I made chicken empanadas this weekend because it seemed like a good idea and like a good way to say goodbye, even if it’s only a temporary goodbye. A chicken filling full of love, hugged by a flaky crust. Tears optional. Lime juice recommended. Our friends are moving. To Scotland. Scotland seems awfully far away from Minnesota. So, as I sat here last week contemplating the length of 12 months and what on earth I would do without Jen at happy hour and Halloween and New Year’s Eve... more

Maybe I named this recipe for lemon frozen yogurt the “Yogurt of the Gods” because it has Greek yogurt in it, which instantly makes me think of Greek mythology, or perhaps it was birthed out of how heavenly it tastes. Still, though, there’s a chance that I named it that because my kids have been watching The Lightning Thief, reading the Percy Jackson books and pretending they can control massive amounts of water like any true son of Poseidon could. Maybe it’s a combination... more

This is a post about bean salad. A Mediterranean bean salad I made back in June. It has taken me this long to share it, but that’s because I had some other sharing I was obligated to do. It’s a post about Greek seasoning on chicken. It’s a post about stuffing it all together in a pita, serving it with tzatziki to make a chicken gyro and having a wonderful meal with your family and your friends and your neighbors. It’s a post about food. This is a post about the food I... more

A few weeks ago – ahem, five – I attended the Food and Light Workshop in Boulder, Colorado being taught by Jen Yu of use real butter, Helene Dujardin of Tartellete and Todd and Diane of White on Rice Couple courtesy of Lifetime Moms. Then I didn’t tell you about it. It wasn’t on purpose. You see, from the workshop I had another workshop in Seattle with a stop in between at Cascadian Farm, and then there was the 4th of July with its picnics and fireworks, a trip to Arizona, the aftermath... more

I haven’t been getting enough sleep. In fact, I can’t remember the last time in my life where I did get the recommended amount of sleep, which tends to be around six hours. I’m thinking it was probably sometime in middle school, before the piles of AP homework kept me up or long nights on the phone or a job or the ever-present worry, disregarding the four kids I had in there. And while this post here isn’t about sleep and worry, it is about radishes and how adding them to your steak sandwich... more

Yesterday I was making blueberry crumb bars for Babble when I decided I needed use up some of the produce in the fridge. We were headed up to the Boundary Waters, and I had, well, a lot of produce that wasn’t scheduled to be packed in the cooler and carted up there with us. As I stared at the cherries that had sadly been neglected as life took over and deadlines loomed, I decided they would work perfectly in the crumb bar recipe I’d just tossed into the oven. The cherries had originally been... more

Last week I had the privilege of spending some time in Scottsdale, Arizona with a group of amazing bloggers after being invited to the Thermador Showroom as they released their new Steam & Convection Oven, set to hit the market this fall. Before I even said yes to going, I knew that I was in love with Thermador. I mean, have you seen Thermador’s appliances? Gorgeous with their Star Burner and sapphire lights! Our trip to the showroom started with a gourmet breakfast offered up by Thermador’s... more