Homepage: Practical Takeaways for Families

Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Dinner

Sheet pan butternut squash is a quick vegetarian main – made with squash, red onions, pine nuts, tahini yogurt sauce, za’atar, and cilantro!

Smartphones & Kids – A discussion of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

A discussion of Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, addressing the risks of smart phone use to kids and adolescents. Also, what parents can do to mitigate those risks.
Sharing at Home: Takeaways from The Second Shift by Arlie Russell Hochschild

A discussion of Arlie Russel Hochschild’s The Second Shift, addressing how various working couples share the work at home (and a critique, because I can’t help myself).

Abruzzese Meatballs (tiny meatballs)

These tiny Abruzzese-style meatballs are cooked in a lemony white wine sauce – they’re super yummy tossed with pasta! They’re a great choice if your kids don’t like red sauce but do like tiny meatballs + pasta.
Easy Baked White Fish with Tomatoes, Olives, and Capers

This fish with tomatoes, olives, and capers comes together quickly and is full of bright Mediterranean flavors.
Crispy Mushroom Tacos with Turmeric Yogurt

Easy crispy mushroom tacos ready in under 30 minutes (with an option to add beef!) . . .

Grandma’s Homemade Egg Noodles

We call these bright yellow egg noodles straight from my Grandma’s Indiana farm “Grandma’s Noodles.” (Pictured above: Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup) My grandma’s homemade egg noodles were my favorite childhood comfort food. My grandma would make a huge batch of noodles whenever she’d come out to visit us growing up. It was a favorite tradition.…
Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Dinner

Sheet pan butternut squash is a quick vegetarian main – made with squash, red onions, pine nuts, tahini yogurt sauce, za’atar, and cilantro!
Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes (or Celery Root) with Spinach

This Greek lemon chicken is roasted over potatoes – or, even better if you can find it, celery root. The chicken fat combines with lemon and oregano to roast the potatoes / celery root and doubles as a sauce for spinach, making this a true one-pot meal.
Preserved Lemon Chicken with Saffron & Thyme

This preserved lemon chicken is a twist on the classic lemon pepper chicken . . . Continuing on my theme of finding the perfect lemon pepper chicken, this preserved lemon chicken, made with fresh and preserved lemons, saffron, thyme, and garlic, is a top contender. The recipe is based on one from the Ottolenghi Simple…

Pearl Couscous with Spinach, Lemon, Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil, and Olives

This lemony pearl couscous with spinach, tomatoes, mozzarella, and olives (in our house, creatively dubbed, “The Couscous Dish”) is a delicious and quick vegetarian one-dish meal that works for the whole family.
Orange-Scented Cranberry and Carrot Muffins

These cranberry and carrot muffins smell like sweet oranges and are filled with pops of tart fresh cranberry . . .
Fast & Easy Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Vegetables for the Lazy (or time-pressed) . . . This is a super fast & easy oven-roasted asparagus recipe that produces perfect asparagus every time. Over the past 5 years or so, there’s been one nearly fail-safe method for cooking nearly any vegetable that has been my go-to. At this point, I barely need to…
Simple Sweet Potato Pancakes

Basic and very easy recipe for sweet potato pancakes that is very popular with my kids . . .

Orange-Scented Cranberry and Carrot Muffins

These cranberry and carrot muffins smell like sweet oranges and are filled with pops of tart fresh cranberry . . .
Buttermilk Cornbread Pancakes

This recipe makes a fluffy, delicately crispy, and comforting cornbread pancake. My ideal pre-Thanksgiving pancake (but we also eat them in summer with fresh peaches, whipped ricotta, and maple syrup!)
Oatmeal Griddle Cakes

These oatmeal griddle cakes are made with whole wheat flour, oats, and tangy buttermilk – and they are currently our kids’ favorite pancake.
Orange Fennel Chicken Breakfast Sausages

These orange fennel chicken breakfast sausages are sweetened with chopped dates and caramelized fennel and flavored with a hint of orange and nutmeg.