by TT on February 1st, 2012 | Desserts, Recipes
While it may seem silly to be planning your Valentine's Day menu so much in advance of the day, there are some definite benefits. First, there's no need for last minute panic and shopping. Second, you have the opportunity to try the recipe before the actual day, so that you are able to perfect it. Third, if you make a sample round of the dessert, you get to eat an extra dessert!
This week's dessert idea is a wonderful combination of wine, pears, almonds, and mascarpone. Not only is it a delicious dessert, but it also has a beautiful presentation.
by TT on January 30th, 2012 | Soups & Stews
Having one person that is vegetarian in our house doesn't make meal planning difficult, usually. When there are four or more of us for dinner, I simply substitute the meat item with a non-meat protein, and everyone is happy. In fact, quite often I make two of the non-meat protein, as I enjoy a good number of vegetarian items.
The tricky times are when there are only three of us dining. It feels more cumbersome to make two different entrées for a party that small. Our of deference to our vegetarian, I make a meal that is vegetarian and (hopefully)
by TT on January 18th, 2012 | Desserts, Recipes
If I asked you what food you think of when I say Valentine's Day, I would be willing to guess that most people would respond, "Chocolate." Although I am not an adoring fan of that addictive treat, I appreciate that most people, such as my children, are. So, what better way would there be to continue our Valentine's Day series than with a second chocolate treat?
This week's recipe comes to us courtesy of
Chef Greg DeMichiel, who has been featured on WE TV's
My Fair Wedding and VH1's
Famous Food. With his recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake you will
by TT on January 16th, 2012 | Breakfast Dishes, Recipes
My husband and I went to a fabulous winter farmer's market this past Saturday. Both the quantity and quality of products available were amazing. In addition to typical items, such as chicken eggs and root vegetables, there were veal, lamb, goat, ducks, pâté, lobsters, mushrooms, and greens. Being a bigger market, there were more cheeses and baked goods available than usual.
Obviously, visiting this farmer's market was quite a treat for us. Not only did we get to make some great purchases and sample some yummy tidbits, but we also found sources for illusive items, such as homemade sausage and
by TT on February 26th, 2009 | Healthy Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes
The diverse range of foods that our children like and dislike amazes me. There are some foods that typically aren't kid favorites, that some of our kids like, such as sushi, crab, and brussel sprouts. Then there are foods that many kids like that aren't enjoyed by all of ours, like oatmeal, blueberries, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Of course, with four kids you get more diversity. Even with that in mind, every once in a while one of the four surprises me with a request for a certain food. A few weeks ago, the surprise factor was attributed to our 11
by TT on February 25th, 2009 | Healthy Cooking, Recipes, Side Dishes
We were forecast to have rain and snow this past Sunday. So, after spending all day Saturday shopping, my husband and I were looking forward to a quiet day on Sunday. As we had this whole weekend without any of our brood at home, we had only our dining pleasures to consider.
A slowly braised roast was our planned centerpiece for this meal. We simply needed to choose some side dishes to accompany it. Rather than going with tried and true recipes, we chose vegetables that would have garnered "No thank you" serving requests. Parsnips seemed like a perfect choice.
I never
by TT on February 23rd, 2009 | Restaurant Reviews
On a Saturday morning with no children at home, my husband and I decided to go out for breakfast before engaging in a day of shopping. Leaving our house around 9:30, we were pretty hungry, so we wanted to eat before we started any of our errands. This made choosing a restaurant easier, as we only considered restaurants located on the way to our first stop in Londonderry.
Luckily for us, we discovered a new restaurant in the Londonderry Commons. Apparently, others had discovered Janie's Uncommon Café, as all of the tables were full when we arrived. However, the staff was
by TT on February 17th, 2009 | Healthy Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups & Stews
This weekend we had a request for homemade chicken noodle soup. While it holds little appeal for myself or my husband, it is a favorite for three of our four children. As we hadn't made this simple soup in quite a while, I didn't feel the need to have the kids choose a more creative soup.
However, that didn't mean that my husband and I needed to eat this same soup. I planned on making homemade broth on Sunday morning, which could be divided between two pots to make two different chicken-based soups.
In the past, we have used chicken broth as
by TT on February 16th, 2009 | Main Dishes, Recipes
On a recent Saturday, the kids were tired from a late Friday night. So, rather than eating dinner together, we made an early kid dinner and put them to bed a little before 8. After they went to bed, we had a nice quiet, candlelit dinner for two.
As chicken and spinach were our dinner ingredients, they worked well for both meals. The kids were pleased to have grilled chicken breasts and a "no thank you" serving of spinach. (In our house, that is a petite serving, enough so that you are sampling but not enough to feel torturous for the
