The Naptime Chef Cooking Show

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: 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: Snow still on the ground, off to the park to attempt snowman #2 of the week, grocery shopping for weekend goodies. Naptime Goals: Bake cookies with the dough I made last night, Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich for lunch, catch up on emails (!) Tonight’s Menu: Leftover Tomato Florentine Soup with […]

What’s Going on Today: Returned from vacation- unpacking, laundry, errands… quick trip to grocery store for a few staples. Naptime Goals: Baked White Truffle Potato Chips to serve with dinner tonight. Make grocery list for tomorrow’s shopping, finish laundry. Tonight’s Meal: Paninis with Baked Potato Chips – that’s as fancy as I get the first […]

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: Birthday gift shopping for kid’s birthday party this weekend, bus trip across the park for daughter’s playdate! Naptime Goals: Bake Spice Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting for friend’s daughter’s birthday party. Wrap present and prepare for weekend festivities. Tonight’s Meal: Spaghetti and Meatball night – it never fails to […]

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 […]

My Day So Far: Morning at the Children’s Museum, mailed baby gifts to friends in DC for their new baby boy (congrats Kristina and Noah!) Naptime Goals: Catch up emails, blog posts and write business plan for 2010! Tonight’s Meal: Rigatoni tossed with homemade ragu thawed from the freezer. I am baking Pain D’Epice after […]

This post has been updated October 3, 2016 as part of the 5 Affordable Weeknight Dinners from Whole Foods Market. We were able to enjoy this recipe again in a whole new way with ingredients from my recent Whole Foods Market trip. This one-pot meal is still a favorite of ours. This week it is part […]

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 […]

My Day So Far: Christmas-chaos! Present wrapping, stocking-stuffer shopping, packing for Cooperstown, cleaning out the fridge, etc, etc, etc (!!!) Naptime Goals: Make Ragu to get us through the next two nights before we travel. Finish, well…. everything. There is no end to what needs to get done before the 25th. Tonight’s Meal: Ragu with […]

My Day So Far: Manic Thursday! Visited Macy’s Santa-land (can’t help it, I promised my daughter!), picked up gift packaging materials, bakery for fresh baguettes. Naptime Goals: Finish Peppermint Bark and assemble gift bags, laundry, book sitter for date night. Tonight’s Meal: Paprika Pork Stew I made last night – it always tastes better the […]

Location: My parent’s house, Cooperstown NY My Day So Far: Filmed cooking segment for WKTV Utica/Rome, returned emails, leftover butternut squash soup from cooking segment for lunch. Naptime Goals: Pack suitcases, bake Herbs de Provence Popovers for snack and dinner, wrap Christmas gifts, catch up with Dad. Tonight’s Meal: My Mom is cooking (yeah – […]

By now most of my friends know they are getting Spiced Walnuts for Christmas, and today I am telling them that they are getting Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce as well. This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law who got it from her friend, Rhoda Janis, almost 30 years ago. As you all know, […]