It’s almost officially SUMMERTIME! School is winding down and my kids are ready to take full advantage of their carefree days. Not only are we breaking out the super high SPF sunscreen, we’re also tweaking our grocery list and stocking up on essentials so we’re prepared for any impromptu summer picnics and grill outs. Because we live in the concrete jungle of NYC, where our “back yard” is shared with hundreds of strangers, we seek out every opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, to go east and hang out and grill out. Plus, … [Read more...]
Fire Up The Grill & Enter to Win A Chefmaster 19-piece BBQ Tool Set
May 23, 2012 By 46 Comments
To help kick-off the summer grilling season, yesterday I spent the afternoon taste-testing myriad steak samples grilled to perfection by local chefs from across the US. These chefs are the consumer-voted finalists from their respective hometown grill-offs as part of the nationwide Walmart Choice Steak Challenge presented by Kingsford Charcoal and Coca-Cola. The final 8 chefs convened in NYC, fired up their grills, and prepared the best USDA Choice steaks with their own inventive methods. Who would take the best seared steak honors? The … [Read more...]
Banana Basil Smoothie
May 21, 2012 By 9 Comments
Since receiving my new Ninja blender, I’ve been in smoothie heaven. In fact, we’ve now deemed Sundays (at least Sundays in the summer) as Smoothie Days. I’ve found that designating days with certain “themes” gives my kids anticipatory excitement that gets them invested in the food theme. In fact, it’s amazing how simple french toast, or even a mere bowl of cereal can take on a totally different persona when it’s served at Breakfast for Dinner nights on Wednesday nights. Same goes for smoothies. My kids have happily slurped Pomegranate … [Read more...]
Lemon Orzo with Zucchini and Tomatoes
May 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I don’t remember ever eating Orzo as a child. But, I did find a recipe in Mom’s collection for this rice-shaped pasta (otherwise known as risoni). And, knowing that my kids LOVE rice and pasta independently, I sensed orzo would soon be a big hit and a regular on our dinner rotation. I couldn’t wait to look through Mom’s Orzo recipe. When I opened up the tattered, worn paper, I felt like I was looking at an ancient relic. The lines are all blurred and the only legible ingredients said “1 cup of orzo” and “zuc” and “salt”. That’s it. No … [Read more...]
