It's that time of year again. Highlights (and lowlights) of the past year are flooding my newsfeed. New diets and detox regimens for a "new you." New Year Resolutions. For me, I like to review some of my best meals and with that, moments in the past year. Drum roll please...

#10: Matzo Ball Soup - this was my second time ever making matzo ball soup. I made them with schmaltz (melted chicken fat). No matzo ball mix here. The result? Crazy good.

#9: DIY Rice Bowls with Fried Egg - Such a humble dish but all-around family favorite. Rice topped with some stir-fry veggies and a fried egg. One dish you won't need a recipe for.

#8: Scallion Pancakes - These golden beauties from Joanne Chang's Flour, Too cookbook are now a must-have during Chinese New Year celebrations.

#7: Roasted Pumpkin Soup at Henrietta's Table - I had the good fortune of getting a cooking demonstration by Chef Peter Davis for making this luscious soup. It's a bowl full of Autumn.

#6: Asian-Style BBQ Chicken - from one of my 2014 favorite cookbooks, Dinner: The Playbook, this BBQ chicken dish is packed with flavor. Plus my kids love it and it's so easy to make. Yep, it's a keeper.

#5: Warm Couscous Salad with Roasted Autumn Vegetables and Ginger-Scallion Dressing - from my other favorite 2014 cookbook, Flour, Too, this dish is hearty but so good for you, you can't help but love it.

#4: The Countdown - this was my favorite cocktail at one of my new favorite restaurants this year - Alden & Harlow. I can't recall what's in this drink (their drink menu changes regularly). What I can remember was this was a perfect drink for raising a glass to turning the big 4-0.

#3: Momofuku Noodle Bar's Shiitake Bun - this was a bittersweet meal. My long-awaited first visit to Momofuku Noodle Bar in NYC only happened because we were in the city for my grandmother's funeral. It was sad having to say goodbye, but so lovely being with family over some of the best food I've ever had.

#2: Sharing platter - there was nothing extraordinary about this charcuterie and cheese board. What makes it one of my favorite meals is the fact that this was our last picnic dinner on one of our favorite beaches on Cape Cod. Sigh.

#1: Mother's Day Breakfast - Oh my God, was this good. Umdaddy surprised me with the best breakfast a mom could ask for: Fried egg over baby arugula, skillet fried fingerling potatoes and monkey bread french toast. Not only was this out-of-this-world-good, but I got to share it with my family. I am so very lucky.

Here's to even more delicious meals with those you love in 2015!

I don't know about you, but I'm finding it particularly difficult to get into the holiday spirit this year. It could be due to the fact there is no snow on the ground, just sad, bare trees and dead grass everywhere. It could be I'm behind with my Christmas shopping (like, still making a list). But there's still time! Christmas is 10 days away. So if you're like me still looking for gift ideas, I've put together the mother of all lists of practical holiday gift ideas for the food-obsessed on your list. And no, it does not include anything from the Williams-Sonoma catalog. But do yourself a favor and read "The 2014 Hater's Guide to the Williams-Sonoma Catalog". FUNNY. Though, who couldn't use a set of Lampkins?

(photo credit: Cool Mom Picks)

For teachers, friends, neighbors, or public servants in your community, check out Mom Cool Picks "14 Easy Homemade Food Gifts To Make Besides Cake and Cookie". Two words: Homemade Nutella. 

(photo credit: The Kitchn)

For the newbie home cook just starting out, The Kitchn's "10 Essential Kitchen Tools to Gift Now and Use Forever" includes the stuff home cooks will remember you every time they use it - which will be often. 

(photo credit: Eat the Love)

For the cookbook collector, check out Eat the Love's "Holiday Cookbooks 2014 Roundups" He's divided his massive roundup into three parts, so you'll be sure to find something for everyone. 

(photo credit: Thinksource)

For the healthy snacker, POPSUGAR has their list of favorite Monthly Subscription Boxes. These make great last-minute gifts plus they are the gifts that keep on giving! 

(photo credit: Ryan Daush)

For yourself: yes, you should treat yourself! I love this list from the editors of Food52 of products they hope to get get this year. Some beautiful and fun things to brighten up your kitchen.

Our new fall favorite

T- minus four days until Thanksgiving. Because we're hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, I'm looking for quick, easy and lighter dishes to get us through the week before we stuff ourselves with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Plus lots of prep and cooking will be happening in our tiny kitchen, so the last thing I want to do is to cook even more!

I discovered this dish earlier this year in Joanne Chang's Flour, Too, one of my new favorite cookbooks this year. It features hearty, good-for-you seasonal veggies tossed in a delicious, kid-friendly asian dressing. The recipe calls for serving this with quinoa. We opt for Israeli couscous because my kids prefer it. Hey, they're eating Brussels sprouts and root veggies. That's winning in my book. Plus this makes a great side dish for your Thanksgiving meal.

Warm Couscous Salad with Roasted Autumn Vegetables and Ginger-Scallion Dressing 
Adapted from Flour, Too by Joanne Chang

INGREDIENTS

• 8-10 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
• 2 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2-3 baby turnips, peeled and diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cup Israeli couscous, cooked according to directions
• 8-9 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1 tsp sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, toss Brussels sprouts, parsnip, carrot, sweet potato, and turnips with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer veggies to a baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer. Roast the vegetables, stirring every 5 minutes for 18-20 minutes until tender and cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. While veggies are roasting, make couscous according to package directions.
4. Add the roasted vegetables to the couscous and toss well. In a small bowl, whisk together the scallions, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable oil and sesame oil until combined. Pour dressing over the couscous and veggies and mix well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• 1 cup fresh pumpkin or heirloom pumpkin, cooked
• ½ cup white onion, julienned
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 qt water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 dash cinnamon
• 1 dash cayenne
• ½ cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Split pumpkin in half and de-seed. Place the pumpkin on a rack on a sheet pan and roast skin-side up for 45 to 60 minutes, until pumpkin is soft.
3. Remove the skins and discard. Roughly chop the pumpkin to create 1 cup.
4. Saute the onion in the butter until transparent. Add the remaining ingredients and the pumpkin and cook for 1 hour on a low simmer.
5. Remove the heat and puree until smooth. Serve.

Okay, this post is not going to win me "Coolest Mom of the Year." But if you're like me, you're looking down the barrel of a full-out sugar rush this weekend. Kind of like this:



We'll indulge for a few days, snacking on all this Halloween loot. The kids love to sort all the candy they've collected (and smell them!). But after a few days of Peanut Butter Cups, fun size candy bars and sugary candy corn, we are ready to rid our house of all Halloween candy (because I will eat them all).

For the past couple of years, we bring our candy into Magic Beans for their Candy Buy Back program. Bring in at minimum of one pound of candy between 11/1-11/5 and your kids get 20% off a new toy. Magic Beans donates the candy to food pantries and the military overseas.

Green Planet Kids in Newton is also accepting your leftover candy of a pound or more between 11/1-11/7 in exchange for a $5 gift card. Green Planet Kids is sending candy to military troops overseas as well.

Be sure to check out your kids' dentist offices as most do a candy buyback too. Our kids' dentist office will give $1 for every pound of candy donated to the troops. Here's a complete list of candy buy back in Massachusetts from Boston Parents Paper.

Sweet, right?

Most Gen-Xers and older are probably familiar with the classic advertising campaign from Prince Pasta: the little boy (Anthony) running through the narrow streets of the North End of Boston to get home for dinner because "Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day." As an college student studying advertising, this memorable commercial was highly regarded. Prince Pasta became one of the country's iconic brands, firmly establishing itself in our food culture. 

The start of the 2014-15 school year is off to a good start. Transition to 4th grade and Kindergarten has been pretty smooth, and after-school activities are starting to pick up. Plus things here and here have definitely been picking up. So I'm relying on weekly meal plans to keep me on track to cook as many family dinners as possible.

So what's on the menu this week?

Monday: Pasta with Cauliflower, Bacon & Breadcrumbs - we love cauliflower, especially browned on a cast iron skillet. We love bacon even more. 

Tuesday: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potato and Carrot Hash - From Dinner: The Playbook. this looks to be a good mid-week meal - hearty, warm-your-bones good.  

Wednesday: Prince Spaghetti Day - to kick off National Pasta Month, we're going old school with spaghetti and meatballs. What's not to love? 

Thursday: Asian Chicken Slaw - From Dinner: A Love Story, this one is a winner in our house. Lots of kid-friendly flavors, plus it comes together quickly. And it's healthy to boot.  

Friday: Loaded Fried Rice - end of week, fridge clearing recipe. Plus I have some delicious Chinese sausage from DePasquale's of Newton  I'll toss in for good measure. 

Have a great week!

(photo credit: wikipedia)

My 9-year-old came home from school yesterday, dropped his bag in the hallway (why can't he remember to hang it up is beyond me), and strolled into the kitchen for his usual after-school snack. I joined him as this is often the best time for us to catch up and talk about his day.

While he's munching away on some grapes, I ask him about his new snack routine at school. "Do you have it before lunch? Are there assigned seats? Is it a working snack?" You know, nosey mom questions. That's when he told me the kids said they felt bad for him.

Me: "Why do they feel bad for you?"

9 yo: "Because they asked why I never bring chips or Doritos for a snack and I told them we never have that at home."

Me: "That's true. It's okay to have it once in a while, but too much junk food is not good for you."

9 yo: "I told them that. Then they asked if I've ever had Burger King or McDonald's and I told them never. They couldn't believe it and that's when they said they felt bad for me."

Me: (wheels turning) "They just don't understand because maybe that's what they have often. We just never go to those places when there are so many great restaurants to choose from around here. It's okay to have that stuff once in a while. But like junk food, too much fast food is not good for you."

9 yo: "I know. Then they asked what is my favorite thing we have for breakfast. I told them Belgium Waffles. They all agreed... Food from scratch is the best, right?"

Me: "Right. And yeah, it's hard not to like Belgium waffles."

My 9-year-old really doesn't care what others think or say and will be the first to set you straight. I know his classmates were probably more curious than really shaming him for never eating that crap. We don't deprive our kids of treats and we try to limit how much processed foods they eat. This is just another sad reminder why there's a childhood obesity problem. I'm now scheming ways we can start getting these other kids excited about real food.

So after a brief summer hiatus, I'm back to blogging and hope to as regularly as I can! Starting with this one.

last packed lunch of the 2013-14 school year