Estelle's Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
A couple of weeks ago I hosted my mom's birthday party and asked my siblings to bring dishes for potluck. Since my family is so large, it's always fun to see what people bring, and for this event, they did not disappoint; to accommodate my mom's food preferences we prepared mostly vegetarian and the array of colors and flavors was fantastic. There was a lot of great food that day, but the dish I went back for seconds (and, admittedly, thirds) on was my sister-in-law Estelle's quinoa and black bean salad. I've heard a lot of talk about quinoa this year (it's a good source of protein and is high in fiber, among other things) but hadn't gotten around to trying it yet. Now I'm a total convert.
As a
Laurel started attending day care part-time when she was 9 months old, and a large part of the communal learning environment since then has -- to my initial chagrin -- revolved around labeling her things. But oh do easy to use labels (read: no sewing whatsoever) make all the difference. Once I started using
A few birthdays ago, Jon gave me the incredibly thoughtful and generous gift of flower "credits" at a local florist; over the course of three or so months, I walked around the corner and picked up fresh flowers whenever I wanted them. It made me so happy to have cheerful blooms in the house, and I feel that same happiness to this day, whether we pick up flowers at the market or receive a delivery to our door (which reminds me that I need to order a thank you bouquet for my in-laws, who took care of Laurel
I have been a fan of
Even though we've been in our home for two years, we're still not completely settled, and one area of the house that troubled me for a long time was our dining room. We have one big wall and I had no idea what to do with it. A single sideboard seemed pricey while not filling the space and what I really needed was a lot of storage to accommodate the contents of Laurel's open bookcase (that was exploding with art supplies), and other platters and vases and things. I recently hit on the perfect storage solution and several visitors have since asked me for the specifics about our setup so I thought I would share it here.
In line with my preference for
The other week we received some zucchini from our
Oh the irony of sleep: parents love it and long for more and kids resist it. Either way, pretty bedding helps create a welcoming environment (and yes, I've used cool bedding to make Laurel's bed more enticing for sleep). Whether you're looking for bedding sets, or need a top to bottom room makeover (furniture, décor, etc.), check out
It was a pretty remarkable day when I moved from my big (way overpacked) diaper bag to cute, compact bags that -- save the occasional snack cup or activity book -- primarily held my stuff. And whether you've been in that zone for a while or are approaching it, this chic
I love fine chocolate and I love all things local so I was thrilled to learn about
I recently started helping my web savvy friend
June is a celebratory month in our house, given Jon and my
Today,
As much as I love shopping for pretty new things for Laurel, I'm also keen on finding pretty used things for her, given my eco and
Today,
I've long been a proponent of
When I was training for
When the warm weather returned, so did my voracious appetite for salads and cold things such as hummus and tabbouleh. We've been consuming vast quantities of these foods (I especially like hummus because it reminds me to eat carrots) and I soon found myself disgruntled by the volume of plastic containers we were acquiring. We reuse them all for storing leftovers or Laurel's craft supplies or other odds and ends, but we definitely don't need more of them. So I decided to start making more of these small container items from scratch. I'm still tweaking my tabbouleh recipe and will share that when I land on just the right blend; meanwhile, if you have a food processor, hummus is ridiculously easy to make.
Yesterday, I was honored to be featured as a
And
When I was a kid, yard work always seemed onerous because all we did was remove stuff -- weeds, leaves, cut grass, etc. But oh the joy of adding. In alignment with Earth Day, today's
Here are some lovely links that caught my eye this week around the web. Clearly I've got DIY projects (and travel) on my mind. I love this pretty
Last weekend Laurel and I had a fantastic time at the
I'm currently in the final stretch training for
There's so much creative, organic mojo going on this weekend in Boston. In addition to the
Today,
Before it gets too hot to turn on your oven, try these cookies from Sarah Magid, recommended by
Today,
Amidst the sadness of attending
Here's a roundup of inspiration as you plan for Easter and Passover. At Make & Takes, I love the
This past weekend when Laurel and I hit the hardware store to pick up some final flood cleanup supplies, she immediately headed for the seed racks. Though we lack the garden space of our previous residence to
Spring has sprung! And today, 
Because I'm obsessed with compactness and efficiency, I am immediately drawn to all in one anything, especially when it comes to tech matters (because really, who doesn't want less cables and blinking lights in their office?). So how's this for cool? As part of my Giveaway Goodness series,
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One of my favorite ways to make a lazy weekend morning feel special is with scones. And these currant scones by Martha Stewart are simple in composition (without any forethought I had all the ingredients on hand) and are easy enough to whip up while everyone is still lolling around in jammies. I made these scones last weekend for company and they were a huge hit; light (um, seeming), flaky, and delicious. And everyone was happy to simply nibble these special treats alongside fresh fruit. Easy peasy.
Today,
Despite leading an uber digital life, I remain loyal to the tactile joys of books and print magazines. And given my passion for simplicity and
I adore hors d’oeuvres -- the variety they offer (I love sampling a little bit of everything at a meal), the artfulness, the utter cuteness of food in miniature. And to make any occasion feel special without a huge amount of work, try these elegant little
I love mailing goodies to people who aren’t expecting them (which I did on Monday as a thank you for a favor), and this Bon Appétit recipe for
Though I always remember my reusable totes when I hit the grocery store, produce bags are another story. I save plastic produce bags with the best intentions, but they never make it back to the store with me. Solution? The pretty, fabric trimmed, cinch-top produce bags by
Probably not unlike many of you, at any given moment, I'm overwhelmed by errands. In addition to the length of my laundry list, I'm short on hours, and also wheels, given that we're a one car family and Jon has the car most weekdays. So I was thrilled to discover the excellence of
Without fail, every time we visit with our wonderful friends Anne and Michael, we pick up lovely hosting ideas. And this New Year’s Eve we learned about raclette, a dish/serving method that’s wonderfully communal and conversation inspiring. It’s also perfect for people like me who like to sample a little bit of everything at dinner, and it presents elegantly while being super simple to prepare.
I don’t typically post about contests on other sites, but I wanted to share this
Today,
I adore Gabrielle Blair; I first met her at the inaugural
There was a lot of holiday cookie talk on
My respect, admiration, and affection for Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase of
I feel as if I've known Kristin Brandt and Erin Kane of
One beautiful thing about graduating from early parenting -- during which time I toted way too much stuff in an enormous diaper bag -- was the return of handbag use. Only problem? Laurel and my stuff got jumbled together and swapping handbag contents always was a nuisance, with some critical item (usually hand sanitizer) forgotten. Solution? The
April Paffrath is one of the most devoted foodies I know. No taste is too simple, no ingredient too humble. And when you read her writing, you can tell how much she relishes preparing, tasting, and writing about food. April is a regular contributor here on Boston Mamas, but today I'm thrilled to introduce her via her voice on
Jon and I are all about everyday teaching moments with Laurel, apparently even when it comes to assembling a
From our very first e-mail -- back when I was just starting out and she was very much established already -- Asha Dornfest of
As a
Marie LeBaron is a blog friend who I have yet to meet in real life, but we share a passion for crafting and food and I so admire all of the crafty awesomeness she shares on her site,
Now that December is here I’m ready to embrace the holidays, and over the years I’ve found that Christmas décor is actually really easy. Once the tree is up, a pretty tree skirt and some festive stockings go a long way in creating the mood. And if you love having these elements (and more) coordinated just so, consider
Today,
Today,
Last week I attended a media event hosted by
Despite my clean approach to food, I still periodically long for – but abstain from – classic (i.e., preservative laden) childhood confections. So I was more than a little intrigued to learn about
Last month I guest posted about
If you’re like us, you’re overrun with Halloween candy. I subsequently was thrilled to read
Today,
Today,
Per my role as a
When first tasked to buy baby gear, it can be challenging to navigate the options; in particular the tradeoff between investing in more expensive long term solutions vs. inexpensive short term solutions. I tend to gravitate towards the former, and am particularly drawn to items (e.g., our
It’s been so long since I posted about baking with apples that I couldn’t remember whether I already posted my mom’s
Whether you've experienced data loss directly or have heard about hard drive crashes (and precious family photo and video loss...) from friends, clearly it's important to protect your files. Today,
No matter the size of one's home, I believe in maintaining a minimalist, small space mentality given that the less you have, the less overwhelmed you'll be by your stuff. (I chant the mantra "one thing in, one thing out.") In my latest
We’re still not out of the woods with Laurel’s
Today,
Today,
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Despite my attempts to simplify and streamline life, I still have plenty of errands to run. And the other week, when I couldn’t rally Laurel to get excited about the pile of returns I needed to take back to Target (tantalizing, I know...), I queried on
One of my favorite things about running Boston Mamas is learning about talented local mamapreneurs such as
Laurel starts kindergarten in a couple of weeks but I haven’t been sweating the preparations due to a minimalist approach on the material side (the emotional preparation is another story...). In my latest
Given Laurel’s volume of clothing and my distaste for ironing, the fabulous no-iron clothing and shoe labels from
Some people just have a knack for assembling gifts artfully, and if you’re
Today,
Oh,
There’s something to be said for paying for an experience; say, first class airline tickets, a meal at a chic restaurant that will stow luggage while you shop (as did
I’m forgetful about plenty of things these days, but one thing I’m reliably mindful about is recycling and toting my reusable bags to market. And if you need to stock up on eco-wares, check out
Today,
Today,
Few things in life appeal so universally as cookies do, and whether you order a batch online or visit their
My friend Nooshi is truly impressive when it comes to hosting parties (whether they’re for grownups or kids) and her birthday parties for her son always are amazing. If you’re feeling up for a challenge, or simply want to glean a few of the basic ideas, check out the below write up of her son’s recent Outer Space Party. It is -- not surprisingly -- out of this world.
Today,
My passion for color truly blossomed during my postdoctoral fellowship (where I felt rather confined within grey cinderblock walls), and whether I'm perusing clothing, paper, décor, or textiles, I gravitate towards bold, modern, and pretty patterns. So it’s no wonder I adore Boston-based
Laurel and I both agree that a little bling (OK, in her case, a lot of bling...) goes a long way in lifting one's mood and outfit. And whether you want to purchase ready-to-go, made-to-order, or personalized goods,
This past weekend our friend Rhoda introduced us to a dessert that impressively satisfied everyone’s sweet tooth while accommodating her lactose intolerance. Admittedly, though I
I’m always striving for simplicity in life and this approach definitely translates to how I operate in the kitchen. For my second
Today,
Probably due at least in part to feeling conspicuous as one of a few minority families in our town growing up, I have a residual thing about blending in when I travel. Though I don’t bat an eyelash when I see tourists out and about, you'll never catch me holding up a map at a congested intersection in an unfamiliar city. So on my recent
Although Laurel’s daycare runs year round, the summer tends to be a time for transition, and the recent departure of one of her friends reminded me of something I loved doing as a child: exchanging letters with pen pals. Laurel’s friend (or actually, her parents) left a colorful paper bag in each friend’s mail pouch with a sweet goodbye letter that included the friend's mailing address and a request to be pen pals. Also handily included: a note card and self-addressed stamped envelope to get the ball rolling.
Today
Today,
One of the things I love about weekends is restoring a sense of order to our home after a busy (typically rather untidy) week. And purging is one of my favorite mechanisms to achieve said order. Appropriately then, for the first installment of my new
Today,
Today,