making life delicious blog
I was out having lunch with my friend Michelle a couple months back, and we went to Sweet Basil Café in Herndon, a favorite lunch spot for the work crowd. That day they had a mango chicken salad on the specials, and it sounded so appealing that we both ordered it. The flavors really hit [...]
So far our garden is doing very well. The tomato plants are hanging heavy with fruit, the basil plants are bushy, and some of the peppers have started turning yellow, purple, and red. With all the vegetables coming in from the garden now, we are busy harvesting each day, and cooking and putting up what [...]
It took a while, but I finally brainwashed my boys. When I make grilled pork chops, instead of grousing they now cheer, “Yay! We’re having chicken!” In my defense, I have never ever fibbed and said that we were eating one thing when it was actually another, but I’m pretty sure they got the idea [...]
Weekly dinners at Casa Meyers can be a challenge with juggling the family schedule, and I try to keep things as easy as possible, including cleanup (my least favorite part). Some kind of Mexican food is on our menu every week, and it’s always a favorite for our boys. For our latest Mexican meal we [...]
When you think of local food in Northern Virginia, maple syrup isn’t the first thing to come to mind. Wine, beef, pork, a myriad of vegetables, and apples all fit in with the general notion of the things you’ll find here. If you are surprised to learn that there is a maple syrup producer in [...]
I adore flavorful baked chicken recipes, especially when they are easy, and it hardly gets easier or more flavorful than this baked curry chicken. I adapted this from a recipe in Ten, by Sheila Lukins. Her version mimics tandoori chicken with only a little sauce and feeds a crowd, but my family likes sauce, the [...]
I spent a couple years working in Saudi Arabia, and when you live in an area so remarkable for such a short amount of time, there will always be opportunities missed. One of the things I wish I had been able to fit in while living in the Middle East was a trip to Morocco. [...]
Pasta pie is an occasional treat that our boys always have fun making. I’d never heard of pasta pie until Michael and I started dating and he took me to the original Generous George’s in Alexandria, an institution known for its eye-popping colorful décor and filling pasta pies, which is simply a pizza pie topped [...]
Putting a pot of beans in the slow cooker overnight is a great way to cook a meal and have it ready the next day, and it’s also a good way to get the kids to help make the meal, too. Our son Hockey Guy, 9 years old, helped make a pot of Boston baked [...]
After all the holiday feasting, I inevitably feel the need for simple healthy meals in January, meals that will bring me back down to earth after the sugar and calorie highs of December. These are some of our favorites, and we hope you’ll share some of your favorites in the comments. Here’s to a Happy [...]
It's spring in the U.S. and the following foods may be in season in your area:
artichokes, fennel, fiddleheads, radishes, broccoli, rhubarb, kale, cresses, spinach, spring lettuces, chard, cabbages, chives, cilantro, collards, tatsoi, mustard greens, spring onions, asparagus, rosemary, wild garlic, ramps, strawberries, blueberries, cherries
Eat fresh seasonal produce to stay healthy and help your food budget.Learn more about seasonal and sustainable cooking at Sustainable Table - In the Kitchen.
