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.
White Ragu (Pasta Abruzzese with pork sausage and fennel)

White ragu over pasta is a quick Friday night dinner that makes both the adults and the kids happy. Plus, multiple easy variations for those who like red sauce or don’t eat pasta.
Whole Wheat Dutch Baby

Simple recipe, with impressive results, and nearly irresistible for the little ones . . .

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…
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!
Lemony Wild Rice with Saffron and Fresh Tomatoes

This lemony wild rice with tomatoes is easy to make ahead of time and keeps well so that you can enjoy it again and again throughout the week . . .
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…

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…
Popcorn Cauliflower

The only thing faster than making this healthy popcorn cauliflower is how quickly our kids eat it . . .
Orange-Scented Cranberry and Carrot Muffins

These cranberry and carrot muffins smell like sweet oranges and are filled with pops of tart fresh cranberry . . .
Secret Garden Muffins

Secret (Vegetable) Garden Muffins . . . Filled with butternut squash, zucchini, apple, spinach, and coconut, and my kids love them!

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…
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.
Simple Sweet Potato Pancakes

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