Naptime Simple Tips: Fun & Essential Tips for Your Kitchen

Today I am celebrating my birthday Oprah-style. That is, I have collected a whole bunch of my favorite things – both cooking related and otherwise – and am giving them to YOU! That’s right, it is fun to receive presents, but it is more fun to give, I think, which is why this early 30-something birthday is all about sharing some of my absolute favorite items with everyone here.
This giveaway not only marks the “official” launch of the blog redesign, it also marks the beginning of the first of many food challenge and celebration weeks coming up this year. Next week The Naptime Chef is going to be all about birthdays!

Last spring I planted this terrific container garden for our deck and we’ve been enjoying the bounty of herbs all summer long. There is no end to the flavor possibilities with delicious fresh herbs on hand and I, for one, have been adding them to just about all of my dishes. Now that fall is coming it is time for me to start freezing the remaining herbs so I can use them all winter. A lot of people I talk with are surprised that I bother to do this since fresh herbs can be procured at the store year-round. This is true, of course, but I prefer to preserve the herbs I’ve been growing all season because it saves a lot of money and my homegrown herbs simply taste better.

My sweet neighbor just had a beautiful new baby and I am planning to cook a few meals for her as soon as her mother-in-law leaves. It’s not that I don’t want to feed her mother-in-law, it is just that I want to wait until all of her help has departed so I can swoop in when she really needs an extra hand. I’ve cooked for many of my friends after they’ve had babies and I find that around the four week mark, once the helping hands have gone home, that they need a warm meal and some extra TLC.

I work pretty much every day of the week. I try to take at least one day a week off, but that rarely happens. Weekday mornings are dedicated to my daughter. I am usually focused on getting out of the house to her morning activity and to the gym so I can work out. In the early afternoons she naps, goes to school, or has quiet time in her room with books, and I consider that the start to my workday.

A few weeks ago I asked people on my Facebook fanpage to share which candy bar they like to eat frozen. I was astounded at the response. I always thought I was a little weird for freezing candy bars, but it turns out you all like frozen candy bars as much as I do! I […]

I am spending some time in Cooperstown with my family right now and am enjoying the break from my normal routine. Vacation has proved positively exhausting for my daughter and while she takes her daily nap I’ve been cooking all sorts of fabulous summer foods with my parent’s. Stay tuned, I will be sharing some […]

With all that has been going on webisodes were put on the back burner for a while. I love doing them, but they take a lot more time than a regular post. Since my last webisode I’ve traveled to Atlanta, Vermont, Cooperstown (twice) and Martha’s Vineyard (twice). More often than not, these travels have been […]

It is officially grilling season. Some would argue it started last month, but the weather in the northeast doesn’t really perk-up until July which is when summer really begins in my world. To get you started with your grilling this season here are some of my basic grilling tips along with some awesome grilling recipes. […]

Two years ago I wrote about summer 1997 and my first internship ever working at Vanberg & DeWulf, the Belgian beer importing business in Cooperstown, NY. During that summer I worked closely with Wendy Littlefield and Don Feinberg learning about all aspects of the beverage business. Amidst the flurry of office activity I also learned […]

Every so often I like to take a break from recipes to share some of the things I’ve been enjoying on the web recently. These are sites and products, both food related and otherwise, that have been catching my eye and I think you might enjoy as well. Have a great weekend, I’ll be back […]

I love to incorporate fresh seasonal fruit into just about everything I serve in the summer. In the Northeast our season for cherries, berries, peaches, apricots and plums is quite short it is necessary to get while the gettin’ is good. Our weekly farmer’s market opens in June and on every single visit I come […]

Picnic season is finally here and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. We love taking our meals from home “to-go” in the warmer weather. Our sandwiches always seem to taste a little bit better in the fresh, salty beach air. Lunches beneath the oak trees at the playground have an enjoyable, relaxed vibe and we […]