During Mardi Gras, it’s customary to say, Laissez les bon temps rouler , which translates, Let the good times roll. In your world, that might be a throwback to Ric Ocasek circa 1978. In my world, it means eat cake. How convenient for me …
What better way to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year than with a crafty project that you can easily do with kids? And, yields dumplings! If you hit the kitchen with the kids to make one of these six easy dumpling recipes for Chines…
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about sugary sweets, of course. Though kids do clamor for those conversation hearts and pink jelly beans, they may get enough of them elsewhere this week. So I've put together ideas for non-candy Va…
Last summer, Keurig Green Mountain released the latest version of their K-Cup brewer , the Keurig 2.0, with a new feature that only allows brewing of authorized K-Cup pods. Convenience coffee drinkers across the nation were understandabl…
Every time we parents make dinner, family cooks work to strike a balance between what the kids are willing to eat and what the grown ups actually want to eat. Sometimes holidays make this balancing act even harder. Ever make a heart-shap…
Recently, there was a whole lot of controversy about marketing Nutella as a healthy breakfast food. Apparently, someone thought that the kids of the world need help eating toast by slathering it in a chocolate-hazelnut spread. But on Wor…
We’re suckers for easy DIY Valentine’s Day crafts that make thoughtful gifts, especially when they’re deliciously edible. So I've put together some ideas for homemade Valentine’s food gifts that are easy to make with the kids—even little…
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about candy, of course. But I don’t see why it shouldn’t be, if you make the candy from scratch, with love. Okay so maybe I'm justifying. but still, these DIY Valentine’s Day candy recipes--all of t…
I recently tried to figure out how many food blogs populate the internet. The answer: A lot. I couldn’t find an exact number—not a recent one, at least—but it’s big enough to demonstrate that yes, there can be too much of a good thing. W…
A peek into our food archive shows that we’re big into smoothies . But no matter how many awesome smoothie recipes we track down for you, nothing will compare to having a constantly updated collection in your back pocket from the smoothi…
’Tis the season for chicken soup, a magical elixir said to be good for the soul and known to boost your immune system. You can never go wrong with a classic chicken soup recipe, especially when you’re feeling under the weather (the chick…
Smoothies can be a tasty way to take in—or feed your kids—a hefty dose of fruits and veggies. They can also be packed with sugar. The natural sugar that comes from whole fruit is definitely preferable to added sugar from juice, sweetened…
I’ve always been wary of detox diets. I’m an everything-in-moderation kind of eater, so the idea of fasting, juicing, and otherwise keeping my caloric intake to a minimum in hopes of flushing my body of toxins strikes me as extreme. My i…
If you ask me, the most important aspect of throwing any cocktail or dinner party host to know is how to make a cheese plate. And not just any cheese plate, but knowing how to put one together that looks fancy, even when it’s made with a…
Another year, another pile of cookbooks. I’ve added some amazing titles to my cookbook collection this year, but eight in particular are in heavy rotation in my family kitchen, which I think makes them among the best cookbooks for famili…
Santa may have a team of elves working for him (not to mention a name-taking Mrs. who pretty much keeps the whole show together), but the rest of us are running on fumes by Christmas Eve, and with little back up to boot. Still, cookies m…
Knowing how to make mulled wine is at the top of my holiday season skills list, along with pie making , gift wrapping , and secret keeping. (I score 2 out of 4. Can you guess my failures?!) Mulled wine is one of my favorite winter drinks…
As someone who develops recipes professionally, you’d think that I’d always have a plan for feeding my family dinner. Just like everybody else, though, the busier I get, the harder it is to get dinner on the table. Thanks to natural bran…
Chocolate candy is a must over the holidays. Festive sweets make a special treat to have around the house, serve as part of a holiday dessert spread, or give as a gift . Store bought is great—we love supporting local chocolate shops —but…
Holiday entertaining doesn’t have to be a blockbuster affair. In fact, some of the best holiday gatherings are small, impromptu get togethers and relaxed gatherings with easy cocktail party foods, festive snacks and, of course, seasonal …
If you’re not Jewish, get ready to wish that you were: Jelly donuts are a traditional Hanukkah food. As in, you must eat them to celebrate the holiday or you get kicked out of the tribe. Okay, you don’t really have to eat them, but you c…
There may be more talk of picky eaters than foodie kids, but some kids really dig food. I know for sure that these seemingly rare creatures exist because I happen to be mother to one. My older son loves eating, looking at food magazines,…
Whether we like it or not, all of us parents become the family cook at some point, and even those of you who hate to cook know that it doesn't get us out of it. (Darn kids and their need to eat.) These fab kitchen gadget gifts are some o…
I’d like to think that calories don’t count over the holidays. In fact, that IS what I think while indulging in classic holiday treats like decadent hot chocolate and gingerbread desserts . Cocktails, though, are a place where I can skim…
