Tag Archives: food

Warm up your nights with this “ramen style” shitake mushroom soup

Leave a reply

When you have picky eaters, you lean into the ways your kids enjoy food. My children happen to enjoy various soup, and this delictable, ramen-inspired soup with a delectable mushroom broth is no exception. And, with the weather getting colder, few things are as comforting as a warm bowl of healthy soup.

You will notice I don’t have ramen noodles in my ingredients list. Honestly that is because I can never seem to find them as a stand-alone item. Unfortunately, I do not have the skills to make my own noodles, so I work with what I can find.

I believe any Japanese-style noodle would work well in this recipe. If you are only able to find (or prefer to use) dry pasta, just boil the noodles in the broth following the instructions on the package.

Continue reading →

5 Kid-friendly foods you can make at home

1 Reply

Feeding kids is expensive and never-ending. You buy a box of snacks at the store, only to find them wiped out by the end of the day.

Sure, it is easier, to whip up a box of mac ‘n cheese or open a package of cookies, and believe me, I do that often, but, if you have a little time, there are plenty of kid-favorite foods which can be made easily, while saving you a few bucks at the grocery store. Continue reading →

Simple, flavorful roasted cauliflower

2 Replies

I eat a (mostly) vegetarian diet, which means produce plays an important part of my diet. Living with a bunch of meat-loving boys (my husband included), meant that I was often left eating my veggies on my own.

Over the years we’ve been together, I have shown my husband that many of the vegetables he thought he didn’t like could actually be very tasty, if cooked the right way.

For me, roasting vegetables is almost always the best way to bring out their delicious flavor — with the help of a good blend of spices, of course.

roastedcauliflower.png

One of the easiest, and tastiest, vegetable dishes, I love to make, is roasted cauliflower.

Cauliflower provides a neutral palette for a variety of seasoning options, but my go-to is turmeric. Not only does this spice give the cauliflower a beautiful color, it adds a nice smokey undertone, and has lots of nutritional benefits to boot.

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower head chopped, or one bag pre-cut cauliflower

3 Tbsp – Olive oil

1 Tsp – Salt

1 Tsp Pepper

1 Tsp Turmeric

Directions:

Toss cauliflower in olive oil, than mix in the salt, pepper and turmeric.

Place cauliflower in casserole pan, baking sheet or whatever else you have on hand, just be sure it is large enough to spread out the cauliflower pieces.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes (or to desired crispness).

And that’s it. An easy dish that is healthful and flavorful

This cauliflower dish makes a great side, or even a good snack. Even my four-year-old enjoys it.

So whether you are going meatless or just want to eat more veggies, this dish is a simple, tasty addition to your rotation.

 

Fall for these chocolate chip, butternut squash muffins

6 Replies

I am basic enough to admit that, while you will never catch me with a pumpkin-spiced latte, I do love the fall, and cooking with my favorite seasonal produce — squash.

Because butternut squash is aplenty, I have been experimenting with various muffin recipes. A quick Internet search yields dozens of versions, many of which I have tested. I realized, however, that I was always adding my one tweaks, so I decided to finally give my own recipe a go.

muffins5

What I love about this recipe is its simplicity (most ingredients are likely already in your pantry) and that it is lower in sugar than comparable muffin recipes. If you have more of a sweet tooth consider going with a 1/2 cup of sugar instead. Continue reading →

Stop judging how we feed our kids

7 Replies

If you were blessed to bring a child into this world, you are undoubtedly familiar with pressure (societal, familial, cultural, Facebook-al?) To nourish your offspring in the most optimum way possible.

For new mothers, this is overwhelmingly breastfeeding. Before a child reaches a certain age, I, speaking as a person who only breastfed, can see how formula-shaming is especially strong in the earliest days of motherhood. We have shifted toward a more breastfeeding-friendly society — to a point — where mothers who can’t, or simply do not wish to breastfeed are pressured or shamed into rejecting formula.

foodjudgment

Already disparaged by many of the very people whose job it is to help them settle in to their daunting new role, formula-using new mothers are then subjected to a slew of criticism from sanctimonious know-it-alls.

Of course, even if a new mother wants to breastfeed, and gives birth in a place that encourages her to do so, she will eventually have to leave the hospital, birthing center or her home and confront a society which may agree and even pressure her into nursing, but has no desire to see her feed her child in public. As if the only acceptable way to breastfeed is in the hospital after delivery or in one’s home.

And, if a breastfeeding mother should decide to continue feeding her child in that manner beyond one year or more, she is no longer a loving women providing valuable nutrients to her child, but rather a freakish, selfish abuser.

The debate over how we nourish our babies is awful and unending, but at least the shaming stops when the breastmilk dries up or the formula runs out, right?

Wrong. Continue reading →

How I use cooking to encourage independence

4 Replies

Raising children is a lifelong lesson in letting go. From the moment they are born, our instinct is to protect them, to shield them, to make their lives easier. We help them with as much as we can — not because we are overprotective — but, because we love them and want them to succeed.

cookingindependence (2)

Ultimate success, however, comes by stepping back, and letting our kids do more on their own. Each age offers new opportunities for growth, and each family can decide what works best for them.

I look out for signs from my kids to guide me about when they might be ready to try new tasks. So, when my son, who is five, started insisting on making meatballs on his on, I let him. Continue reading →

A tale of Ivanka Trump and kosher weddings

2 Replies

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the special connection I felt with Hillary Clinton, and ended the post with a comment on how I have a Trump story.

Well, more specifically, an Ivanka Trump story.

I was going to post something else today, but, since it happens to be my anniversary, and this story relates to my wedding, I can’t think of a better time to share how Ivanka and I will forever be linked. So, I guess, today, is another anniversary. Where’s my gift Ivanka?

wedding_trump

Anyway. My story begins in the offices of a lovely, conservative synagogue in Westchester County New York. My fiance and I are sitting across the desk of the catering manager. Behind him are displays of a notable New York, high society couple: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Continue reading →

Butternut squash mac ‘n cheese for the win

2 Replies

 

My son loves macaroni and cheese, or as he lovingly calls them, “yellow noodles.” Key word being, “yellow.” You try to serve him some fancy Fontina/Gruyere concoction, he will summon the depths of his rage and unleash his fury upon thee. Only noodles tinted with the yellow-orange hue of the sun will appease my picky eater.

Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheese (1)

Fortunately, there are several options in the organic/all-natural department. Amy’s brand frozen mac ‘n cheese is delicious, and tastes the most “home made.” My son loves it and could eat a package or two a day if I let him. While it is one of the “healthier” choices, it’s still a frozen meal, which tend to be higher in sodium, and they aren’t exactly cheap. At one Brooklyn supermarket, a single-serve box could cost as much as $6. I’m no mathematician, but even I know there are better ways to stretch a dollar.

Continue reading →

5 things meals should be (according to a toddler)

2 Replies

image

I like to joke/brag that my son is an advanced eater. From an early age, he has learned to appreciate food and uses it as more than just fuel for his very energetic body. This doesn’t mean he is a perfect angel, who will happily eat exotic global cuisine. He is still very much a picky toddler. What makes him unique is how he appreciates food. He has taught me what meals should be.
Continue reading →