Fresh and Fruity Summer Porridge (Bircher Muesli)

May 17, 2012  |
• by Kirstin Uhrenholdt


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Porridge is not just for winter! Here is a cool, tangy, creamy, fruity, porridge for summer.

Mix raw rolled oats, yoghurt and fruit. Spoon it into pretty glasses or mason jars. Pop them into the fridge overnight so all the flavors get to know each-other.

Good Morning! Today you have time to have breakfast in the sun or just toss a mason jar to-go into little hands and big hands as they run out the door…

Menu Book and Shopping Lists

May 15, 2012  |
• by Kirstin Uhrenholdt


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I like menu writing and grocery shopping. For me it is like picking paints for a painting, but better because it also becomes sculpture, nurturing and tasty. I don’t like wasting my time though, so I have a certain way of writing my shopping list so I only hit each grocery store aisle once…

Potstickers with Bok Choy

May 10, 2012  |
• by Kirstin Uhrenholdt


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Potstickers (fried Asian dumplings) are gift wrapped vegetables. So this dinner is an easy little present for your family.

Stir fry potstickers with bok choy and peas, toss them with a little sesame oil and hoisin sauce and you quickly have a weekday dinner…

Cook’s Tip: Using Jarred Tomato Sauce

May 08, 2012  |
• by Kirstin Uhrenholdt


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Confused when buying jarred tomato sauce? It starts in the store, put on your glasses and read the tiny words on the ingredient label.

Pick the one with the least ingredients, avoid the ones with sugar and corn syrup. Look for more tomato, less tomato paste. Stay away from the freckled dried herbs too. Just get plain and simple tomato sauce. Then stroll by the produce section and pick up some fresh garlic and basil.

Go home and get your sauce pan really hot and drizzle in a bit of olive oil, throw in the garlic and 20 seconds later, the moment the garlic is golden, add the tomato sauce. If you happen to have the rind of a Parmesan cheese, throw it in. If you have a chopped anchovy add it too, if you don’t, a splash of Asian fish sauce is a sneaky cook’s trick that adds “bass” to your sauce.

Let the sauce simmer while you boil your pasta water. If you care to, add a sprinkle of chopped capers and some red pepper flakes. Remove the Parmesan rind. Tear up your basil and fold it in. Taste your sauce…. it is yours now, give it a family name.

Kids in the Kitchen

May 07, 2012  |
• by The Family Dinner


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It can sometimes take a little longer to cook with kids (and it can often get a little messy), but teaching your children to know their way around the kitchen brings great reward. Here are a couple of suggestions to make your time cooking with kids more successful:

* Let the kids help pick the menu. Start with simple recipes featuring ingredients they like.

* Have all the ingredients ready to go. It’s easier if all your ingredients and utensils are laid out on the counter, ready for use. If your kids are young, chop and measure ingredients in advance and set out in little bowls.

* Have fun. When cooking with kids, it helps if you create a festive mood. Put on some music. Wear fun hats or aprons. When you approach cooking as creative and fun-filled, your child won’t think of cooking as a boring chore.

For more suggestions on how to make cooking with kids more fun and successful, see page 121 of The Family Dinner book.

Our friends at The Kids Cook Monday also have suggestions for Kitchen Tasks for Different Age Groups. Visit TheKidsCookMonday.org.