My kids are working their way through their scouting badges, which means we've been spending a lot of time outdoors recently. And I couldn't be happier. On those first excursions into the woods, we stuck to hot dogs on sticks for a simpl…
Outdoor entertaining when I can cook on the grill is my favorite part of warm weather evenings: Al fresco dining feels more festive and drinking, well, it's just more fun outside. Grilling is typically easier than cooking in the kitchen,…
Summer is coming. The school year is almost over (how'd that happen?), and the burn out is real. I need some easy, healthy dinners I can get on the table quickly to save me from ordering in most nights these days. Because swim suits are …
When spring weather starts to move in, I crave pasta, but not the heavy spaghetti and meatballs that I want during winter. Rather, I go for lighter sauces, lots of crisp, spring veggies, and proteins like chicken or fish mixed in to fill…
I love Indian and Thai food, but when I think of cooking it myself, I imagine a long list of exotic spices, special trips to the International Farmer's Market, and dishes that need to simmer for hours on end. And I think I speak for all …
The headline for this article is the kind that you see all the time at the beginning of the year, when everyone's thinking resolutions and turning new leaves. I get it. Who doesn't want to lighten up after a month (or two) of holiday eat…
Perfect roast chicken is one of those dishes that every cook longs to master. Achieving that sought-after crisp, golden skin and perfectly tender meat is seemingly simple, but learning how to roast chicken is something that takes a littl…
Sometimes, as the family cook, you just need a win. In these moments, many parents look to kid-menu staples that they know their kids will love like burgers, hot dogs, or mac and cheese. Hey, makes sense to me—but I've found something ev…
For a lot of people, the best part about the Super Bowl is eating. I actually love football and even I still get more excited about what’s on the menu than what’s on the field. Unfortunately, though, it's usually a feast full of grease a…
There are a few ingredients I can't live without, and sour cream is one of them. Seriously, I can spoon the stuff straight from the tub into my mouth. And I have. (Sexy, right?) In addition to being supremely tasty, sour cream is also gr…
For some, macaroni and cheese and casseroles are the ultimate comfort food, but for me, having grown up in New Jersey, nothing is less fussy and more cozy than Italian American restaurant dishes like Meatballs, Baked Ziti and Eggplant Pa…
Halloween is on a Saturday this year, which means that the evening should be less stressful—at least the getting ready part of the evening. Instead of rushing home from work and school, scrambling to get everyone’s costumes together, fra…
I can hardly believe it, but we're getting bored of Taco Tuesdays at my house. While we don't eat tacos every Tuesday, we do eat them a lot. Everyone in my family is a big fan of Mexican food and, well, aside from tacos, I think they'd e…
I try to cook homemade meals as much as possible, but let's be honest: It's hard to cook from scratch every night. Sometimes I run out of time, other times I run out of energy. But instead of adding a fast-food or delivery night to our r…
As the weather changes, so does the way that I cook. Though there’s still some time before winter demands only soups and stews, baked casseroles and roast veggies, we’re definitely starting to crave warm dinners—but warm dinners that are…
Now that I'm a grown-up, i.e., responsible for making holidays awesome for my kids, I've found that the ( ahem ) b-level holidays like Labor Day are quickly becoming my favorites. There's no pressure to shop and decorate. Instead, we jus…
If your family is anything like mine, you eat a lot of chicken. It’s among the most popular main dishes, especially for families, because it’s so versatile and because lots of kids will actually eat it unlike other protein—but chicken ca…