Mom's Kitchen Handbook

We’re having a bit of a heat wave in San Francisco, which means frozen treats on the brain. There is certainly no shortage of options, particularly when it comes to frozen yogurt, which is enjoying a major comeback these days. Fro yo is a pretty solid choice as far as indulgences go: lighter in fat [...]

In addition to working full time in real estate trying to keep her two girls in shoes (and hair accessories), my step sister, Meagan, volunteers for several charities, manages to get her kids to hither and yon for various activities, and always has on a fantastic pair of heels. She’s busy. And like most of [...]

In a perfect world, I’d do all of my grocery shopping at a leisurely pace at the farmer’s market, make my own yogurt, cheese and butter, can all of my own fruits and vegetables, and have pastured chickens grazing in my backyard providing eggs naturally rich in omega-3s to feed my always polite and perky [...]

The importance of drinking plenty of water is one nutrition fact with which few would argue. Trying to take in enough of it during the day is the challenge. Here’s something that may get you and your kids to want to down a few extra glasses: fruit water.

Strange though it may sound, my favorite sweater came to mind when I was plating this Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Figs for family dinner last week. The sweater is a cardigan: thick and nubby with a rosy hue and rather elaborate detailing at the shoulders. Every time I put it on, it gets mistaken for [...]

A number of years ago at a reading for her informative book, What to Eat, esteemed nutrition expert Marion Nestle told a rapt audience that the best way she knows to get kids to eat is to teach them to cook. I couldn’t agree more. I also know that having some cool cooking gear is [...]

I was at the supermarket on Sunday being trailed by all three of my kids playing that age-old game of mothers and children: they slip food into the shopping cart; you notice said food and return it to the shelf. Included was a box of granola bars proffered by my daughter, Rosie, that were coated [...]

Kitchen safety: This is a trick I learned from the pros during my one foray into restaurant cooking while in grad school. To keep cutting boards from wiggling around, dampen a dish towel, lay it on your work surface, and set your cutting board on top. Alternatively, you can cut pieces of foam or rubber [...]

Being back in the swing of the school year and the swirl of parents that comes along with it, I’m reminded of the rich community of moms around me: So smart, and so full of clever ideas. Just this morning I found myself swapping lunch packing tips with Kelly, a mother of two, challenged with [...]