Snap Pea Shiitake Mushroom Tofu Stir Fry

When I threw together this snap pea, mushroom and tofu stir fry, I had in mind that warmer and lighter days were around the corner. I had visions of taking long walks through Central Park wearing light sweaters and my favorite pair of ballerina Crocs. But alas, we are expecting snow tomorrow. It's a bit of a cruel April Fool's Day joke that Mother Nature is playing on us, but hopefully it will be the last one for a while.

continue reading...

The Final Giveaway for the Virtual Baby Shower: Beco Baby Carrier Giveaway!

Of all of the baby-related giveaways happening this week, I am most excited about this one: The Beco Carrier. Here is Diana from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa to share with you about one of her MUST HAVE baby items. Aren't these pictures of Diana and her babies precious?

Don’t you get excited to find out a new friend is going to be a mommy? Having a “little” bit more experience it’s fun to be able to share tips and information about pregnancy, birthing and the ups and downs of having a newborn baby in the house. Of course, it’s never fun to be a know it all but to be able to share in your experiences and what you’ve learned and are still learning along the way.

When it comes to sharing the most useful products to have, I always… always recommend a baby carrier. One thing to remember is no two children are exactly the same. Even between both of my boys, they are both so different. I really wish I would have known more about baby carriers when I had my first. My baby Nehe was a joy to my heart but he didn’t nap. Yeah, never… hated it… loathed his naps! For me, this meant that he wanted to be carried all the time and I honestly was losing my sanity.

This is when a baby carrier would have come in handy. Especially as they get older and still don’t want to nap, it makes it a struggle to get the easiest of chores done. The Lord blessed me with my little Zekie as he was and still is a sleeper. Oh the joy when you can place your child down and watch him shut his eyes and sleep in peace. However, with him, having experienced some of my trials with Nehe, I had him in a carrier from the get go.

continue reading...

I Love Central Park, Winter, NYC

It is a rainy day with light snow today in New York, a nice Spring surprise. Today's sprinkling reminded me of how cold it was this winter, one of the coldest on record, and is the inspiration for today's post - pictures of Central Park following a big snow storm in January, 2011.

continue reading...

The Virtual Baby Shower Continues With a Baby Food Mill Giveaway!

Diana and Andrea have been hard at work continuing the week of giveaways for my virtual baby shower. The next giveaway is a baby food mill, an essential kitchen item for introducing healthy and nourishing meals to your foodie baby. Here is Diana's guest post on the Kidco baby food mill. 

continue reading...

Christine’s Virtual Baby Shower and Bravado Nursing Tank Giveaway!

The kick-off to my baby shower starts today! Please read Diana's guest post and visit A Little Bit of Spain from Iowa and Andrea's blog  High/Low Food/Drink for more chances to win this fabulous nursing tank!

***************************************************************************************
Christine’s virtual baby shower and week of giveaways starts today!  Christine recently posted this picture below on Facebook that I had to share.  She is now 32 weeks pregnant with her baby boy and radiating.

continue reading...

Tom Kha Gai Chicken Coconut Soup with Lemongrass

I've been monitoring the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake, and my heart weighs heavily for those enduring tragedy and uncertainty from that disaster. I've only been in one major earthquake in my life, Loma Prieta in 1989, which registered 6.9 on the Richter Scale. And while that was considered a big one for California, it is in orders of magnitude smaller than the one in Japan. In fact, because of the logarithmic measurement of the Richter Scale - meaning that the magnitude goes up exponentially - the 9.0 Japanese earthquake was roughly 900 times stronger than Loma Prieta. That's astounding considering that Loma Prieta was able to topple the upper deck of the Bay Bridge and ignite several fires throughout San Francisco. I can't imagine the damage nor the human tragedy that Japan must be sustaining at this time and my heart goes out to them. 

continue reading...

Guest Post: A Virtual Baby Shower for Christine and Giveaway!

I've been quite blessed to have been the recipient of much generosity and kindness over the last few months as I prepare for the arrival of our first baby Alexander, who is due in May. I am delighted to share with you a guest post from Diana of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, who is co-hosting a virtual baby shower with my other fab foodie friend, Andrea of High/Low Food/Drink.  When you have a chance, please visit Diana and Andrea to say hi and enter to win a couple of great baby giveaways next week!

continue reading...

Roasted Marrow Bones with Lemon Parsley Shallots and Capers Sauce

Chris Cosentino of Incanto in San Francisco refers to bone marrow as butter of the Gods, and I can't agree more. Sumptuous, luscious and primal, having a rich dollop of fat dripping marrow slathered across a crusty charred piece of bread can be a lusty experience. So when I saw roasted bone marrow featured on Andrea's blog High / Low Food Drink, I simply could not wait to try this recipe. From start to finish, this recipe can be made under half an hour. The acidity of fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley and shallots serves as a bright contrast to the hedonistic spread, and is especially good against the humble canvas of a chewy crusty country bread. Thanks Andrea for sharing this recipe!

If you are in the New York area, you may find marrow bones at Dickson's Farm Stand at Chelsea Market, Hawthorne Valley Farms or at Grazin' Angus, both at the Union Square Farmer's Market.

Roasted Bone Marrow with Lemon Parsley Sauce
From New York Times via High/Low Food Drink 
Ingredients

• 8 to 12 center-cut beef or veal marrow bones, 3 inches long, 3 to 4 pounds total
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons capers
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Coarse sea salt to taste
• 4 1-inch thick slices of country bread

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put bones, cut side up, on foil-lined baking sheet or in ovenproof skillet. Cook until marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone, about 15 minutes. (Stop before marrow begins to drizzle out.)
2. Meanwhile, combine parsley, shallots and capers in small bowl. Just before bones are ready, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle dressing over parsley mixture until leaves are just coated. Put roasted bones, parsley salad, salt and toast on a large plate. To serve, scoop out marrow, spread on toast, sprinkle with salt and top with parsley salad.

Serves 4.

Can't Stop Thinking About This Kale Waldorf Salad

When Deb from Kahakai Kitchen wrote about the surprising positive reception of a kale salad that she served at demonstration she hosted at her local Whole Foods, my curiosity piqued. Have I had kale raw before? Not to my recollection. The intimidation of the rough looking, pebbly, dinosaur scale exterior of the leaves suggested that I needed to cook it before I eat it. But a simple bite disproved my assumptions. When eaten raw, dinosaur kale leaves are surprisingly tender. 

continue reading...