An easy on-the-go lunch or dinner, this ranch chicken salad is a great way to repurpose your leftovers, make lunch grab-and-go, and ensure you’re eating right even when life feels like it’s running a marathon. I roll over, kicking the covers off and lying there in my bed, letting myself adjust to the temperature difference. The cold air washes over me. Slowly, I open my eyes, daylight streaming in through the windows feels far too bright for the time of day. Closing my eyes again, I... more

Rethinking ideas for the school lunch box from sandwiches to wraps to crackers and cheese and fruit on a stick. Let’s talk for a minute about this business of school lunches. Just one more time, I promise. We’re a week and a half in. I’ve sent hard boiled eggs with my kids three times. In my defense, my sweet kindergartener asked for them today while batting her long lashes and looking cute in her little red and blue dress, picked out specifically for “red” day. The... more

This 15-minute macaroni and cheese is one of the school lunches I fall back on easily. I only make it once in a while, but it’s a kid favorite, the creamy cheese sauce keeping the pasta hot until lunchtime. Our day starts as the sun rises. Alarms blare. (To my neighbors, I apologize for Ole’s alarm. He leaves the windows open and then takes a good 20 minutes for the blaring to awaken him from his comatose state. It’s obnoxious, I know.) The smallest member of our household usually... more

The pumpkin love continues. I’ve still got a brioche idea packed away, but in the meantime, I’ve been creating new uses for the pumpkin purée that we made. This time we’re going for homemade pumpkin pie fruit roll-ups. My kids like fruit snacks. There. I said it. I mean, really, what kid doesn’t? I, however, don’t like buying them. We do purchase a few select varieties and kinds of fruit snacks, my personal favorite being Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit, but... more

I tend to get a bit greedy with peaches, as in I buy them by the crate. Last week I realized I was either going to need to eat the remaining 5 pounds I had still to get through that hadn’t been processed to freeze or eaten fresh or baked into muffins. I knew I needed to get them taken care of before I left later this week, so a smoothie-ing they must go. My kids love smoothies, and they love taking them for lunches as well. We round it out with vegetables and hummus and a few cheese squares,... more