Category Archives: Just for Fun

Feb 22Real Food for Performance Athletes (Dog Sledding...

Regardless of your species, performance athletes require amazing REAL food to sustain their energy. On our winter vacation to Montana, our family had an adventure of a lifetime - we went dog sledding outside of Whitefish. The dogs were amazing athletes and ate an incredible diet. Dog Sled Adventures was an awesome operation, filled with 121 dogs (plus lots of barking and loads of yellow snow.) The animals are very well cared for, getting lots of attention from the staff and all of the...

Jan 1Happy New Year!

Our family couldn't have finished 2011 on a better note. Happy new year to you and your family. May it bring you delicious food, wonderful adventures, health and happiness. xoxoxoxo Michelle

Aug 3Skip the Soda and Drink Iced Tea Instead (Giveaw...

It's hot this summer. But that doesn't mean you need to reach into your refrigerator for a cool can of soda. There are healthier and cheaper options - and ones that you can make yourself. Thanks to West Bend, one of my lucky readers will have the opportunity to brew up their own summer refreshments. This Iced Tea Maker... is uniquely designed, and has variable tea brew strength. allows you to brew tea with or without sweetener. includes an attractive 2.5 qt. glass pitcher to...

Jul 27Trying our Zoku for the First Time: Pudding Pops...

My mom loves to surprise us with fun gifts for our family kitchen. And as much as we love to receive these gifts, I think it thrills her equally to hear about our adventures in the kitchen using them together. So, today's post is dedicated to her. Thanks, mama, for our new Zoku! As I was browsing through the pages of my recent issue of Cooking Light magazine, this pudding pop recipe caught my eye. I thought it would be perfect to try in our new gizmo - and yowza - it was awesome! After...

Jul 6Win an Ice Cream Maker: Summertime Fun with Kids...

I'll make this post short and sweet - and get right to the point. The folks from West Bend generously offered to let me give away one of their ice cream makers to you! Of course, that made me very happy, especially since it will likely save you gobs of money. Plus, you will be able to use the ingredients that work best for your family. A win-win! But first, I thought I'd share some awesome ice cream recipes, in case you already have an ice cream maker and are inspired make some tasty goodness... Kitchen...

Jun 8Post Conference Depression Syndrome

I spent the past week in Austin, Texas, for the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Conference. And now that I am home, I believe I have officially recognized a new disorder. It is called Post Conference Depression Syndrome (aka PCDS). I attended the conference as a form of Professional Development, to learn more about the culinary industry... To connect with old friends... ...and network with new ones. I was eager to form partnerships with...

May 23Le Creuset Farm Fresh Steamer Set Giveaway

The International Association of Culinary Professionals annual conference in Austin is fast approaching, and I have been helping to put together our signature Kids in the Kitchen event. It has been a major team effort, and I was thrilled when Le Creuset signed on to sponsor our garden to table workshop with children. They will be giving generous gift packages to each of the families we cook with, along with some tools for us to use in the Austin Whole Foods Market culinary center. I love...

Apr 8DooF-A-Palooza: Bay Area Family Food Festival

Experience DooF-a-Palooza! on Sunday, May 22, 2011, from 10AM-5PM, a free, play-with-your-food festival for children of all ages, at beautiful Jack London Square. Like the wildly successful prior two festivals held at Google Headquarters, DooF-a-Palooza, a food-backwards, table-to-source, food educational experience includes contests, live animals, rides, games, entertainment and fun hands-on activities with growers, chefs, foodies, and cookbook authors all filmed and streamed live online. Discover...

Mar 21Virtual Baby Shower (& Hamentashen Recipe)

There are just some days that I feel very lucky. I am sure you can relate. Today, I feel like that - I get to show my love for my special friend Amanda, who is going to have a baby. The big bummer is that I can't congratulate her in person because she lives on the other side of the country. That's okay. I am resourceful - some friends and I have decided that we can show our love for her by hosting a virtual baby shower! Because Amanda is a baker extraordinaire, my kids and I decided we'd...

Feb 2Skewered: Food On a Stick (At Home and In Nature...

Today, we went on a birding adventure. It was glorious, and I saw 4 "life birds," which is bird-nerd-speak for "birds I have never seen before." We saw a Merlin chasing after a Northern Harrier, got a show from a beautiful Ferruginous Hawk, saw a dancing display from the Sandhill Crane, and had a fly-by from a Tundra Swan. But the most exciting part for the kids was finding evidence of the Butcher Bird. No, it's not really called that. But the Loggerhead Shrike has deserved its nickname. ...