This post has nothing to do with food, but instead focuses on swimming. It’s one of our favorite summer activities, and we’re supporters of USA Swimming’s Swim Today program, encouraging parents to enroll their children in lessons to keep them safe and keep your family active. Plus, it’s great fun. When I was young there was a pool outside my apartment building in East St. Paul. It was closed more than it was open, but at every possible chance, my mom would drag me in the... more

In honor of Father’s Day and dads everywhere, I’m giving away a Magimix by Robot Coupe Vision Toaster. It’s a great dad gift, with a sleek look that makes toasting a breeze. Kitchen appliances may not seem like your standard Father’s Day gift, which marketing tells us should be patterned ties and grilling essentials. Still, when I was growing up my dad sometimes ventured into the kitchen for one thing and one thing only: toast and eggs. My dad didn’t cook but for breakfast.... more

This month’s Eat Well, Spend Less is focused on the kids and the process of getting them in the kitchen to cook and eat. With summer vacation looming, this is the perfect time to tackle the terrain. When I was seven I cooked my first meal. I opened up a worn copy of my mom’s Betty Crocker Cookbook for Girls and Boys, and I made roast chicken, green bean almondine, and yeast bread shaped like a turtle. (The turtle actually came from Alpha-Bakery Gold Medal Children’s Cookbook.... more

A look at how we use a string trellis system in our garden to guide indeterminate tomato plants upward. Plus, what is the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes, why it matters, and companion planting. This week is planting week. The last frost date happened this week. The rain has stopped. I can see the sun. The stars are aligning, and it’s time to get these seedlings in the ground. The first to hit the dirt were lettuce seeds, which went directly in the dirt, but after... more

It has been one year since we started the Eat Well, Spend Less series (big thanks to Jessica!), and we’re taking a look at how our food budget, menu, shopping habits, and diet may have changed in the last 12 months. Last April we kicked off the Eat Well Spend Less series by looking at the way we eat. I went over several meal planning tips and guides, and then I broke down an actual week of our food budget and a sample menu for that week. To date, those are two of my favorite posts of the series... more

Tips to Eat Well and Spend Less during pregnancy, the first postpartum weeks and beyond, as well as a few things we’re loving as winter turns to spring in 2012. Photo by Aimee I have this sense of urgency lately where I feel like I should be doing something else, but there always seems to be a different task or obstacle standing in my way. It feels a lot like nesting, this desire to organize my entire life with the snap of my fingers, Mary Poppins’ style, and then move on to the more... more

Those first weeks after the baby can be difficult to find the time and energy to eat well. Here are a few tips to eat well and spend less without relying on the drive-thru or takeout. Plus a Parents Need to Eat Too giveaway. This month we’re talking about feeding babies here on Eat Well, Spend Less. Between the lot of us, we have 35 kids, so I’d say this is a subject we’re pretty well equipped to take on, but more than that, in the last few weeks we’ve welcomed three brand... more