Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig The first few weeks of every new school year is always back-to-the basics, for parents and kids. The kids are getting acclimated to their new teachers, the new constellation of children in their classes, new rules, new schedules, etc.. Parents need to re-establish their routines: wake up time, multiple breakfasts, transport to school, dealing with the cluster fuck of after school schedules and pick ups and pressured dinners and homework … [Read more...]
Search Results for: re-gifting
Video: How to Make Pesto
November 30, 2012 By 5 Comments
if you're viewing this through RSS feed or email, click over to site to view video Pesto sauce is my family's favorite new spread! We now add it to everything from pasta, to eggs, to sandwiches; we're always looking for more ways of integration. This summer, we had a similar epiphany with pesto as we did with guacamole: there's no need to waste money purchasing store-bought containers. It is SO easy to make at home and it tastes unbelievable. What's the best part about pesto? There aren't many ingredients involved and, it freezes well. … [Read more...]
July 4th Grill Tips &Tool Giveaway
July 2, 2014 By 2 Comments
Is there any holiday more synonymous with grilling than July 4th? Apparently 62% of Americans surveyed say they grill the most on this particular holiday.* However, many people find grilling a steak daunting. I did until I started experimenting on my own. Unfortunately, while a lot of propane burned, so did many of the meats I purchased. And, I'm not alone. Apparently 64% of people surveyed have burned their meal on the grill. For those who share similar grill fears and mishaps, I'm excited to spread the word about the LongHorn … [Read more...]
Best Irish Soda Bread
March 16, 2015 By Leave a Comment
This recipe is actually an annual re-post but, it's one of the most requested recipes on the site. Hope you enjoy.... What's a Jewish girl doing with her Mom's Irish Soda Bread recipe? NOTHING. But, my mom does have an insane amount of generational recipes in the section I cataloged "Jewish Judy." Some of these recipes are so torn, faded and damaged, it's as though they survived the battlefields of Word War I. With Passover right around the corner, I simply can't wait to roll up my sleeves and start exploring! But, we're not talking … [Read more...]
Kitchen Gadget Makeover for the Holidays
December 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment
While many people will be revamping diets, fitness routines and personal goals as part of their 2015 New Year’s Resolutions, why shouldn’t kitchens get a makeover as well? For those looking to refresh the heart of the home, check out some of these small appliances from The Legacy Brands: Omega Juicers and Blenders and Excalibur Dehydrators; a new eco-friendly, chemical-free cleaning brand, Zabada, organic cotton table linens from Coyuchi; and finally, housewares and kitchen décor from Ten Thousand Villages that add unique flair to spaces … [Read more...]
My Seven Links Challenge
August 15, 2011 By 2 Comments
Last week I had something very special happen to me. I was "tagged" by a fellow friend and renowned nutritionist/blogger Lauren Slayton of Foodtrainers for the Seven Links Project. The "My Seven Links" project has been going pretty strong for the past few weeks. In a nutshell, its goal is to unite bloggers from all sectors in an endeavor to create a bank of posts that deserve to be re-read. The simple rule of the challenge is to choose my seven best posts according to seven different categories. I was extremely flattered that someone as … [Read more...]
Apple Butter
September 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment
I always loved going apple picking with my kids when they were toddlers. It was a fall activity we wouldn't miss once the bathing suits were packed away and the routine of school finally kicked in. However, now that my kids are older, our weekends are jam-packed with sports and other social activities. Sadly, for me, apply picking and pumpkin picking have moved away from the trees at the orchards and have moved to the farm stands dotting the New York City streets. But, I'm always happy when I get freshly-picked apples direct from the … [Read more...]
Apple Butter
October 8, 2012 By 2 Comments
Yesterday would have been Mom’s 70th birthday. While I’ve tried so desperately to celebrate her life through her culinary legacy, it’s inevitable: her absence is always felt. Every day. For the past four years. This weekend, I kept myself busier than usual so I wouldn’t focus on this unwelcomed anniversary. I celebrated fall with my family. We pumpkin picked. We painted pumpkins. We carved pumpkins. We made pumpkin seeds. We apple picked. And now, I’m back in my city apartment, staring down 20 pounds of apples and two … [Read more...]
Father’s Day Slow Cooker Giveaway
June 13, 2014 By 13 Comments
Father’s Day is almost here. For me it’s become synonymous with mid-day gatherings, some tasty BBQ and quality family time. It’s also become the unofficial kick-off to summer as my kids have already completed school. Although Father’s Day is the same day on the calendar every year, regardless, I find myself scrounging to purchase and send gifts at the last minute. I do most of my shopping online because I just don’t have the time or patience to travel to the actual stores. I’ve found that Kohl’s.com has a wide selection of items perfect … [Read more...]
Holiday Carrot Pudding
December 19, 2011 By 2 Comments
Don’t you feel like you’re on a constant sugar rush the entire month of December? After all, it’s holiday time. We're all hyper-focused on those festive treats: cakes, cookies, candy, pies. Cookie recipes are swapped, sweet-toothed teacher gifts are distributed, candy canes are licked adnauseum. Poor veggies. They seem to always get the shaft. Well, who wants to talk about boiling broccoli or steaming asparagus when you can bake and design holiday shortbread cookies or make and break apart festive Peppermint Bark? Let’s face it, the … [Read more...]
Spooktacular Halloween Candy Giveaway
October 19, 2012 By 167 Comments
What kid doesn’t love Halloween? For me, besides being able to stay up late and dress up in a costume, as a kid I was fixated on retrieving as much candy as possible from my trick-or-treat trail. I loved the after trick or treat candy categorization and trading session with my older brother and sister. Things always seemed to work out for everyone since each of us exhibited different candy cravings. Halloween was always that one night of the year Mom ignored the fact that we’d ingest more than 10x the normal amount of candy eaten in a … [Read more...]
Giveaway: Tupperware Chef Series 12” Griddle Pan
May 9, 2012 By 89 Comments
A couple weeks ago I was invited to the Cooking with Confidence event with Tupperware Brands and Chef Marco Canora! I had a blast enjoying various cooking demonstrations and testing out the latest line-up of innovative Tupperware products. I especially loved one of the pans Chef Marco used when preparing his chicken recipe – the Chef Series 12” Griddle Pan. Chef Marco enjoying his Griddle Pan While most people associate a griddle pan with pancakes and breakfast (perfect to help make Mom breakfast in bed), Chef Marco cooked some tasty … [Read more...]
Tomato, Almond Pesto
August 24, 2016 By Leave a Comment
It's a sad summer for my garden. What was once a treasure trove of colorful vegetables and herbs in the past has been reduced to a very small lot with only tomatoes, basil and kale. I knew I wasn't going to be around as much this summer tend to the garden so I strategically only bought the produce and herbs I knew I'd be using! Whether you've got a garden that's big or small, there’s no better feeling than to be able to pick fresh from your garden and then to use your yield in a recipe. Thank god I wised up and learned a few year's ago … [Read more...]
Fondue Set Giveaway
February 14, 2016 By 256 Comments
Does your Valentine’s Day plan involve any chocolate? If not, it should. Milk. Semi-sweet. Dark. Bitter. Melt any of these chocolates down and pair it with a variety of foods and you’re in for a wonderfully decadent surprise. Pretzels. Marshmallows. Sliced Fruit. Do you FONDUE? If not, now you can! We’re offering one lucky reader the opportunity to win a gorgeous Trudeau Copper Fondue set. This 3-in-1 fondue contains a double-boiler insert that ensures even, scorch-free heating to keep your chocolate warm … [Read more...]
Mother’s Day: Kale Frittata
May 9, 2015 By 1 Comment
Mother’s Day was a big deal in my family when I was growing up. In retrospect, it's interesting that we attempted to “gift” my mother through a homemade meal. We would make breakfast and surprise her with breakfast in bed. Obviously, after the first year it wasn’t a surprise anymore. However, just the idea of forcing Mom to sit back, to take a deep breath, and to enjoy the tables turned as her own children made her some nourishing food was beyond fulfilling. The tradition exists in my own family as well. Whenever I have a special day … [Read more...]
Tomato and Almond Pesto Sauce
August 6, 2012 By 6 Comments
My garden is VIBRANT right now and my basil plants are leading the charge. There’s no better feeling than to be able to pick veggies and herbs fresh from your garden and then to use them in a recipe. And, thank god I wised up and learned that making homemade pesto is actually easy and a lot cheaper than any store-bought variety. I now make about one full Ball jar of pesto a week to keep up with the rapidly growing basil plant. These jars line my freezer shelves like trophies. We’ve been enjoying pesto on everything from scrambled eggs to … [Read more...]
Apple Cider Challah
September 17, 2012 By 3 Comments
It’s the Jewish New Year. A time of the year when Mom could be found cooking up some of her favorite holiday delicacies: from brisket to tzimmes to noodle kugels. I miss watching her in the kitchen, keeping it bustling with activity and full of sweet comforting smells. Now her kitchen is sterile and cold, devoid of use and love. This year I committed myself to bake my first-ever challah with my daughter. I have so many fond memories of Mom making unusual breads; watching her carefully place the dough in our dark, hot, creepy furnace … [Read more...]
Introducing Love with Food {plus a 12-month gourmet food sampler giveaway}
August 13, 2012 By 239 Comments
Congratulations to Sarah Pinneo for winning the Love with Food Giveaway! It's time to discover great food for a great cause! I recently had the chance to spend some time with Aihui Ong, CEO of Love with Food, a nascent food subscription service that launched in December 2011. To say Aihui is a very driven woman is an understatement. Like many people, Aihui was looking for a life change and was committed to combine both of her biggest passions, food and technology. So, she started coding, creating a website to help food makers … [Read more...]
Curious Chef Kids’ 6-Piece Prep Kit Giveaway
May 26, 2016 By 40 Comments
Crazy for cucumbers? Bananas about berries? No matter what your kids’ favorite summer produce is, you can help them bring the flavors of the garden into your kitchen with Curious Chef cooking tools for kids. I love Curious Chef because it inspires kids to get excited about food prep. And, with the year’s best produce ripe for the picking, it’s the perfect time to get them in the kitchen and teach them to cook. Obviously, I've been a fan of cooking together with my children as it gets them invested in their meals. Forget worrying … [Read more...]
Ultimate Breakfast: Freekeh and Fruit
March 10, 2013 By 3 Comments
I think I’m probably out of the norm when I say that I truly enjoy receiving interesting foods to sample and review. My most recent discovery came Friday afternoon in a non-descript white envelope shipped from Freekehlicious LLC. Sounds like a gift from a Halloween novelty shop, right? Au contraire. Inside, instead of scary masks and costumes, were two bags filled with Greenwheat Freekeh. Have you every even heard of Freekeh? I’ve just learned that Freekeh is a roasted green wheat native to the Eastern Mediterranean. Apparently, … [Read more...]
