When I think about my life as a cook it all starts with my childhood. When I was growing up in Cooperstown there weren’t many restaurants so we cooked at home a lot. Both of my parents are excellent cooks with their own specialties and they taught me recipes and techniques they’d learned from their own parents. The food they made was not overly complicated, but it was delicious. And happy. Everything from salad to dessert was easy going and fun. And of those dishes one of my favorites was the chocolate icebox cake.

Momofuku Milk Bar Cake as seen on Bon Appetit

Feed-a-Crowd Chocolate Cake by Simple Bites

Garden Cake by Mimi Thorisson

Mocha Hazelnut Cheesecake by What Katie Ate

Rhubarb Yogurt Cake by Megan Gordon

Chocolate Dump It Cake by Amanda Hesser

Mexican Chocolate Cake with Mascarpone Frosting by Baked Bree

Lemon Marshmallow Cake from The Kitchn

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake by Kelsey Nixon

White Cake with Vanilla Buttercream from Add a Pinch

Her very own olive tree so she can enjoy amazing olive oil year-round, (Food52, $160 and up)

A gorgeous box of Meyer lemons, always. (White Flower Farm, $35)

Beautiful perfume for spring that smells like wild strawberries with a hint of parsley. (Jo Malone, $70)

The new bestseller she won’t be able to put down. (Amazon, $14.28)

The coziest chic merino fleece she can wear straight from cardio class to the grocery store. (Outdoor Voices, $110)

A relaxing candle for the bath. (The Laundress, $42)

A chic waterbottle for carrying her homemade ice tea wherever she goes. (SwellBottle, $25)

Her very own candy bento box (!) (Sugarfina, $65)

Gorgeous Rosemary & Citrus Body Oil to moisturize and add a smooth glow. (BeautyCounter, $73)

Chic totes for carrying her knitting supplies all around town. (Fringe Supply Co., $65 and up)

This is a good one from my mother. She wrapped it up and sent it back to Connecticut with me that last time I was in Cooperstown. So many of my good recipes come from her! This isn’t a long post but I absolutely have to share this with you. It the best kind of loaf cake: soft and crumbly with a strong Meyer lemon flavor and a slightly crunchy, slightly sweet coconut topping. It is perfect with a cup of tea, sent to school in the lunchbox, or topped with whipped cream and eaten as dessert!

It is April vacation and we are in Cooperstown for a change of scenery. I love being here this time of year. It is still chilly, but there are signs of spring everywhere and it gets me excited for the summer lake season to come. In the spirit of vacation here are a few things around the web you can “travel” to with the click of a mouse. Enjoy!

11 Plants to Grow with Children

How to Start Seedlings in Egg Shells

Funfetti Rice Krispie Treats

Banana Nutella Muffins

Casual desserts that can please both adults and children, and are easy to make, are harder to come by then you think. Ice cream sandwiches are great when it’s warm out, and most adults, and some children, love a good apple tart in the fall. But, really, when it comes one thing that please everyone year round the list is pretty short. One of my go-to’s in the this situation is a pan of brownies. Made from scratch with a generous dose of sea salt, and a hint of bourbon extract, they are perfect for just about everyone.

Spring has sprung and I am still chugging away at cleaning out the pantry. It is has been slow going, yet effective. My shelves are less crowded and I’ve definitely saved money drawing on the dry goods instead of purchasing more. My friend Phoebe has been up to the same thing, cleaning out the pantry in light of a recent move, and today I am joining her in her Spring Pantry Purge (#springpantrypurge). A bunch of use are showing what we are making from our pantry wares in order to inspire others and encourage the spring cleaning mood!

I’ve been working on my baked chicken recipes since it seems that there are a never enough and, generally, my children like them. Since I am about the plant our new summer herb pot I decided it was time to use up the last of my frozen pesto cubes from last year and make this baked caprese pesto chicken. I know my basil will soon be plentiful again and I plan to make lots of fresh pesto as soon as I have enough!