Desserts

Apple Spice Cake

Chris took some of the kids camping in Wisconsin over Labor Day weekend. They canoed for 10 miles, camped on a sandbar, weathered a middle-of-the-night thunderstorm, then returned home exhausted but exhilarated. I would have loved to join them, but a trek like that with 4 year old twins just isn’t my idea of a […]


Grandma Gloria’s Italian Cream Recipe

My Mack is STILL in school. Chicago Public Schools might just be the last school in the entire country to let out for the summer. I actually don’t mind: we’ve had a crappy start to the summer as far as the weather goes, so he might as well enjoy the heat of August and early […]


Oven S’mores

Ugh. Winter. We are now halfway through February and officially OVER the cold and ice and dreary skies. Dainty snowflakes fluttering from the sky are no longer charming, even to seasoned Chicagoans like us. With all of us stuck in the house, I desperately (frantically?) look for any opportunity to make a memory, pass the […]


Little Strawberry Pies with My Big Boy

My Ben. He just turned 4 and has officially declared himself to be a Big Boy. I have to remind myself that he is right – 4 means he’s left the toddler years behind and he is ready for more. He had his 4-year check up with the pediatrician this morning, and even though he […]


Winning Rice Krispy Cookies

When I was growing up my mom did a fabulous job making Christmas a special time for her five children. Now that I have six of my own, I appreciate the time and effort it took for her to give us such warm and comforting memories. Her example is what motivates me to keep on […]


Homemade Zucchini Bread – or Cake?

Last week I questioned the Homemade Mothering Facebook community on a supremely first world problem: Need some people with minimalistic sensibilities to weigh in: should I keep this? I never use it, but I love the *idea* of using it. Homemade cookies, cake and pie (which I *love* to make!) would look so cute in […]


Happy Birthday, Mack + Banana Cream Pie Recipe

March is a busy time for our family. Three of the six kids celebrate their birthday this month, which means lots of baking. In truth, all the festivities can be a bit stressful for me. I want so badly to make every kid feel special on his or her special day, but the reality is […]


Great Great Grandma Betty’s Kolachky Recipe

And, just like that, Christmas is over. It seems like the season was especially short this year (probably because Mack’s winter break didn’t start until December 23rd!), but I’m not feeling the typical post-holiday blues (probably because we really did have a nice season of peace and love and toys). When I was growing up, […]


Homemade Irish Flapjacks for St. Brigid’s Day

February is now upon us, but based on today’s fine weather it’s easy to think it is April. When my Grandma told me that February 1 is St Brigid’s Day, the Celtic celebration of the arrival of warmer days and the early signs of spring, I felt my spirits rise. Winter will end soon enough, and […]


The Kids’ Table (+ Cinnamon Apple Cake)

I was recently asked by a local kids cooking school what my definition of “The Kids Table” is. It took me just a few moments of reflection to come up with my answer: time together. Kids should feel welcome in the kitchen at any time. It is the heart of every home, the place where […]


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