No matter what I've read or been told, there is a part of me that wonders, “Do I really have to wash a few lettuce leaves for my sandwich?” or “Can my kids actually get sick if I give them that non-organic lettuce straight from the packa…
We love hearing that more and more families are growing their own food, whether veggies in a backyard garden or just potted window sill herbs that kids can help tend. Either way, we're down with the yard-to-table trend and have rounded u…
Packed with an abundance of vitamins and minerals, spinach is known for being super healthy, but serving spinach to kids has never been an easy task. The leafy texture and sometimes-chalky taste of can turn kids off, but having a package…
In some ways, rhubarb are like ramps: The food world goes crazy for them every spring and summer and, though with good reason, family cooks are left wondering what in the world do I do with this. Fret not feeder of children! You, too, ca…
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and, for us, that means the unofficial start of grilling season. So this weekend, we're taking cooking outside. If you are, too, here's the ultimate guide to grilling recipes. Whether you're…
I love the idea of getting a box of fresh, locally grown produce each week, especially if I have the satisfaction of knowing that I had a hand, even if indirectly, in helping grow each lovely tomato, radish, or head of butter lettuce. An…
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…
If the word "vegetarian" strikes fear into your heart—or the hearts of your children—fear not. The recipes in these vegetarian cookbooks are easy, hearty, and (trust me!) seriously good. And these books don't try to convert you to their …
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,…
Mexican food is one of the only international cuisines that I can count on all the kids in my life to eat reliably—and be excited about it, too. So with Cinco de Mayo rolling back around, I've been on the hunt for Mexican-inspired dishes…
It’s becoming a well-known and welcomed fact that frozen peas are better and tastier than fresh peas about 90% of the time. But the other 10% is right now–peak springtime–when fresh shelling peas show off their sweet flavor and tender te…
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 …
Unlike when I was in high school, Earth Day is no longer that anomalous day when you recycle and teach your parents about how important it for them to pay attention to their carbon footprint ( our what?! ). But while there’s much more aw…
My kids are from the bizarre species of tiny humans that actually love green vegetables. They get excited about most of them–except asparagus. But I get it; asparagus can taste bitter. I was recently geeking out to America’s Test Kitchen…
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 …
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…
In addition to staples like bread and peanut butter, I try to always keep a bag of tortillas and grated cheese in my kitchen. My daughter is basically a quesadillatarian (if that's a thing), so I've perfected the art of the cheese quesad…
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…
Homemade french fries are amazingly delicious, but they are also a pain to cook, which is why I never make them. My friend (and our lovely editor), Stacie, recently introduced me to the idea of homemade freezer fries, which has completel…
The idea for this post came last week when I found myself staring blankly at the pantry. I had a few russet potatoes that were intended for a beef stew that never happened and some broccoli. I ended up cooking them together in the microw…
I'm so happy that Valentine's Day falls on a weekend this year. I can love on my kids all day, then head out the door for a guilt-free date night with my husband in the evening. I'm thinking we'll whip up a batch of these delicious-looki…
I love colorful holiday food as much as the next person but, though I'm usually an everything in moderation kind of parent, artificial food color doesn't sit well with me. Of course my children eat candy at the movies and on Halloween, a…
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…