would I pay $3.50/day for that? So I choose to pack lunch for my son everyday. Read the rest of this entry…

The cabbage I grew up with was, like so many other vegetables, boiled. That rendered it translucent, shiny and limp, and it wasn’t a bad thing. I would salt it well, and eat as much as I could. Unlike other vegetables, I adore boiled cabbage. And for a long time, beyond making coleslaw, that was the only way I used cabbage.

But then, I discovered Jamie Oliver’s recipe for Braised Cabbage and I fell head over heels. It was a bit firmer than the cabbage I grew up with and so much more flavorful. I didn’t need to heavily salt it to drag out flavor, because it was already there. Front and center. That changed my whole perspective on cabbage.

So recently when I bought a cabbage, I knew I wanted to try a different preparation, something that would honor the cabbage, and develop its delicate sweetness. I remembered reading about someone roasting it and loving it, so I asked my Twitter buddies if anyone saw that recipe. Kalyn immediately sent her recipe — and that was the one.

Read the rest of this entry…

Last week, Rivki encouraged me to be adventurous with veggies in the winter, since it’s better to enjoy what you are eating then to stick to what’s inexpensive. It makes a lot of sense. I rarely eat beef, instead opting for chicken or turkey or fish, so I spend less on proteins these days. So, why not channel the savings into veggies I really want? In the summer, I am in my glory with all sorts of fabulous fresh veggies hitting the table. But in the winter, it gets flat out boring. So I listened.

We don’t often eat baby bok choy, but it looked so inviting at the grocery store, that I bought it. Paige helped me transform it into a fabulous sweet and sour version, with a sprinkling of crispy bacon. Just a little — moderation is key.

In making this, I had a lot of help. At 3, Paige is amazing with a whisk. She’s come a long way from the little girl who’d spill all the contents of a bowl onto the counter. These days, she is a fabulous helper in the kitchen, always eager to lend a hand or help in some small way. And when whatever I am cooking is too much for her, she is content to just watch.

I love cooking with my children. They continually surprise me with what they remember and can do. So, when I was recently asked to co-host a virtual cooking school about cooking with loved ones, I was fast to say yes. Here are the details. I hope you’ll join us! Read the rest of this entry…

Easy Low-Fat Salt and Pepper Chicken, Take Two

If you are a longtime reader of Sarah’s Cucina Bella, you might remember my recipes for Easy Low-Fat Salt and Pepper Chicken Breasts. It was a long post with adorable pictures of the kids, and a bad picture of the chicken. On Tuesday, I had the chance to reshoot this recipe with the help of professionals to figure out how to take something basic like this and make it look fabulous. The photo above is the result.

When I created my (ridiculously easy) recipe for Salt and Pepper Chicken, I was clueless how to make it look tasty in a photograph. I ended up tossing one piece on a white plate and snapping a picture.

The original photo ... Would you crave that?

And did it look irresistible? Like that special, easy recipe that everyone should have in their back pocket to make when you have no time to cook dinner or when you need a lightly seasoned chicken breast for topping a salad or drizzling with an extra special sauce? Um. No. That’s the original photo at the right … See how it looked more like a bland piece of chicken? The darkness and poor lighting didn’t help anything at all. I doubt anyone gave it a second look.

As a food writer who has had to learn to shoot photographs of the dishes and recipes I create, it’s been an uphill battle. This photograph frustrated me, but I just wasn’t sure what to do about it.

Yea.

So, when my buddies (and coworkers!) at Tablespoon asked me to choose a couple potential recipes for my photography lesson with General Mills pros on my recent trip, this one topped the list. Fortunately, they agreed. Read the rest of this entry…

And just like that, summer ended.

I mean, of course it’s still technically summer. But this morning, as I woke Will from his peaceful slumber and got him fed, brushed, washed and dressed for school, summer was clearly over for us. We’re now entering the wonderful world of schedules that revolve around five-day-a-week schooling and assorted extracurriculars.

The free-flowing days of summertime, where we woke when we felt like it and giggled in bed until it was really time to get up are over. But that’s okay. We had a wonderful summertime, and now Will is super excited to be a kindergartener. Paige is just as excited to enter preschool.

Putting Will on the bus this morning, I was a ball of nerves. Would the bus come? Will he be okay riding the bus home? And in all my myriad thoughts, the idea of crying at his big, huge, mega-step was never there … until I turned my back on the bus and the tears sprung to my eyes.

That’s my baby.

Paige, who wore her PJs to the bus stop, held tight to my hand as she, Shawn and I walked down the hill to our house. She’s been so helpful today, following me around with frequent assertions that “I do it!” But this afternoon, I will take her to school too. She went to a casual program last year. This year, she’s off to real preschool.

My children are growing up faster than I ever imagined possible. In a blink of the eye, they have gone from little lumps cradled in my arm to thinking, caring, doing, intelligent children. And try as I might, I will never be able to force them back to their littler states. It’s exciting and sad all at once.

Right now, Will is just about finishing his lunch – the school lunch that I worried so much about. What did I end up packing for his first day? At his request, I whipped up a batch of Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta with Romano Roasted Shrimp and packed it with sliced nectarines and one Oreo. For snack time, he has sliced peppers and ranch for dipping.

But this pasta is the star of the day. When I recently made Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta with Romano Roasted Shrimp for dinner, Will adored it (so did Paige and I!). It’s a minimal cooking dish (cook the pasta, broil the shrimp, and that’s it), so it’s fabulous for when you are short on time. Or making a fresh lunch for school.

I just hope he loved it at school too … Read the rest of this entry…

When the school packet arrived last week, I got choked up. Parked at the top of our long, winding driveway, I quickly scanned the forms for teacher names while the kids demanded to know if there was mail for them. “One second, guys,” I said.

It was the last day of July, a beautiful, spotless day and one day after Will turned five. He’s no longer a preschooler and the child’s clothing that ends in T no longer fits him. He’s a little boy going to school. And now, it’s one month until school begins, one month until both my children have schedules and teachers and projects. Paige will be going too, to preschool with Will’s first teacher. For the first time, they will both be in school.

Last year, while Will was in his final year of preschool, Paige went to a twice a month Stay-and-Play program vaguely associated with his school. At first, it was hard. She would sob with her cousin while I walked to the car with a pit in my stomach, wondering if I was scarring my baby by walking away. But then things got easier. She loved school. Now, she can’t wait to go back.

With that program, it was casual and forgiving. I knew both the teachers, and they never said a peep as I dropped her off late more often than not. But this year, things will be different. There is no margin for error in drop off when Will starts kindergarten — lateness will get him effort referrals. Both schools lock the doors, forcing you to truly announce your entrance when you are late.

My babies are going to school. A monogrammed backpack sits by our front door, waiting for that magical first day, along with two embroidered lunch bags. Soon, I will be packing lunches and snacks, whisking the kids out the door at an hour when I normally don’t even wake.

With one month to go, I want to make the most of our time. The school that Will will be attending starts homework young, so there will be worksheets to work on and books to read soon. But before that happens, before Paige stands in drop-off line, waiting for the preschool door to open, before any of it … I want them to enjoy the experiences and flavors of summertime.

For the next month, we’ll be doing, eating, cooking and playing. We have so many things to do before school starts. I have a list on my computer with things that I wanted to do this summer — a bucket list, if you will. There are about 20 items left … I intend to do them all.

We’ve already checked off some items — bike rides and beach days, outlet shopping and heading to farmers’ markets. But there are so many great things still to do.

Heading to farmers’ markets is something we’ve done every year since Will was a baby. It’s not just an item on a list, it’s a tradition for us. We are always stopping at farmers’ markets or heading to a nearby farm where we belong to a CSA program. It’s an important part of every summer, but even more so this one … when Will’s ability to drop in with me on a whim will be limited by his school schedule.

As for cooking, we are eating a lot of summer salads — particularly ones that are great for packing for picnic lunches or grabbing during the day for a fast bite. This recipe for Sesame Soy Napa Cabbage Slaw, which the kids loved, uses produce from that CSA box. It’s a cinch to make if you use a food processor for the shredding. And it’s perfect for packing up to take while we head off to have all sorts of adventure.

Now, if you will excuse me, we are off for an adventure today …

Read the rest of this entry…

Welcome customers of Shortt’s Farm CSA! Scroll down for a delicious Caramelized Onion and Kale Salad recipe and other fabulous recipes to use today’s produce.

Last summer, on a clear August evening, my cousin popped over to my house and dropped off a container of a delicious, refreshing curly kale salad made with whisper-thin red onion slices and a light lemony flavor. I wasn’t expecting to finish it in one sitting, but it was so good that I did.

The salad was amazing. Kale, which is usually rough and bitter, was softer and milder than I’d ever known it to be. The slivers of onion added a nice crunch and hint of sweetness. All together, it was delish.

So, when kale appeared in my CSA box last week, I knew I wanted to make a kale salad. But rather than head to the store for ingredients that we didn’t have (read: pretty much everything other than the kale), I used what we had on hand: a vidalia onion, balsamic vinegar and some little bits of beet.

It was mouthwatering. The kale was softened by the salt, tamed by the balsamic vinegar and given a great lift by the super sweet caramelized onions. The beets add that perfect bit of crunch …

Oh, it’s good. Very good. I could have eaten the whole bowl (and I wasn’t alone in that sentiment!).

Looking for more ideas for your farmshare?

In the box this week:

• Basil – Creamy Gorgonzola and Shrimp Pasta
• Mustard Greens – Mustard Greens and Beet Greens Salad with Herb Vinaigrette
• Squash – Grilled Sausage and Summer Squash with Herbs, Capers, Kalamata Olives and Lemon @ Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Napa Cabbage – Guy Fieri’s Waka Waka Salad @ Sweetnicks
• Peaches – Grilled Peaches @ Cheap Healthy Good
• Corn – Mexican Grilled Corn @Food Blogga

Read the rest of this entry…

When mustard greens appeared in my CSA box last week, I didn’t even have a chance to groan before my beloved farmer told me to just try them. My farmer knows me well — anything with the word ‘mustard’ in it is sure to send me packing.

However, I do believe in trying everything once, so I immediately ripped a leaf off and took a nibble. Turns out the course green has a pleasant taste with a touch of peppery-ness. Better yet, it doesn’t taste like mustard. At all. Color me a convert.

Immediately, I started planning this salad. Sweet-ish beet greens with the peppery mustard greens and a light but flavorful homemade vinaigrette. Add in a bit of salty feta, sweet raw beets and fresh tomatoes … oh yea. It was destined to be good. And guess what? It was.

When serving this, I did something that I normally don’t do: I didn’t reveal exactly what the salad was made of. Generally, I am a firm believer in disclosure so that everyone knows and willingly eats what’s on the table. But I knew the mention of mustard greens — something that I was hesitant about –  would be a deterrent. So, I kept quiet until everyone — all seven of us — had eaten some. And guess what? I wasn’t the only one to enjoy it. So there.

Maybe sometimes it’s okay to be a little deceptive in the name of trying new things. What do you think?

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Hello, my name is Sarah and I am a fresh mozzarella, tomato and pesto addict. We eat it as a salad, on bread, over pasta and mixed into baked potatoes. And now … we even have a go-to lasagna recipe that’s perfect for summer.

This grilled lasagna is super easy to make. It can be whipped up and cooked in under 30 minutes (it only takes about 10 minutes on the grill), and then you are sitting down to a fresh, tasty, delicious dinner. I feel like I recommend this ad nausem, but eat this with a big salad and crusty bread. And I strongly recommend having Basil Vinaigrette on the salad. It’s just awesome together.

This combination just screams summer to me … what food combo says summer to you? Read the rest of this entry…