Nap-Time Meals

Anyone who has every had a baby knows that 5:00 p.m. is “the witching hour.” Kids start getting hangry, get clingy, start crying, start fighting with their siblings. I used to cook dinner with one cranky and the other on my hip.

There are recipes that you can make earlier in the day – at nap-time or even earlier – and have them ready when your family is hungry at 6:00.

Here are some recipes that work like that......they are all recipes I have used over and over and are fabulous!

BEEF STEW
from Joy of Cooking
serves 6-8

Pat dry:
2 pounds boneless stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes
Season the meat with:
½ to 1 teaspoon total dried herbs (thyme, marjoram, oregano, and/or basil)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Dredge the meat with:
½ cup all-purpose flour
Shake off any excess flour.
Heat in a Dutch oven over medium-h...

Strawberry Freezer Jam and Refrigerator Pickles

NO-COOK STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM

Helpful tips for great freezer jam: 
Always thoroughly wash jars in hot, soapy water before use. Then dry them.
Use firm, perfectly ripe fruit for best flavor and set. Inferior fruit will produce inferior jam.
Measure ingredients exactly. Altering recipes or ingredients could cause the jam to fail to set properly.
Do not alter the amount of sugar. If you want to use less sugar, look for SURE-JELL For Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes in the pink box.
The finished product will not be as firm as a traditionally processed jam, so don’t be alarmed. Embrace the spreadable consistency of this easy-to-make jam.

Because this jam is not cooked, it must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. It will be good for up to three weeks in the refrigerator, so store your jam in smaller containers that will be used up faster; I prefer to use 1-pint or 1/2-pint sized...

Easy Weeknight Meals

Everybody needs a few meals they can keep in their back pocket and pull out at the last minute to feed their family. Here are several that you can stick in your pocket....

CAESAR ROASTED FISH
from Barefoot Contessa
Serves 6

2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup good mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds striped bass steaks, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, cut into 6 portions
1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (4 scallions)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons drained capers

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is very clean.) Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

For the Caesar sauce, place the garlic, parsley, anchovy paste, and mustard in the bowl of a fo...

Fermented Drinks

Inside of you are 3 trillion microbes that make up the body known as you. Four pounds of bacteria. More bacteria that the total cells of your body. Without them, you can’t digest your food and receive the nutrients that you need to build your body and to have the building blocks of nutrients needed for cognitive function. Your emotions, believe it or not, are controlled by your gut bacteria. Studies now suggest that gut bacteria help control anxiety and stress responses. Your cravings for food are determined by how many microbes you have in your gut. If you crave a lot of sugar and fat then you have a lot of sugar- and fat-loving microbes – and the same with healthy foods. If you reset your microbes, you can change your habits, your behavior, and the markers that create inflammation and disease in your body. You will begin to heal just by resetting the microbes in your gut.

Most of you have heard of gut health and leaky gut – it's all in the news these days...