In the Kitchen Now - Mango and Coconut Sticky Rice

There's nothing quite like watching a class of enthusiastic preschoolers gobbling up mango and sticky rice, which is exactly what happened today when Grandpa Audy made an appearance at school. I don't know why I was surprised - what's not to like about sweet and tangy mango with coconut-infused sweet rice? My 4-year-old is learning about Asia this month in school, so his teachers asked if we could bring something to share with the class. Grandpa Audy whipped up a batch of his Thai Mango and Coconut Sticky Rice and brought a picture book about fruits found in Thailand to share with the class! Lucky kids (and lucky me left with the extras)!

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Mango and Coconut Sticky Rice

The Shared Cold (or Hot) Dinner

I had a long week ahead of me- my husband was working more than usual and my commitments were keeping me out of the house for mealtimes. I had also eaten numerous Bacon Jam and Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, so I was feeling a little guilty and remorseful. After chatting and commiserating with Amy, I realized that she had a long week ahead of her, too. I wanted to set us up for success that week, so I set out a plan to make a large batch of a versatile soba noodle salad that would keep well in the fridge and make easy and healthy meals throughout the week. With an array of colorful and kid friendly vegetables, the soba noodles could be dressed in a myriad of delicious ways. I made a ginger scallion sauce for the adults, but I knew that our preschoolers wouldn’t appreciate the spicy onion sauce. To accompany the soba noodles, I made oven baked chicken wings with a sweet and salty glaze. I used the remaining chicken glaze to dress the kid’s noodles - BAM! Supermom. (It’s the small accomplishments, like this one, that keep my mom-spirits up.) This soba noodle salad and the sticky sweet and savory chicken wings I made for dinner were perfect for transporting, perfect as leftovers, and perfect for sharing.

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Crispy Chicken Wings

Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Scallion Ginger Sauce

In the Kitchen Now - Lemon-Berry Muffins

Obviously not all the food that Cynthia and I cook are together or for this blog, and sometimes we have people ask us, "Hey, is THIS going to be posted on your blog?" So, we're trying out this idea to post some of the things that we casually cook in our kitchens during the week, and doing a "quick post" with just one photo and a recipe. These posts will always be something we've made super recently. We hope you enjoy our mini-posts!

My kids love berries - particularly the 1-year-old who has entered the picky eater phase. So even though they are *gasp* NOT in-season, we eat them anyway. I had berries in the fridge that were getting past their prime, so I figured I'd make some mixed berry muffins this morning. It's a simple recipe, and my 4-year-old was happy to help!

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Lemon-Berry Muffins

The Shared Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I was still going strong with my health kick that started in the New Year, so naturally, I was craving bacon jam. Making bacon jam can be a process, but it keeps incredibly well - so it's perfect to make in larger, sharable quantities. I didn't have a reason to make a batch of bacon jam, besides my daydreams that featured the sweet and salty condiment, until February. Every month, parents and staff from my children's preschool have a dinnertime meeting to discuss operations, events and issues that pertain to the school. Volunteers offer to bring a savory dish, sweets, or beverages (ahem, wine!) to the meeting. The parents and staff at our cooperative preschool are highly dedicated to maintaining a loving, safe and enriching community for our children. To show my appreciation for the work that these parents put into the school, the least I could do was to make myself, I mean them . . . some bacon jam! Now I had an excuse to spread it between slices of bread and call it a meal. I decided to bring two kinds of absurd grilled cheese sandwiches and a refreshingly simple salad (for balance!) to the meeting to share. What pairs better with wine and discussions about communicable diseases than decadent grilled cheese sandwiches?

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Bacon Jam and Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Roasted Jalapeno Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Beet and Cucumber Salad

The Shared Valentine's Day

Last Valentine’s Day, my then 3-year-old woke up and slipped into my room to cuddle, like he does most mornings. He whispered into my ear, “Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you, Mommy. But, I love you ALL the days.” And I melted into a wet puddle. I gave him an extra snuggle, and stored the memory away for the inevitable moments when I’d need to remind myself that he is more than a crazed, tantrum-monster. He’s absolutely right though; love is something we should acknowledge every single day with hugs, our time, words of kindness, and my favorite - with food.

This Valentine’s Day, Cynthia and I wanted to surprise the kids, the best way we know how - with food. Let’s have an (early Valentine's Day) party! I made to-die-for Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies and easy Chocolate-Covered Strawberries. Cynthia found cute paper straws that we cut up into “beads”, and the kids laced them together with pipe cleaners to make bracelets and necklaces. She also had adorable mini milk bottles with striped red and white straws that the kids drank from with giddy glee. Honestly, the enormous smiles on their little faces was the best Valentine’s Day gift I could have imagined. Nothing’s sweeter than that!

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Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

The Shared Chili

I have never been a real football fan, or really a sports enthusiast of any kind. (What can I say? Watching sports makes my eyes roll into the back of my head, where I fall into a deep coma until halftime.) Watching a game is only fun if I’m hanging out with my friends and cheering loudly while waving brightly colored pennants and pompoms. It’s the shared experience that makes it worthwhile; but, the real reason I agree to watch any game at all is for the shared food. Tailgating is the BEST! I love all the feasting on barbecue meats, grazing on the vast spread of finger foods, and the imbibing of cold alcoholic beverages to wash it all down. By the time that’s all done and over with, I’m feeling so good that sure, I’ll happily watch the game too. If I sound like a little piggy right now, that’s because I am. (And you know you are too, because you’re reading a food blog!) Then there’s the Super Bowl - I am excited to host a Super Bowl Party for the simple reason that I adore a giant pot of chili with all the fixings. There’s nothing better than cozying up on the couch with a steaming bowl of spicy chili, heaped with shredded cheese, onions, and cilantro. How can you top that? Have Cynthia make a fresh batch of buttery cornbread and slather it with even more butter. Bliss. Maybe this year, I’ll also try to figure out which team is which.

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Chicken Chili

All-Purpose Cornbread

The Shared Meatballs

December. December is a wonderful month in theory - family and friend filled holidays and parties, extra well-wishes from strangers, and of course, all of the homemade baked goods. But in practice and despite December's great qualities, it's overwhelming, expensive and hectic. It’s nearly the end of January, and I feel like I have barely recovered from December’s flurry of activity. I hope to feel rested by March.

In December, I attended multiple potlucks organized by our family's preschool. My two daughters attend a parent participation, cooperative preschool that they adore and thrive in. Each family is scheduled and rotated for their turn to provide a snack for the class. We loved the idea of one family bringing a group snack for all of the children to share on a daily basis. The snack guidelines are balanced and nutritious: each snack includes a vegetable, fruit, grain, protein and dairy component. It's important to me for my children to try things from other households, that we wouldn't normally eat in our house. Conversely, I am always glad to bring a snack for the class and have another child try and enjoy something new from us. The convivial and group atmosphere is particularly wonderful around holidays. Before school was let out for winter break, both of my girls classes had potlucks in lieu of a normal snack day. On these potluck days, parents and siblings are welcome to stay for the class time and enjoy the food, festivities and school grounds. By the time I signed up for the potlucks, the most delicious kid-friendly choices were already spoken for: fruit salad, muffins, macaroni and cheese, and crudite. I noticed a lack of protein on both lists so I decided to make Swedish meatballs for both potluck parties.

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Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Polenta

The Shared Lunch

Winter was already well underway, when Cynthia, our friend Christine, and I huddled together in my unusually quiet kitchen. We were lucky enough to have grandparents watching the kids, so we had a whole afternoon at our disposal - it felt positively luxurious. So what to cook? We wanted to somehow redeem ourselves from all of our gluttonous holiday eating, but also eat food that would combat the cold, drizzly weather outside. So, we settled on a little bit of each: a bountiful kale salad and also a hearty, white bean soup. I am convinced that the kale with all it’s well-touted vitamins and antioxidants reversed the damage of eating more than my fair share of deep-fried turkey, honey ham, tamales, and cheesecake at not one, but TWO Christmas dinners. Well, that’s what I’m telling myself anyway. Add that to this soul-warming white bean soup that manages to pack its own healthy dose of good-for-you veggies, while still tasting unctuous and rich. Beyond any purported health benefits of said soup and salad, what really struck me on this otherwise gray, frigid day, was how filled with joy I felt spending a leisurely afternoon cooking, sharing, and enjoying lunch with Cynthia and Christine. I love how cooking with and for others has taught us to be generous with our recipes and each other - sharing a nourishing meal that ushered in a little extra warmth during these cold winter months.

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White Bean Soup with Wilted Greens

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash and Cheddar