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Cooking With Sophie the “Young Chef”

June 18, 2013

Sophie decided recently she really wanted a smoothie. Never missing an opportunity to get fruit into this kid, I didn’t hesitate to take her up on this opportunity. She also really wanted to make the smoothie herself. I thought this would be a great chance to try a recipe from a new cookbook, Young Chefs: Cooking Skills and Recipes for Kids by Christina Dymock. Lo and behold, we found the perfect recipe for … Pink Smoothies!

Sophie couldn’t wait to get started. She gathered all of her supplies.

(Don’t you love the special cameo from Romeo in the background?)

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She measured out her ingredients.

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And then started blending!

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And voila … Pink Smoothie!

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Young Chefs is a great cookbook for teaching kids how to cook. It is full of easy recipes, colorful pictures and easy-to-follow pages. Christina has lots of fun facts and tips throughout the book. I highly recommend it as a starting place if you want to start cooking with your little ones in the kitchen.

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Sophie had so much fun making the smoothie that she insisted on me taking a video of her recreating the experience. (There’s Romeo again!)

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Young Chefs to review for this blog post.  All opinions are my own and I only endorse books that I am proud to recommend to others.

Need Fresh Dinner Ideas? No Problem!

June 14, 2013

I don’t know what my problem was, but for several months I was really uninspired to cook like I used to do. Don’t get me wrong, I still made our meals nearly every night. But my dinners were more like a constant stream of old stand-by concoctions rather than new and exciting treasures. For some reason, I just didn’t feel as inspired to plan meals like I used to do.

So I was intrigued when a friend told me about The Fresh 20 concept. And all I can say is it has changed the way I cook dinners!

Seriously people, you are going to love this! The idea behind The Fresh 20 is that every week, The Fresh 20 sends you five recipes that require only 20 fresh ingredients. That’s it — all you have to shop for is 20 ingredients (and I tend to have a lot of them already)! The elves at Fresh 20 organize the shopping list for you and give you a handy prep sheet. The meals are simple, creative, healthy, and really delicious. And it’s all for only $5 a month. They also offer a vegetarian and gluten free Fresh 20 option (we use the classic plan).

By the way, this is not a sponsored post. I’m not getting any payment or free meals for endorsing The Fresh 20. I’m telling you about it because it’s helped revolutionize my meal planning and I want you to benefit from my knowledge.

Here are a few amazing things I cooked from Fresh 20 recipes that I never would have made otherwise.

Veggie Tostadas (even Bryan loved these and he always wants a meat option):

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Chicken Tortilla Soup:

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I’m telling you … If you’re stuck for dinner ideas and are unmotivated to cook or shop, go right now and check out The Fresh 20! You can even download a sample menu of three dinners and try it out. 

What do you do to help with your dinner planning? How do you deal with dinner idea ruts? Do you have dinner ideas (by all means, please share)?

Meet the Writer Behind “Call Me Zelda”

June 5, 2013

Continuing with my theme of summer reads, have I got a recommendation for you! Call me Zelda by Erika Robuck is a fascinating story about the fiery and treacherous relationship of literary icons F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. We often hear so much about the king and queen of the Jazz Age, yet we don’t know much about Zelda other than what Scott has written about her through his novels. Robuck (also the author of Hemingway’s Girl) lets us into Zelda’s life through her latest novel, which kept me glued to the pages.

I am so lucky to have gotten to know Erika through her books and also through the wonderful world of social media and blogging. She has done me the great honor of being my “guest” on this blog today.

Welcome, Erika!

1. What drew you to write about Zelda Fitzgerald? 
Hemingway was the catalyst for my interest in Zelda, though he would probably grumble at the thought. While I researched my first novel, Hemingway’s Girl, I kept reading about his intense dislike of Zelda. Because Hemingway’s ideas about women were often unhealthy, I started investigating to find my own conclusions. I would have to agree to disagree with Hemingway about his opinion of Zelda. I think she was a woman of talent and fascination, and I have great affection for her.

2. In your research of Zelda, were there things you were surprised you learned?
I was surprised at the level of Zelda’s accomplishment in whatever form of artistic expression she undertook. For example, when she embarked upon serious ballet study in her later twenties, she was invited to take a lead position with an Italian dance company. She wrote a novel in six weeks. She was a prolific painter whose work was exhibited many times during her life. She had genuine talent in many areas.

3. By writing a fictionalized story (rather than a nonfiction biography), what do you hope readers will learn about Zelda?
I’m particularly interested in the period of time when Zelda struggled with mental illness and the decline of her marriage, during the years after the roaring twenties. While it is a time of tension and pain in the Fitzgeralds’ lives, it is also a time of self-discovery, courage, and small but notable triumphs. I wanted to explore Zelda’s true nature, her talent, and her heart, and I hope that readers see her as a woman apart from her husband, though inextricably bound to him, and as a gifted artist. Through my protagonist, a fictional nurse, I also want to disprove Scott’s theory that there are “no second acts in American lives.”

4. While reading your book, I began to wonder if Zelda actually had schizophrenia or if she was just a victim of unfortunate life circumstances and a difficult marriage. What do you think — do you think she was mentally ill?
Schizophrenia was a blanket diagnosis of her time that covered many manifestations of mental illness. Modern psychologists speculate that Zelda may have been bipolar or manic depressive. There is a trend now that says Zelda was simply a woman ahead of her time, and did not have mental illness. Though I wish it were true, I do not agree with this idea. The sad fact is that Zelda saw only the color red for periods of time, sometimes thought people were ants, and heard Scott speaking to her from the drainpipes. She attempted suicide on multiple occasions, and her own brother succeeded in committing suicide. Perhaps she would have been better able to function in the present day, or would have been able to express herself more freely, but I do believe she had mental illness.

5. Do you have plans to write about another famous literary character? 
I do, and all literary figures lead to other figures. In this case, Scott’s Princeton friends Edmund Wilson and John Bishop guided me to the Bohemian poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay. She is the person of fascination in my new novel, Fallen Beauty, which will be published in 2014.

Thank you, Erika, for taking the time to answer a few questions about Zelda Fitzgerald, your writing, and what’s next in your literary work.

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Disclosure: I received complimentary copy a copy of Call me Zelda from Penguin Group Publishers. All opinions are my own and I only endorse books that I am proud to recommend to others.

ATTENTION SAN DIEGANS: Want to meet writer Jen Lancaster (The Tao of Martha)? Click over to the San Diego Features page to read about her upcoming San Diego books signing appearance on June 12!

A Few Reads for Summer

May 28, 2013

Many of you know that aside from my family, my other true love in this world is books. I frequently get pitches from authors and publicists to review new books for my blog. I love doing this for several reasons. First, who doesn’t love getting books in the mail? Second, I love the chance to read a compelling story. And finally, if I can help a new author publicize his/her book with my blog platform, I consider that a win for the author and me. That being said, I have several books that I want to tell you about — and just in time for summer reading (and cooking)!

gypsy moonOnce Upon a Gypsy Moon
Michael Hurley

When he felt at his lowest point in life and in need of a new perspective, Hurley embarked on what became a 2-year journey on his boat, the Gypsy Moon. This book is a truly inspiring memoir that tells a story not only about a journey at sea, but about how Hurley rebuilds his life and finds new balance after loss and personal failures.

laws of gravityThe Laws of Gravity
Liz Rosenberg

A page-turning novel about family bonds and medical ethics. In the story, Nicole’s only hope for surviving leukemia is the cord blood her cousin, Ari, is banking. The cousins turn to a Supreme Court judge on the brink of retirement to help them settle this family dispute. This tale really rips at the heartstrings.

secrets they keptThe Secrets They Kept: The True Story of a Mercy Killing That Shocked a Town and Shamed a Family
Suzanne Handler

Suzanne Handler shares her family’s long-hidden tragic secret about her grandfather’s mercy killing of his mentally ill daughter (Suzanne’s aunt) in 1937. The book brings up so many questions about mental illness, ethics, religion, and  family secrets. I found this true story a fascinating read.

modern menuThe Modern Menu: Simple. Beautiful. Kosher
Kim Kushner

This book is not a novel or a memoir, but a gorgeous an innovative cookbook by Kim Kushner. I love how she organized her cookbook by categories like “saucy,” “crisp”  and “vibrant,” rather than the traditional categories. She also shows you can make really interesting and innovative  Kosher food using modern ingredients that we’re seeing in popular restaurants. Standout recipes include Spinach, Haricots Vert, and Avocado Salad with Crunch Honey Dressing and Cinnamon-Hazelnut Pavlova with Raspberries. Are you drooling yet?!

I have several more books I’m reviewing, so stay tuned for more recommendations! 

Disclosure: I received complimentary copies of the books mentioned above in exchange for reviewing the publications on this blog. All opinions are my own and I only endorse books that I am proud to recommend to others.

Lately in Motherhood …

May 13, 2013

Lately in motherhood, I …

Made countless chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese dinners.

Read The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes to Sophie even though I was tired and didn’t want to read a “long” book before bed.

Went on a nature walk with Sophie and Bryan, and watched while Sophie bravely crawled across a fallen tree.

Pushed Sophie on the swings at the park and helped her cross the monkey bars.

Read Cinderella to Sophie during our visit to the local library.

Managed to break Sophie of the habit of coming in to sleep in our bed in the middle of the night (but admit that I kind of miss her there too).

Gave Sophie $1 so she could by hummus from the Farmer’s Market vendor.

Lost my cool and told Sophie I may stuff her mouth with cotton balls if she didn’t stop screaming so much (after which I regretted the remark when she cried and said she wouldn’t be able to breathe).

Let Sophie apply eye make-up to my forehead, paint my nails and “style” my hair. 

Cried as I was presented with a beautiful drawing of the Sophie and me, a tote bag with our portraits, and a “My Mommy” book at Sophie’s school’s Mother’s Day .

As I celebrated my sixth Mother’s Day yesterday, I thought a lot about how motherhood is such a crazy, amazing, beautiful, frustrating, scary, and happy thing. There are still times that I feel pure joy one minute and utter frustration the next. One day I feel like I’m doing okay being a mom, and the next day I worry I’m not doing the best I should for my daughter. But I think the secret to it all is not getting caught up in those moments of despair and really living in the joy and happiness (which, thankfully for me, are more than the feelings of despair).

I look at Sophie and I am so proud of the little person she is becoming. She amazes me each and every day. I’m in awe of her strength, bravery, sense of curiosity, and love of learning. And yet she can also be the most sensitive and empathetic person (and pretty damn funny). I am so blessed and grateful that she brings such happiness and love to my life every day. She has taught me so much more than I ever expected to learn.

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“It’s special because it’s me and my mom at the park because we love each other. We’re playing with each other and we’re playing tag.” — Sophie

Thank you to Erin at Such Small Steps for inspiring the “Lately in Motherhood” post idea. She wrote “Motherhood Lately,” which was so good I  had to borrow the concept. Check out her blog — it’s one of my favorites! 

Being Claude Monet

May 2, 2013

Sophie’s preschool class has been learning about famous artists this year. They started with Pablo Picasso, worked their way through Henri Matisse and Vincent van Gogh, and are now in the midst of Claude Monet. This particular artist unit led the class on a field trip to San Diego’s Balboa Park and to the Park’s Lily Pond. The historic site bears a striking resemblance to Monet’s famous water lily pond painting, which the kids have been studying.

Armed with painting paper, water colors and French baguettes, the teachers and kids (and a few parents, me included) spent the morning at the Balboa Park Lily Pond observing the water lilies. After a French-inspired snack, the kids carefully sketched their vision with exquisite detail. Next they used water colors to paint their masterpieces.

Sophie was so excited to see the lily pond and channel her inner-Monet. It was amazing to watch the concentration these kids had and how all their pieces of art were so different, and so full of wonder and personality.

By the way, this field trip idea would be a great homeschool lesson plan too.

The water lilies …

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French baguettes …

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Observing …

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Ready for color …

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What Are You Reading These Days?

April 22, 2013

There are so many good books out there these days and, of course, so many of them are sitting on my nightstand. I feel like I’ve been devouring books like food lately. Which I guess is better than actually devouring food.

I recently finished the following three books that were all so good I read each of them in a matter of days.

latest booksCalling Me Home by Julie Kibler was SO good and I appreciated her original story idea. The Affair by Colette Freedman was a fascinating look at the surprisingly sympathetic three triangle perspectives of an affair. And Amy Hatvany’s Heart Like Mine left me in tears throughout the entire book. I love Amy’s books, but this one was a tearjerker. But oh so good!

I’ve been lucky to get to know Amy through Twitter book chats and Facebook. But meeting her in person on her recent book tour visit to San Diego this month was an especially nice treat!

Me and Amy HatvnyAfter three intense fiction books, I’ve switched gears and am now knee-deep into My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss. I’m loving her memoir, but biographies mixed with food and recipes are always tough for me to read before bed because they make me so hungry. Her stories of growing up in Berlin are fascinating though.

Here’s what’s currently on my nightstand to be read next (Amazon cart and wish list filled with books not included).

bookshelf to readSo tell me: What’s on your nightstand to read? What are you reading now? Have you read any of these titles? What do you recommend?

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