The cronut, a dessert made by frying croissant dough like a donut, set off a nationwide phenomenon in 2013, when Time magazine also named Dominique Ansel 's creation one of the best inventions of the year. Having had one, I can tell you …
It may not be frigid everywhere, but I think it’s safe to say that plenty of us are winter weary and as done with cooking as we are with gloves with scarves. This last stretch of the cold weather (and the exhausting lack of daylight) is …
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
We're always looking for ways to save time and money grocery shopping, especially during the holiday season when we're all feeling stretched thinner than usual in every way. We're spending more on holiday gifts and family travel, and eve…
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 …
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 have a weakness for beautiful desserts, and our Pinterest boards are full of recipes I can't wait to try. I'd love to serve a new cake at my holiday parties this year , but you know how brand new recipes and big events sometimes don't …
You need last minute Thanksgiving help? We've got it for you. We've put out so many amazing features from the best Thanksgiving recipes of all kinds to fun printables to keep the kids busy, that we wanted to put them all in one place for…
We’ve been gearing up for Thanksgiving all week with amazing mashed potato recipes , the easiest cranberry sauce recipes , killer stuffing recipes , tips for how to make homemade pie , and a guide to best mail order pies in the country (…
Stuffing is one of those Thanksgiving dishes that I’m always changing. One year cornbread, the next sourdough. Sometimes sausage, other times bacon. Every once in a while I make it in the bird, though mostly it's done in a separate pot. …
As a professional home cook and recipe developer, I’m always game to change things up, even at a holiday meal. But, if you ask me, certain holiday dishes, like cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving are essential. You can play with them, but do…
We might as well call the holiday season “pie season” if you ask me. That’s honestly what it is—or at least what it should be. Who’s with me? Even if you’re not (and we’ll settle this later), Thanksgiving and the winter holidays create t…
These 9 amazing fall salad recipes are enough to keep us from missing summer salads. For me, fall is all about stews, chili, roasts, and salads. Yes, salads! Roasted veggies are delicious, but roasted veggies tossed with greens and a del…
So yeah, making your own baby food can become daunting and tedious surprisingly fast, even for people like me who love to cook, and even if we have awesome baby food gadgets like the excellent Beaba Babycook . But even with the Beaba (an…