For the past couple months Trader Joe’s has had a shortage of almond butter.  Lately my husband has been using it every day in a smoothie, so the shortage at TJ’s was becoming an issue! Ha! I’m not sure why I continued to buy almond butter when we’ve prepared homemade peanut butter for so many […]

A couple years ago I wrote about a tour I took through a lovely rural Illinois garden. The organic garden belongs to my mom’s dear friend Pam, and every year her garden grows in size and selection.  I saw Pam last weekend, and she very generously offered to gift me with some of this season’s […]

With my cousin Monika visiting from Poland for the summer, we’ve all had fun reconnecting with our Polish roots. Chris grew up with a Polish father and Polish grandparents, so he’s been practicing speaking his very rusty Polish with Monika, much to her amusement. My Dad asked that I learn how to make a traditional […]

Perhaps one of the best parts about living in the Midwest is easy access to farm fresh foods.  My husband, an East coaster by birth, often reminds me that he considered Illinois a “fly over” state for much of his life, and I often remind him that my part of the country fed his uppity […]

Am I the only one who thinks American kids are a wee bit oversnacked? It seems like every kid we see at the playground has a Ziploc bag of Goldfish crackers in one hand and a juice box in the other.  Can’t kids go a few hours between meals without mindlessly snacking?? Call me a […]

Mack is an enigma to me. He is a newly 3 rambunctious and energetic boy, and he functions at top speed ALL THE TIME.  At his age, I was happy to spend every afternoon playing My Little Ponies with my three sisters, so having a young fella of my own is still new to me.  […]

I recently discovered Peeled, a juice shop here in Chicago.  Whenever I feel sick or tired, I stop in and after the first sip I start feeling better.  For a few years now I have been curious about trying a juice cleanse. I’ve heard promises that consuming only freshly squeezed organic fruit and vegetable juice […]

I have a confession to make: I like fat. Let me qualify that statement: I like healthy fats. I’ll happily consume bacon and whole milk and butter from pasture-raised cows (balanced out, of course, with lots of vegetables).  As far as I’m concerned, traditional foods in their natural state are far, far better for me […]

When we were married more than six years ago, we were gifted with a sturdy cast iron skillet.  For years, I was so intimidated by the thing.  It was so heavy.  And I was pretty sure it required special care and washing.  And what was I supposed to cook in it, anyway? But a few […]

A couple months ago I wrote about a new semi-homemade meal service here in Chicago called Meez Meals.  The nutritious meals are prepped and ready for assembly, saving me time on shopping and chopping.  Every now and then, depending on the busyness of the week ahead, I place an order.  A few weeks ago a […]