While were on the tiny Mexican island of Isla Mujeres last month I was a big fan of all the fresh local foods. Super creamy avocados, bright orange mangoes, and coconut water poured straight from a sun-warmed coconut – every bite was such a treat.  I am excited for the return of Chicago’s farmers’ markets […]

We eat a lot of soup.  My husband loves bringing homemade soup to work for lunch, so at the beginning of each week I make a big pot that lasts until Friday.  I usually try to make enough for me and the kids, too, as soups can be a healthy and simple way to get […]

Even though its the dead of winter and snow covers the ground, we enjoyed a flavorful homemade tomato soup for dinner tonight.  There’s no way fresh tomatoes found at the grocery store this time of the year could carry a meal like this, so I’m grateful for the many pints of organic heirloom tomatoes I […]

Such a nice Christmas!  Our families and Santa were very generous to my two little ones – Evelyn finally got her baby bed! –  so we spent much of the day playing with new toys.  And, for the first time in 13 years we enjoyed a white Christmas. We started the day with a very […]

My grandparents recently gave us the most wonderful gift: three pounds of wild Alaskan salmon! With our tight grocery budget, a treat like fresh salmon is usually only a twice-a-month thing for us. Thanks to Grandma and Papa’s generosity, we’ll enjoy three extra special meals. I came up with this recipe the other night. I […]

After what was perhaps one of the loveliest falls in recent memory, winter has decidedly settled upon my bustling city. Christmas lights adorn the trees that line the streets, snow fell a few days ago and a thin ice sheen covers part of the river outside our apartment. Evelyn and Mack seem thrilled with this […]

Living in a big city offers many eco-boosting benefits: we walk every where, we have an extensive farmers market system and and we live in a reasonably-sized apartment that doesn’t require a ton of energy to heat and cool. With that said, I am still bummed that I can’t compost our food scraps. I’d estimate […]

My sweet little Mack is eight months old today. Time is really flying! For the past couple months I’ve been busy in the kitchen making special foods just for him, and it feels like deja vu – I swear it was just yesterday that I was doing the same thing for Evelyn. Unfortunately, he isn’t […]

My husband works on Sundays, which is a bummer for him and a bummer for me. We both feel like we’re robbed of a weekend day – he has to go in to the office, and I’m busy chasing the kids, running errands, tidying the house, and preparing foods for the week ahead. I’m looking […]

Today started out kinda crummy. Evie, Mack and I were supposed to meet my husband in South Bend to cheer on our alma mater Notre Dame, but due to the rain and clouds and chilly temperatures we opted to stay in the city at the last minute. That left me with two energetic little ones […]