The Best (Cheesy) Biscuits You'll Ever Have

Do you prefer sweet or savory breakfasts? I'd always choose savory: peppery eggs, fried potatoes and a warm, buttery biscuit. Well, Adrianna of A Cozy Kitchen has agreed to share her incredible recipe for biscuits, including chives and sharp cheddar. Who'd like one this morning? Here goes...Read More >

What's your go-to comfort food? (And a crazy story)

The CRAZIEST thing happened at home yesterday...
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The Best Kale Caesar Salad You'll Ever Have

Kale is a superfood. Kale is on every restaurant menu. According to a recent New York Times article, kale is hot in New York social circles. (Although this Onion headline made me laugh out loud.) Are you a fan? It's delicious and feels so healthy. Phoebe of Feed Me Phoebe has a killer recipe for a kale caesar salad. Who's in? Here's how to whip one up...Read More >

The Best Peanut Butter Brownies You'll Ever Have

It's safe to say that Averie Sunshine loves peanut butter. She comes up with recipes for homemade peanut butter, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter cake, chocolate peanut butter, peanut butter Twix bars...you name it. She even wrote a book about it. So when she agreed to share her recipe for the best peanut butter brownies, I jumped at the chance to hear it. Here goes...Read More >

Kids trying new foods

Have you seen this slow-motion video of kids trying new foods? It's hilarious. Whenever Toby doesn't like something, he'll just open his mouth and just let it fall out, which always makes me laugh since he clearly doesn't have any concern about what happens next or who (me) has to pick up the food. Toddlers!

We're traveling back from San Francisco today, so I'll see you tomorrow with photos! Have a good one. xoxo

P.S. How to eat like a French child.

(Via DALS)

The Best Jello You'll Ever Have (Yes, Jello!)

Picture this: You meet friends for a picnic and bust out these tart lemonade squares, infused with basil. What a fun flashback to childhood, yet they're still elegant and delicious. Here, Faith from The Kitchn reveals how to make them...Read More >

Frozen yogurt for toddlers

What a brilliant idea: Put a chopstick in actual yogurt and freeze for happy kiddos.

(By The Hazel Bloom)

An omelette-flipping dog

This two-and-a-half-minute short by Maddie Sharafian about a stressed-out guy and his foodie dog will make you smile (and want a dog of your own). That's all :)

P.S. Dog names.

The Best Olive Oil Cake You'll Ever Have

What's better than a moist slice of olive oil cake with a cup of coffee? This recipe speaks for itself...Read More >

The Best Pizza You'll Ever Have

What's your favorite pizza place in NYC? After living here for eleven years, I can definitely say that the best pizza I've had is at Co. in Chelsea. Have you ever been there? Co.'s owner, Jim Lahey, is a bread-making genius ("the man can do wonders with flour and water," says the New York Times); since New York pizza is known for its thin crust, the danger is that it can taste as dry as cardboard, but Lahey has a way of making his pizzas pillowy and chewy in just the right way. He also adds bold toppings—like, sauerkraut, arugula, leeks, pecorino—that elevate his pizzas from kids-birthday-party catering to grown-up fare. Here's a recipe that will blow your mind...
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The Best Fudge You'll Ever Have

While growing up in Michigan, my family once drove up to rocky Mackinac Island, where cars aren't allowed, so people get around either by bike or horse-drawn carriage. (Seriously.) But the coolest part of the island is its fudge shops. You stop in, freckled and skinned-kneed from adventures, and sample the rich fudge that made us 10-year-old swoon. Well, to bring back that magic, Kim from Lovin' From the Oven is sharing her favorite fudge recipe that will especially appeal to the s'mores lovers out there! Here goes...Read More >

Picnic bag

Three years ago, I was psyched about the idea of Summer Picnic Club, where you'd meet friends at different parks around town every other Saturday. Wouldn't that be fun? Then Toby arrived, and in the haze of first-time parenthood—when it's hard enough to even leave the house—it never happened.

But! I'd love to try for one for this summer. Everyone could bring snacks to spread out on a blanket (along with sneaky wine juice boxes, perhaps?). Babies could wriggle on blankets, and kids could run around. And you could carry everything in this awesome picnic bag with a waterproof lining and seven pockets.
What do you think? Would you be up for it? Any go-to picnic foods? (Alex brings shrimp:)

(Photos by Apolis, via Daily Muse)

Birthday cake planning

Toby's third birthday is coming up next month, and he's obsessed with it this year. Needless to say, we've daydreamed a LOT about the birthday cake. Since I'm not a big baker, I wasn't sure what to make (last year, we just served strawberries!). But at the playground the other day, my friend Maureen revealed a genius idea...
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Weekly Challenge #3: Eat something new

Remember the weekly challenges we started last fall? When the hurricane hit New York, we took a hiatus, but I'd love to start them back up. Would you be up for it? I hope so! The last challenge back in October was to eat something new, so...Read More >

The Best Guacamole You'll Ever Have

What do you serve when you have friends over? We always set out a cheese plate, but after a while, it feels a little ho hum. Well, five years ago, my guy friend threw a party. Halfway through, he busted out an incredible guacamole with pomegranate seeds. I still haven't forgotten it. Everyone was going crazy for it! So, today, Kate from Katie at the Kitchen Door agreed to share her favorite guacamole recipe, which will be sure to impress all your guests...
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Gift idea for new parents: Jeni's ice cream

When Toby was brand new, Alex's office sent us a package of four pints of Jeni's ice cream. It's made in Ohio with luscious milk and cream from cows that eat grass, and the explosive flavors range from salty caramel to brambleberry crisp.

I still remember how decadent the ice cream tasted, especially to bewildered new parents. When you're spending all day taking care of a tiny person, it felt good to have a blast of something just for ourselves. We spent the entire time saying, "This is so delicious, oh my goodness, try this one, oh my gosh..."

What were your favorite gifts when you were a new parent? Do you remember the food people brought?
P.S. 8 more gifts for new parents.

(Photo of Toby as a newborn)

A graphic novel for foodies

Do you guys ever read graphic novels? I first found out about Lucy Knisley when I read French Milk, her memoir about taking a six-week trip to Paris with her mom. She's a funny writer, so I was psyched to see that she just came out with a new book, Relish, which chronicles her food adventures, as the daughter of a chef, from New York to Mexico to Venice to Japan. I just ordered it from Amazon and am looking forward to devouring it this weekend.

P.S. Five best graphic novels.

(Photos by the Kitchn)

Smart tip: Make your own salad dressing for the week

Every night, I always want to make homemade dressing—after all, a great dressing really makes the salad—but at the end of a long day, I don’t feel like chopping shallots and sauteeing garlic. So, I don't. Instead, I end up using oil and vinegar and the salad is subpar.

But Real Simple recently had a great tip: Make salad dressing ahead of time for the week. What a no-brainer, but it never occurred to me to just make a larger amount and store it in a bottle. (These would work well.)

Now I'm inspired to experiment with vinaigrettes. This book looks good, and below are three dressings I'd like to try...Read More >

The Best Coffee Cake You'll Ever Have

How insanely delicious does this coffee cake look?! Having a piece of coffee cake with a strong cup of coffee is one of life's simple pleasures. Wouldn't you love to whip one up on a lazy Saturday morning? Sarah and Dulcie from Two Tarts have agreed to reveal their killer coffee cake recipe with a surprising ingredient...
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The Best Chicken Soup You'll Ever Have

Even though spring has technically arrived, there's still a lingering winter chill in the air. So, today, Allison from Some the Wiser is sharing her slamdunk chicken soup recipe to keep us toasty, and she swears it's great for every season...
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