Now that I’m done with clinic for the semester, I have a little extra time to catch up on everything that didn’t get done around the house when I was so busy do fun stuff, like watch a movie, read books, and do some cooking or baking. Yesterday, I decided to make pancakes for the freezer.… Read More Stealing Pancakes
One of our favorite Williamsburg grocery stores is Farm Fresh. Farm Fresh consistently offers quality products at prices within our family’s budget, and we shop there nearly every week. As a result, I was so excited to hear about their food drive in support of local food banks and thrilled that they ask me to… Read More Farm Fresh “Back-to-School Challenge” Food Drive + Gift Card Giveaway
I’ve gotten into a jam-making, water-bath canning, blueberry and strawberry and blackberry craze. I grew up with a great big garden in our backyard. I will be honest with you – gardening and yard work are not my first loves. However, I grew (ha ha, “grew”, get it? bad pun, I know) to appreciate it… Read More Jam Ma’am
This, my friends, is what happens when you take your peanut butter and jelly sandwich out for dessert. That’s right – you get a peanut butter and jelly muffin that’s bursting with yummy goodness. Oh, and did I mention it has no refined sugar? I didn’t? Well, it doesn’t. I’m guessing you’re loving it just… Read More Whole Wheat Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
One of my cheap, go-to dinners is spaghetti. A box of noodles + a jar of sauce = food that everyone in the family will eat, and it all comes together in less than 20 minutes. Toss in some rolls and add a side of salad or frozen veggies, and it’s a fairly healthy meal.… Read More Happy Meatballs
I’ve been using coconut oil more and more in my cooking. It’s a healthy alternative to vegetable oil, butter, etc., and it tastes great. I recently came across Iowa Girl Eat’s granola bar recipe. She uses coconut oil, and knowing how much Joe loves to snack + needing healthy snacks to send in Chris’ lunch… Read More No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars with Coconut Oil
Yesterday’s weather was beautiful – sunny and 60 degrees. I had clothes hanging to dry on the line and the sun was shining, but I couldn’t do much outside because Jack was napping and our baby monitor only reaches so far. I remembered that I had some blueberries that needed to be used up, so… Read More Jumbo Bakery-Style Muffins
The recent cold snap has hit us in Williamsburg, though not so badly as our family in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana (stay warm you guys!). The lower temperature has meant staying indoors more than normal, which calls for some creative play. Enter waffle making! Joe loves to help in the kitchen. I’ve never had him… Read More Banana Blueberry Flaxseed Waffles: Fun Activity, Fun Lunch
I love cookies. Unfortunately, Joe seems to have inherited this love from me. His father? Sure, he likes cookies, but Chris is more of a brownie and cheesecake man. I’m certain that Joe will love those, too, once he’s introduced to them. But for now, it’s a close tie between cookies and cake, the sweeter… Read More Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
I pinned a recipe for “Crusty Bread” from the Simply So Good blog I don’t know how many months ago. At the time I was in the midst of a bread-making bonanza and was particularly interested in recipes that required as minimal involvement from me as possible (i.e., no kneading, no punching down after a… Read More Overnight Stoneware Pot Bread
This recipe is definitely up there in my top 5 favorite salads: “Avocado, Corn, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad with Lime Dressing”. I can never seem to make enough of this dish. It’s always – poof – gone within 24 hours. Chris will even eat it for breakfast. Why do I like it so much? … Read More Avocado, Corn, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad with Lime Dressing // One of My Faves
I’m still enjoying having access to a full, complete kitchen once again. My cooking and baking senses have gone into overdrive, and Chris and Joe (and lets face it, me as well) are reaping the rewards. This is a photo of two meals that I made recently. The first is the one in the background… Read More Good Eats (and cookie dough that this pregnant woman can safely eat!)
I’m enjoying being back in a proper kitchen. One with a decent amount of supplies, cooking utensils, a full-sized oven and stove, and a freezer that will fit more than an ice cube tray. It’s also nice to be back in New Zealand with familiar ingredients, familiar brands, and my usual recipes. Yes, flour is… Read More It’s nice to have a real kitchen once again.
Last night was night #3 of feeling like we were back to the newborn stage with Joseph. Up at least every 2 hours? Of course. There was no sleep for me till after 2am this morning, and then he was up at 6:30am. Sigh. And yawn. I’m ready for his fever and congestion to vacate… Read More Early Mornings and Make-Ahead Individual Oatmeal Servings
I love brownies. So does my husband. I’m sure that Joe would love them, too, if we ever let him eat them 🙂 Anyway, I recently had to bake some brownies. I’ve been doing a lot more “from scratch” baking these last few years but brownies were one thing that I hadn’t attempted, for 2… Read More On the Fence Brownies
A few days ago I was digging through the pantry and came across a forgotten bag of kumara. I looked at it for a minute, realized that it was getting awfully close to spoiling, and decided to turn it into rolls. Because, of course, the first thing one thinks when looking at kumara is, “Hey…… Read More Kumara (Potato) Rolls
I recently stumbled across an article about American foods that haven’t proved all that popular the world-over. It was an interesting read. Some of them aren’t favorites of mine (scrapple – ick, or fried green tomatoes), but some made me smile and have a gumbly homesick tummy. It got me to thinking about some of… Read More Living in New Zealand: Marmite
I was so glad to see butternut pumpkin squash at the grocery the other day (yes, I know that it’s called “pumpkin” in NZ). I scooped up two of them – one for a lasagna and the other to try out this new recipe. I was in a rush when I made it. I had… Read More Butternut Squash + Parmesan Bread Pudding
I was asked how things were going, re: weaning Joe off nursing. I’ve been hesitant to share for a lot of reasons. However, I recently realized that you can disclaimer yourself into never saying a thing, and that’s no fun. Here is what we do for Joe. And note that when I say “I” in… Read More Weaning Joe
I’ve seen the recipe for chocolate avocado mousse floating around for the last few months. I even considered making it when I was doing my “30 Days, No Processed Sugar” challenge, but the thought of mixing avo + chocolate put me off. Then, I met a friend who made it and I thought, “If she… Read More Chocolate Avocado Mousse? More like Chocolate Avocado Fudge Frosting (and only 3 Ingredients)!
