Simple Kale Salad with Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette Back in January, I read that kale was so last year. Apparently this will be cauliflower's turn in the spotlight. Seriously, who decides this stuff? Is there some powerful vegetable lobby group in Washington? An Anna Wintour of the produce world? Some marketing experts doing vegetable focus groups? These are the questions that keep me up at night. So I set out to do some serious research Google it. It's true: cauliflower is the new kale. Just ask your friendly global culinary trendologist. I love a humble head of cauliflower as much as the next person, but I'm not ready to kick kale to the curb Keep Reading
Rhubarb almond cake recipe
Rhubarb Almond Cake My rhubarb will soon pop up from its winter hibernation. I love the bright splash of color it adds to the garden this time of year. Growing rhubarb is not a difficult task so it's great for beginning gardeners. It's one of those low maintenance, high yield plants that makes you look like you know what you're doing. Last year it was more like an ornamental shrub in our raised beds, though. I didn't use it in one single, solitary recipe for some reason! I'm determined to change that this year. And this recipe is a great place to start (Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a good place to go next). It caught my eye as I was flipping Keep Reading
How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock
Homemade Chicken Stock Making homemade chicken stock is a super simple, versatile skill to have in your kitchen tool belt. In fact, if I had to pick just one frugal habit that consistently saves a significant amount of grocery money, while delivering a superior product, making homemade chicken stock would be it. If you are on a tight budget, trying to figure out how to cut back on expenses, food is a tough category. Your family is probably kind of attached to the whole 3-meals-a-day routine and beans & rice only get you so far. To make those grocery dollars stretch as far as possible, try this: At the beginning of the week, roast 2 chickens Keep Reading
Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad (gluten-free, dairy-free recipe)
Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad (gluten-free, dairy-free recipe) I used to be terrible at feeding myself lunch. I'd whip out lunch plates for my family like a short order cook at rush hour, but when it came to my own plate I rarely sat down to eat a real meal. I'd peck at some nuts and seeds or nibble on cheese and crackers like some kind of bird, while throwing in a load of laundry, emptying the dishwasher, and responding to three emails. Then I couldn't figure out why I was snappy and shaky and eating a fistful of chocolate chips at three in the afternoon. For the past month or so, I have been making a focused effort to eat a filling, nutritious Keep Reading
Butternut Bread Braid + Whipped Honey Butter recipes
Butternut Braid Bread After 2 years of home schooling my young kids, it finally hit me. We actually have to be home sometimes to do this school thing well. So, since September, we've cut back on our commitments to bump up our time at home. It's been (mostly) good. In addition to more reading, writing, and arithmetic, there have been other bonuses, as well. For example, it's forced me to stay on top of the laundry pile. I try to always show up for class wearing clean yoga pants (and holding a strong cup of coffee). Since we're home anyway, I've also been baking and making more of our food from scratch again. I can't remember the last time I bought Keep Reading
Butternut Squash Soup (gluten-free, dairy-free recipe)
Butternut Squash Soup For some reason, my garden was kind of a dud this year. The tomatoes were stubborn, the kale was cranky. And don't even get me started on the cucumbers. ugh. But the butternut squash? They must've known the other vegetables were slacking off because they kicked it into high gear this summer. I have two boxes filled with big, beautiful butternut squash. If you're just not that into squash, I totally get it. I was once a card carrying member to Squash Haters Anonymous, but I am slowly coming around to its charms. Butternut is a great place to start. It's sweet and firm and mellow and friendly. S imply roasting little cubes Keep Reading
How to roast pumpkin seeds
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds The other night, a friend casually asked me where I had bought pumpkins this year. Um... pumpkins? I don't have any pumpkins. I saw some outside the grocery store last week and seriously considered piling my four children on them and taking pictures, like some weird pumpkin patch outing gone wrong. The thought of being blocked from Instagram was the only thing that kept my grocery cart on the straight and narrow. What is wrong with me?! I love everything about fall. But other than eating a piece of pumpkin pie, October has completely slipped past me. Is it having toddlers? El Nino? Do I just need to buy a new pair of Keep Reading