{for giving} Picnic Goodies for Newlyweds

We're off to San Francisco, Andras, Greta and I, for the wedding of my darling friend Lillian. It's always exciting when one of your girls gets married, especially the one who was with me every minute of styling The Newlywed Cookbook. She's an absolute light and creative force, and I can't wait to see what her wedding weekend brings.

While I am away, I leave you with this beautiful gift idea for the newly betrothed in your life ~ a curated picnic basket full of gorgeous food-lovers treats, from Chelsea Market Basket. Available in their store in The Chelsea Market, or online, send this thoughtful gift to the brides and grooms you love to have at the ready for their first days home from the honeymoon.

I'm excited to see that the gift includes something to take back to the kitchen for the days that follow--The Newlywed Cookbook--filled with seasonal recipes and {lest the newlyweds forget to make romantic getaways a habit} even a section on picnics and other escapes. To help the recipes come to life, the gift includes some of the glamorous pantry essentials I talk about in the book, like Halen Mon Sea Salt from the Isle of Mull, hand--harvested sea salts in flavors like lavender and chamomile, a high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for finishing), aged balsamic, a crock of mustard, and coffee and tea for lazy mornings sipping side by side.

Help the ones you love start their lives together with this endlessly charming gift. Order here.

I'll be back soon with stories from the other coast.

The Baby Food Myth

{Hameeda and Greta, summer 2011}

This week, I bought Greta baby food, the kind in a tube, for not quite the first time, but almost. I spend a good deal of time making her breakfasts, lunches and dinners, making sure every meal is loaded with color and nutrients, flavor and texture. But with my new book due in just days,  I knew I needed a few moments of certainty that she'd get her veggies and iron, with or without my constant tending to this tiny detail.

Between my knowledge and training in food and nutrition, and a strong mother's instinct, I feel confident about what we feed Greta. But early on when we were just beginning solids and I felt the intense pressure to do everything exactly right (start solids not too early, not too late, feed her not too little, nor too much). I was constantly checking myself, reading every article I could get my hands on about childhood nutrition. I even tackled the 700-something-page tome, the American Academy of Pediatric's Pediatric Nutrition Handbook, though, I'm still struggling with the chemistry speak.

In these early feeding days, I found one of the best resources, no slight to Greta's pediatrician, or to my own dad -- father of four and family doctor of 35 plus years -- was other mothers.

One day, when our next door neighbors Hameeda and Fahmeeda were cooing at Greta, then about six months old, I asked their mother what she fed her kids at Greta's age.  She is the mother of four vibrant kids who grow taller and more luminous every day. She responded as I suspected she would--she fed them the same foods the rest of the family ate, mashed into tiny pieces. Her family hails from Bangledesh, a part of the world, like most outside of North American and Europe, where the term baby food barely exists. Where spices and flavors don't wait for adult palates, they are introduced from the first days of solids.

I got into a similar discussion with a bunch of foodie mamas on Facebook not long after, led by my friend Tara Desmond, which led me to this article on debunking baby food myths on MSMBC, confirming this exact phenomenon. It says:

As research increasingly suggests a child's first experiences with food shape later eating habits, doctors say battling obesity and improving the American diet may mean debunking the myths and broadening babies' palates.

It's easier — and harder — than it sounds. Easier because experts say 6-month-olds can eat many of the same things their parents do. Harder because it's tough to find detailed guidance for nervous parents.

Detailed guidance may be all around you, in the hands of mothers and grandmothers from all over the world, elders who fed their own children natural, homegrown (or at least locally grown) foods, cooked from scratch.

Making your own baby food, or rather, food for baby, can sound intimidating, laborious and wrought with equipment and waste. I promise you, same tools you use to make your meals, plus an immersion blender or mini food processor for pureeing (for babes 5 to 8 months, and older ones still waiting for teeth) and a good set of BPA-free containers and you'll be in business.

I remember the first time my friend Angie came to visit with her little guy, Leo, not long after Greta was born. Midway through our play date, she whipped out a Tupperware with a heady, brown puree which he gratefully gobbled up.

"Beef bourguignon," Angie said frankly. Of course.

And with that I knew that anything, well, save the raw fish and runny yolks and nuts and other early eater no-nos (talk to your pediatrician about these) could be baby food, or food fit for a baby, as the case may be.

Among the many things we feed Greta regularly are pureed vegetable soups and stews, pasta (whole wheat or plain, in every shape and texture), cooked a little extra. Vegetable maki rolls. Rice and beans. Veggie tempura. Lasagna. Eggplant parmesan (a total winner). Roasted mushrooms. Scrambled eggs. Hard boiled eggs. Soft boiled eggs. Cheese soufflé. Chunks of mango and fresh berries and homemade applesauce. Broccoli. Kale. Whole grain breads. Beets with ricotta. Barley, farro and risotto. At first everything was pureed (5 to 10 months), and then smashed (10 to 14 months), and then cut into bite-sized bits (15 months and beyond). We get the occasional yucky tongue (she does not do the texture of quinoa), but for the most part, she'll try almost anything. Even recently, mussels.

Hameeda and Greta play together many nights of the week, and on these foods Greta's grown so big I bet she'll catch up with Hameeda in no time. Well, not quite. But she's certainly thriving.

When time is at a premium and convenience trumps cost, there are nutritiounally sound and even some delicious (yes, I've tried them--I try everything before it goes into Greta's mouth) blends of commercial organic baby foods. And when I need them (for traveling, for example), I prefer the ones in a tube to those in a jar. To me, they just taste more fresh. Among those, I generally opt for less is more--mango and spinach, peas and pears, rather than uber blends that don't teach young palates how to learn to love each fruit or vegetable on their own.

But If you're just starting to feed your little one, or even if you're already a year into it as we are, I urge you to make these convenience foods the exception, not the norm. Don't deprive your babe of the smells and sounds like that go with growing up in a home of homemade cooking, experiences and habits that get ingrained in their lives from day one. Don't let them miss out clanging their pots and pan lids together on the floor, while you clang at yours on the stove. There are tastes, textures, and a whole culture and conversation about food that is missed out on when tiny hands don't have the opportunity to roll raw ingredients between their hands, to wonder at the colors on your cutting board, to taste and smell them all for themselves.

Feeding Greta right takes considerable and constant care. I'm not pretending it's always a breeze. But I'm more proud of how much love I put into that than almost anything I've ever done in my life. She is strong, resilient, a very curious and healthful eater. And we have so much fun together in the kitchen. I hope that's a feeling and experience that every parent can know for themselves. Sure, there will be cheddar bunnies and days that you lean a little heavy on help from Yo-baby. We all do. But make mealtime something special and you'll be giving your baby a lifetime of good habits and memories that will serve them well, for the long haul.

Mamas, new and old, I'd love to hear from you. What have you learned and loved about feeding your babes, and what advice can you share for other parents whose littles are just embarking on the wonderful world of food?

6 Not Extreme Habits for Eco-Eaters

{recycled canvas eco lunch-sack from a little lark, etsy}

Writing the Clean and Green Ingredients portion of my new book, which I just finished, was one of the hardest parts to write. That was in part because there is so much controversy and misconception around the idea of eco-eating, not to mention stigma, good or bad, depending on where you come from. I can see my dad's face every time I bring up the topic. I think he believes I'm going to tell him to line dry his paper towels and use them again. Lord knows I'm not. I'm a bit of a hippie, but moderately so. 

I admire folks like Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Everyday, and my smart friend Louisa Shafia, who wrote Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, who really broke down food labels like organic and fair trade. I admire Louisa for pushing us to ditch our paper towel habit for good. I'm still working on that one.  

Still, even after 10 years working and training in food, nutrition and sustainable issues, I find all the labels and bylaws of eco-eating can make my head spin. They are important to try to understand, but here's what's most important--DO YOUR BEST. Do your best to eat mindfully, for your health and the health of everyone around you.

My best is committing to this super simple eco-eaters creed, which I hope you'll adopt, too. 

Six Not-Extreme-Habits for Eco-Eating 

1. Cook. Plastic take-out containers along are enough advertisement for cooking at home most days and nights of the week. It's tastier and healthier, too. 
2. Shop local. Opt for the food less traveled, which is often cheaper, full of vital nutrients and fresh-picked flavor. 
3. Buy and cook in season. Commit to eating what nature intended, when nature intended. All foods are the most nutrient-dense and flavorful in season.
4. BYO-everything. Bring your own wheels (bicycles rock!), your own water bottle, your own market bag, your own lunch to work. Bring your glass milk bottles back and buy olive oil in refillable jugs. Every little bit helps.
5.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Everything from storing leftover soup in recycled (sterilized) apple sauce jars to turning tin tomato cans into herb planters is a service to every other eater. Find new uses for old things in the kitchen and the garden.
6. Grow something. Anything. Trees, herbs, vegetables, even a house plant. One grown up tree can provide enough oxygen for a family of four. A 8-Square-Foot garden can provide a great many vegetables for two adults. Herbs grown in a window box save the shipping and storage of cut herbs that might otherwise go bad in your fridge. {Join our 8-Square-Foot Challenge this year!} 

I'm not going to win a Pulitzer prize for this basic list, and for sure, no one is winning one for bringing their recycled canvas lunch sack to work each day, either. But we can all use reminders that our efforts mean something. I hope our best gets us all closer to the point of all the labels and eco-efforts in the first place--cleaner, more delicious, more sustaining ways of eating we can look forward to enjoying again tomorrow. 

{Earth Day Weekend Project} Plant Raspberries

Last summer, our first in our house upstate, we chanced upon a roadside plant sale with a sign advertising raspberries, $5. Baby Greta had already established herself as a serious raspberry lover, like her daddy, and since it's always been my life-long dream to step outside the backyard into an orchard, or at least a bramble, I was in. I didn't know a thing about planting raspberries, but at $5 a tiny bush {and an old coffee can to leave your cash in}, there was very little risk. Between May and September, Greta and I picked handful upon handful of raspberries off those tiny bushes the grew, in full sun, up to my waist.

This Sunday is Earth Day, the perfect time to put something in the ground that will feed you and your family for years to come. Raspberries need full sun and some trellising, but beyond that, very little from you except water. Plant them as a hedge row, along a fence or any tucked away corner of the yard where they are easy to trellis, and ideally somewhere so close to the kitchen door you can pluck them off the bushes just minutes before you pile them on your weekend waffles or crepes. Spring is the best time to plant raspberries. Before you do, here's what you should know: 

look for.....

Everbearing Raspberries {sometimes called fall-bearing}, which bear fruit slowly but constantly throughout the growing season.  Raspberries come in all sizes and colors from red, purple, golden, or white varieties, so choose your favorite, or plant a bush of each if you have the space. The best sources to buy plants are always your local nursery, where they are likely to sell or at least know what varieties will grow well in your region, but you'll also find them a Home Depot and even some grocery stores, depending on where you live.

raspberries need.....

Raspberries need full sun, plenty of water and light pruning once or twice a year. They grow well in most soils, but prefer sandy loam soil with lots of organic matter {compost and hummus} added to the soil. The key elements are sun, space to grow year by year, and a sturdy trellising system that keeps the canes {branches} off the ground and allows for air to circulate and dry the berries during rainy spells. Plant raspberry bushes or canes in a shallow holes 2 feet apart, with 10 feet between each row. Cover the roots with about 3 inches of soil, not more. Prune each spring by removing tall canes and any weak ones, and prune again the fall after the last {or largest} harvest. 

eat them.....

Raspberries are loaded with fiber, vitamins A, C, folate, antioxidants and minerals. The seeds also contain vitamin E. Eat them whole on top of pancakes, waffles, crepes or ice cream, stirred into muffins or made into pies, cobblers or buckles. They are extremely good eating, and the most healthful, straight from the bush.

{Grow} The 8 Square Feet Challenge + Garden Tool Giveaway

 {Photo by Dana Gallagher for Whole Living}

What if I told you all the produce in this beautiful plate of pasta was grown in just 8 square feet, in Brooklyn no less?

The recipe for this Vegetable Garden Linguine comes from Whole Living magazine, one of my favorite mags ever. In this issue, they challenged several Brooklyn-based gardeners to grow a feast in just 8 square feet. Not only are the recipes in this story so simply good, the planting strategy attached to each recipe is incredibly practical and easy to execute today. I mean truly, today. You could head to your local nursery directly after reading the article and put your plan into action. It's that simple. 

You have to admit, if we can do it in NYC you really can do it anywhere. With a single raised beds or several pots, just 2 by 4-feet in space, you just might amaze yourself at what you can grow, too. 

I was so inspired by the can-do spirit of this article that this Earth Day, and all summer long, I'm taking the challenge and asking you to do it with me. Leave a comment here to commit to grow at least one homegrown produce-based feast this summer (butter, olive oil, eggs, pasta, cheese, salt, pepper, spices and other pantry staples are free-bees). Check back with me from time to time and tell me how your garden is growing via comments (and leave your names, I want to learn about you!). 

When your feast is complete, send photos of your garden, the meal and your recipe to grow(at)edibleliving(dot)com. The Edible Living team and I will choose a winner based on resourcefulness, creativity, and of course taste. I'll feature the winning recipe and photos right here, with your story. And, to keep your garden growing, I'll send the winner, and the two runners up each one of my favorite gardening tools from Williams-Sonomas' new gardening line, Agrarian, like this gorgeous Joseph Bentley cultivator, below. 

Okay, let the growing begin. Who's In? 

{Books} To Grow Cook Eat

In honor of Earth Day 2012 {this Sunday, April 22}, the second installment of my favorite new cookbooks is all about inspiring you to grow. Both of these cookbooks {sold in Anthropologie, next to mine} caught my eye because I think one of the most useful and enjoyable things to learn about food is how to grow it! Each book glorifies home-grown veggies, and show you how to make the most of your harvest. 

The Gardner and the Grill

I recently met the two grilling gals behind this book, Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, who call themselves the BBQ Queens. From their spunk, I knew I'd love anything created by this Kansas City duo, who have dedicated decades to the skills of the grill. You'll be fire roasting, wood-planking and char-grilling your heart-out before you know it. 

Grow Cook Eat

When you want to put in a garden, what you need is some good, practical advice, and Grow Cook Eat delivers. A Food Lover's Guide to Gardening, as the subtitle so plainly states, this book suits every kitchen gardener no matter how many years they've had their trowel in the soil, or haven't. Author Willi Galloway shares her well-organized and inspiring successes and sound advice, hard-earned from years of tending her own Seattle soil. 

I hope you'll forgive me the pun, but I have to say it. Dig in. 

But before you go, tell me, what would you like to learn more about on the kitchen gardening front? 

{Books} For the Very Fond of Food

My friend Andrea Nguyen has said, Anthropologie is the holy grail of lifestyle books. It's also a communal happy place, one of my favorite spaces to escape and dream up a prettier world. So imagine my delight when I got an email on Saturday morning alerting me that The Newlywed Cookbook was now on their shelves. Hooray! That was my big, big hope.

I'm a complete sucker for the kinds of books Anthropologie deems worthy of their little book nooks -- dreamy, inspired, playful, happy, beautiful and full of mouthwatering food. Here are a few others I love, from their virtual bookshelves, perfect for gifting {even to yourself} to anyone who is very fond of food.

Very Fond of Food 
Who wouldn't love a book called Very Fond of Food? An absolute kill-joy, that's who. I adored Sophie Dahl's luscious, down-to-earth first book, Ms. Dahl's Volumptious Delights: A Recipe for Every Season, Mood, and Appetite. I'm only a teeny, tiny bit jealous she gets to name her books these playful, poetic titles.

Ripe
I've been looking forward to this book for a long time. You  might already know I think fruits and vegetables are the greatest thing since sliced bread {I do realize that's a gross oxymoron}. And, if you're familiar with Cheryl Sternman Rule's award winning blog, 5 Second Rule, you know what a pleasure it is to read her writing. What better excuse to dive into her color-drenched pages?

Plenty
Yotam Ottolengi's Plenty was a smash success in London before my publisher, Chronicle Books, repackaged it for American eyes. And what a beautiful package it is. This is full of unexpected, inspired vegetarian food for anyone {omnivores included} who loves flavor.

The Good Life
What's with all these lucky ducks nailing these one in a million book titles? This one worked on me. I picked it right up and paged through inviting moment after moment of pies, breads, biscuits, ice cream, sausage, vegetables and more. From Australian chef Adrian Richardson, this book is full of texture and the kind of recipes I want to go home and cook, right now, for everyone I love.

P.S. You might have noticed I'm sensitive about titles today. These are four sensational ones. I'm still working on nailing the perfect title for my yet-unamed Mostly Vegetarian cookbook, due in 14 days {but who's counting}. Any suggestion? I'd love to hear from you!

{Grow} Heirloom Seeds for Sundays

Depending on where you live, the first serious day of gardening season may be Easter, or Memorial Day {or if you're one of the lucky southerners, the season never ended}.

I start most of my garden from seeds, so Easter weekend was prime planting days. I can't think of a more peaceful, spiritual way to start a Sunday than early morning outside with my family in the soil {followed by baths, brunch and church...}. That's exactly where we were last Sunday, and where we're headed now, but not before I leave you with my favorite sources for organic and heirloom seeds so you can spend the next Sunday in your garden.

Most of our garden gets planted with heirloom seeds, since that helps restore the wonderfully diverse food system nature intended. The following are a mix of heirloom and organic seed seed sources. You may not find the same kind of gorgeous, vintage art {pictured} on all of these seed packets, but what's inside is sure to make beautiful, edible art of your yard.

Botanical Interests

Botanicalinterests.com

Burpee Organic Seeds

Burpee.com

Hudson Valley Seed Library

Seedlibrary.org

Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Johnnyseeds.com

Renee’s Garden

Reneesgarden.com

Seeds of Change

Seedsofchange.com

Seed Savers Exchange

seedsavers.org

The Cook’s Garden

Cooksgarden.com

{A Party} The Newlywed Cookbook at Pink Olive, NYC

I hate to go all girlie on you, but if you'll let me for just a second, there's something about a pretty shop and a gathering of girls that just puts me into happy fits. Next Saturday, I'll be celebrating and signing my book, The Newlywed Cookbook, at Pink Olive, on a charmed little rue in the East Village {details above}. Come join me, Pink Olive's gracious owner Grace Kang, 2h flowers, and Izze sparkling juice as we toast and celebrate the season of the betrothed. RSVP at Concierge@pinkolive.com and I promise to save you one of my Deep Dark Secret Chocolate Cookies. xo


A special thanks to....

Martha Stewart + Me

 {Photo by FRANÇOIS DISCHINGER}

Pssst....

I should be sleeping right now, but I'm going on The Martha Stewart Show tomorrow, and I'm kind of excited. Not only is Martha an impressive icon, she took things that I think have tremendous value --feeding your family,  making a home, tending a garden -- and not only made them chic, but potentially lucrative too. Things our mothers did for free. Women getting paid to make the world a more beautiful, delicious place? Amen to that.

Love her or not, if you've watched her show lately, you may know Martha has a pretty good sense of humor. And she must be a good sport, too. Imagine inviting people on your show and letting them show you how to do things you know very well how to do. Like bake cookies. See, it's really quite generous. She gives us our chance to shine. And for that, well, Martha, I think you're the bee's knees.

I'll be sure to let you know the air date! But for now, night night. Time to get my beauty rest. 

xo

Sarah 

A Giveaway from Ice Milk Aprons

Okay, I'm officially declaring this southern love month. And one of my absolute favorite things to come out of the south since the buttermilk biscuit is heirloom designer Ashley Leckey Schoenith's Ice Milk Aprons. They are elegant, lady like and just plain pretty. And who doesn't want to feel pretty when they are cooking?  In celebration of the launch of The Newlywed Cookbook and as a treat to all the brides-to-be this summer and spring, Ashley's graciously offered her beautiful Vanilla Churned Sugar apron for one lucky reader {bride, bride-to-be, or not!}. 

And in the spirit of southern hospitality, Ashley is also hosting a giveaway of The Newlywed Cookbook on her site today too. Once you're there, I know you'll want to stay. Not only does Ashley has impeccable taste, she has the most charming spirit. The way she treasures family traditions, heirlooms and the sweet moments in life come right through the screen, and you'll soon wish yourself a part of your world. 


If that wasn't sweet enough, she's featuring my Grandma Copeland's Brown Sugar Pudding on her Heirloomed blog later this week, too. This is one seriously special recipe to my family, a true heirloom. Granddad brought it home from a boarding house in Missouri where he stayed not long after he and my grandmother were secretly married. He gave the recipe to his young bride, who I'm told would make it for him just as often as he wanted for the rest of their lives. Grandma and Granddad were married almost 70 years {I know, amazing!}, and were the definition of forever newlyweds. They were always lavishing each other with love and tenderness, which in Grandma's case often came in the form of good southern cooking. 

About marriage and love, Grandma always said to us, "learn to make his favorite things." 

To lavish the ones you love with good cooking, you need a special apron, one with a story, one that makes you feel especially lovely while you're learning to make your beloved's favorite things. Brides, beauties, passionate cooks and anyone who treasures a handmade heirloom, here's how to enter to win: 

Post a comment with a story about either your favorite food from the south, the best thing you learned to make or bake from your mother or grandmother, or what and how you learned to cook your beloved's favorite thing. Then, if you tweet, follow Edible Living and Ice Milk Aprons on twitter and RT I just entered to win @icemilkaprons Vanilla Churned Sugar apron on @edibleliving http://bit.ly/icemilkgive. Then come back to tell us about it! Follow either of us on Pinterest {Ashley's pages are to die for} and come back to enter again! Three chances, now that is generous, southern hospitality for y'all. * {only U.S. residents eligible to win} *

This is one prize you'll want to keep in your family for generations to come.  

xo

Sarah

Motherhood Mondays, Pancakes Parties + Oatmeal Yogurt Pancakes with Blackberry Crush

{photo by Sara Remington for The Newlywed Cookbook}

There is nothing, nothing I love more than a full house. A house full of chubby hands and tiny bare feet and little hungry mouths. I especially love a house with all of that plus one grown up man who fills our one room with his big love and easy laughter. When that man is gone, as András is this weekend, even our teeny tiny home can feel too big and quiet for just Greta and me.

Greta gets up about 6 AM and doesn't nap until about one, so as much as we are best buds, Saturday mornings can feel kind of long without a partner to pass off another spill or diaper to while you simply wash your face. On those days, mothering can feel a lot easier, and more fun, when you're doing it together. I'm pretty sure that modern mothering, in isolated, very private homes, away from our families or the rest of our tribe, is a newish phenomenon. It can seem that other mothers doing the same things (diapering, wiping noses and refilling sipping cups) are really far away, even if they are right next door, or in my case, upstairs.

Neighborhood sing-alongs and play groups are wonderful, but since ours happen on weekdays, when I'm working, I decided it's high time to start our own. The best way to gather a crowd is food of course, and there's few more universally kid and adult friendly foods than pancakes. So Saturday morning, we decided to have an impromptu pancake party, and invited our neighborhood mamas and kids over for a big, boisterous breakfast.  You've heard me talk about how little this place is, so you can guess we don't have extra high chairs or booster seats, but we filled every empty stool and mamma's knee with a hungry toddler and even had a little prince perched with a breakfast tray on the play mat.

We had so much fun I didn't take a single picture, which means I'm in full happy mama mode, and not even thinking a lick about work.  Mission accomplished ~ happy mamas, happy babies. And, despite our space, I can't imagine why I didn't do this before! And you can too. No matter how chaotic your world seems or how unaccomplished you believe yourself to be at cooking or entertaining, pancakes are easy, inexpensive, fast to put together and hard to mess up, even when you have little helpers.

Pictures or not, I wanted to share a little how-to with you. When you need to fill your house -- be it Saturday, Sunday or even a Monday Fun-day (yes, I'm promoting playing hooky from your regular Monday obligations once and a while!) a pancake party is just the thing.

Here's how:

1. Put together your dry ingredients the night before. Make your pancake batter in advance in the morning, and preheat the griddle pan just about the time you expect your pals to arrive. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to about 250 to keep pancakes warm if needed (though I rarely need it with little hungry guests)

2. Set out snacks and pancake toppers like sliced strawberries and bananas so the littles have something to start on when they get there.

3. Stack soft spill-proof sippy cups and two sturdy low-rocks glasses ~ one filled with grown up forks and the other with kiddo ones. Borrow extra boosters or set up a little kiddie table for the extra little ones that don't fit around your table.

4. Set out a stack of paper and washable markers or crayons and let the littles make their own place mats while they wait. And, have a small apron and miniature whisk on hand for any kiddos who want to get in the mix and give their pancake skills a whirl.

5. Skip the extras ~ coffee or tea will do for the grown ups, milk for the kids ~ and focus on the fun.

6. This one is very important ~ Don't give a second thought to messes. As I learned from my mom, messes are a good indicator of fun. 

6. Have a good story book waiting by the couch for cuddling up with full bellies and eager ears for story time.

Here's my best easy, parent and child friendly recipe for pancakes that will fill your tummies and your homes the next morning you need to feel like a part of something bigger then what's within your four walls. And before you go, I'd love to hear, what do you do to create community a fill your family days with friendship and laughter?

xo

Sarah 

~

Oatmeal-Yogurt Pancakes with Blackberry Crush

from The Newlywed Cookbook 

~

Oats add great flavor, texture, and a little nutritional boost to almost any baked good.  I love their flavor, but in this dish, the oats fade into the background behind the ethereal texture of perfectly plump, tender pancakes. The Greek yogurt works like buttermilk or sour cream, giving these pancakes a dependable rise that makes them our classic weekend pancakes.

Deep, dark purple blackberries, crushed over heat, polish off your meal with a decadent finish that's antioxidant rich and delicious. When blackberries are out of season, replace them with any juicy berry, like blueberries or black raspberries.

Serves 4

{Blackberry Crush}

2 cups/480 ml fresh blackberries

1/4 cup/50 g raw or turbinado sugar

1/4 cup/60 ml pure maple syrup, plus more if needed

{Pancakes}

1 2/3 cups/190 g all-purpose/plain flour

2/3 cup/55 g old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 heaping teaspoon baking soda/bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or iodized salt

1 cup/240 ml Greek yogurt, plus more for garnish

1cup/240 ml whole milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus for the pan
2 large eggs

1.     To make the Blackberry Crush: Combine the blackberries and sugar in a medium bowl and mash slightly with a fork.  Strain the juice into a small pot and reserve the berries. Heat the juice over medium heat and simmer until it is thick, syrupy, and easily coats the back of the spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup. Cool slightly, and pour over the berries. Adjust the sweetness with additional maple syrup if needed. Set the syrup aside.

2.     To make the pancakes: Whisk together flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda/bicarbonate of soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, the melted butter, and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and whisk in the wet ingredients until well incorporated. The batter should be thick, with little tiny bubbles on the surface.

3.     Heat a cast-iron or nonstick griddle or heavy frying pan over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when splashed on the pan. Brush the griddle lightly with melted butter. Drop about 1/3 cup/75 ml of batter per pancake onto the hot griddle, leaving about 1 in/2.5 cm or so between pancakes. When bubbles form around the edges of the batter, gently lift and flip the pancakes with a flexible spatula. Cook on the other side until the pancakes are golden brown around the edges, about 2 minutes. Don’t worry if the first one doesn’t come out perfect—just adjust your heat as needed and nibble on the practice pancake while you stack up a plate of beauties. Repeat, adding more butter to the pan as needed until all the pancakes are cooked.

4.     To serve, stack the pancakes as high as you dare, and garnish with butter or additional Greek yogurt and a generous ladle of Blackberry Crush. Serve hot and fresh. 

P.S. If you happen to be writing your own cookbook, kids make the best recipe testers. They tell you straight out (with their tongues and icky faces, if not with their words) when they don't like something! Thanks guys for the great feedback. More pancakes for you soon.

* I borrowed the term Motherhood Mondays from one of my favorite writers and inspiring mothers, Joanna Goddard, whose Motherhood Mondays column on her blog is likely to touch and inspire any mama's reading here too.

{Test Kitchen} Penne with Pumpkin, Rosemary and Pine Nuts, and A Sneak Preview of Other Mostly Vegetarian Feasts

Hi friends. Thank you so much for coming back to read. You deserve a big thank you for humoring me.
I know my site has been all The Newlywed Cookbook all the time lately. While I hope it's brought you to many delicious recipes and ideas from my book, and the spirit of love I hope everyone is surrounded with, newlywed or not,  I want you to know there's still more to Edible Living than just the book. It's just it is so super duper exciting to put something you love so dearly into print, one can get carried away.

In case you're missing some of the old me, the simply just enjoying and sharing good food me, this post is for you. It's a little sneak peek into what's been happening in my kitchen the last 6 weeks, where I'm at work on another labor of love, a new cookbook with even more recipes than the last. This book, which for today I'm calling Mostly Vegetarian, is a book full of so many delicious and incredibly satisfying foods that just happen not to have meat, so that means everyone can eat them, whether you normally eat meat or not. In it you'll find foods like Penne with Pumpkin, Rosemary and Pine Nuts {above} and Kabocha Squash Soup with Spiced Fennel Butter and Harissa {below}. You'll also find essential tips and techniques for how to prepare every vegetable under the sun and, guess what, even how to grow them! {Hooray! My favorite part}.

That book is not out until 2013, but until then I'll be posting live from the test kitchen and the garden every now and then, sharing what's in the works with you. I hope you'll join me for the fun, and the dishes. Oh, the dishes.

Thank you, as always, for stopping in. And while you're here, will you tell me about your favorite Mostly Vegetarian kind of meal?

xo
Sarah

Let Them Eat Cake!

This is Grace, my goddaughter and niece, our little dreamer girl who's been stealing hearts since day one. I don't know anyone who loves sugar more than Grace. If the amount of sugar consumed had a direct effect on the sweetness of the soul, Grace is proof in the pudding. She is one of the most loving, gracious people I know, big or small.

This week, Graced turned ten, and to celebrate the occasion, my mom made her famous chocolate cake, icing it in careless peeks and swirls as a band of little people (my best friends' kiddos) circled her kitchen in mischievous play. Watching mom carry the cake to Grace's spot at the head of the table, I remembered all the birthdays mom loved on me with that cake, and just how special it felt to sit in front of her layers crowned with glowing candle glory, and know the taste of what was to come -- love, in hefty chocolate portions. So despite my decade-long efforts to interest Grace in all things green and good-for-you, on her birthday, I wanted nothing more than to watch her enjoying her cake, and study the sweet mouths of the  little ones around the table (including Greta) when they got a taste of it too.

After all the years I've spent working with kids and nutrition, how do I feel about sweets for kids? Fill their bellies with wholesome foods each and every day. And on the most special of occasions ~ let them eat cake!

Happy Birthday, Gracie baby.

xo
Sarah

signed copies of The Newlywed Cookbook {+ free shipping for 4 days!}

I've waited too long to tell you about my darling cousin Allison Jagtiani, creator and founder of Goji Gourmet, a lovely line of all-natural, mostly organic cookies and sweets. She's a dynamite entrepreneur, and one smart cookie, so when she introduced me to Grace Kang, the creator of Pink Olive, an absolutely charming brick-and-mortor and now online boutique in New York City, I was thrilled. Even more thrilling was to find out the Pink Olive already carried The Newlywed Cookbook in Grace's Picks, her list of favorite new things. 


Pink Olive is absolutely loaded with whimsical goodies for happiness and home, and as of Monday, she'll be carrying signed copies of my books for anyone who needs that extra special touch for a sweet newlywed or bride-to-be. Pre-order now {order here!} through Tuesday, February 28, and enjoy 10% off and free shipping on orders over $50. There are plenty of sweet little whimsies to add to your order for any of your beloveds. 


Stay tuned for news about our event together in April! 


Thank you, Grace! 


xo
Sarah 

Charleston Wine & Food Festival

I've told you all that I'm a southern girl at heart, right? And, if you have my new book, you might have noticed the shrimp-and-grits-spirit sprinkled throughout. It started long ago around Grandma Copeland's table in southern Missou-rah, which us Northerner's considered the south. There, I ate enough hot biscuits and sausage gravy, butter beans and cherry cobbler to make me an honorary G.R.I.T.S (Girls Raised in the South). But I got southern bug the first time I attended an oyster roast in Charleston about five years ago. I've been thinking about it ever since, so I'm headed back next weekend for a southern cooking fix and a good, long, overdue visit with one of my best girlfriends, Anjee, who recently made Charleston her home.


For anyone who grew up with even a little southern bone in their body, Charleston is a one sweet tea away from Heaven. Which is why I'm tickled pink (seriously) to be spending next weekend at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, signing books alongside Nathalie Dupree, the queen bee of Charleston cooking herself. 


Here's where you'll find me: 

Author Book Signing

Saturday, March 3, 1 to 2 PM

Sunday, March 4, 1 to 2 PM 

buy tickets here! 


Come on down, ya'll! I'd absolutely love to see you there. 


xo
Sarah

A Valentine's Resolution + Menu

{photo by Sara Remington}

"In the end, the love you get is equal to the love you give." 

John Lennon {a famous misquote} 

Last year, between raising a baby, renovating a house and preparing to launch a book, I felt like we hardly saw our friends. As is my busy nature, I usually launch into the new year, skipping resolutions and racing right toward the next big project. This year though, I made just one resolution—to make more time to spend with the people we love. And as soon as I said it, something started happening. Our pals Kirsten, Dario and their girls spent the whole first weekend of the year with us. My friend Erin moved to our neighborhood, and Carrie had a whole free weekend to come spend with us upstate. Jocelyn came from Philly for a Sunday and I got to rock her new baby boy. Two of my oldest girlfriends planned a trip from LA and I got not just one but three meals out with them this very week! I started taking weekends completely off {novel idea} to just hike and play and soak up every minute with sweet Greta and András. And, András and I moved Greta to a little jewel box nursery here at home, which means there’s more time for each other while she sleeps, too.

Right smack in the middle of this resolution, came the idea to host a virtual valentine’s party for the launch of my book. Which, of course, brought it’s own set of craziness and coordinating details. But with them, came this other amazing feeling of being a part of all these new and old friendships, of actually spending more time with the people I care about, of peering into their lives and learning from them.

I got a peek into Katie and Joe’s sweet marriage, three girls and 18-years deep, on Mom's Kitchen Handbook and shared my Two-for-Two Cheese Soufflé with them. I spent the day making Better Than Boxed Chocolate Cake with Nancie McDermott and felt in very good company that I’m still working on my wedding thank you notes! And I finally got to meet her sweet {"the sweetest man"} hubby, too!  I fell completely in love again with my own beloved, and charming almost-newlyweds Laken and Tyler over Grilled Lamb Chops and Melted Polenta at Farmhouse. I reconnected with my friend Tim Vidra, whose Etsy shop Behind The Screen Door supplied a few props for my book, and finally met his fiancé Mary, for whom he prepared a killer rendition of my Skillet Steak with Thyme Butter on his blog E.A.T.  I learned that sometimes you have to pick up and drive across country for love like Carolyn, from Spoonful of Cake, and bake your man a batch of Rise & Shine Muffins to help him get settled. 

I came to breakfast in my PJ’s with Tara, Topher and tiny Abigail for a stack of Multigrain Pancakes with Chocolate Shavings at Crumbs on My Keyboard and was reminded that though we can live life forever newlyweds, “It’s a real privilege, in fact, to graduate on to a love deeper from the sweet spot where you start.” And, since I never tire of chocolate pancakes, I enjoyed them again with Katie Hamm at Healthy and Happy Hour, who is getting married in October! Congrats Katie! I ate Seared Halibut with Coriander and Carrots with Luisa and James {at LucidFood}, my newest newlywed friends who live just a skip, hop and jump away from us in Brooklyn. I learned a clever new way to serve my Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding from Martha at CherrySpoon and enjoyed a chocolate hiatus with Maia at Dessertolicious, who made her hubby my Olive Oil Cake with Tangerine Marmalade. Sure, there were a lot of dishes {thank goodness for the grateful husbands!} but it was worth it for that full-heart-and-home feeling that’s surrounding us today.

Which brings me back to resolutions. I’m taking a moment to make another, a Valentine’s Day resolution which is this: To bring the spirit of loving and giving to another, be it my beloved, my babe or my bestest of friends, into everyday moments. To dote over another with a good meal. It need not be fancy or fussy, or even as ambitious as Just A Little Organic’s Suppa Club fete {they baked my Dowry Dinner Rolls, AND my Better-than-boxed Chocolate Cake on the same day!}. It can simply be a plate of Roasted Beets with Ricotta and Pistachios, a lunch for my love, like Elspeth from Diary of a Locavore made for hers this week. Or a perfect stack of 1000-Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies  as cookie-queen Dorie Greenspan and the lovely Aida Mollenkamp both shared with their beloveds this week. In Aida's words, when we “strive to punctuate our lives with gatherings that involve lovingly-prepared, handcrafted food” there are rewards. Those rewards come in the form of friendship, feasting, and often, love.  

That, my friends, is the best part of Valentine’s Day, and the lingering {I hope} message of The Newlywed Cookbook.

With this meal, I thee love.

xo

Sarah