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Whole wheat penne pasta with pesto & beans
THIS DINNER WAS DONE IN 15 MINUTES. As if that wasn’t enough of a mini miracle for this mom, it was also eaten. Happily. Heartily. And so another spin-off series begins… Get ready kids. There’s more...
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Chicken & vegetable stir fry with noodles
WHEN I SAW PHOEBE CLOSE HER EYES and suck up each noodle, one by one, I knew we had a hit. Even better, she actually ate ALL of the vegetables in this dish, including sworn enemies such as zucchini and...
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Baked risotto with sausage, barley & fresh green beans
AS THREATENED PROMISED, baked risotto has made its way into our weekly repertoire and here’s why: the kids love it! Plus, a baked version of this traditional Italian dish is easy to make before they...
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Penne with shrimp, peas and zucchini
DON’T ADJUST YOUR COMPUTER SETTINGS. This pasta is indeed a bit green. That’s because it’s got built-in veggies (spinach and zucchini) and the even more exciting news is this: our kids love it. Looking...
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No-cook dinner: shrimp couscous with feta, tomatoes and zucchini
IT’S HOT, MAMA. I have two temperature-related rules when the needle hits 90: we’re not going to the playground in the afternoon (especially not with Baby G in the super sweaty Bjorn) and I’m not...
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Sausage & sour cream pasta with peas…a Stroganoff-ish dinner idea
We’re on “vacation” this week, on the southern coast of Italy. It’s our first trip with all three rascals so I’m out of the kitchen. So far, I’d say everything is gorgeous and exhausting, sometimes...
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Sausage & spinach with raisins, pine nuts & rice
THIS ONE STARTED WITH BUDDY. Do you know the Cake Boss? I’m sure you do but I didn’t. In Rome, we have a bit of American TV but it’s a small selection and always a bit behind. Anyway, it appears that...
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Simple beef, broccoli and carrot stir-fry
THEY DON’T REALLY DO TAKE-OUT IN ITALY. They definitely don’t do a lot of ethnic food either. And even if they did, stir-fry is one of those dishes that’s so easy to make at home, plus a million times...
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Stove-top ravioli with peas and pancetta
A BOWL OF PASTA DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN TOMATO SAUCE. One of the easiest ideas I’ve learned from the Italians is to substitute traditional red sauce with something much simpler: extra virgin olive oil,...
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Spaghetti with sausage, Swiss chard and cheese
YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING, but I’m not sure Paul did. Anyone who spends any time on 101 Cookbooks, as I am this month during our cookbook giveaway, will find two things: breathtaking photos, and a lot of...
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Easy update: Add a little chopped spinach to your next pot of rice
WE USUALLY EAT BROWN RICE, BUT NOT THIS TIME. My husband Paul loves the fluffier texture of white rice, and I love him, so for this dinner we used organic basmati rice. But the compromise didn’t end...
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Linguine with mushroom bacon sauce, from “American Grown” by Michelle Obama
WHEN THEY SERVE PASTA AT THE WHITE HOUSE, this is it. And also, I’d like to come come over next time they do. But for now I’ll have to settle for the most delicious sounding recipe for linguine that...
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10 kid-friendly ways to cook with quinoa: I asked, you answered!
IT STARTED WITH A DINNER FAIL. I tried to spice up what was a delicious quinoa dish full of sweet potatoes and roasted chicken–except this new version was terrible. Instead of chicken and sweet...
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Making mac & cheese even kid-friendlier, definitely healthier
MY GOAL IS REAL FOOD. Less boxes, more produce. But all of this only matters if someone’s willing to eat it. And before all the “mmms” and “Thanks Mom”-ing can begin, some brave soul must be willing to...
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spaghetti nests with bocconcini “eggs”, the perfect leftover (and picky...
FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN IN ITALY my four-year-old is very anti-spaghetti these days. She suddenly thinks it’s too hard to eat. This didn’t used to bother her, but I guess it does now. Sigh. But before...
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easy penne pasta with cauliflower, sausage & parmesan cheese
IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO GET KIDS EATING veggies. Especially those with a funny smell when you cook ‘em. That’s right cauliflower, we’re talking about you. The good news is, we’ve discovered three ways...
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spicy pasta with chicken, spinach and goat cheese
I’M BREAKING A PRETTY BIG RULE HERE. The idea of making two meals, one for the kids and another for the adults, is just too exhausting for me to even consider on most days. But for our Halloween lunch,...
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whole wheat penne with sugar snap peas & pork
I DON’T THINK THEY HAVE SUGAR SNAP PEAS IN ITALY. And if they do, I didn’t know how to say it (surprise!) so my kids were virgins in the pea department until last week. Now to be clear, my brood is not...
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baked pasta with spaghetti squash
BAKED ZITI. I USED TO BABYSIT TWINS IN NEW YORK who ate two things for dinner: baked ziti and chicken nuggets, end of list. So I know kids love the stuff. The only thing is, it’s not that great for...
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Spaghetti with sausage, Swiss chard and cheese
YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING, but I’m not sure Paul did. Anyone who spends any time on 101 Cookbooks, as I am this month during our cookbook giveaway, will find two things: breathtaking photos, and a lot of...
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