Naptime Everyday: Recipes for Everyday Cooking and Baking

What’s Going on Today: Visiting a friend in upstate New York, major arts and crafts projects with kids! Naptime Goals: Relaxing with good friends while the kids nap, making cookie dough to prepare for decorating Linzer cookies. Tonight’s Menu: Baked Chicken, Creamy Polenta, Carrot Souffle, Easter Linzer cookies. Parenting Lesson of the Day: Sleepovers are […]

What’s Going on Today: Last minute errands – pharmacy, travel shop, dry cleaner, etc. – before we head out to Charleston! Naptime Goals: Prepare Chicken Parmesan for dinner, finish packing suitcase. Tonight’s Menu: Chicken Parmesan, Green Salad, Garlic Bread. Parenting Lesson of the Day: Create a “grab bag” of new toys from the dollar store […]

What’s Going on Today: Morning at the library to return books, romp in the park to enjoy good weather, grocery store for almond tart ingredients. Naptime Goals: Make Dutch Almond Tart for lunch at Barbara’s tomorrow, laundry, weed out winter clothes that don’t fit any longer, buy new shoes online for daughter – she’s outgrown […]

What’s Going on Today: Taking my daughter to museum then out to lunch with her friends! (When did she start having lunch appointments?) Naptime Goals: Make homemade ricotta and homemade tomato sauce so that dinner is all set to assemble this evening. Tonight’s Menu: Baked Stuffed Shells with Homemade Ricotta. Parenting Lesson of the Day: […]

Lemon Pudding Cake with Dad from Kelsey Banfield on Vimeo. What’s Going on Today: Morning at the Farmer’s Museum to enjoy the Sugaring Off breakfast, the celebration of the maple syrup harvest with lots o’ pancakes and fresh local syrup! Naptime Goals: Bake Lemon Pudding Cake with my Dad, an amazing home cook who wants […]

What’s Going on Today: My daughter is mad at me because I didn’t make it to the store in time and they are sold out of sleds! (Hoping someone will let us borrow one when we get to the hill!) Naptime Goals: Bake Pear Butter Cake, place chicken in the marinade – leave it in […]

What’s Going on Today: Packing for return to NYC, building last few sand castles on the beach. Naptime Goals: Reading on the balcony, gather up toys to pack in the diaper bag for the flight. Tonight’s Meal: Tomato Risotto, Salad It seems appropriate to kick-off my Cooking with Tessa series while on vacation. If you’ve […]

My Day So Far: A morning trip to Dorie’s Cookie Bar with friends! Naptime Goals: Prepare Crunchy Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon for dinner, start packing for trip to Florida! Tonight’s Meal: Macaroni and Cheese, green salad with arugula, pine nuts and gorgonzola. Parenting Lesson of the Day: Sometimes packing for vacation feels like moving […]

My Day So Far: 5:30am wake-up from daughter looking for a lost toy in her crib, grocery shopping (Meyer lemons!), laundry, preparing for pre-school interview tomorrow(!) Naptime Goals: Make Meyer Lemon Rice Pudding, set-up daughter’s ladybug tent, catch up on thank you notes and emails. Tonight’s Meal: Leftover Chicken Scallopini, green beans with walnuts, rice […]

This delicious and easy tomato soup recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal. You can even double the recipe and freeze half if you’re stocking your freezer! Serve it with a hot grilled cheese or a big green salad to round out the perfect meal.

My Day So Far: Morning dentist visit (me), Museum of Natural History to see Live Butterfly exhibit (me, daughter, friends), noodle soup lunch to combat frigid temps! Naptime Goals: Make Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies for in-law’s. Pack for weekend trip to Martha’s Vineyard. Tonight’s Meal: Thai take-out. We are leaving at the crack of dawn […]

My Day So Far: Post-holiday catch up: thank you notes, bill paying, grocery shopping (!), brunch with daughter at local bagel shop. Naptime Goals: Make Artichoke Lasagna, take down Christmas decorations, catch up on after vacation pile o’ mail. Tonight’s Meal: Artichoke Lasagna – we’ll have it for tomorrow night, too! Parenting Lesson of the […]