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It’s only a sorry excuse for a food blogger that would let Thanksgiving pass without so much as an acknowledgement of the food-centric holiday. A token pumpkin recipe at the very least. I suppose it wouldn’t have killed me. Sorry, folks.

Kiwi and I skipped Thanksgiving this year for a much-needed, albeit whirlwind, sans-Bean weekend break (Babymoon?) in the Big Apple. Instead of turkey, stuffing, brussels sprouts and pumpkin pie, we ate and drank our way through Lebanese yogurt, sheep’s milk ricotta with grilled bread, toast with mashed avocado and za’atar, Mexican style corn, (several) cappuccinos, macarons, beet and lentil chipotle sliders, fried cauliflower and jalapeño juice (phew!), among other tasty things. And thanks to some stealth Open Table maneuvering (I think I have mastered the art of the last minute online restaurant reservation) we scored tables at great restaurants every night. No babysitter required!

We also did a lot of walking and a bit of shopping. But mostly we ate.

I realized as we made our way through the city that we (really just I, actually—hardly fair to drag Kiwi into this one) have officially joined the ranks of the “those people over there taking pictures of their eggs”.  For someone who once rolled my eyes at such folks, I do take a lot of pictures. And shamelessly, too. This must be old age creeping up on me. Continue Reading →

It still feels a bit like summer in my corner of the world, but the pace of my calendar and the length of my to-do lists (yes, there are multiple…something I need to work on) leave no doubt that fall is here. Lots of projects at work, family coming into town, a blogging conference (who knew such a thing existed?), and the approaching third trimester (gasp) for the little dude that I’ve been cooking.

My meals are looking a little autumnal, as well. I bought my first bag of brussels sprouts on Friday, and I’ve got a pepper squash and a butternut squash sitting in the pantry awaiting their roasty-toasty fate. On Saturday, I mashed potatoes and braised short ribs. (But thankfully managed to talk Kiwi out of serving them in the backyard.) And the freezer—yes, I’m starting to restock the freezer to prepare for the looong winter ahead. Step one: The Bean and I whipped up these whole grain, zucchini-packed dark chocolate brownies. Which probably won’t last the week, let alone the winter. But at least we are making the effort. Continue Reading →