The Naptime Chef Cooking Show

What’s Going on Today: Shoveling, sledding, laundry, more shoveling. Naptime Goals: Peel garlic cloves, cut up the chicken, write Babble columns. Tonight’s Menu: Mistral’s Chicken, creamy polenta, arugula salad. Parenting Lesson of the Day: Pulling them in the sled can be quite a workout! There is something about snowstorms that sends me running for my […]

What’s Going on Today: Gearing up to get back in the swing of things with school, work and life! Naptime Goals: Finish putting away Christmas decorations, make slow-cooker lasagna, test some book recipes. Tonight’s Menu: Spicy Sausage Lasagna, Arugula salad Parenting Lesson of the Day: Children need their routines, too. My friend Sam is the […]

What’s Going on Today: Preparing for daughter’s birthday party while she naps. Naptime Goals: Set-up the birthday cake, popcorn, spiced up chex mix, cheeses, dip, cookies, lollipops, smoked salmon and baked brie. Today’s Menu: See above: a mix of kid food and adult food to please everyone attending. Bar stocked with Champagne, beer, wine & […]

What’s Going on Today: Actually preparing for the holiday season, ordering gifts, making shopping lists. Tonight’s Menu: Leftover Beef Tenderloin, Green Beans, Peppermint Patty Brownies. Naptime Goals: Relax with some delicious hot chocolate and tell you all about my favorite winter beverages. Parenting Lesson of the Day: You’ll always be amazed at what they ask […]

What’s Going on Today: Close to meeting book deadline #1, attempting Christmas card photos, laundry! Naptime Goals: Make Uncle Will’s Mexican Lasagna, writing, fifth and sixth laundry load of the day (cold weather = more clothes to wash) Tonight’s Menu: Mexican Lasagna, Spanish Rice, Green Salad. Parenting Lesson of the Day: Out goes Halloween, in […]

What’s Going on Today: Prepping for Halloween night, having a bbq with the neighbors! Naptime Goals: Make Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze, buy beer. Tonight’s Menu: Brats, Dip, Cake, Beer. Parenting Lesson of the Day: Halloween is now an endurance holiday, it lasts almost as long as Christmas! Halloween has proved to be […]

What’s Going on Today: Clear, cold day in Cooperstown during a visit to my parent’s. Naptime Goals: Bake potatoes and prepare filling. Re-stuff potato skins and save to bake for dinner. Tonight’s Menu: Turkey (Mom), Green Beans (Mom), Twice-Baked Potatoes (Me). Parenting Lesson of the Day: Nothing replaces a good day with Mere-mere and Bampa! […]

What’s Going on Today: Second activity of the weekend, apple picking at nearby farm. Daughter loves the tractor! Naptime Goals: Slice apples for Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Chips, make Maple Syrup Baked Acorn Squash. Tonight’s Menu: Same as this one! Parenting Lesson of the Day: “Chips” are always a hit! Apple picking is a huge fall activity […]

What’s Going on Today: Morning trip to garden center for first pumpkins of the season! Daughter off to school for a few hours. Naptime Goals: Make Cranberry Muffins with Pecan Streusel Topping for afternoon snack and breakfast tomorrow! Tonight’s Dinner: Roast Chicken from last night, stripped off the bird and tossed with pasta. Parenting Lesson […]

What’s Going on Today: Preschool orientation. Pay attention! Naptime Goals: Prepare Eggplant Parmigiana, put significant school dates in my calendar. Tonight’s Menu: Eggplant Parm, Green salad, dessert from cookbook recipe testing (!) Parenting Lesson of the Day: Even if you don’t think they’ll ever learn their manners, trust me, they will. Today I attended parent’s […]

What’s Going on Today: Taking advantage of last week without preschool obligations (!) Naptime Goals: Prepare dough for Cherry & Cream Cookies, test two recipes for the book. Tonight’s Menu: Two book recipes (I can’t tell you which ones!), Caesar Salad, Cherry & Cream Cookies for dessert. Parenting Lesson of the Day: I don’t think […]

What’s Going on Today: Trip to the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair, lunch on the dock. Naptime Goals: Put chicken in bbq sauce to marinate, make peach crumble, make Watermelon Margaritas. Tonight’s Menu: Home Guacamole, Cheese & Fruit, BBQ Chicken, Cous-Cous Salad, Green Salad, Watermelon Margaritas, Peach Crumble. Parenting Lesson of the Day: The more kids […]

What Going on Today: Trip to favorite Farmer’s Market in Connecticut, pizza lunch at the market, ask neighbor to babysit our fish next week while we are on vacation. Naptime Goals: Prepare Eggplant & Goat Cheese bake for dinner, finish up some blog posts, packing (again). Tonight’s Menu: Eggplant & Goat Cheese Bake with country […]

What’s Going on Today: Send daughter out for the morning with babysitter. Set up yearly pickling project with Dad. Naptime Goals: Process pickles in the water bath after a whole morning spent pickling. Tonight’s Menu: Mom’s cooking! Parenting Lesson of the Day: Always save an extra pint jar for the kids to play with! Most […]

What’s Going on Today: Spending a week in Cooperstown, trip to the farmer’s market, morning at the lake. Naptime Goals: Shuck corn for boiling, spend time in the garden reading. Tonight’s Menu: Grilled corn, grilled sausage, tomatoes with cucumbers. Parenting Lesson of the Day: Ironically, children seem to sleep better when they’re on vacation. Growing […]