Yesterday we celebrated Evelyn’s first birthday. I can’t believe my precious bundle of joy is now a big girl! We started off her special day with chocolate chip pancakes made from scratch. Its a tradition I grew up with, and I plan to continue it as my little family grows. She ate three pancakes (I […]

We live near a great produce market called Stanley’s. I always find a really nice selection of organic produce at conventional produce prices. Organic apples for $1.29/pound, organic strawberries for $0.98/package, organic zucchini for $0.69/pound…it doesn’t get much better than that! With all the reasonably priced organic produce at Stanley’s its easy for me to […]

Even though I live in a big city, I strive to make my life as homemade as possible. I believe that avoiding processed junk (food and household products) is a healthier and happier way to live. Recently I stumbled on a great book that is all about going back to the basics — The Self […]

For the longest time, cleaning the bathrooms was my least favorite chore. Aside from the obvious gross-ness of the whole task, the process seemed to take forever and as soon as I was done they were dirty again. So, I devised a system to make this daunting duty a little friendlier. Gone are the harsh […]

Came up with a good dinner recipe tonight. Just like salad, its easy to create new and unique pasta recipes using whatever you have in the pantry and fridge. As long as I have a few key ingredients on hand, I can almost always put something together. Here’s my list of kitchen must-haves: Wedge of […]

I’ve come to the realization that salad (much like pasta) is good with just about any ingredients. Empty the fridge into a bowl of lettuce and you’re bound to get a good lunch. Here’s one I came up with yesterday that was down right delish: Two big bowls of romaine lettuce 1/2 avocado Few good […]

A few years ago I quit cold turkey. No, I’m not referring to cigarettes (never had that habit) or drinking (I could never give up a good beer or a cute cocktail). I’m talking about paper towels. Yes, friends, I don’t use paper towels and I don’t miss them even a little bit!! Why did […]

I have received a blog award! Jennifer Desrochers over at http://mommadanddaboyz.blogspot.com honored me as one of her “favorite new blogs.” Coming from a woman as accomplished and inspiring as Jennifer, this is quite an honor. Thank you, Jennifer!! Jennifer tried out my homemade laundry detergent and she blogged about it: http://mommadanddaboyz.blogspot.com/2009/06/adventures-in-homemade-laundry.html She’s got a great […]

The plastic purge continues! My next target? Yogurt! Between my morning protein smoothies and Evelyn’s growing affinity for it, we go through a considerable amount of yogurt every week. And since I am on a crusade to cut out as much plastic consumption as possible, I figured it was time for me to start making […]

I hosted playgroup this afternoon, so baked a Brown Butter Raspberry Tart for the moms. This recipe is from this month’s Bon Appetit (reading magazines and cooking/baking are my favorite ways to relax, so cooking magazines are always a special treat!). What I like about this recipe is how versatile it will be for me […]