Take a look at how to survive summer with these kid-friendly lunch ideas for everything from road tripping to lounging around the house. Summer, when kids run wild and reckless with abandon. This month on the Eat Well, Spend Less series we’re looking at all the ins and outs of summer eating, be it cookouts, camping, during road trips, while on vacation, or just while lounging at home. I’m sharing a few of my lunchtime tips for all sorts of summer situations. The Road Trip Lunch The... more

After much pleading and prodding, Ole shares his secret sauce: Homemade South Carolina Style Mustard Barbecue Sauce. Or does he? Getting this recipe was like pulling teeth, and I’m pretty sure we have an impacted molar still hiding in there somewhere. Read on for barbecue wisdom. In the summer of 2003 I pulled the trigger. I was a lifelong (26 whole years) resident of Minnesota. I had a college degree, an honest job, a trendy apartment in uptown Minneapolis, but I wasn’t done learning.... more

Creamy yogurt-and-honey key lime pie frozen pops on a stick with a crunchy graham cracker pie crust. Excuse the mess. My kids are home for the summer. The skies are crying. No. Literally, the skies are crying and the kids are stuck inside with me. Send help. This rain is casting its dark-clouded self over my carefully laid (read: sort of considered and mentally noted) list of summer activities for the kids. I’m taking it as a sign that this week is a week for planning out the rest of our summer... more

Radicchio hits the grill and gets drizzled with a honey-sweetened ginger dressing in this easy side salad recipe. There was something about the way they looked that drew me to them, these deep purple variegated orbs sitting amongst a sea of green on the produce department. I added them to my cart without purpose. Once home, they nestled in the crisper drawer, getting cozy with the chioggia beets and rainbow chard that also caught my eye. A few bunches of ramps rounded out the renters, paying their... more

A menu to make the most of the final weeks of spring an the first hint of summer vacation. The last week of school always seems like a waste. Both teachers and students are ready to be done, the sunshine beckoning them from the window. With the hard plastic chairs unforgiving and the clouds in the sky having taken up new residency in students’ heads it’s hard to imagine a less productive time of the year. This is a week full of field days, trips to the museum, and summer sports already... more

Springtime ramps meet with creamy pasta carbonara in this foraged take on this classic Italian dish. Spring has been slow to start with the snow following us all the way into May this year. Only yesterday I commented that our current weather has more in common with March than the first weeks of summer, and the plants agree. Crabapples bloom everywhere I turn, their white and pink blossoms holding the promise of sunshine. It was just two weeks ago I noticed the first bits of rhubarb sticking out... more

Classic hummingbird cake made with whole wheat flour and sweetened with honey is a quick and easy dessert to whip up for last-minute entertaining this summer. Friday started out slowly with sunshine streaming in through the curtains. Morning light has this effervescent quality and slight bluish undertones that can make everything seem peaceful. It rests on surfaces, illuminates the glassware as you set out the breakfast dishes. Butter and eggs sizzle softer in the early a.m. hours. Before long,... more