I’ve become such a geek about canning fresh fruits and vegetables. I live in the middle of downtown Chicago, so I lack the space to grow my own produce.  But, I am happy to make do with what our neighborhood farmer’s market has to offer.  Last summer I bought a big bag of discounted ugly […]

As a Homemade Mother, it is my goal to bring comfort and security to my family.  Whether its a kiss on the knee when Mack trips or a extra long cuddle when Evie has a tummy ache or a bowl of homemade soup when Chris is feeling sick, I’m happy to soothe any boo-boo. I […]

Much to my great disappointment, Evelyn has become a bit of a picky eater during the last six months or so.  She used to be so adventurous – she’d try anything we gave her, and more often than not, she loved every bite. But, these days if something looks even a little unfamiliar or suspicious […]

Ever since I taught myself how to preserve fresh foods the old-fashioned way last summer, I’ve been obsessed.  It is such a rewarding way to spend a quiet summer afternoon.  I swear my heart skips a beat when I hear the tops of the jars “pop!”, signaling that the food within is now safe and […]

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about garlic scapes, the curly tops of garlic plants.  Bright green in color, they are entirely edible and loaded with garlic flavor.  Because they are only available for a few short weeks every year, devotees make a mad dash for local sources before the season passes. Having no clue […]

The kids and I love Tuesdays in the summer.  We stop by our neighborhood farmers market, exchange books at the library and play at a nearby park. It has become such a treasured ritual that I won’t make any other plans for Tuesday mornings. Chris left for a business trip very early on Tuesday this […]

While we were at my parents’ house last weekend for a little staycation, I had a lot of fun making homemade meals using the season’s freshest fruits and vegetables.  Blueberry pancakes for breakfast and BBQ chicken with tomato salad, grilled corn and green beans for dinner.  I love summer! We had two ears of corn […]

I can’t believe the 4th of July came and went.  In my mind, this holiday marks the halfway point of summer, but Chicago weather has been quite temperamental the last couple months so it feels like summer just began. Chris has been working a lot lately, and the kids and I were going a little […]

Last weekend was Pride Weekend here in Chicago.  It is a fun way to celebrate our city’s gay and lesbian community, and so the kids and I drove up to the Lakeview neighborhood on Sunday to check out some of the festivities.  Evie was very curious about all the people filling the sidewalks for the […]

I made such a pretty lunch today, so I thought I’d share it.  A salad full of bright colors and generous flavors is the perfect way to load up on more than a few of my daily vegetable servings.  And, the homemade lime dressing took about 32 seconds to make – waaaay healthier (and cheaper!) […]