• Last updated 3/11/13 by mamazee

You can find Kris on Twitter, Facebook and writing occasionally at her blog. Spanish rice holds a lot of memories from my childhood. It was a staple at family gatherings, along with the deliciously greasy chorizo sausage. It was a dish my full-blooded Spanish grandmother and great-grandmother made and had many variants. Sometimes it would just be chicken breasts with saffron rice, sometimes chorizo was added, but no matter how it was made, it was always delicious. I can vividly recall my great-grandmother cooking in her kitchen, the smell of chicken... read more

• Last updated 3/11/13 by mamazee

My daughter’s 3rd grade class has a garden. Friday, we were able to buy swiss chard from their harvest. Big, bright green leaves. I came home with a bag and thought, “What can I make with this?” I know how to do the basic sauteed chard thing, but wanted it to be a little more gussied up. We had come over the summer to water and weed, and I felt protective of it–I did not want that bag of swiss chard to become forlorn and fuzzy in the veggie drawer. First I peeled the leaves from the stalks, washed them and then chiffonaded them. Then I washed the... read more

• Last updated 3/19/13 by mamazee

  Oatmeal, Carrot and Apple Breakfast Squares I received Myra Goodman’s new cookbook galleys for The Earthbound Cook a few months ago, and it aced my cookbook test: when I’m going through a cookbook, I fold down the corners of recipes I want to go back and try. I must have dog-eared sixty pages. I think we’re kindred spirits, in that we both have the same sensibility when it comes to cooking: use simple, fresh ingredients in ways both novel and comforting-familiar. I got the opportunity to ask Goodman some questions about her relationship to... read more

• Last updated 3/11/13 by mamazee

Serves 4. 4 oz tempeh, sliced 1/4 inch thick (I used Light Life vegetable) 2 tbsp. peanut butter 1/2 cup broth 1 tbsp. tamari 1 tbsp. peanut or olive oil 2 onions, chopped 1 cup frozen spinach 1 tsp. honey or agave 1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. chopped basil 8 raw baby carrots, chopped Brown rice (2-3 cups) Saute the onions in the oil until they are soft and translucent. Then add the tempeh and toss with onions. Next, add the broth and tamari. When that warms up, add... read more

• Last updated 3/11/13 by mamazee

It started when we went to Real Food Nation for dinner. Laura was torn between the delicious-looking macaroni and cheese, generously blanketed in toasted, browned bread crumbs, and the grass-fed, free range burger. She decided to go with the burger. I had the summer vegetable ragout with chickpeas, eggplant, wilted greens and Texmati rice. Both were great; but it got me on a kick to make homemade macaroni and cheese the next day. I also made a ridiculously healthy spinach-artichoke dip, which I ate on bread and wrapped up in romaine lettuce leaves. As... read more

• Last updated 3/20/13 by mamazee

We’re building a deck. Last week, we rented a concrete mixer and a “two-man auger” with a 12-inch wide drilly thing. I felt pretty sassy that morning. Two-man auger. Isn’t that a little outmoded? Here we were, two women. Was it was confidence-leaching to go along with that particular name? I comforted myself by seeing that two-man has a woman in it, t(wo-)man. I am sooooo dorky. Well. I think it should be called a “two WWF (could be World Wrestling Federation, could also be What Whuh F$%&) auger, because that sucker was insane. It has a smelly, fumey... read more

• Last updated 3/20/13 by mamazee

Easy to Make Granola Bars These are great-tasting and good for you, and make an excellent breakfast, dessert, or quick snack on the go. They are also a perfect way for breastfeeding moms to stay energized.  Grab the recipe in our Peggy’s Kitchen section. If you love wholesome recipes, sign up for a copy of our weekly Peggy’s Kitchen newsletter. Enjoy! About Melanie Mayo-Laakso is the Content Manager for Mothering.com. Mothering is the birthplace of natural family living and attachment parenting. We celebrate the... read more

• Last updated 3/20/13 by mamazee

Francis Lam’s 5-Minute Summer Tomato Pasta Recipe Thank you, Francis Lam, for revolutionizing my idea of tomato “sauce” in the summertime. One less burner going…one less pot to wash…so perfect for this season. It’s a lycopene bonanza. We made it for the second time this week last night. I used some heirloom tomatoes, which made it even more divine, plus fresh basil as part of the greens layer, and about 1/4 cup of pignole nuts, rough-chopped and mixed in at the end. Instead of letting the pasta sit on top of the whole deal for 2 minutes, I upped... read more

• Last updated 3/13/13 by mamazee

A simple, yet delightful, summer dessert that's wholesome too. — from Cynthia Lair of Cookus Interruptus Click on the video above to check out this fantastic summer recipe. Get the full recipe card for this dessert at the Cookus Interruptus website.   read more

• Last updated 3/13/13 by mamazee

I took a lovely long walk this morning in my dirt road desert neighborhood. It poured down rain for hours last night, and I wondered if maybe I’d be slogging along in mud up to my ankles. But no–someone designed these roads correctly. All of the wild grasses and flowers and chamisa bushes stood stunned in the aftermath of the water onslaught, while puddles caught the sun. But the roads were solid. To make a long story short, I worked up an appetite. “I hope you’re even a little bit hungry,” I told Laura as I started pulling things out of the fridge, mad... read more