Asian Peanut Sauce

When I first began making this sauce, there was no way my toddlers were going to embrace it or the veggies I usually serve it with. But as they’ve grown bigger and less picky, this has become a go-to in our house. The peanut butter is a familiar flavor and the red pepper flakes canContinue reading “Asian Peanut Sauce”

Touch of Honey Granola

As good as oats and nuts and cinnamon and coconut are, the not-so-secret ingredient that makes this granola the one you’ll keep coming back to is the honey. The golden elixir that’s been wooing eaters for millennia plays a starring role in this dish, expertly blending so many flavors, subtly sweetening this long list of ingredients withoutContinue reading “Touch of Honey Granola”

Crispy Peanut Butter Cookies

  These cookies are among my most requested — both by my own kids looking for a favorite lunchbox treat and by friends who taste them and then want the recipe. A basic recipe (no chocolate or other fancy add-ons), the proportions create a cookie that is crunchy and flavorful. For the best results, choose a peanut butterContinue reading “Crispy Peanut Butter Cookies”

Cookie Fever

  Honestly, I’m not sure what’s gotten into me. It’s June and my garden is up and growing. I’ve got leafy greens winding down, raspberries coming in, zucchini flowers begging for me to sauté them. But somehow I keep reaching for my large mixing bowl and reflexively softening two sticks of butter. Yes, it’s cookie-making that keepsContinue reading “Cookie Fever”

Mexican Wedding Cookies

  I have adored these dainty treats for years but never gotten around to baking them myself. When my kids needed sweets for Spanish class fiestas, it was time to give them a try. I had recently tasted a friend’s batch of Mexican Wedding Cookies. When she said she’d made them from a Mark Bittman recipe, I knew IContinue reading “Mexican Wedding Cookies”

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

We all love oatmeal cookies at our house — the combination of chewy and crunchy, sweet and hearty. But raisins? Well, not so much. Some of us like raisins. Others prefer chocolate chips and after years of splitting my batch and making separate stacks of two different versions every time I made oatmeal cookies, IContinue reading “Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies”

Paprika Potatoes

  Is there anything more satisfying than a warm, crunchy potato? We enjoy them all ways at our place — baked, pan fried, mashed. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. But when we discovered this recipe last summer, we forgot all other potato dishes. My kids found it in DK Children’s Cookbook by Katharine Ibbs one day when they wereContinue reading “Paprika Potatoes”

Morning Glory Muffins

I’m a big muffin maker so I keep my eyes peeled for new and interesting baked goods options, and I’ve recently seen so many takes on this. While I’ve stirred up my share of carrot sheet cake and pumpkin bread, I had never tried a morning glory muffin before. So of course I got right down to recipeContinue reading “Morning Glory Muffins”

Easy Peasy Pancakes

  There are some amazing pancake recipes in the world, stirred up with quinoa and coconut and banana and chai tea, even. And someday, I’m sure I’ll get to those. But for now, the basic flour-milk-egg version is doing me just fine. They’re a great switch from our Sunday Morning Waffles every now and again and sometimesContinue reading “Easy Peasy Pancakes”

Fruit Smoothies

I LOVE smoothies. My kids LOVE smoothies. I mean, really, who doesn’t love smoothies? I once kept a whole cookbook devoted to smoothies on my shelf. But I quickly realized that the beauty of a smoothie is that you don’t need a recipe. Just a few guidelines, maybe, and a willingness to taste and adjust asContinue reading “Fruit Smoothies”