Powernap: Quick Recipes For When Time is Limited!

The kids are back to school! Hooray for routine! Hooray for a few minutes for quiet each day! Hooray for structure! I never intended to take two weeks away from the blog at the end of August but, my friends, I was at my end of my rope by the end of August. It took my everything to get through each day with two energetic children once all of our camps and lessons were over for the season. As far as cooking, I just stuck with simple meals while we endured one heatwave after another and focused on the future: school.

We’ve been cooking up a storm in Cooperstown and having a blast. This salad was a favorite from a dinner last week and I just have to share it. It was inspired by Katie Quinn Davies’ new book, but we gave it our own twist. We used fresh herbs from the garden, cooked farro as the base, tons of slow-roasted tomatoes, and roasted pistachios for crunch. It was every bit as healthy and satisfying as it looks. And, it was a snap to make in advance. Here is a good one for summer and fall. I highly recommend giving it a try while all the good tomatoes are still available!

This is one of those quick recipes that I learned from my Mom and eat on a regular basis. It is so simple it is hardly a recipe but I still want to share it in case you are looking for a new way to eat squash. The premise is simple: slice summer squash and vidalia onions very thin. Set in a strainer over a pot of water and steam until cooked through and wilted. Stir in a thin sliver of butter and good sea salt, and enjoy.

This summer I planted a TON of squash in our garden. I focused on that because we eat zucchini and summer squash all summer long, plus, we were getting a little tired of jalapeos. The other day I harvested three perfect squash and made it a goal to eat them at every meal. First up, breakfast.

I like to make ice cream home but I buy it too. Last summer I shared a little bit about my favorite Talenti gelato line and today I am here to share a little but about new favorite flavors are a great summer dessert. This spring Talenti came out with several new gelato flavors: Chocolate […]

I am a big fan of no-cook food in the summer months. I like things I can make without going anywhere near the hot oven. Most of the time this means throwing together cold salads, easy sandwiches, and eating lots of fresh fruits. Another one of my favorite things is topping crackers with delicious bites like bits of cheese, nuts, pestos, and other healthy food. Last month I saw these delectable honey-topped peach Triscuits on Savannah Bee Company. I loved the idea of a salty wheat cracker topped with sweet fruit and honey, and nuts for an added crunch. I couldn’t wait to make my own variation.

Summer is my favorite cooking season. The produce is abundant, local, and fresh. It is hot enough that a lot of time I don’t even have to turn on the stove, just chop up vegetables and enjoy. The only problem is that my children don’t always see eye to eye with me on this philosophy. They still want their heavier winter meals and are not all that interested in fresh summer vegetables tossed in with their standby carrot sticks. This is when I turn to Hidden Valley Ranch for a little help. One of their newest flavors, Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Avocado Dressing, is just what I need to create a meal that the whole family loves.

It is rhubarb season and I am hear with a great rhubarb syrup recipe for you. It is more like a condiment in the sense that you can use it for all sorts of things. The blushing pink syrup is ideal for stirring into seltzer to make spritzers, adding to prosecco, drizzling over yogurts and ice creams, and much, much more. The recipe is incredibly simple to make during naptime, or just about anytime, and will make your whole kitchen smell like the sweetest fruit farm you’ve ever visited. Pick up some rhubarb at the market today and get cracking. You’ll have a whole summer of rhubarb deliciousness to look forward to.

This week I have to call myself the jet lag chef. We returned from Paris over the weekend and I am still operating on Parisian time. Every morning my daughter and I have been up and bopping around the house at 5am. We aren’t a bit tired and are quite happy to chat, make breakfast, and generally take care of everything we want before my husband and son wake up. I can’t say it is all bad! Naturally, I’ve been using some of my free time as a chance to prep food for later in the day. After all, jet lag means I am sound asleep by 8pm, sharp! This week I started off my making homemade fudge pops based on a recipe my mother cut out for me from The New York Times.

I’ve been wanting to feature my friend Cathy’s book, Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry: Recipes and Techniques for Year Round Preserving for some time now, but I had to wait until spring. Why? Because I am finally using up my remaining frozen strawberries and rhubarb from last fall and want to feature her amazing Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce. Also, Cathy’s book WON the 2015 IACP Single Subject Cookbook Award so now I can officially brag about that for her. (There is even a new beauty mark on the cover!) Congratulations, Cathy!

This salad is a mash up of the many grain and asparagus salads I’ve seen floating around the web lately. With asparagus season truly getting underway, and a big bag of barley in our pantry, I knew this just had to be made. The general idea is that delicious fresh cooked asparagus is tossed with hot barley, a sharp lemony vinaigrette, and topped with shavings of salty Parmesan. The concept is simple, and so is the recipe, and the result is nothing short of delicious.

I am not Irish, but I never shy away from a good quick bread recipe and this seemed like a good day to share one made with a strong Irish beer. I assure you, this is also family-friendly. The alcohol from the Guinness burns off while baking so don’t worry, the kids can eat it too. We made this on Sunday while my son napped. It was a quick one-bowl affair that came together quickly and tasted amazing. It even has made an appearance in the lunchbox this week! I hope you enjoy eating it as much as we do. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!