2012 is definitely a year to remember. From Gangham Style, to the Summer Olympics, Binders of Women, Hurricane Sandy, and the Apocalypse that wasn't. 2012 will definitely be a year of a lot of heartache as we remember those affected by the Newtown tragedy. And 2012 has some personal highlights and lowlights for me as well.

As I reflect back on 2012, I like to remember our five favorite meals we enjoyed as a family:

Pasta with Sausage, Rosemary and Tomatoes

Everyone has a go-to weeknight dish. This is ours. Can be made in 20 minutes flat. And consumed in about two.




This was a new technique for us when it comes to cooking up chicken. The result? The juiciest, tastiest chicken. Ever.




This cookie recipe challenged me as a home cook like no other. Both in terms of technique and taste. This cookie will rock your world.




My first happy accident and Asian-fusion attempt. Soft, fluffy, buttery naan + Vietnamese Pho Ga ingredients = one outstanding sandwich.




Is there anything more simple and crowd-pleasing than chicken and rice? Plus cooking it one pot makes clean-up a breeze.


Whichever way you choose to reflect on the past 12 months, do it with those you love around the dinner table, because food is love. Happy New Year!

So we supposedly had an extra weekend this year to prepare for Christmas since Thanksgiving was earlier than usual. But why is it that I'm still frantically searching for last-minute gift items, baking and wrapping like there's no tomorrow (Mayans calendar #epicfail)?  

(Image credit: America's Test Kitchen)

(image credit: Share our Strength)

“I don’t care about the lesson my teacher has planned today.”
 

“I don’t care if I get sick again.”
  

“I don’t care if I’m having trouble concentrating.”
 

“I don’t care if the other kids think I’m grumpy all the time.”

“I don’t care if I get another poor grade on a test.”

“I care about how many minutes 

until I get to eat a hot meal.”

(image credit: runner.com)

Thanksgiving is like the Super Bowl for foodies. Lots of hype, lots of preparation, and of course, lots of food (but none of the bad commercials).  In typical fashion, I am scrambling to get organized for Thanksgiving as we are hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house. As I sat at my kitchen table trying to put together a game plan this weekend, I turned to this post I put together last year: Last Minute Thanksgiving Day Prep.

It's a helpful playbook on how to get ready for the big game day. Move over Belichick ;-)

From our table to yours, wishing you a great Thanksgiving!

• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
• ½ lb sugar snaps, strings removed
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced on a diagonal
• 1 jar WORLDFOODS Indochina Cambodian Pineapple Lemon Grass Stir Fry Sauce

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Add half the chicken; cook and stirring constantly, until opaque throughout (2-4 minutes). Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, along with the onion, sugar snaps and carrots. Cook, stirring constantly until onion is tender and golden.
3. Add the jar of stir fry sauce and chicken (and any accumulated juices) back into pan and heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce is heated through and slightly thickened.
4. Serve over rice or noodels and enjoy!

I was given WORLDFOOD Sauces to try as part of the Massachusetts WORLDFOODS Fusion Taste Team. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Today is World Food Day - a day Oxfam America is hoping everyone will stop to think about where their food comes from, the impact it has globally, and the small steps everyone can take to make the food system more fair and sustainable. It's about coming together over good food and even better conversation with this discussion guide. It's about making making sure everyone has enough food to eat, always.


Where to start? Learn about Oxfam's GROW method: Save Food, Buy Seasonal, Less Meat, Support Small-Scale Farmers, and Cook Smart. And then have it become second nature.

Be sure to follow Oxfam on Twitter and the Oxfam GROW Pinterest board for recipe ideas, news and events. And get clicky and Like Oxfam on Facebook too.

"Can you remind me to do all this when I am a grown-up mom?"


This post (and my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about Oxfam America's GROW Method. All commentary and opinions are, of course, my own.

photo credit: Oxfam America

We've been hearing a lot about percentages this year as we lead up to Election Day. The one percentage I don't think we'll hear the candidates discuss is the 18%. Did you know that livestock is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions? And nearly 8% of global human water use goes to grow food for cattle alone. As my boys like to say, "Holy cow!"

I'm not suggesting we start an Occupy Cattle Ranch anytime soon. But if we all made one meatless meal once a week, we can really make an impact on the environment (and on our health and wallets). For example, it takes 6,810 liters of water to produce one 1lb package of ground beef. That's equivalent to my family drinking over 4 1/2 liters of water EVERY DAY for a YEAR!

Less Meat

"Rearing animals for food means a lot more greenhouse gas emissions, more water consumed, and more land required, compared to growing food crops. If we eat a little less meat and a little less dairy we will dramatically reduce the impact of our diets on the environment." 

Some of our favorite meatless meals

Try whipping up a meatless meal at least once a week. We do a Meatless Monday here because all the cool kids are doing it. Here are some of our favorite meatless recipes: Mom's Granola, Monkey Bread French Toast, Vegetable Noodle Stir-Fry with Tofu, Bulgur Veggie Burgers with Lime Mayo, Stuffed Tomatoes with Grilled Corn, and Greek Pasta Salad. We are trying to cut back on how much milk we drink too. For example, we have started using soy milk in our cereal. I know this may not be easy, especially with young children that need the protein and vitamins and allergies, so make sure you consult your doctor.

I will be the first one to admit that I can be lazy in the kitchen. I will avoid any recipes that require lots of ingredients (which means lots of shopping - which I hate). A dish that requires multiple cooking techniques? Forget it. I will only make risotto once or twice a year because I can't bear the thought of constant stirring. Well, it just so happens that my laziness efficiency  is actually saving energy and money.

Oxfam GROW Method #4: Cook Smarter

"We rely on precious fossil fuels to cook and heat our food, and these everyday tasks add up to big emissions, as well as big energy bills. Try cooking with as little water as possible, using a flat bottomed pan, covering your pan with a lid and reducing the heat as soon as the water starts to boil - you 'll save energy, water and money!"

1. Change How You Cook
Did you know that by 1) using just enough water to cover your food while cooking on the stove (rather than filling the pan up to the top);  2) Using a flat-bottomed pan and covering with a lid; and 3) reducing the heat as soon as the water starts to boil can reduce up to 70% of the energy you use?

And the next factoid is truly amazing to me: If all urban households in Brazil, India, Philippines, Spain, the UK and the US took these three steps, we would save over 30 million megawatt hours of energy a year. You're picturing Doc from Back to the Future shouting "1.21 gigawatts?! Great Scott!" right about now, huh? Or put in another way, saving 30 million megawatt hours a year is greater than if the same households each planted a seedling and let it grow for ten years. Woah. That's heavy.



2. Change What You Cook
Another way to save energy is to make things that don't require energy, like sandwiches, salads, cold soups or no-bake treats. So those nights when you'll eat a bowl of cereal for dinner because you don't feel like cooking for yourself? Great! Or you can try some of these one-pot or no-cook recipes such as Chicken Pho Naan Sandwich, Shrimp Gazpacho, Baby Bok Choy, Carrot and Apple Slaw,  Peach Plum Salsa, Almond Butter, Cream Cheese and Strawberry Sandwich, or Chicken Sofrito. And be sure to check out Oxfam's pinterest board for more recipe ideas.

Some of my favorite no-cook and one-pot meals

So go ahead - be lazy in the kitchen. Just make sure you put don't leave a mess, because I would NEVER do that (wink, wink).

This post (and my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about Oxfam America's GROW Method. All commentary and opinions are, of course, my own.