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).

Sourdough Flatbread Pizza

If you have some sourdough discard on hand, this whole wheat sourdough flatbread pizza is a perfect cross between focaccia and pizza, but also healthy and fast . . .
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.
“White Trash” Bibimbap with Crispy Ground Beef

I’ve been working on this bibimbap with crispy ground beef since my late teens. I’ve finally perfected it as the perfect easy, quick, and delicious weeknight dinner that also appeals to toddlers. It makes a complete dinner for the whole family.

Skillet Chicken & Gnocchi with Caramelized Fennel, Onion, and Apple

This skillet chicken and gnocchi with caramelized fennel, onion, and apple cooked in chicken drippings makes a perfect fall one-pot dinner . . . It’s also super simple. You basically throw everything together in a cast iron skillet and roast it for about an hour. You’re left with caramelized fennel and onion baked in chicken…
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.
Whole Chicken Roasted in Maple Rosemary Butter

Just in time for fall, this roasted chicken with maple rosemary butter makes our whole house smell amazing . . . For spring, I use thyme!
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!

Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

These delicious pumpkin gingerbread muffins are made with dates, honey, and loads of spices . . . A Healthier Pumpkin Muffin Option Sometimes, on a very cold morning in fall, nothing is more comforting than warm gingerbread. But typical gingerbread is essentially cake. So I wanted to see if I could make a gingerbread that…
Popcorn Cauliflower

The only thing faster than making this healthy popcorn cauliflower is how quickly our kids eat it . . .
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 . . .
Ginger Apple Bran Muffins

If you could put an apple crisp into a muffin, these ginger apple bran muffins would be how . . .These are relatively healthy, super-fiber apple and bran muffins. Because they are made with apple, dates, and bran, they are packed with nutrients and natural sweetness (no refined sugars in the recipe!), making them both…
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.
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.