I’ve been making pies for a long time. My mom taught me to make a homemade crust when I was young, and I’ve been making them every Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July and occasional birthday since then. Here’s one I did for Thanksgiving last year (we ate it while watching football :). My mom originally […]
Tag Archives | cooking

Homemade Pie Crust: Everything You Need to Know

6 Secrets to Successful Meal Planning
I’ve started meal planning lately (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4), and — wow — I’m becoming a big fan! There are just so many benefits: less trips to the grocery store, lower grocery bills, less wasted food, less stress during the day about what the heck we’re going to eat for dinner, and of course … […]

More Food Art Fun! Bitzer for Breakfast
Happy July! We spent the past week on vacation and it was so good to get away! Unplugged. Disconnected. And completely carefree. After such a great time, we have been slow to get back in the swing of things. Thank goodness for the Fourth of July weekend, yet another excuse to laze around with the […]

Shaun the Sheep: More Food Art Fun!
It’s all things Shaun the Sheep over here these days! I learned about the series only recently, but was quickly hooked. Why? Well, unlike most fast-moving-bright-lights-in-your-face cartoons for kids these days, Shaun the Sheep is claymation. As in, little clay figures that have to be adjusted manually — millimeter by millimeter — for every single movement. […]

The Easiest Way to Make Pickled Onions
I love pickled onions. I put them on everything … … Barbacoa … Pork verde … Pulled pork … Thai Lettuce Wraps … As well as almost any burger, dog, sandwich, taco or salad. Often, I make them from scratch, which basically just involves soaking sliced onions in a mixture of vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and […]

The Easiest Way to Cook Broccoli
Hi again y’all! Yesterday I posted about the easiest way to cook salmon, and today I’ll share the easiest way to cook broccoli. (Just think, if you make the salmon and the broccoli together, in 20 minutes or less you can have what might be the easiest and healthiest meal on the planet!) Here’s what you do: Place […]
Pesto-Prosciutto Chicken: Quick and Easy Dinner
Pesto-Pancetta Pork Tenderloin has been my go-to dinner-party dish for years. It’s easy and yummy and a real crowd pleaser, especially if you brine the pork. But who has time to brine pork?! Seriously, people. So lately, for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, I’ve been making the same dish with chicken and prosciutto instead […]
Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners!
Thank you Silicon Labs Austin (especially Jason, Jalene, and Donna), and thank you MAMAs Austin (especially Amy and Lauren)! What a pleasure it was to speak to your groups about Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners! And to everyone who attended, thank YOU for your interest, ideas, and follow-up emails. As promised, I’m providing a list […]

Recipe Roundup: Food Ideas for the Fourth
You know why I love the Fourth of July? Because I get to break out these bad boys. And these bad boys. And then hang out at a picnic all day. Really though. I do love the Fourth. And not just because it’s like a 24-hour tailgate. I love it because — for just one […]
Dinner on the Cheap: Chalupas Compuestas
After five years of marriage and two kids, John and I like to joke that we are “business partners in a nonprofit.” Which is only funny because it’s sort of true. As unromantic as that may sound, it is actually quite sweet. Because love during courtship is easy. But love during the chaos of parenthood? […]

On the Mediterranean Diet: Tabbouleh Salad
John’s grandparents are originally from Lebanon, so we eat a lot of Mediterranean food at our house. (For a funny little post about learning recipes from his family, click here.) I love to make a big spread of Lebanese food with the usual suspects (hummus, baba ganoush, rolled grape leaves) and this tabbouleh salad. Tabbouleh is very […]

How I Cope With Tragedy (Like Boston)
TV off. Radio off. Oven on. It’s how I cope. During times of stress and tragedy, my instinct is often to curl up in bed and wish everything away. But it’s not the best way to cope. At least for me. I need to be busy. Cooking. Baking. Cleaning. Playing. Hugging. And as I’m keeping […]

Mint-Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes
Spring makes me do funny things. Just as the mountain laurels start to bloom, I actually (if falsely) believe that our house could be clean for an extended period of time. Like one day or something. And under that belief, I get very determined and start cleaning at odd hours like a crazy woman. Then one […]
Caldo De Res: Authentic Mexican Beef and Vegetable Soup
I love how food, like yarn, can sew together generations. I never met my mother’s mother, Maria (she died before I was born), but I think of her often. I think of her at times, like last week, when after a long day all I wanted was a mug of tea and hot bath, and […]
Side for Steaks: Build-Your-Own Wedge Salad
If there’s one consistently reliable source for advice about life, it’s bumper stickers. Okay maybe not, but there is one bumper sticker that I keep thinking about. It’s in the shape of a paw print, and inside, it says: “Who rescued who?” Who rescued who. It reminds me of what my mom always says about raising children: […]

Salmon Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Sauce
As I’ve mentioned before, if there’s anything I love more than cooking, it’s not cooking (especially when it’s really hot or I’m really hungry). In other words, although I do love to be in the kitchen, very often I just want to enjoy some good food without a lot of fuss. Which is the way Jack […]

Salt, Lime and Happiness: A Recipe for Ceviche
Well, we made it through another SXSW. That’s South-By-Southwest. Or “South-By” as we locals call it. John’s good friend Charlie (they’re basically brothers) came to stay with us during the main music weekend. Charlie lives in the midwest, so I wanted to serve him something very “Austin, Texas” for dinner on Friday night. To me, […]

Soup When You’re Sick (or Not): Lime Soup With a Thai Twist
Belize is my kind of place: White sand, blue water, rum punch, lime soup. Have you been? I went with my best friend Elissa and our mutual friend Rob back in 2007. We left a few days after Christmas and stayed through the New Year. This was back when John and I had just started […]

On the Mediterranean Diet: A Recipe for Lentils
Did you hear the news? A recent study confirmed what many suspected: A diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, lean protein, fruits and vegetables can reduce your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. By a lot. As was reported in the New York Times a couple of weeks ago: The magnitude of the […]
Quinoa with Butter, Almonds and Cranberries
Okay, so I am officially becoming my dad. I am usually in bed before 9 p.m. I have a Japanese car (with light-colored seats!) that gets good gas mileage. I’m an over buyer, especially as to milk and paper towels. I use my blinker like a Driver’s-Ed instructor. I can’t stand loud restaurants. And my […]