It's been so fun to run this Eat Seasonal feature! I've garnered so much cooking inspiration, as have many of you! However, today's feature on cranberries (in season in Massachusetts September to November) will be the last for 2014; I'll resume the series next year when the spring produce starts popping again! Enjoy this 12-item roundup, largely focusing on off the beaten path recipes!
Despite being a designer and a very visual person, hanging wall art has been a point of paralysis. My general assumptions of uniformity (e.g., frame type) and centered hanging have left me with walls that haven’t felt quite right. Over the last year while we’ve been redesigning our home, I’ve been studying and collecting nuggets of wisdom regarding gallery walls. I’m thrilled today to partner with Minted -- where I’ve recently procured some gorgeous art -- to share some tips and inspiration to cozy up your home via art.
Around this time of year, pears seem to sit in the shadows of their apple cousin. But this delicious fruit is in season from September to mid-November in Massachusetts and is amenable to all sorts of creative usage, aside from raw snack form. Today's Eat Seasonal feature offers 11 ways to incorporate your market or orchard pear bounty. Like my recent apple recipe roundup, I wanted to share recipes a bit further off the beaten path. Enjoy!
There is a direct correlation between change in season and my obsession with decluttering, and this summer I tried consignment for the first time -- as a seller, not just a buyer. And man, how awesome was it to clean out my closet and rack up cash? I'm gearing up for another consignment drop soon; come join me! Here are 11 Boston-area consignment shops to consider. Be sure to check each site for further instructions and/or restrictions!
Celery is one of those really-good-for-you vegetables that largely gets relegated to the role of peanut butter vehicle. And while there's no knocking that snack (which I enjoy with some regularity!), today's Eat Seasonal feature hopefully will change your perspective on what you can do with these fine stalks. Celery is in season from August to October in Massachusetts; here are 8 ways to enjoy the vegetable across the mealtime spectrum.
Violet is not the most diverse of eaters, so when she recently decided that she liked cantaloupe I did a big 'ol happy dance inside. Sweet, juicy, loaded with vitamin C, and a good option to send in the lunchbox, cantaloupe is in season in Massachusetts in August so you'll likely see good prices right now. This week's Eat Seasonal feature includes 10 recipes that offer creative inspiration that goes well beyond fruit salad.
Like strawberries, blueberries, and peaches, summer is an awesome time for raspberries. Just this past weekend I picked up a couple of large boxes at the market and they were quickly devoured (toddlers, btw, love sticking their fingers in the raspberry holes)! Raspberries are in season in Massachusetts July to September and this week's Eat Seasonal feature includes 8 recipes that offer good inspiration to consume these beautiful berries.
Hooray for seasonal peaches! Like strawberries and blueberries, peaches are wonderfully sweeter and more affordable right now...I love when they become abundant at the market! Peaches are in season in Massachusetts mid-July to mid-September and this week's Eat Seasonal feature includes 12 recipes that will allow you to incorporate this tasty stone fruit all the way from breakfast to dinner to condiments.
I find that green vegetables especially improve in flavor when they come in season and green beans are no exception. Green beans are in season in Massachusetts July and August and this week's Eat Seasonal feature includes 8 tasty ways to incorporate green beans into your meals, in some instances thinking outside the box -- even for breakfast and as a tart!.
As with strawberries, I love when blueberries come into season -- they're sweeter, more affordable, and I love watching Laurel and Vi gobble up all those nutrients. It's National Blueberry Month and blueberries are in season in Massachusetts July and August -- hooray! This week's Eat Seasonal feature includes 10 tasty ways you can incorporate seasonal blueberries into your day, all the way from breakfast to dinner.
Peas. They're nutritious, delicious, colorful, great for snacking (I've been consuming large quantities raw thanks to the heat), easy to grow in a home garden, and -- notably in my book -- one of the few vegetables Violet will eat. Green and snap peas are in season June through September in Masschusetts, and this week's Eat Seasonal feature offers 8 ways to breathe new life into peas, whether as a snack, side, or main dish:
The Oontz Curve lives up to its descriptive full name; it is, in fact, a super portable wireless Bluetooth speaker. I recently bought this gadget and it kind of blows my mind that you can get a Cambridge Soundworks speaker for $29.99. The Oontz has been the perfect solution for enjoying music outdoors, though it would be great for the office too. The speaker connects via Bluetooth, the sound quality is great, and the battery is rechargeable.
Ever since making my career leap 8 years ago, I've talked with many people who have felt a desire to leap but haven't been able to step off the ledge. I totally get it; many complicating factors get in the way of dreams. Subsequently, when I see a long-desired dream come to life, it pretty much makes my heart explode with happiness. Such is the case with my longtime friend (and Boston Mamas contributor), Paige, who just launched Tess & Ted.
One of my favorite things about summer is when beets come in season. I know there are some beet haters out there, and if you are in that camp, try fresh local ones -- they are a completely different animal! Beets are in season June through September in Masschusetts, come in a variety of gorgeous colors, and also happen to be super good for you. This week's Eat Seasonal feature offers 8 ways to enjoy beets through the day:
We recently bought these textured dip bowls (in aqua and orange) from West Elm and they have been a cheerful, inexpensive way to add color pop to our white dishes/gray table. One of my favorite ways to do meals is what we call the "nibble platter" approach -- lots of little odds and ends from the fridge that suddenly look special when served in cute bowls and on platters.
After I returned from the very amazing Mom 2.0 Summit last month, I was on a total emotional high. I attended the conference with both with my consultant and blogger hats on, and everything went so swimmingly for my client and it was amazing to reconnect with my blogging colleagues. Sometimes I still can't believe how much joy and energy and pure fun there is in my work. I work hard, yes, but it also feels like such a gift!
We eat strawberries year round, but I'm always thrilled when strawberries come in season; the vibrant, juicy locally grown options are a totally different animal! This week's Eat Seasonal feature on strawberries comes just in time for upcoming strawberry festivals (keep an eye on upcoming Weekend Roundups!), though in Massachusetts, strawberries are in season both in June and also August to mid-October. Here are 8 easy ways you can enjoy them: