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School's out for us... and last week was a very rainy week. Normally I would just have my kids bundle up and go play in the rain, but my older son is in South America on an adventure with my parents for 10 days, and, well, call me a scrooge, but I'm not a huge fan of playing in the rain. Two days into summer break, I'd had my fill of Sorry and Totally Gross board games, and was feeling pangs
#5, Holly Wells, you are the lucky winner!! Look for your copy of Fearless Feeding arriving in your mailbox soon, courtesy of Wiley publishers!! Thank you to author, Jill Castle, for this fun giveaway!!True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:5Powered by RANDOM.ORG
This is the last week of school for my children {insert gasp}, which means I need to buckle down figure out how to juggle my time between this award-winning {aw, you all make me blush} blog, raising two {awesome if I might say so myself} kids, and making time to take care of myself {novel concept, one I am working on... and all of you busy moms know, this is one of the hardest parts of parenting}.
This is it people! So anyway, in addition to totally obsessing over whether I am in 3rd or 4th place (given the minute-- this contest is CRAZY!), yesterday the kids and I delivered dinner to my little one's beloved Kindergarten teachers. Last week, we delivered dinner to my older son's 4th grade teachers, and they loved it. I mean, who wouldn't love the gift of a homemade dinner?Now, let's be
I popped this photo of my pre-tennis match breakfast up on full plate's FB page last week and have received several emails either saying how AMAZING it was, or asking me to share the recipe. So, here goes! If you hard boil some eggs at the beginning of the week, this recipe comes together in minutes.Avocado Toasts with Hard-Boiled Eggs and Sriracha(makes a hearty breakfast for 1, or an awesome sna
You don't have to stage an incredible Greek play with costumes, sets and script done by the 4th graders to deserve a homemade dinner. Really, I'd be hard pressed to find any teacher who wouldn't love-- and totally deserve-- a night off this time of year. Wondering what to whip up? I recently shared a few of my favorite make-ahead meals that you could pass along to a hard-working teacher
Don't forget-- you can help me become one of Circle of Moms "Top Foodie Moms" by voting for THE FULL PLATE BLOG. No registration is required, just a simple click... and you can vote once every 24 hours until June 4th!Our school year is wrapping up, and after school activities have me busier than ever. Unlike Springs past, I find myself driving from fields to courts, late after school pick-ups from
I used to think the parents who started their Saturdays bright and early, filling their car with little uniformed kids, going off to back-to-back games, were crazy. Now I am one. And I still think it's crazy.But I am doing it because my kids are relishing all of this time on different fields. I will full admit to having no idea of the rules of the games I am spectating, but I do have the snack gig
No, that's not me. That's my dear friend, Elissa. I wish I were half as fashionable as she is, on a daily basis. You know how some people just 'get' fashion? I get cooking, but I most certainly will not be asked to help someone curate their closet, let alone have people clamoring for what I wore last weekend. And so, I was super flattered when Elissa named the full plate blog as one of her tw
like the full plate blog?please cast a vote for the full plate blog in Circle of Mom's "Top 25 Foodie Moms" blog contestyou can vote every 24 hours until June 4thi truly appreciate your votes!
I know, I know... on Mother's Day I am supposed to luxuriate in bed, waiting for the pitter patter of little feet bringing me breakfast in bed. But on Saturday, our children's tball/soccer/baseball games were rained out and I found myself with a few minutes to peruse the newspaper, where I spotted a recipe for "Great Eggs Benny". (Shocking, I know, that I go straight to the recipe section of any p
Having just taught a cooking class on "clean eating" to a bunch of friends + full plate blog readers, I am totally inspired to do my own 7-day clean eating gig. I've looked at the calendar, and next week looks as good as any. Check back with me afterwards... I'll be the one with the fabulously glossy hair, clearer skin, stronger nails and perhaps smaller backside. (Whether the smaller bottom is ac
I woke up early and donned tennis whites. It's now almost noon and I'm still in my tennis whites, though they won't see a court today. Best laid social/workout plans derailed by a sick child. The upside of a morning tethered to the house: time to make a leisurely breakfast. Actually it took me about 10 minutes to make... but that's 10 minutes I don't usually have on a busy school morning. I'll sha
Just finished the last of my small group cooking lessons. So fun!! That's it for live classes this spring. But, if you want to be in-the-know for Fall offerings, be sure to send me an email and I'll make sure you know if/when we're gathering again!
One of my easiest-- and most delicious-- asparagus recipes can now be found on the Walter Stewart's Market site! Enjoy!!
Sunday is.... May 5th!Cinco de Mayo!A perfect excuse to make a big batch of enchiladas. (As if you needed one.){Insert the sounds of a mariachi band.}My go to enchilada recipe is here, and it is totally adaptable-- make it with your favorite veggies or meat. Really, whatever you have on hand! You can watch me making a batch here in this video.Make sure to make a BIG batch, because t
8:45am: the calm before the storm11:15am: the storm after the calmBut what a delicious storm it was! I had class participants whizzing...zesting...mixing, laughing and sampling their new found repertoire of simple, healthy, plant-based recipes, inspired by the Mediterranean. Two more classes are on the calendar, these two focused on "clean eating". For more information and availability, simply ema
It's been a little quiet on the blog because I've been having so much fun teaching a few live cooking lessons. That, and... a few big blog-related projects. Oh, and my kids... and a weekend trip to FL for the most fantastic wedding. But I'm back now, and the kitchen's revved up again. (The kids were always revved up...)Anyway, last week we focused on leafy greens, and this week it's all about Medi
Why are these busy moms smiling? .........Because they just learned 4 simple (and totally delicious + healthy) ways to bring more leafy greens into their family meals!Today, friends gathered for the first Swellmom cooking class in my new kitchen!I had them blending... stirring...zesting...and folding. And, of course, we sampled our culinary masterpieces!If you would like to joi
Here's the link to the video I recently shot for Whole Foods Markets in CT, NY and NJ, to give shoppers an idea of how to use one of the many items featured in their April 17-23, 2013 "Madness Sale". I'm not sure how long the video will stay up on Whole Foods' Facebook pages past the sale, so I've popped it onto YouTube as well so all of you busy parents have access to it long after the sale ended
I'm so excited! I recently shot a 2-minute video for Whole Foods, where I share my go-to marinade and method for making salmon for my family. It's now live on all of Whole Foods' NY/NJ/CT store Facebook pages, giving you a simple method for preparing Atlantic salmon (which happens to be one of this week's "Madness Sale" items). You can watch the video here. I'll be signing autographs tom
These past 24 hours have shaken me to the core. Again. When 9/11 happened I asked myself if I wanted to bring children into this world we were living in. When Newtown happened, I held my boys closer than ever. And I was scared. I'm still scared. Then the horrible events of yesterday made me question "going back to work", no matter how "part time" I had made my schedule. I asked myself if I was bei
As a parent of young children, I have found this quote from Mr. Rogers helpful at shifting conversation to the positive... and to help my children focus on the good in the world, in the face of tragedy:"When I was a boy and I would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disas
I've had a bunch of you email me, asking where I got my (smashing) kitchen runner. I love it too! I got that one on sale at Scout by Bungalow (along with the cubbies in my kids' art area in our laundry room, pictured below). And this is the company, FoFlor, that makes them for Scout, with even more patterns to make you swoon. (Oh, and yes, the runners are machine washable... since things are often
This CA girl can honestly say I'd never tried a fiddlehead fern until this week. Since they don't thrive where it's warm year-round, I had an idyllic childhood, but no fiddlehead ferns! Having lived in the Northeast for several years now, I've seen them pop up in the produce section just for a few weeks each spring, but I never had the confidence or know-how to prepare them. This week, I decided t
For those readers who live close to NYC, I am super excited to be speaking at The Family Dinner Conference at NYU on Thursday, April 18. I'm joining an absolutely fabulous line-up of busy parents and nutrition experts who share a goal of raising healthy eaters, and commitment to squeezing family dinners into our busy lives. Focusing on the make-ahead cooking skills I honed as a personal
We've been in the house 3 days now and I am just smitten with the kitchen. Tonight I looked up from the island and noticed all of the amazing woodwork up on the ceiling. It's truly beautiful. I was singing our architect and contractor's praises to a friend in the supermarket this afternoon. Nab them, if you can. They are amazing.You all keep a asking for pics of the finished product, and I'll take
As if our gorgeous new kitchen weren't enough to make me swoon, one of our carpenters gifted us with a jar of homemade horseradish today. Oh my. Potent and unbelievably good. This, of course, got me to asking "how you make horseradish?!".When I did my nutrition coursework, one of the most interesting modules was the one focusing on traditional diets (mainly the Weston Price Foundation), including
That title is actually not true... the first meal I made in our new kitchen went something like this:Having grand plans of spending the first week of winter break moving back into the house and whipping up some initial culinary masterpiece in the kitchen where all appliances work and counter space is ample... but instead I get struck by the flu... and by struck I mean, the kids basically rais
Amazing, isn't it? Truly the most gorgeous kitchen I could have ever imagined.I am so, so excited. Our contractor asks if I "want to wait until it's done to take pictures?"Nope, too excited. So anyway, it's going to be a little quiet on the blog these next 2 weeks, asI deal with this (much less sexy than the almost-done kitchen pic, huh?)...quickly fill this (enjoy the cubby view while t
They were sampling this deliciousness at our local Whole Foods last week and it is soooo good.It's really more of a dessert than a snack... I mean, you can have it as a snack if you're into gluttony. Just balance it out with some celery sticks. Here's the link to Earth Balance's site if you want to see if it's sold by you.Oh, and no, they didn't pay me to say such nice things about their product.
Want to whip up something green for St. Patrick's Day? I've got you covered! Click here for a whole Pinterest board of (healthy) green foods!
Our after school activities have picked up... more often than not, my kids get off the school bus, play for a half hour or so, have a snack, and then we're off to an activity.Lately, I have been making a green smoothie for myself in the morning, then tucking two glasses away for them as part of their after school snack.I know what you're going to ask.The answer: One of my kids (in the photo above)
The time has come! Our kitchen is *almost* done, so I can (finally) say “yes” to all of you who have been asking for hands-on cooking lessons!! SWELLMOM Cooking Lessons: How to feed your family well on the busiest of days… and still leave time to take care of yourself(because no one wants a cranky mom come dinnertime) This is the chance for just a few lucky (if I mig
The benefits of a Mediterranean Diet are a hot topic right now. While I don't pigeonhole the way we eat, most of what I feed my family falls into this way of eating: lots of veggies, leafy greens, nuts, good fats, lean meats... With this in mind, I recently shared my recipe for "Power Greens Pesto" with Walter Stewart's Market. There, I paired it with a delicious pasta I came across
this is the home stretch!! i should be whipping up, and photographing, recipes for you all from our new kitchen in the next few weeks. pinch me! the kitchen is turning out more beautiful-- and functional-- than i ever imagined it could be. i feel so, so lucky. here's a sneak peek at the backsplash (minus lights-- sorry, forgot to turn them on)...so gorgeous, isn't it? oh, i am so excited.part of w
Today was beautiful, but deceptively cold. I'd stayed up until the wee hours last night, watching the replay of this weekend's Integrative Nutrition Conference, so today we stuck close to home so I could catch as much of it on live stream as I could. While listening, I made one of those "whatever is in the fridge" soups. It turned out so delicious that it's worth sharing...Potato-Kale Soup(makes 8
I didn't announce this with too much fanfare, but I took my final certification exam to be a holistic health coach last week! I am super excited to be working on a couple of exciting ways to share this experience and knowledge with all of you, with my focus continuing to be on helping moms feed their families well on the busiest of days. (Because really, can we busy moms ever have enough help
My husband goes crazy with the amount of tearing out and stashing of recipes that I do. What can I say? I am a happy hoarder when it comes to tucking away recipes I want to try on a rainy day... Pinterest has somewhat saved me on this front. I have a "recipes I want to try" Pinboard, where I now stash many a tantalizing recipe, so he doesn't trip over the piles.The latest one to catch my eye was c
I know it's been a while since I've posted photos of the kitchen project... those counters that (still) make me swoon are in and just waiting for me to slice and dice on them... but they've been covered by all sorts of tarps while the electrical work is completed, doors are hung and everything covered in a thick sheen of painters' dust. Not really the stuff of photos. So, in the meantime, I'll sha
I realize that my last post was about a cookie... and a crush. Really, we'll get back to savory stuff soon. And I promise to stop swooning over sweet things. I promise. But in the meantime, I must share this little find because it is soooo good. (And we all know that when something delicious, easy, and made with real ingredients, there's a high likelihood that I'll develop one of my crushes...)Jus
Annie Long Sullivan (comment #8), you are the lucky winner of Sucre's delectable 15 macaron give-away!! Please email me so I can get your shipping address! Lucky you!! Enjoy this sweet treat! I wish I could have a box sent to all of you!!
Oh dear. I have another food crush. I mean, a girl cannot live on green smoothies alone, right? And oh how I do love a French macaron... the kind that is crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Mmmm.This pretty box of 15 decadent macarons was waiting on my doorstep when I came out of our latest construction meeting. The sweet folks at Sucre wanted to give one of my lucky readers a b
back on track smoothie:frozen organic spinach + banana + pineapple + fresh mint + watergoes perfectly with a morning of decluttering / organizing
I have a sweet recipe to share if you want to show those around you some love...and a very funny story behind these scones. Two years ago, I was racing to head out of town with my mom. It was our second year in a row going to Miraval, and I was feeling like Supermom. The morning of our flight I woke up early and baked a batch of scones for my younger son's class... realizing too late that I had us
get it? Valentines gift for my children's (beloved) teachers...
A few posts ago (before we got on our red food streak), I excitedly told you about this packaged meal helper that had become my latest food crush. It had caught my eye on a recent grocery marketing trip, but I must admit that I was totally skeptical... but ha, I love when I discover something great. {Insert little pat on the back.} Once I knew the product was excellent, I stocked up on a few more.
Surely I was not the only one wondering if they were on candid camera today when I strolled into the produce aisle of our local Whole Foods and found this. Alright, so my green smoothies were going back to frozen spinach. {My husband can make all the jokes he wants about the horror of not having arugula, kale and baby spinach...} Anyway, it wasn't until I arrived home with the kids at 6p
School delay... or another closure? Here are two ways to make the most of the white stuff.Build an igloo! My (Supermom) friend hauled out plastic storage bins (the kind I use to organize our playroom) and had the kids packing them with snow to build an incredible igloo. How cool is this finished product going to be?!!Make snow candyFill a cup with snow, top with a drizzle of maple syrup....Vo
How awesome are this year's Valentines for classmates?
