On Saturday we had some fellow soccer-loving friends over to watch World Cup, and my friend Heather brought a fantastic bean dip that was -- admittedly -- way more awesome (and quickly devoured) than the basic layered dip I made. Heather kindly sent me the recipe, which originated from her friend Betsy. I'm totally making this dip next weekend for another party I'm hosting. Yummy.On Saturday we had some fellow soccer-loving friends over to watch World Cup, and my friend Heather brought a fantastic bean dip that was -- admittedly -- way more awesome (and quickly devoured) than the basic layered dip I made. Heather kindly sent me the recipe, which originated from her friend Betsy. I'm totally making this dip next weekend for another party I'm hosting. Yummy.
Today, Kate shares a great lead for those who want to experiment with cake baking:
I don't generally write about activities outside of the Boston area, but a recent trip to N.Y. Cake provided me with inspiration. And of course if you can't get to the store in New York City, you can order online.
I've long been a proponent of gardening with kids, but that wasn't the only reason I adored the hands on, tchochke-free garden(ing) party my friend Nicola (of teddy bear tea party fame) assembled for her daughter's sixth birthday party. You will totally want to copy this awesome idea.
When the warm weather returned, so did my voracious appetite for salads and cold things such as hummus and tabbouleh. We've been consuming vast quantities of these foods (I especially like hummus because it reminds me to eat carrots) and I soon found myself disgruntled by the volume of plastic containers we were acquiring. We reuse them all for storing leftovers or Laurel's craft supplies or other odds and ends, but we definitely don't need more of them. So I decided to start making more of these small container items from scratch. I'm still tweaking my tabbouleh recipe and will share that when I land on just the right blend; meanwhile, if you have a food processor, hummus is ridiculously easy to make.
Given that I spent the majority of my childhood free time toy-free and playing outside, I have always been concerned about curbing material excess in Laurel's life, and aware of how important it is for her (and us) to be active outdoors. I thus was happy and honored to be invited to be part of the National Wildlife Federation's Founding Mothers, a group of women writers who will work to mobilize families outdoors in partnership with the NWF's Be Out There campaign.
Last weekend Laurel and I had a fantastic time at the Down:2:Earth sustainable living expo. Laurel loved the face painting, games, snacks, and garden displays, and I was especially thrilled to see many green companies I have featured (Boston Organics, Bum Boosa, Diaper Lab, Go GaGa, Sakura Bloom, Seventh Generation, snackTAXI, Stonyfield) present, and also to discover new ones, such as Acero Studio. Mom-owned and based out of New Bedford, artist Anne Wolfe creates lovely vintage-styled graphics then hand prints them onto a delicious array of microwave and dishwasher safe ceramics and porcelain jewelry.
I'm currently in the final stretch training for Eat. Blog. Run. and at the beginning of April I decided to aid my training by eating super clean. Which meant -- gulp -- giving up dessert; not an easy task given my sweet tooth. However, I have found the perfect solution. A few weeks ago, we enjoyed the cutest little parfaits at a friend's house, and I have since replicated them to enjoy in place of dessert and also offer when we're hosting (guests similarly go bonkers over it). I hope you enjoy this perfect parfait as much as I do; it's great as a dessert replacement or for a healthful snack.
Today, Jules shares a yummy way to treat beets:
Beets currently are en vogue due to their vibrant color and nutritional content, but if you have bad childhood memories of beets, or have never tried them, I suggest you give them a second (or first!) chance. Opt for classic red beets, or try gold beets, which have a beautiful and bright yellow hue, but are milder in flavor than -- and don't bleed like -- their red counterpart. Beets are packed with potassium, folic acid, and vitamin A and are more versatile than you might suspect, whether used in beet salad, beet risotto, or even the occasional brownie. Here's one of my favorite way to treat beets:
Before it gets too hot to turn on your oven, try these cookies from Sarah Magid, recommended by Kate:
It took me several weeks after the grand opening to get myself to the new Cambridge Public Library, but on my first visit I stopped in my tracks to check out a selection of new books placed at the check-out desk. At the top of the display was Sarah Magid's Organic and Chic: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets That Taste as Good as They Look, a delightfully pink and pretty cookbook dedicated to organic pastries and baked goods. I checked it out, renewed it, checked it out again, and have enjoyed practically every recipe I've made.
Today, Michelle Stern of What's Cooking shares her killer applesauce recipe:
One of the Mommy & Me cooking classes I teach is called Eating the Alphabet: From Apples to Zucchini, and I figured I couldn't go wrong starting with something familiar but undeniably delicious: applesauce. Kids love it. Grownups love it. And it's insanely good when made from scratch. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Perri via Facebook:
Baby girl turns 1 this week and I wanted to find a cute T-shirt or onesie for her to wear on her special day. I saw a couple of cute (non-cheesy) items in Chasing Fireflies but unfortunately do not have time to order. Any ideas of local shops that might have some fun, cute, sassy, non-cheesy birthday gear?
Amidst the sadness of attending two funerals within one week, I have taken heart in the reconnection and reflection that can occur around such events. On Friday we hosted one of my long out-of-touch relatives following the family funeral, and to lighten the mood I decided to make lemon meringue pie. This dessert is a bit more involved than recipes I typically post here, but it was so ridiculously good that I wanted to share it for those looking for a lovely and lemony dessert. The pie served as the perfect cheery welcome over which we were able to reflect on lives lost and celebrate existing relationships; fittingly, Laurel said the meringue looked and tasted like happy clouds.
In the vein of spring cleaning, here's a new use for old spices. Instead of simply trashing stale spices, line them up on the counter with a bowl, mixing spoon, measuring spoons, and spray bottle (less messy, plus adds longevity to the project), then let your kid go to town. The more variety (color, smell, shapes, e.g., cardamom pods) the better. Laurel loves pretend playing that she's making a stew or science experiment, we get entertainment mileage by repurposing a household item that we'd otherwise toss, and if you're feeling particularly pedagogical, you can build in some math moments via measurement.
Today, from Kate, because waffles are good any time of day:
Like many other young brides, I received a waffle iron as a wedding gift. My main association with making waffles was a positive one: my father would occasionally make sausages and waffles -- on a waffle iron, practically antique, that had belonged to his mother -- for Sunday supper when the weather was cold and all other cooking inspiration failed him. With my own kitchen and my own iron, however, I struggled to make decent waffles: no matter what recipe I tried, they came out dry, cake-y in a bad way, and not amenable to softening with melted butter and syrup. So, the wedding waffle iron sat on a shelf neglected.
One of my favorite ways to make a lazy weekend morning feel special is with scones. And these currant scones by Martha Stewart are simple in composition (without any forethought I had all the ingredients on hand) and are easy enough to whip up while everyone is still lolling around in jammies. I made these scones last weekend for company and they were a huge hit; light (um, seeming), flaky, and delicious. And everyone was happy to simply nibble these special treats alongside fresh fruit. Easy peasy.
I stopped drinking coffee several months ago and since have been consuming a lot of herbal tea. And our friend Taina recently introduced us to a fantastic tea blend (inspired by her mama friend Jess) that I’ve been enjoying daily (I am, in fact, enjoying a cup right this minute). One batch is great to share with friends after dinner, or to enjoy through the day, whether it sits stove top at home or in a travel thermos at work. And it seems to me that the citrus-ginger blend could help stave off, or at least soothe, winter colds.
Today, Jules shares a crowd pleasing barley salad recipe:
I first cooked this barley salad for a New Year’s gathering of six friends, including three very large, very hungry meat-eating men. It was not the main dish, but it really could have been. This dish was a huge hit; a hearty meal that is simple to prepare and loaded with whole grain goodness. Enjoy!
I love that every culture embraces some variation of food wrapped around food (e.g., dumplings, empanadas, etc.) and I recently was inspired to translate the idea to baked treats. While at Blissdom a few weeks ago, I received a bag of Hershey's Bliss milk chocolates. I was going to pass them on to a friend (admittedly, normally I only go for organic chocolate), but after reading the ingredient list (minimal), decided to keep them. My preference for organics was overshadowed by an overwhelming desire to wrap peanut butter cookie dough around these chocolates with Laurel.