The Naptime Chef

Last week I spent an inspiring two days at the General Mills headquarters in Minneapolis, MN. I have a long history as a Cheerios eater and have bought their cereals for my children for many years. While I express concern in general about things like artificial colors and ingredients, I don’t worry about their line of cereals. This recent announcement put my mind at ease.

Still, I was so curious to learn more about General Mills since it a big food company which can be a bit mysterious and hard to crack. Here a few things that I learned and came to love about the company:

Today I am stopping in with a classic, and super easy, casserole recipe for dinner tonight. This has become a staple in our house recently. Both my children eat it readily and it is a nice break from their favorite spaghetti and meatballs. I also find it a snap to pull together in the morning when both (!) my children are at school. I mix it all up and stick it in the fridge to bake that evening.

My friend Katie and I are on the same page. We both love to feed our families and we both agree that delicious food doesn’t have to be complicated. This is why I am loving her new book so much, Dinner Solved!: 100 Ingenious Recipes that Make the Whole Family Happy, Including You! In it she shares 100 scrumptious recipes that aren’t overly complicated and are completely family-friendly. Many of the recipes also offer slight variations so you can make something a few different ways when you are in the mood for a change. Today I am thrilled to share a little chat we had recently and give away a copy of the book to one lucky reader!

I am not alone in my quest to get my children to eat quick protein-packed breakfasts for breakfast before school. I share a lot of our favorite breakfast ideas in my books, but we’ve come up with a new one recently that isn’t in there. It is our quick breakfast scramble mug. It is can be made in the microwave (!), features great ingredients, and is a snap to get on the table.

Jamie Oliver’s Eggplant Parmesan made with our Marinara Sauce

When the temperatures begin to dip the slow-cooker comes out. It is just one of the many seasonal cooking rhythms that go on in my house. It is not that I never use the slow-cooker in the summer. It is just so much better suited for fall and winter when we crave piping hot foods and I don’t have as much time to cook during the day.

This fall I’ve been slow cooking up a new favorite recipe: marinara sauce. My roma tomato plant from last summer seeded itself and is going gangbusters this year. I have so many ripe roma tomatoes on my hands the only thing to do is churn out batch after batch of sauce. Last year I made a batch with just tomatoes, salt, olive oil, and basil and it was delicious. But this year I am taking it up a notch and making more richly flavored sauces using mirepoix, red wine, and plenty of herbs for seasoning.

Fall parties are in the air and the holidays feel like they are just around the corner. Here are a few of my favorite gifts to give to hosts and hostesses this season. Come take a look!

Wine pearls for keeping wine perfectly chilled. ($29.95)

A set of pretty candles to save for a special occasion. ($12)

Happy Birthday to me! This year is like all others and I baked myself a special birthday treat. My husband would have gladly run out to buy me the sweet of my choice, but he knows how much I like to go whole hog once a year and make something truly decadent. This year I chose a malted milk chocolate tart with a toast almond crust. It’s the perfect balance of soda shop nostalgia and French bakery sophistication, and is ideal for a chocoholic like me.