I have to confess, I've been man-handling salmon for most of my life. It's such a tender, elegant fish, yet too often mine ended up leathery, dry, or just completely fused to the frying pan and oozing white stuff (the worst!). Instead of…
Let's be honest: How many of us love ice cream cake as much now as we did when we were kids? Raises hand. As nostalgic as I get eating a store-bought ice cream cake, every time I partake I can't help but think that a homemade ice cream c…
Fire up the 'cue, it’s National Burger Day—though we hardly need a holiday to celebrate burgers. Whether for a weekend cookout or a quick weeknight dinner, burgers are a favorite meal, especially through summer, so we might as well learn…
Every year, we have turned to the Environmental Working Group's Annual Guide to Sunscreens to help us make more educated decisions about what are the safest sunscreens to slather on our kids (and ourselves) each summer. But we often find…
A few months ago, I decided I wanted to celebrate my 40th birthday with a big trip, but whoa, family vacations are certainly not cheap! Especially when you're traveling with kids -- or in my case, four of them. Even though I'd been savin…
Not too long ago, I realized my 8-year-old son was a reluctant reader. He's a perfectly good reader, but would rather do just about anything but read. And that's a particular sore spot for me, because there are few things I’d rather do m…
After 25 years as a woman with a period, you can't blame me for growing tired of the monthly tampon, pad, and pantyliner rotation. Sorry, no menstrual cup love from me -- though I know lots of ladies love them. So, after seeing the Faceb…
With the busy travel season upon us and so many families planning spring and summer road trips , keeping our kids safe while we're driving and preventing distracted driving is a huge concern of ours. Of course, you don't necessarily need…
In my new cookbook, Make It Easy , I share 8 things that I think every cook should know how to make well—and you might be surprised by the list. It isn't full of culinary school principles, but rather foods that family cooks tend to make…
We didn't have a particularly cold winter here in Brooklyn, but I still managed to eat my way through it as though in hibernation. I feel it—and it shows, too—which is why I recently decided it was time to change my diet. When I've made …
Warmer weather has arrived and we're officially in iced coffee mode! But here's the thing: The very best iced coffee drinks are made from cold brew, which is less acidic and much more flavorful than a hot cup of coffee cooled down with i…
It's picnic season! With the weather most of us have been having, it's the perfect excuse to pack up lunch or dinner to eat al fresco in the park or by the beach. When done right, packing a picnic is easy business -- but it's not just a …
By this point in the school year, my kids know not to expect the sorts of lunchbox love notes they got from me daily in September. But there are a few days on the calendar that inspire me to scribble something special to surprise them: V…
We've always been fascinated reading EWG's "Dirty Dozen" list of Pesticides in Produce , and their 2016 list is not as I would have expected. Mainly because, for the first time in my memory, apples have been replaced by strawberries as t…
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…
We've been friends and fans of Asha Dornfest, and her brilliant website Parent Hacks , for a full decade, since we both got started at the very same time. In fact, if you click that link, you'll see we first touted the brilliance of her …
Sweet potatoes are a favorite in my house: I love them because they are incredibly good for you and my kids love them because, well, sweet potatoes. The boys have been gobbling them up ever since they were 6-months-old, when I severed th…
Have you ever heard of compound butter? It might sound fancy and maybe even complicated, but I promise that it's neither. (If it was, I certainly wouldn't be making it!) Compound butter, which is basically flavored butter, is not only si…
If you've ever wanted to create an organized craft space for kids, whether it's a whole room or just a small area where they can get their creative on, well we've got some fabulous tips for you. After all, I think that as parents, we're …
Feathered hair, macrame, Charlie's Angles, and wheat germ: These are a few of my lasting memories of the 1970's. I can still see myself now, walking around the natural foods store in our town with my mom (complete with feathered hair and…
My kids have shown more of an interest in making natural easter egg dyes this year. It's like part science experiment, part craft project, and there's something kind of cool about not entirely knowing how the results will come out. So as…
Shauna James Ahern, author of the popular Gluten-Free Girl website, four cookbooks and a subscription recipe service , spent most of her life physically suffering, and not knowing why. When she was finally diagnosed with celiac disease i…
After a fall and winter full of eating and not full of working out, a few weeks ago I decided that I needed a reset. My pants hadn't fit in months, my energy levels were terrible, and my moods were swinging like crazy. And with 40 loomin…