Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

There is something that feels very old world, waste not want not about roasting the pumpkin seeds that came out of your carving pumpkins. I love getting pumpkins as soon as October hits, and waiting (im)patiently to carve them. I was not as patient as I should have been this year. We carved them too…

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

There’s something so comforting about a warm bowl of oatmeal on a cool morning. I did not grow up eating oatmeal. In fact, the only time we ever had oatmeal in the our house was on Christmas morning. My dad would make a biiig pot of salted oatmeal because that’s what his grandmother always did….

15 Bean Soup

On Mondays, we eat red beans. This is one of the many lessons I learned while working for Second Harvest Food Bank in New Orleans. Supposedly this tradition comes from Monday also being laundry day, which was a long grueling task before washing machines. People needed a meal that was hearty, yet did not require…

Hash Brown Waffles

Phew! We made it to Monday. These are not words you will hear me say often, but this weekend was a doozy. Over the past two years, we have been repairing our home after being flooded by Hurricane Harvey. It has been a LONG process. Because we are not even in a flood plane, much…

Gluten Free Dairy Free Sausage Gravy

We have had a wild few weeks in this household! We traveled the very tip of Maine with a mostly potty trained toddler to visit family before the new baby comes. We have been working on getting the last few house projects finished that we’ve been putting off since our post Harvey flood remodel. And…

Cooking with Toddlers: Oatmeal Edition

Some common complaints I hear about cooking with kids is that it takes too much time, everyone leaves frustrated, knives are scary, it doesn’t always taste as good or look as good as without help, and they’re not sure where to start. Let’s start with the basics. When to start. ASAP The sooner you get…

Travel Snacks for Toddlers

Summer means one thing for many families…travel. For some, this brings to mind tantrums, overwhelmed toddlers, and high priced snacks and airport lunches. I am here to offer hope. Keeping a toddler well-fed and well-entertained is crucial to a happy, healthy trip for all. Because my husband’s family lives 20 hours away by car, we…

Birch Benders Pancake Mix Review

I have a confession. I absolutely love pancakes. They are my favorite breakfast food. When I think about pancakes, I think about the Dragons Love Tacos book, which discusses the dragons affections for tacos and their accompanying  fixings the entire time.   I love pancakes. I love blueberry pancakes. I love warm fruit topped pancakes. I…

Chimichurri Steak

Here’s the thing. I love having people over. I do not love that I usually get over excited and end up spending most of my time rushing around the kitchen trying to make the 8 dishes I planned to wow my guests. I grew up in a Southern home where you show your love in…