I think it's never too soon to get the kids in on enjoying appetizers: understanding the manners that are involved in eating them, and getting to know their place in a meal's line-up. During this time of year especially, kids may see an array of foods being doled out before the main course. For instance, I'm proud that both Rocco and ChiChi have discovered all kinds of cheeses -- that they can even name -- that they enjoy as… Read More

In our house, I had a steadfast rule that we would always have a live tree for Christmas. I didn't care that positioning the tree in its stand might be catastrophic, or that needles would shed for 25 days. To me, you had the pine smell, and the beauty of nature in your living room. And, if you were so inclined, you could actually buy a "living tree" that you could plant (or have planted) after the holidays so that… Read More

The scents of the season start coming (sweetly) fast-and-furious now, and one of my favorites is cinnnamon. To that end, I've found some wonderful cinnamon baking chips (made by Hershey's) that provide an uncommonly delicious addition to scones, cookies, muffins and cakes.

Typically, I've only been able to find these packages around the Fall-into-Winter time frame, and you may have difficulty rounding them up at your favorite grocery store. (They're usually in the baking aisle, and they're… Read More

With Thanksgiving so swiftly approaching, I'm reminded of the lighter fare that the kids sometimes favor. And, for some reason, lighter fare tends to take me to the topic of salads.

I often find that kids often do fall along the gender lines of liking (or disliking) salad. Girls seem much more interested in them then boys... and I'm not exactly sure why that is. Since we're raising both a boy and girl, I even unwittingly realize that I'm… Read More

You may have waited until now to carve your pumpkin for Halloween night (so that it doesn't get all icky and oozy). Or perhaps, you've decided to make pumpkin pie from scratch this Thanksgiving with some sugar pumpkins. Either way, a treat awaits you and your family in the form of roasted pumpkin seeds

So many people don't take advantage of this crunchy goodness, but adults -- and surprisingly, so many kids -- love snacking on them. Plus, they're… Read More

Here's an idea for serving up a "Ghostly" supper that relies on an easy, chees-y white sauce (with a fancy name of a bechamel parmesan sauce but takes on a more seasonal spin with "Ghostly White Sauce") to put on your (or your kid's) choice of pasta. You'll need:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups hot, reduced-fat milk
1 1/2 cups freshly-grated parmesan cheese

Over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, melt the butter… Read More