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

Large cannellini beans, barley, and arugula mix together to become an easy salad for bringing to the park to enjoy on a warm spring day. April 22nd is Earth Day. Get involved. Have a Picnic for the Planet. The weather has been kind lately. Too kind, almost. Where I live the weather can change quickly, from sunny and warm to cold and snowing overnight (as it did Sunday to Monday this week). The changing seasons and shifting temperatures remind us to take advantage of the good weather while it’s... more

A springtime salad with lemon roasted asparagus, quinoa with lemon vinaigrette and roasted shallots, all atop a fresh spinach bed. Easter is coming. This isn’t a new revelation. It’s just fact, a fact that I’ve been avoiding. I may have even been hiding from it as though it frightens me. The same way I cowered under my covers after viewing a TV special in the ’80s, convinced that a panther lie in wait in my closet. I was paralyzed by fear then, knowing that if I moved even... more

A Mediterranean-style rice bake with marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomato and goat cheese is just the thing for those end-of-winter days. Pin It We live in meat-and-potatoes country. My husband grew up on it, and my family is guilty of it as well. Still, despite our upbringing, my husband and I don’t often fall back on the food of our childhood dinner tables. Instead, we choose to round out meals in a more eclectic fashion, often opting for alternative carbohydrates. More often than... more

A simple salad for the last days of summer with an Asian-inspired honey sesame dressing and marinade. Every year I feel as though I’m hanging on to the last bits of summer, wishing the sun’s rays to remain warm and strong just a bit longer so as to delay the inevitable winter, the graying of the plants and the whiteness that will eventually come and blanket my little piece of the earth. I appreciate the seasons. I suppose any true Minnesotan must, lest you drive yourself crazy. There’s... more

Togarashi is a spice blend often seen in Japanese cooking, dating back many centuries. Borrowing some traditional seasonings there and adding in the element of wasabi, these spicy orange wasabi fries are a perfect mix of East meets West, giving you a fry worthy of standing next to a sushi night or bowl of ramen, but just as easily finding a place on a plate next to a burger. There was a green bush in the garden last year that sparked several conversations between Ole and I. What was it? How did... more

Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at GoodLife Eats this morning about a certain Roasted Potato and Spinach Frittata and striving for grace during moments of stress, and I’m excited to welcome Tara from Unsophisticook to Food For My Family where she shares one of her go-to grilled vegetable recipes in easy foil packets : Much like Shaina, I place a high priority on feeding my family wholesome and healthful meals. This can be challenging with five... more