I am not a grilling maniac, but I like to fire up the coals and cook on them while the weather is good. I have a roster of tried-and-true grilling recipes I return to year after year the second the thermometer takes a turn for the better. One of them in chicken kebabs. There is no hard and fast way to make a chicken kebab. In fact, I’d say I barely use a recipe. Instead I use this simple formula and they turn out great every time!:

Yup, here I am to beat you over the head with a few new rhubarb recipes this spring. You didn’t think I’d let the whole season pass us by without at least one or two new ones, did you? Silly people. It is my Favorite with a capital “F”! I even planted two rhubarb roots in my new garden with the hopes I’ll be harvesting my own homegrown rhubarb pretty soon. Until then, there is still plenty at the market. This recipes fits neatly into the category of recipes you’d make for Memorial Day or to serve to summer house guests. Or, if you are like me, you will just make it for no special reason whatsoever. Anything with rhubarb needs to be made and enjoyed any/every day of the week. Right? Right.

Last week I received a big box from Blue Apron, the online meal delivery service that sends recipes with pre-measured ingredients for three delicious dinners straight to your doorstep. Even though I do most of my own cooking from scratch, I was excited to try a service that promised to breathe new life into my weekly repertoire. Lately I’ve been in need of fresh inspiration for the new season so this was the perfect time to give it a whirl.

Last month my friend Barbara introduced me to a new book, The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits: A Handbook of Etiquette with Recipes, and the authors Suzanne Pollak and Lee Manigault. It is undoubtedly the whittiest, most fun, informative, and inventive cookbook I’ve read in a long time. Chock full of southern charm, Suzanne and Lee manage to get right down to the brass tacks of eating, entertaining, and house-keeping without seeming overbearing or bossy. To cap it off, instead of photographs the book is dotted with cheeky illustrations reminiscent of New York cartoons.

My personal favorite part of the book are the observations on entertaining which ring 100% true. Here are a few of my favorites:

Every so often I love sharing a list of favorites I’ve been enjoying lately around the web. I’d love to be as organized as Joanna and share it every Friday but alas, those little kidlets seem to get in the way! Here are some of my newest obsessions from around the web and in stores lately if you’d like to see:

Lizzie’s new shirt for Tradlands has become my spring uniform. I think I might have to treat myself to the white one soon.

Easy Parmesan Chicken Tenders for the whole family.

Phoebe’s new Wellness Wednesday hangouts are genius.

Molly’s new book is out! I am halfway through it.

I need to get better at instagram like Aimee.

Oh, to live on a farm in England is one my bucket list.

Obsessed.

The best breezy beach cover-up for summer.

Also, stay tuned for exciting announcements about the next book soon! xo

Everyone has recipes they reinvent time and time again and one of mine is banana bread. Soft, easy to make, and one of my daughter’s top five favorite snack foods, it never gets old. In fact, I am pretty sure I could make the same old banana bread over and over and she would find it just as wonderful as the first time she tried it. The only thing is I like to keep trying new variations. Sometimes it is a new topping, sometimes it is a new add-in, and sometimes it is a new form! This week I decided to sweeten it up and a bit and it was a huge hit.

Lately I’ve had pantries on my mind. As I mentally design my dream kitchen it doesn’t have cabinets. I would like to have kitchen counters with nothing over the top. Also, I am not that tall and I am so tired of having to use step stools to get beyond the first shelf. What’s the point? I think one large pantry for food and everyday items is ideal. That way there are no cabinets, and everything can be put where I want in order of how I need to reach it. Here are a few pantries I’ve been loving lately:

When my son was born last year my friend Amy brought us a delicious cinnamon-y bundt cake as part of our dinner train meal. The warm, moist quick bread was the perfect balm to soothe my sleep-frazzled nerves. When I asked for the recipe I expected her to share one for cake and was shocked to learn it was classic Amish friendship bread. I had always envisioned Amish friendship bread to be a yeasty loaf-like bread that was used for sandwiches. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This spring, now that I (mostly) have my feet back under me, Amy shared a cup of her starter with me and I’ve been having a blast learning how to use it.

I am a little sad these days because my dear neighbor, Sarah, has moved to Pennsylvania! {Sniff!} The community we live in is very transient, but it always hard to say good-bye to a friend, especially since we just settled into a new house for a while. One of my favorite things about our old neighbors is that we used to lend a hand to each other whenever we could. For example, when we moved last fall Sarah made dinner for us for our first night in our new house. It was such a thoughtful gesture. Instead of blah take-out, we got a home cooked meal of enchiladas, Mexican rice, and salad. Talk about the epitome of a good friend.