Mom's Kitchen Handbook

I‘ll apologize up front that the gorgeousness in the photo above isn’t coming to you in a recipe today. My sister-in-law Alison made these Strawberry and Yogurt Cream Tarts for a barbecue at our house recently, and yes, they were as delicious as they look. It was not a “no, thank you” or even “just [...]

Now that summer is coming to a close, I’m feeling, as I always do, terribly nostalgic. The sibling rivalry, trail of wet towels, dirty dishes, and inherent chaos of having three kids around 24/7 quickly fades, and all I remember is fun and family time. The highlight was a big and (for us) fairly exotic [...]

Over the years, bagels have been supersized along with so many other foods in the marketplace. They can top 400 calories a pop: That’s the equivalent to four slices of sandwich bread, which doesn’t leave much room for wholesome goodies on the inside. Not to mention the fact that a big bagel is tricky for [...]

I’m excited to share today’s recipe because it’s DELICIOUS. My kids went nuts for it…”naughty little fingers in the serving bowl, scraping up every last bit” kind of nuts. If any of you invite me to a party, or picnic, or any summer event at any time now or in the future, expect that I [...]

From the looks of this cake you’d never guess that a full two cups of raw vegetables go into the batter. From the taste of it you’d never suspect the presence of beets and zucchini either. But grated raw vegetables aren’t reason enough to bake this cake; it’s more a nutritious perk. Do it because [...]

Note: The giveaway is officially closed. A second giveaway will be announced on September 6, so stay tuned! The reality of the kids returning to school is always bittersweet for me: I’ll miss having them around, but relish the quiet. I’ll long for the relaxed rhythm of summer, but enjoy the restore to order in [...]

Not long after having my third child I was talking to a friend about how overwhelmed I was, explaining that I could no longer keep the “to dos” straight in my head. With the various activities, play dates, nap times, and many appointments, along with my own schedule, I wasn’t able to keep track of [...]

So many cool things have percolated out of Mom’s Kitchen Handbook over the past several months, I’m pinching myself. Among them is my collaboration with the fine folks at Pottery Barn Kids, one of my backyard brands here in San Francisco. We’ve been working together on a “back-to-school” season primer of sorts, to help moms [...]