#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Food and Life

Recipe: Italian Nacho Tacos {Celebrate National Taco Day!}

October 1, 2012 · Ad-Free

Italian Nacho Tacos

I overheard my son on the phone with The Ex.

“I don’t know what Mommy made for dinner, but it’s really, really good. Like sooo good. Some sort of tacos. But not the normal kind.”

These are the types of conversations a Mom longs to hear.

No, they weren’t the “normal” kind of tacos, but they were about three and a half levels of deliciousness past that.

It all started with an e-mail. “Can you develop a recipe for us to celebrate National Taco Day? And use California black olives as an ingredient?”

Yes and yes.

Recipe development is one of my favorite things to do.

And a recipe to celebrate tacos?

Yes, please.

So then I started brainstorming. I wanted something completely different. Like “outside of the box and around the corner down the street” kind of different.

My mind leapt to these amazing nachos we used to get at Macaroni Grill when they first opened. Years and years ago. They were amazeballs good. Before you wonder how nachos ended up at the Macaroni Grill to begin with, they were not your mother’s nachos. An Italian riff on them, they were completely different (and unfortunately they are no longer offered on their menu).

And so the inspiration for these tacos was born. I wanted to recreate those nachos but put them in a handy little taco vehicle. All the better to get them to your mouth.

Natch.

The first time I had those nachos was also my first introduction to Asiago cheese. So these tacos had to have that. I created a cheese sauce similar to the one that I used on the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza recipe I shared recently, with a slight variation on the buttery, garlicky goodness. Like “hang a left and go down Asiago Boulevard.”

Oh yes.

…

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Recipes: Game Day Nachos {Or Any Day!}

September 21, 2012 · Narrative

Game Day Nachos
Just about a month ago, my stepdaughter (The Ex’s daughter) was coming over for dinner and I was trying to menu plan. Because the kids weren’t with me during the day, I figured I would take advantage of the extra time and cook up a few different things.

I love planning a menu of finger food items, which is exactly why the appetizer section of a restaurant menu is always where I look first. And for the kids, planning an at-home menu of just appetizers is a chance for tasting many small bites, and at the same time, it gives me a chance to try out a few new recipes. So this particular night was all about the finger food. We opened up the coffee table, sat on the floor, found a movie we could all agree on (for the record, Soul Surfer, which everyone loved, especially Madeline, and what a good message for all), and chowed down.

Nick is a sucker for nachos. Any kind. I first spied this recipe for Big Dish O’Nachos in the April issue of Food Network magazine. It’s the first time I’ve made nachos in my cast iron skillet (and I do love another excuse to dig it out, although I hate cleaning it) and the first time I’ve seen a recipe that called for layering the cheese amongst the chips. Which totally make sense. I mean, really, who doesn’t need more cheese?

Although it has a couple extra steps, it really is super simple and didn’t take more than the 30 minutes the recipe called for. And we got through eating probably a little more than half of it (and would have eaten more had we not had two other dishes on the table, competing for real estate in our bellies). Whether you fancy a laid-back evening of appetizers in your living room, or are looking for the perfect food for Game Day, give these nachos a whirl.

Alright folks, that’s a wrap on the week. I have a to-do list a mile long that I have every hope of getting through. Well, getting through at least half of it anyway. xoxo

…

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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