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

Ideas for your Mother’s Day brunch, plus a fun Fair Trade Certified giveaway and a few gift ideas for Mom. I am guilty of ruminating. I spend a lot of time inside my own head weighing words and thoughts and ideas, forming opinions. Sometimes I get lost in there with all of those bits and baubles. Today, however, I am just going to share them. (Truth: There is a list of things that I wrote out sitting on the floor next to my bed so that I would remember to share, so this is not spontaneous... more

A springtime menu and a few inspirational links that will get you in the “face the week” frame of mind. Plus, as always, there are a few tips on making the menu plan run as smoothly as possible. I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. This may have to do with the undeniable fact that I went to bed feeling salty. It’s hard to start the week off right when your weekend wasn’t relaxing. There was no rest and recovery stage, and so hitting the ground running just... more

A spring greens inspired menu plan with spinach, chard, and arugula all featured for those with a green-heavy CSA. Plus, a bit of Irish holdover. Get the recipe for creamed spinach cups over on the Attune Foods blog My hands were cold, so I made a cup of rooibos tea. An influx of rooibos in my cupboard collected from sample packs correlates to diligently making an effort to enjoy the red tea, but I can’t help but feeling as though I’m downing a steaming hot cup of Robitussin each time... more

A weekly menu plan with St. Patrick’s Day in mind plus tips on how all the meals work together to create a functional meal plan that won’t take up all your time or all your money. The weekend devoured me in a chlorinated steam cloud, the kind that hits you in the chest with the first breath as you enter the pool deck. The last of the season. From here to Sunday it’s all spring break around these parts, which means we started the week off with plenty of snow in our pockets. St.... more

This week’s menu plan, a round-up of interesting links from last week including the Eat Well, Spend Less questions, and a bit of bickering. Really, there’s no bickering. I don’t think. I like to read. Have we talked about this little piece of information? I feel like we should talk about this. If I had my way, life would be made up of reading, writing, good food, music (both the kind I play and the live and recorded listening variety), and maybe a few hours a month devoted to television... more

When you aren’t feeling well, simple things sound best: soup, soup, and more soup. Comfort food becomes a way of life, and the weekly menu tends to be filled with just those things. I have just turned out the lights and pulled the covers up to my chin. My head throbs lightly, and I swallow past the pain of a swollen throat. Burrowed down beneath the warm, white flannel sheets, my body releases the tension of a long day. I exhale into my covers, the warmth of the breath circling my face and... more