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Need Dinner Ideas? Ask the Farmer.

The Farmer Says… Penne with a Spinach Salad and Garlic Bread.  No, no. He probably said duck and then made a quacking sound. But the labels you created on this classic toy say otherwise! Imagine how many times you have had the tedious “What should we have for dinner?” conversation. Too many times to count? […]

Cake Questions Answered

There are many things you could say make the world go around. For me, it is cake! You can sing this part: Big cake, small cakes, tiny cakes, tall cakes, long cakes, short cakes, fruit cakes, bundt cakes, and frosting!!! That was fun. Alright, onto some major cake baking tips. The How, Should, and When […]

Bake Fresh: The Shelf Life of Flour

Everyone wants to bake fresh, right? You use fresh strawberries, chocolate and milk. How about flour? Many people have asked me, can flour can go bad? My answer to that is, as long as you have been a good parent, nurtured your flour, and not played favorites – perhaps spent as much quality time as […]

Measure Better: The Best Baking Tools

Precise measurements in baking can mean the difference between success or catastrophe. If perfection is the goal (that is a rhetorical question) then let’s talk about the baking tools you will need.  Digital Scale If you can weigh it, weigh it. Weight is the most accurate way to measure ingredients. Any professional baker will tell […]

Common Baking Substitutes

Choose Substitutes Wisely There are many reasons to use substitutes in baking. Health concerns, dietary restrictions, and allergies, just to name a few. There are also environmental concerns and ethical reasons to consider. And hey, sometimes you are just out of milk! Whatever your motivation is to use a substitute, having access to a master […]

How to Prepare Rhubarb

Nothing reminds me more of the taste of summer like a strawberry rhubarb pie. The flaky crust, perfect blend of sweet and sour, and always homemade. Rhubarb is a versatile vegetable most commonly used to enhance the flavor of other fruits. But it can also be used on its own to make delicious jams, cakes, […]

Summertime is Strawberry Picking Time

Strawberry shortcake, strawberry tarts, and strawberry muffins. Sound familiar? How about strawberry Hummus or strawberry cinnamon rolls? From classics to unique surprises, there are tons of wonderful recipes that incorporate strawberries. There is nothing like a strawberry rhubarb pie in a homemade, flaky pie crust. Why not go with fresh ones? Strawberry farms are fun […]

The Experience is Sweeter Than the Cookie

The most powerful glue to any family is shared experiences. Or frosting. Frosting is a good glue too. This week, we are bringing the kids into the kitchen for a dose of geometry, fractions, and cookies. Who doesn’t like good old fashioned cut-out cookies? Kids in the Kitchen – Episode II In my house there […]

Banana Muffins: Solving the Breakfast Runaround

Do you have picky eaters at your table? I know I was one of those. While there are many theories about the behavior of picky eaters, chances are, your kids could just be kids. They do not always eat what we want them to. My mother’s most effective way of solving pickiness was to have […]

Fish Fry with the Family

When I was a child, my mother, looking to broaden our horizons, introduced my brother, sister, and I to baked fish. It did not go very well. The next week she decided to try again, only this time she fried the fish. Eventually, she taught us the process and all three of us still make […]

First-Time Bread Makers: What You Need to Know

Ahh. The smell of freshly baked bread. Baking bread at home is not only fun, but a great way to stretch resources. In avoiding the grocery stores, it is also a means of doing something constructive while social distancing. The very best breads are usually the simplest. Every good bread is built with four simple […]