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

This past November I signed up to be adopted by another blogger through Dine and Dish. My blog was still a baby, not even a year old, and I was in need of some focus and direction. The stars aligned, and Michelle from What’s Cooking entered my life. Michelle has been wonderful when I needed someone to bounce ideas off of, and her work teaching kids how to cook and plan meals is nothing short of amazing. Here I was, dreaming of inspiring families to cook, and there she was, actually going... more

I mentioned last week that one way to get in your own kitchen more often and away from the takeout containers was to make extra meat or extra ingredients that can be repurposed later and used in different meals. Following my own advice, fish tacos were born! We had quite a bit of fish left from our tilapia meal because we had started with over three pounds of fish. Because tilapia is firm fish and they had been baked in nothing but a bit of seasoning and milk, the leftover fillets were perfect... more

As a family we try to eat a variety of food each week, straying from the meat and potatoes that Ole grew up on or the spaghetti with meat sauce that could be found on my childhood dinner table on a weekly basis. We strive to make our food life interesting, nutritious and diverse. However, it can be hard when you are a family of six balancing work, volunteering, homework, music lessons, sporting events and everything else that comes with daily life with young children to branch out and experiment,... more

It’s here. The last week of the summer is in full swing, and I am over my head in work and events and activities and last-minute to-do lists that just may very well not get done. Throw in a couple phone calls about the school book fair (remind me again why I am the chairperson for that) and three open houses for the kids, I’m starting to feel like summer is already gone. Still, determined to stretch those warm summer nights and days as long as possible, this pasta’s fresh taste... more

I would imagine that for most people the word tuna conjures up images of soggy tuna salad sandwiches made with too much mayo and pickle juice.  Or better yet, a classic Midwestern tuna hot dish (read casserole for the rest of the country) with egg noodles and potato chips on top.  And these aren’t necessarily bad images.  I’m quite fond of a properly prepared tuna melt, but one thing is for sure: tuna is a polarizing protein.  At least the canned variety is, people either like it... more

Followers of this blog know that when it comes to fish, salmon is the family favorite.  It is readily available, affordable when purchased in bulk, and quite versatile as evidenced here, here and here.  We do salmon many different ways and they’re all quite tasty, but in my opinion, this method takes the cake. Smoked salmon.  The words get the kids running towards the table no matter what time it is.  We like it with bagels and cream cheese for breakfast, mixed with mayo for a lunchtime... more