Boy Breakfast

Yesterday, Evan announced that he wanted a “fruit breakfast” and asked for a whole pear and a whole banana (they were quite large). I tried to warn him that eating that much fruit may not be good for his little tummy, but could not persuade him. I think he understood my concerns later, but I’ll [...]

Things You Don’t Expect Your Picky Eater to Say

“Can I have some more of that cabbage?”  It was stir-fried with a bit of oyster sauce. I was convinced he must not know it was a vegetable.
“I like mozzerella, parmesan, and a little bit of cheddar is okay, I guess.”  From a child who used to eat only the rubbery, individually-wrapped processed cheese food [...]

Christmas Day Menu

We are iced in and uncertain when we’ll be able to venture out (safely) again.  Church was rescheduled for Saturday morning due to the weather–a great decision, since chains are required to drive today and it’s just easier and safer to stay home.  Today, I was able to sleep until almost 10am before the natives [...]

Meal Planning with Flexibility

My friend Loraena recently blogged about some cooking exploits.  I attempted to answer some of her questions in a comment but it got a bit long, so I decided to blog my answers instead.

How do you plan your meals and stay flexible?  I plan about two weeks worth of meals at a time, including ideas [...]

What the World Eats

I’ve been reading this really interesting book that I got from the library called What the World Eats.  It came to my attention when CNN listed a link to a Time Magazine photo essay that included a number of pictures from the book (see Part I and Part II).
What the World Eats was written by [...]

Adventures in Bacon

I’m a lazy bacon-lover.  I buy the precooked stuff that you can throw in the microwave and have it ready in 30 seconds.  No mess, and it’s good enough to get my bacon fix without going to a lot of trouble.
I went to bed last night and the four pounds of bacon I had cooked [...]

Stupor Mundi

I’m sure you’re all familiar with Rice Krispies Treats.  My roommates in college used to take advantage of the microwave that was in the dorm snack room to make something similar with cornflakes.  I made it for the kids a few months ago and now it’s the go-to dessert — quick and easy and everybody [...]

It Sounded Good, It Looked Good, But it Wasn’t So Good

I tried a new recipe the other night.  The funniest feedback (and potentially the most offensive) was that it tasted like space shuttle food–you know, it gives you calories but is otherwise completely unappealing?  Actually, I agreed with that assessment so it was hard not to appreciate the imagination behind that comment (I won’t tell [...]

The Cheese Snob

Our nine-year-old, Kendall, loves cheese.  I’m not talking American and Cheddar.  I’m talking Swiss and French names at the organic market that I can’t even pronounce.  We’ve tried small amounts of these unpronouncable types on occasion, and I admit that many have been too strong for my taste.  Kendall ate them all and loved them.  She [...]

Birthday Recap

My birthday dinner at Le Hana was SOOOO good that I just had to tell you about it.  Le Hana is a Japanese French fusion restaurant: think upscale Japanese food with the flair and sophistication in presentation that you would expect in a French restaurant.
We ordered a bunch of stuff and shared it (with the exception [...]