It's no secret that I think the crock pot is a miracle machine for busy family cooks, and not just for weeknight meals. Crock pots are also great for keeping big quantities of food at just the right temperature when you're entertaining, …
This Thanksgiving, whether you're feeding dozens or just your immediate family, you just may need some last minute Thanksgiving meal help. We all know that getting Thanksgiving dinner onto the table can be a huge undertaking, especially …
Thanksgiving is tomorrow and everything is under control, right? If you just yelled at your screen, "NO!" then read on, mamas. I've got four cooking helplines that will provide you with answers to all of your Thanksgiving cooking questio…
Whether it's your first time making a Thanksgiving turkey or your fifth, I've found that there's always room for a little (or a lot!) of help. So, this year, I've put together a step-by-step Thankgiving turkey tutorial. Hope it helps. Pi…
With Thanksgiving and Hanukkah (A.K.A. Thanksgivukkah) just three weeks away, the food conversation will soon turn to brisket and turkey, Santa cookies and pie. While I'm looking forward to holiday food as much as the next cool mom, I'm …
Oddly enough, I'm not talking about literary Halloween zombies; I'm talking about cookies. Specifically, those made with this adorable set of Jane Austen cookie cutters. Because honestly, I've always wanted to take a bite out of Darcy. W…
With Halloween behind us and Thanksgiving--and Hanukkah!--right around the corner, it's time to start collecting culinary inspiration for your perfect holiday menu. There are, of course, tons of recipes online, but it's tricky to know wh…
The age-old Halloween question: what to eat before heading out to trick-or-treat? It has to be a meal that's quick or easy to fit between the mad rush of getting home from school and heading out for your annual candy collection. Plus it …
Apple season is in full swing, which means we've got to find things to make with all them apples! As much as I love them, I'm finding myself seriously challenged by the the huge quantity of fruit I end up with during apple season. It doe…
I'm pretty sure it's a sign of adulthood when you start drooling over kitchen gadgets. So, hi, I guess I'm a grownup now. Because this pot is kind of turning me on. I can't help but fawn over the Japanese white enamel cookware at Cool Mo…
Easy weeknight dinners, check. Simple school lunch ideas, check. Quick healthy breakfasts? Finally...check! Breakfast recipes--the kind that you can actually make on busy weekday mornings--are the final frontier of family cooking. But re…
For most of us, the school year is all about "keeper" recipes. Dinners you can rely on. Easy sides that the whole family will eat. Recipes that make life easier and more delicious. We've shared some of our favorite weeknight dinners and …
I consider myself a master meal planner, but there's one thing that gets even me: veggie side dishes. That's right, even I--the self-proclaimed Queen of Meals--am often stumped for creative vegetable dishes to serve to the family with my…
At some point this school year--sooner than you think--both you and your child will grow weary of the humble school lunch sandwich. It's a known quantity, which is comforting some days, but not every day, right? So here are 9 easy school…
Soon I'll be carrying on here about school lunch gear , packed lunch recipes, and the best after school snacks. So this week, I want to take in summer. I want to take it in the biggest, baddest way that I can imagine. This week, I want t…
Last year, we got a set of Martha Stewart ice cream bowls that have become favorites with my kids, whether they're holding ice cream, peanut butter for dipping carrot sticks, or maple syrup in the morning. So I'm excited to see now she's…
Just like snowflakes, no two moms are exactly alike. So it only follows that no two Mother's Day brunch menus should be exactly alike either. In honor of Mother's Day, I've composed three brunch menus that can be served as I've put them …
There's an avalanche of recipe sites out there, and one of my personal favorites is about to become yours, too. Foodily (which appropriately stands for "Food, I Love You") is a social recipe network combining a massive library of curated…
Some of you may already know Jennifer Perillo, the food writer and recipe developer behind the wildly popular food blog In Jennie's Kitchen . If you don't, allow me to introduce you to one of the most talented and expressive bloggers--an…
April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Enough said? I agree! This one's all about the grilled cheese recipes, and oh, does the Internet have us covered. If my search is any indication, grilled cheese sandwiches--and all variety of riffs…
I know that there's more to Easter than bunnies and food, but in these days leading up to the holiday my mind is on, well, bunnies and food. Easter candy , Easter cakes , Easter brunch: it's hard to focus with such tasty distractions! I,…
After the excitement of hunting for eggs and the Easter bunny die down, it's time for Easter dinner. And then, finally, my favorite part of the day: dessert. As in, Easter cakes. There's just something so sweet about ending the holiday f…
I've been carrying a deep dark secret since childhood (and yes, Cool Moms, I'm revealing myself here and now): this organic mama has a weakness for sugary cereals. I cannot be left alone with a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I'm the one p…
If your family loves takeout, then your posse is going to love Steamy Kitchen's Healthy Asian Favorites: 100 Recipes That Are Fast, Fresh, and Simple Enough for Tonight's Supper , the new cookbook by one of our favorite food bloggers and…