Last Saturday, The Daddy Monkey and I had our first at-home-date night since before The Girl was born, and it was wonderful. On the menu: Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon Grilled Sirloin Steak New Potatoes with Thyme Broccoli with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Red Pepper Flakes Fresh Local Greens, Chevre, and Homegrown Nasturtiums with White Balsamic […]

After my cloudy mood all last week, a little box of sunshine arrived on my doorstep Friday morning.  It was filled with bento supplies from Ichiban Kan. I used to make bento lunches for The Daddy Monkey a few years ago when he wasn’t able to come home for lunch.  It is a lot of […]

Mine.  Homemade granola with soy milk. The Girl’s.  Oatmeal with dried apricots. The Boy’s.  French toast with maple syrup.

I woke up to the sound of The Boy’s footprints running through the house to check if The Easter Bunny had come during the night.  Since The Daddy Monkey was taking the kids to the grandparents’ house that morning, we had decided to do our Easter activities (baskets, egg hunt, dinner) when they returned. Big […]

I’ve already said how much I love Spring and Easter.  I’ve been really looking forward to this weekend and the holiday.  The Boy has always loved Easter and all its festivities, and The Girl is interested participating in whatever The Boy is doing.  I really hope Phase I of the Backyard Spruce-Up is done this […]

When my dear friend R asked his grandmother if she was working class British or wealthy British, her reply was (in her very British accent) “I make me own breakfast!”  Well, for those of us who make our own breakfast, I offer you my granola recipe. Since I do not like my granola overly sweet, […]

Remember when I was waxing rhapsodic about sorrell?  Well here it is. Isn’t it lovely?

Here’s a great budget-friendly meal.  The Daddy Monkey gets so excited when I tell him I’m making this.  He’s the one who coined the term “chimichurrific.” I know this is usually served with flank steak, but for the price,  I’ve never been very impressed with flank steak.  London broil is crazy cheap.  I get it […]

I am so in love with my local organic farm.  Their market is open on Fridays and Saturdays, and I make it out there once a week to get our family’s vegetables and fruit.  They grow what they can there, and the rest is brought in from elsewhere.  I prefer to buy local, and try […]

I wanted to make a stick-to-the-ribs meal for another really cold day.  I bought some lovely beef stew meat at the healthy store, not really knowing what I’d do with it.  Looking at several cookbooks, I couldn’t find anything I wanted to eat that night, or that I had the ingredients for. I am really […]