Easter is coming up quick. Here’s a classic Easter dinner menu with some new flavors and ideas to get you thinking of how you can switch things up a bit for your family dinner. I’m not quite sure how we’re at the end of March, as it feels like we were just the other day making green eggs and ham. Still, here we are looking into April and the (hopefully) warmer weather it will bring. Now is also about the time we start thinking about what to do for Easter dinner. This year we... more

A white pizza sauce made with garlic and oil graces leftover naan and is topped off with green onions, black olives and shrimp for a quick and easy pizza night or a stunning appetizer tray. Sometimes life has a way of sneaking up on you. It’s the random phone calls, doctor appointments that take longer than usual, an opportunity you can’t pass up and things like spring break, a daughter who needs some one-on-one time or a spring snowstorm that sends you out to shovel for a few hours... more

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt 6 pieces naan bread 3 green onions, diced 1/2 cup cooked salad shrimp 3 tablespoons pitted ripe olives, sliced 6 ounces mozzarella, shredded 2 ounces Romano or Parmesan, shredded 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced Preheat oven to 400° F. Place olive oil, garlic and salt in a blender or small food processor and mix to combine. Lay out baked naan pieces on a baking sheet. Spread with garlic and... more

French macarons are meringue-like almond cookies that are filled with jams, buttercream or ganache. They come in several different flavors, and macarons happen to be the perfect virtual baby shower treat for my dear friend Amanda from {i am baker}. Lately I feel as though there must truly be something in the water, such is the number of pregnant friends I have. However, in just seven short days one of them will no longer be pregnant. Instead, she’ll join the ranks of “other moms with... more

Macaron shells: 200 grams powdered sugar 110 grams almonds or almond flour 1 vanilla bean, scraped 90 grams aged egg whites 25 grams granulated sugar Place powdered sugar, almonds and vanilla bean seeds into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Set aside. In a mixer with a whisk attachment, place egg whites and beat until foamy. Add in granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture has peaks and represents a shiny shaving cream consistency. Be careful not to over-beat the... more

I remember reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my sister when she was growing up, and it was one of the first books I purchased for my first child as well. There hasn’t been a moment in my kids’ lives where this book wasn’t front and center and at the top of the bedtime reading list. It is Magnus who is currently fascinated by its bright illustrations and the pictures of food. For the very hungry caterpillars in my own home, it’s important for me to teach them how to... more

Wondering what to do with leftover corned beef and cabbage from St. Patrick’s Day or any other day? Rather than the usual Reuben sandwich, try a corned beef and cabbage egg roll and a side of Russian or thousand island dressing to dip it in. In the case of my relationship with Ole, we haven’t followed the normal path. Just as a “for instance,” two days before our first date, I dumped a beer on my future husband’s head. Ole and I tend to do things the way we want... more