My friend Jackie and I have had numerous cooking dates while stuck at home with sick kids. We’ve been doing this for years now and have avoided the feeling of isolation that often comes from being trapped in the house for days with feverish children glued to the TV. Jackie was the first to brave ...
Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook
Alison's Farm Fresh Vegetable Stew recipe, photo and blog will be published in a beautiful, full-color, internationally distributed cookbook published by Andrews McMeel, released on October 19, 2010. Born out of the "Blog to Book" panel at the first International Food Blogger Conference (IFBC) in ...
Cute & Creepy Quesadillas
These adorable mini quesadillas make a perfect two-bite Halloween appetizer or a fun lunch box meal. Serve them with salsa, sour cream or guacamole and you’ll be sure to please both kids and adults. Recipe source:Cooking With Friends KitchenIngredients20 large flour tortillas 2 cans black beans, ...
The Journey is the Reward
Planning a big event is often emotional, as it’s over as quick as it seems it started. My father taught me long ago to enjoy the process, sharing his wisdom that the journey is the reward. So, for my son’s Bar Mitzvah celebration this past weekend, I took that profound thought to heart and tried to ...
Cooking With Friends, Emily Post Style
As the gal in charge of Cooking With Friends, I’m privy to a lot of information; in person feedback from friends, behind the scenes e-mails from Cooking With Friends fans and of course, my own personal experience. Like everything else in life, there are certain rules of etiquette that apply to the ...
Pesto Fest
I was thrilled to participate in a pesto making session last Friday for my daughter’s school. Sabina, an avid gardener and fellow mom, has slowly but surely been teaching the school children how to plant, grow and then eat various fruits and vegetables. Her influence is immeasurable, as she humbly ...
On Our Bookshelf September 2010
5 Ingredient Fix By, Claire Robinson The fantastic photography is enough in itself to want your own copy of this book. Based on the premise of her Food Network show, Claire Robinson's new book is filled with "Easy, Elegant and Irresistable" recipes that use only five ingredients. ...
Smokey Southwestern Vegetarian Empanadas
Each pastry is bursting with flavor and packed with veggies and protein. These hearty, smoky empanadas are a great hors d’oeuvres or meal and will even satisfy your meat eater. Serve them with salsa and light sour cream or guacamole. You can find many of the ingredients at the farmer’s markets. ...
Fig Frenzy
My friend Debbie and I are crazy for figs — we eat them whole, slice them with cheese or make various delicious meals with them. Since we each had three pounds of figs, this past Thursday we decided to make some jam together. Carving out some time got a bit challenging, but we settled on an hour ...
A Week of Food Traditions
So many traditions revolve around food, shopping for ingredients, cooking and of course, eating. Sure, I have my non-food traditions, like watching the giant balloons being blown up for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. But even that usually ends with a Vietnamese feast from one of our favorite ...