• depression,  family,  kids,  parenting,  seasonal affective disorder,  spring

    On Seasonal Affective Disorder… I Mean Spring

    I wrote a version of this blog post a few years ago at a low point of seasonal affective disorder or, as we call it here in the midwest, spring. I’m republishing it today, with GIFs, because it’s April 16 and has been snowing for two days. The tulip shoots are buried in white and I have to laugh about it or I’ll go mad. The Real March (and April) Madness My husband says that waking up on the first day of the NCAA tournament is like Christmas morning for him. But I’m familiar with the real March madness, and its evil cousin, April madness, and basketball has nothing to…

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  • books,  kids,  parenting,  seasonal affective disorder,  writing

    Perspective from a Picture Book

    One of the true delights of being a parent to a young child is reading picture books. It’s fun to read favorites from my own childhood like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Caps for Sale, and pretty much anything by Dr. Seuss. But it’s even more fun to discover new authors and illustrators. Yesterday I was reading a picture book to my small son. The book was the adorable and beautifully-illustrated RAIN! by Linda Ashman, which came out earlier this year. I love the book because it’s all about perspective. A grumpy old man sees that it’s raining one morning and complains that he has to put on his “blasted…

  • beer,  cooking,  kitchen,  moms,  parenting,  peanut butter,  recipes

    Crock Pot Recipe: West African Spicy Peanut Stew

    I love to cook, but lately finding the time between work, writing and parenting has been a challenge. Enter, crock pot.  I’ve been trying out a lot of crock pot recipes lately for weeknight dinners. I prep the ingredients the night before, after my son is in bed, and stick them in a ziplock bag in the fridge overnight. Then, the next morning, I dump the bag into the crock pot, turn it on the “low” setting, and leave for work. When I get home, it’s ready to eat and there’s no need to hem and haw over what to make for dinner. This spicy vegetarian West African-style recipe is…

  • cooking,  food,  humor,  imperfection,  kitchen,  parenting,  perfectionism

    Last night I set my dinner on fire

    Yes, it’s true. I debated whether or not to tell you. After all, I publish recipes on this site. But, as someone who battles perfectionism, I think it’s important to share imperfections. So there it is. Some days I interview pastry chefs. Some days I visit award-winning artisanal farms. Some days I spend 8 hours making pesto or canning pickles. And some days, I put a carton of Trader Joe’s Mojito Salmon in the oven and forget about it until there is smoke wafting from the oven. I’m not kidding about the flames. I had to toss the whole damn thing outside in a snow bank to keep the smoke…