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Are you ready for a One Pan Roast Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes? I’m am! Let me explain…As I’ve shared a lot recently, the past few years have been a journey. One of the brightest spots along the way has been my involvement with Gatherer Entertainment. I’ve talked a bit about it before, but it’s a production company focused on content for women 35+. Given that I’m in that group now it really speaks to me – I definitely look for different internet content than millenials!

To that end, a couple years ago Jenna and I worked together to develop a show that speaks to parents about cooking. It’s all about cooking smarter, not harder and making delicious food for your family. Here’s the first episode and stay tuned because I’ll be rolling out all of them over the next several weeks! Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could get this viral so we could get the attention of some networks/platforms who’d like to order more episodes? I’m game to film more if that’s what you want! 

Hello! I’ve been popping into The Naptime Chef Facebook page a lot recently to say Hi in person. This is all new to me because Facebook LIVE didn’t exist when I first started this page way back when. I know, I know, I sound super old when I say that. Anyway, I really just love the more personal interaction with all of you. I’ve been having fun getting into video again and this is a great way to do it without being crazy formal!

So, today I stopped in to talk about the cookbooks I’m currently drawing inspiration from. I always find this time of year a little tricky since it’s cold once day, and quite warm the next. I mean, what’s a cook to do? In the end I usually employ my VERY unscientific method of selecting books by scanning my ROYGBIV bookshelves and pulling the books that speak to me at that moment.

I really focus on the ones that contain the healthy/hearty fare. I’m not quite ready for gazpacho and grilled shrimp yet! At this point in the year a good salad, a pan of roast chicken, and a chilled glass of rosé sounds perfect. I also happen to me semi-training for my first half-marathon on June 2nd. I have got to get on the stick about that, and that includes eating nourishing foods while I train.

Here are the books I selected above. I highly recommend them if you are looking for some new seasonal inspiration!

Food52: A New Way to Dinner : This awesome playbook-style cookbook is lovely to read and the recipes are spot on. It truly provides ALL the tips in tricks for getting one grocery haul and making it into several delicious meals over the course of the week. I also love that the chapters are organized by season. 

I’m so, so excited to share this author interview because I absolutely adore this book! I’m also thrilled to share these fun photos from the book signing in Darien the other day. They the coolest women, just as they sound in the book, and we had a blast. Do you want to win a copy? If so, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and the exclusive giveaway! 😉

The book signing was at Kirby & Company in Darien, Ct.

It’s such a beautiful store and they really went with the rainbow theme of the book!

We are stretching boundaries of Cookbook Club this month for an interview with Clea and Joanna of The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals. I LOVE this book for sooo many reasons – it speaks directly to my organized Virgo heart! To be honest my favorite sections are the pantry and cookbook shelves sections because they obviously are incredibly relevant to me, but I swear this whole volume is amazing and is worth adding to your collection.

TSLN) The Home Edit is a goldmine of organizing advice! How long did it take you develop your organization style?

THE) Thank you! We’re so excited to finally be able to share it with everyone. Although we’re both extremely organized people, we come from different backgrounds. Clea worked in the fashion industry and went to art school, so her approach is very aesthetic-driven. Joanna comes from a traditional organization background, so that’s where a lot of the functionality comes in. From the start, our differences help us work really well together and it’s also been the reason THE signature style is what it is today. It’s definitely a collaboration!

TLSN) What is the most common organizing problem you encounter and how do you solve it? And, to add to that, do we all honestly have to start decanting our spices?!

THE) Too many items and not enough space. It’s why purging the items you no longer want or need is so important. If not, then you are essentially shuffling clutter back and forth— which is not organizing! Basically, we solve the space by viewing it completely empty. It’s the only way to properly decide on storage solutions that will fit the space and make items more accessible. Often times, it comes down to getting creative by maximizing vertical or floor space that was otherwise ignored.

You don’t have to do anything. Our rule of thumb is that organization isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Storage solutions need to fit someone’s lifestyle and space measurements, or else people won’t maintain it. We love storing our spices in glass jars because it saves space and we can’t resist a good ROYGBIV moment. However, some people prefer to keep spices in their original packaging and use a turntable as an accessible solution.

TLSN) What’s the wildest organizing job you’ve ever had to tackle? Spill it! 

THE) We’ve organized an ENTIRE 5,000 square foot house. Every closet, every drawer, every shelf, literally all of it. It took about three weeks to complete, but it looked AMAZING at the end! That’s one of the many things we love about our job—being able to see a space completely transform.

TLSN) What’s next for The Home Edit? I’d like to request a line of ROYGBIV storage containers and labels in perfect cursive, please!

We’re OFFICIALLY launching an NYC team in April, AND we’re so excited to finally share that we will be launching an exclusive collection of products we designed with iDesign, which will be available ONLY at The Container Store in May!”

I have to share this recipe for the Homemade Cinnamon Honey Peanut Butter from Uncle Will. He is a bit of a health champion and swears this is a great protein-heavy snack. It’s easy to make, tastes amazing, and is a delicious dip for fruit or vegetables, or spread on bread. I’ll admit, I’m not usually one for making homemade peanut butter but this is truly amazing!

When I first was given Cooking with Scraps: Turn Your Peels, Cores, Rinds, and Stems into Delicious Meals by Lindsay-Jean Hard, I’ll admit that I was skeptical. I like to think I’m good about not wasting too many food scraps. But did I want to start making banana bread with the peels? It turns out, YES! After making a couple of recipes and given this a thorough read through I can honestly say this is a wonderful book for even the most unsure. I promise, it really is about using those scraps we all find ourselves hold after a good vegetable chopping session. Things like beet greens, banana peels, apple cores and more are simply reused to flavorful results.

I’m super excited that Lindsay-Jean stopped by today to chat with us and giveaway a copy of her book!

TNC) This book is so inspired! What first interested you in work with food scraps?

LJH) Thank you! It started on some level when my husband and I were living in Japan. We joined a CSA for the first time, and it was really a period of discovery for me—leaning about new-to-me produce and how to cook it—and it also got me thinking more about where my food was coming from. Knowing that local farmers had grown all of the items in my box made me want to make sure I was honoring that time and effort by putting it all to good use.

Years later, when I was working at Food52.com, the editorial team was brainstorming new columns, and someone suggested one based on the “Garbage” chapter within Gabrielle Hamilton’s cookbook Prune. It struck a chord in me, and I all but insisted that I had to have that column—it was called, you guessed it, Cooking with Scraps. I would hunt through the recipe archives on Food52 for recipes making smart use of underutilized produce parts and other odds and ends, and feature those community members’ recipes (and a few of my own). I learned so much from fellow Food52-ers from that column that I really wanted to share that knowledge with a larger audience, and Cooking with Scraps, the cookbook, was born!

TNC) The banana peel cake is sooo interesting… whatever made you think to use the peels?

LJH) I don’t remember how I first learned that they are edible, but once I figured that out, it was enough for me to assume that they could be cooked, blended, and used like any other fruit purée in a baked good. My first thought was to use the peels in “banana” bread, but I didn’t already have a favorite banana bread recipe to use as a jumping off point, I did, however, know that my grandmother’s banana cake is perfection, so I decided to start there instead, and lo and behold, using banana skin purée in her recipe in place of bananas was an easy (and delicious) substitution.

TNC) Can you advise a cozy winter menu of recipes from the book?

LJH) Right now I’d love to warm up with a bowl of Brothy Beans with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Rind with a Crispy Breadcrumb Fried Egg on top, and a Vanilla Pod Brandy Hot Toddy to sip on.

TNC) What food scrap do you think will surprise people the most as being flavorful and fun?

LJH) I think banana peels are definitely the most surprising, but second place might go to spent coffee grounds. They still hold a lot of flavor, more than enough to lend their roasty goodness to dishes savory and sweet. In the book, I used them to add texture and flavor to a nut butter, and on Food52, I use them in a French Silk Pie, both directly in the crust with chocolate cookie crumbs, and also to infuse flavor into the whipped cream topping.

TNC) What’s next for your food scrap recipes? There is so much more to do with this and the food sustainability movement!

LJH) Great question! So far I’ve had suggestions for follow up books—Scrappy Cocktails (self-explanatory) and Cooking with Scrappy (scrap-focused recipes for dogs, the person who suggested it has a dog named Scrappy). Both good options, but I’m still open to other ideas. 🙂

Allbirds wool loungers, incredibly comfortable all-wool shoes to wear around the house.

The softest, most luxurious faux fur poncho for the walk to school.

Lovely cookies that are almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

The book she’s been dying to read, or another notable one she’s been eyeing.

A chic tassel that will give her purse an instant upgrade.

One of the most inspiring baking books of the season, she’ll be whipping up cakes in no time!

A ultimate blend for a long, relaxing tub soak.

Amazing face oil that makes skin positively glow. Every drop is pure luxury!

A lovely waterbottle for toting around in her purse.

The most gorgeous scented candle that smells like the Maine woods in deep summer.

A truly amazing product that leaves you with the softest feet EVER!

The newest book from one of her favorite mystery authors.

A super fun traveling jewelry box for all of her adventures!

Big Block French Kitchen Soap for all of her pot scrubbing needs and that even makes the kitchen sink look chic.

Gorgeous hand-painted notepads for writing lots of notes about important things.

A fabulous cookbook all about feeding friends and loved ones with yummy, easy recipes.

The world’s coziest fleece for everyday hanging out and running errands.

An awesome card deck she can use every day for alignment, love, and growth.

Hands down the coolest French bag company – the possibilities are endless!

The most gorgeous table linens, because she always entertains in style.

Give 5 Year Olds:

The BEST cozy sweatshirt for winter.

Timelines of Everything, because curious kindergarteners want to know!

Yummy candy to remind them of summer.

Construction and demolition all in one game, need I say more?

Emoji punching balloons for hours of fun.

Gifts for 10 years +:

A super cool portable speaker that pulses with their music and is totally waterproof.

A belgian waffler maker for making Saturday morning waffles.

A Rockets of Awesome box full of fun clothes she’ll wear over and over.

An Ozo Bot, the coolest robot she play with for fun while honing her coding skills.

Greenglass House, a riveting mystery full of ghosts, magic, and more!

(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mirum, and all the opinions expressed and photographs are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make The Naptime Chef possible.)

Halloween is ovah and it’s time for the real holiday season to kick into high gear! For most of us busy parents that very sentence strikes mild panic into our hearts. Are we really read for hosting relatives/decorating/wrapping/socializing and the like? How on Earth will be handle it all? Don’t get me wrong, I love and adore the holiday season, but it is definitely not the most laid-back time of the year.

So! Today I’m here with five easy ways to relieve holiday stress. These are some easy peasy quick-fixes that will help the next two months go off without a hitch. Promise!

1. Plan Menus NOW: I know menu planning is not necessarily everyone’s favorite topic. However, planning menus for Thanksgiving, cocktail parties, Christmas Dinner, kids parties and more makes such a difference. Can you envision the difference between “oh, I’m making potatoes and cocktail nuts for Thanksgiving!” and opening your cupboard and fridge for the ingredients…versus running to the store the day before, sharpening your elbows and hoping for the best while you sweat it out in the crowds?! Advance planning helps you get ingredients in the cupboard, the right cookbooks pulled from your shelf, and all the worrying out the way. Ahh, now doesn’t that feel better?

2. Pick three simple recipes for breakfast and lunch and put them in rotation. Planning the big celebratory meals is fun, but planning breakfast and lunch can be an afterthought. Yes, leftovers are always an option, but what about the kids? And your great Aunt who just came to town? Many mouths to feed! Pick three recipes everyone likes, buy the ingredients, and get them in heavy rotation. Soups, hearty salads, and paninis are popular choices in our house!

Here is an ongoing list of our Cookbook Gift Guide for 2018!

Fantastical Cakes by Gesine Bullock-Prado, ideal for the the aspiring cake baker.

High Alpine Cuisine by Marla Meredith. Perfect for those who love mountain food!

The Ultimate Kids’ Cookbook by Tiffany Dahle. A great family cookbook, especially for young kids!

The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Deanna Segrave-Daly and Serena Ball. The best collection of healthy, delicious recipes we’ve ever seen!

Keto Soups & Stews by Carolyn Ketchum. A collection of tasty soups any eater would love, but are great for those on a keto eating plan.

Cooking with Scraps by Lindsay-Jean Hard. A fascinating book full of enticing recipes that can be made with food scraps!

Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet & Savory Slab Pies by Cathy Barrow. A charming collection of sweet and savory square pies that are perfect for the whole family.

Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook by Dorie Greenspan. Dorie’s lovely collection of recipes from around her home table.

Israeli Soul: Easy, Essential, Delicious by Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook. An amazing collection of Israeli-inspired recipes anyone can make.

It’s been so much fun having Katie Workman as one of our fall features for Cookbook Club! Today Kelsey & Katie settled in for a little chat about food blogging and all that it entails!

Kelsey: What inspired you start food blogging?

Kelsey: Do you ever order take-out or do live in the world of the “merry home cook” all the time?

Katie: PLEASE!  If I don’t have sushi at least a couple of times a week I start vibrating. I think I might be made of mercury at this point, there is so much raw salmon coursing through my veins. And I live in NYC, with teenage boys and their friends, so thank god for take out pizza.

Kelsey: Fess up – what’s your favorite and least favorite thing about food blogging?!

Katie: My favorite thing is hearing from readers, with a question, a comment, and in the best moments people telling me that they loved something and so did the people who ate it.  That’s amazing, and I never tire of it.  The best thing that happened to me lately was that a reader asked me if I could fix it so they recipe intros would be printed out along with the recipes because my writing was very important to them.  I almost wept.

What is annoying is trying to understand what the hell google wants at any given moment in terms of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) so that my recipes come up at the top of search when people are looking for a lasagna or whatever they are searching for.  The wisdom always changes, the search engine gods change their minds all of the time, and most of the time I just focus on the writing and the food, and let the cards fall where they may (but there is still a whole lot of tagging and back end stuff to deal with).

Thanks, Katie!

We are thrilled to feature Katie Workman for the next few weeks for The Snack Cookbook Club. (Sign up here!)

Today we are sharing the first of three features… and don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter to enter the giveaway which will be running all week!