Now that we are in the thick of summer, we are outside ALL THE TIME. Seriously, we don’t come in every evening until 5:30, which makes dinner prep almost impossible: by the time we are in, the kids are hungry but dinner hasn’t even been started! Whenever possible, I make dinner in the early afternoon. […]

I think one of the simple, great joys in life is a homemade hot lunch. There is something so quietly indulgent about carving out a few minutes in the middle of an otherwise busy day to prepare a healthy meal from scratch. I don’t do it everyday, but that’s what makes it so special, right? […]

I need a weekend after this weekend. I love holidays – and I love three day weekends! – but with four kids these special days create a lot of extra work. If I want memories to be made, I have to help make them. So, Chris and I organized a neighborhood party that included classic […]

I am always on the hunt for tasty homemade meals that produce a minimal mess. This search frequently brings me back to simple slow cooker meals – toss everything into one dish, clean up the prep, and go live life while the machine does the rest of the work. Ahhhhh. I’m especially glad I had […]

When Chris was in business school at Kellogg we met some of the best friends of our lives. It was such a special time because we all were at the same stage in life: newly married, no kids (yet), happy to make-do in small vintage apartments all walking distance from each other. I have nothing […]

I am on the neverending search for easy weeknight dinners that the kids will eat and are quick to clean up. Last fall the butchers at our neighborhood Whole Foods were cookin’ up some oxtail to entice shopped over to their section, and as we passed by Mack demanded that I stop so he could […]

I am so happy a new year is upon us. 2014 was long and hard and exhausting, and I feel like the symbolic new chapter has begun! To start the new year off the homemade way, the kids and I spent January 1st making pizza for dinner. My little family is still young, so I […]

Brrrrr…it is FREEZING here in Chicago. Like, bitter, bitter, BITTER cold. We’re doing our best to keep busy (and sane!) indoors, and I’ve found that a little creativity goes a long way. Mack wants to be a chef when he grows up, so I try my best to foster his interest in cooking. Quite often […]

With four kids, getting dinner on the table can be a real struggle. Someone always needs my attention, and I can’t watch the stove while I’m helping with homework or kissing a boo-boo or snuggling a tired two year old. Lately, on the days I am home I try to prepare dinner in the late […]

Monday was so glorious! A high near 80 degrees!! The decidedly un fall-like weather kept us outdoors nearly all day. After school, the kids spent the afternoon splashing around with the hose. Maybe winter will skip us this year?! Despite the summer temperature, I prepared a fall dinner. I had planned the week’s menu before […]