A few days ago, William asked me to buy him some new colored pencils. I spent most of my childhood coloring and drawing and love that he loves to do this as much as I do. I went on Amazon and bought him a set of Prismacolors. He was so cute waiting for his package to arrive. As soon as he got home from school, “Mom, is my package here yet?” We spent the afternoon drawing pictures and chatting. The other kids wanted in on the action, so we sat around the table and made pictures. It was a really nice afternoon.

1. I love art supplies. I believe that children deserve to create art with nice supplies. There is nothing wrong with Crayola, don’t get me wrong, but the end product can be even more amazing when you use high quality supplies. For colored pencils, I love Prismacolor. The colors are so bold and gorgeous and easy to blend. Worth every penny.

2. I feel like I live at the grocery store. Here is an fascinating look at people’s groceries from around the world.

3. All over Facebook this week, we are hearing about it being the last day of school. We still have a few weeks left, but here is a great e-book for fun summer activities to keep the littles busy and happy. Have you planned your summer yet?

4. We have a lot of summer travel planned, and the Catalina bag from Lo & Sons looks perfect. I swear, finding the perfect bag is so hard. This canvas bag looks perfect for a long weekend. And it is adorable!

5. I love a list. I have slowly been working my way to keep track of things digitally, instead of pen and paper. I love pen and paper, but it seems like I can never find my list when I need it. I have switched to Google Calendar finally and have fallen in love with Workflowy. It works the way my brain works, and I love the simple interface. It works in your browser, on your iPhone and iPad. Give it a try if you want to get your thoughts organized. There are also great videos to help you get started.

6. My kids are still talking about The Color Run. They loved it, and have been asking when we can do it again. It was the most fun family outing we have had in a long, long time. So. Much. Fun.

7. Favorite Instagram of the week – I couldn’t narrow it down, so I picked one of each.

Have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the long weekend!

It seems like the world is becoming a scarier place day by day. It seems like every time I turn on the TV, there is heartbreak and devastation. This week is no different. My heart is heavy for the people of Oklahoma. I don’t really think that there is much that I can say except that I am sending lots of love and prayers their way.

When I am sitting on my couch, watching events unfold far away, I feel pretty helpless. There is not a lot I can do, but I can make a donation and help the people of Moore rebuild their lives. I hope that you will consider making one too. To make a donation to the American Red Cross, or to read about their relief efforts in Oklahoma, just click on the button below:

While it seems strange to post a recipe, it is comforting to sit around a table and share a meal with people that you love. This salad highlights the best of spring. It can be made with whatever fresh produce you happen to have. Adding some roasted chicken makes it a meal, and a healthy and delicious one at that.

Oklahoma, we are praying for you.

Roasted Chicken:

4 bone-in skin on chicken breasts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Spring Salad:

2 cups butter lettuce
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup yellow pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/2 cup sugar snap peas
1/4 cup fresh peas
2 carrots

White Wine Dressing:
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons honey
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Start off by roasting the chicken breasts. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub chicken with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside and let cool.

I like to blanch my sugar snaps and peas quickly. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the sugar snaps for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Add the peas for about the last minute.

Drain and immediately put the veggies into a bowl of icy cold water.

Add the lettuce, spinach, parsley, pepper, radishes, sugar snaps, peas, and carrots into a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, shallot, honey, and garlic. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

Drizzle salad with dressing and toss well. Top with roasted chicken.

If you have been to my house for dinner in the last few months, there is a good chance that I have made you this steak for dinner. I think that this was my 5th time making this. I love this recipe. It is easy, and incredibly delicious. I like to use flank steak, but you could use skirt, sirloin, whatever you like. The garlic butter “sauce” is more like butter and minced garlic melted together. The garlic mellows as it melts into the butter, so it is not as strong as it sounds. Pour the sauce over the flank steak and top with lots of chopped parsley. I serve it with grilled asparagus, and if I am really inspired, baked potatoes with my homemade ranch. It might sounds a little weird, but it is basically herb sour cream. Perfect for summer grilling.

We did The Color Run this weekend, and I have to say, I have never been more proud of my children. My little guy does not like to be dirty – at all. He was such a trooper and had the best attitude. He did not complain once and had a smile on his face the entire time. My other littles were equally amazing. We had planned on just walking it, but they wanted to run and ran at least half of it. It really is the happiest 5k on the planet. The race is not timed, is super organized, and meant for people of all ages. Lots of kids, parents with strollers, and pretty much every age group is represented. Some run, some walk, everyone has a great time. I think that I will be scrubbing the blue out of my skin and scalp for the next few days, but it was well worth it. If it comes to your city, I highly recommend signing up. Ava told me that it was the most fun that she has ever had.

I am over at The Creative Mama today talking about how we celebrate birthdays at our house.

flank steak (or skirt, or really whatever cut you like)
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves
fresh thyme sprigs
fresh rosemary sprigs

Garlic Butter Sauce:

1/2 cup butter
4 cloves garlicsalt
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

A few hours before you want to grill, marinate your steak. Season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and rub with garlic cloves.

Lay fresh herbs underneath and on top of steak. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a few hours.

I am not a huge kitchen gadget kind of girl, but I am loving this garlic twist. Use the bottom to crack the skins off of the garlic, and add the garlic and twist it around until it is minced. I usually use my microplane to mince garlic, but this works great if you need quite a few.

Take the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before you are ready to grill. It was pouring outside, so I grilled mine on my indoor grill. But I prefer to cook it outside on the grill. Heat to high heat, and cook 4 to 6 minutes on each side.

Flank steak is best cooked medium-rare to medium. If it is cooked further than that, it is not as tender.

Cover the cooked steak with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. This is a really important step. If you try to slice your steak without letting it rest, the juices will release and it will dry out.

While the steak is resting, start the butter sauce. Add a stick of butter, 4 cloves of minced garlic, and a generous pinch of salt to a saucepan.

Melt over medium-low heat. The garlic will slowly cook in the butter.

Slice the flank steak against the grain as thinly as possible.

Pour garlic butter over steak and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

This was one of those weeks when we had something to do every day and every night. I am sitting on my couch, watching Saturday morning cooking shows on the Food Network, and couldn’t be happier. It is almost 11am, we didn’t get up until almost 9, we had all of the kids in bed with us, and it was perfect. We all need mornings like this with no place to go and time to relax and re-energize.

Today is also the end of spring sports. I have to be honest and say that I am ready to have our weekends back. I know that sports are important for my kids, they love them and I know that it is good for them. I didn’t play sports growing up (I am not exactly what you would call coordinated) so I am not used to be being on a field of some sort every weekend. I miss the freedom of being able to hop in the car on a Saturday and go on an adventure. We have a few weeks before summer sports start, so I see adventures in our future.

1. I made these cupcakes yesterday to celebrate the Sharks last game. Wes was the coach, and he (and most of the players) had never touched a stick before in his life before the first practice. He did such a great job with the boys, by the end of the season, they were playing like a team. It was amazing to watch the progress from the first game to the last.

On a side note, I bought this cool dual piping bag kit when I was at Sur la Table for the macaron class. I made one batch of cream cheese frosting, divided it in two, made it into our team colors. Will was impressed by these, and he is hard to impress these days.

2. I am in love with this picture. What are the chances of getting four children looking so cute and happy at the same time? Pretty slim, let me tell you. The baby is my nephew, and this was taken on Mother’s Day.

3. Lensbaby sent me a new lens to play with and I cannot wait to get to know it. I have been working on a personal photography project for awhile now, and this new lens is perfect for it. I get bored with my work, and it is so fulfilling to push yourself creatively. I need to do it more often. No matter where you are in your photography journey, you are never done learning.

4. There has been a lot of talk this week after Angelina Jolie announced that she had a double mastectomy after testing positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation. I am inspired by this story from Heather of Farmgirl Gourmet. Sharing her story was brave, and I am so grateful for women that are willing to take their health into their own hands and share their stories.

5. With Google Reader saying goodbye, it is time to find a new reader. I have been using Feedly for a few months, but this post from Tsh of Simple Mom introduced me to what feedly can really do. After reading her post and about 10 minutes, all of my feeds are now organized and I love it. I love this modern looking and simple interface.

6. I have been doing Sarah Jenk’s Live More Weigh Less and it has really changed my life. I am about to send my youngest child to kindergarten next year, and I have been warned by many, many, friends that is a difficult time for a stay-at-home mom. It is a huge transition for me, I have spent the last 9 years being a mom to little ones and I just felt like this was the perfect time for me to make some changes in my life. For the first time, my days will be mine and not shuttling kids back and forth to preschool. Part of the program is moving your body every day, yesterday I was on a walk and this was my view. How can you not be inspired when this is what you have to look at?

7. I like to cook with alcohol, and I understand that many people do not. I get asked about substitutions all the time and found this great chart. A great reference to bookmark for when you are cooking and baking and either don’t want to use alcohol or don’t have any.

8. Favorite Instagram of the week – this morning Will was in bed with us, huddled under the cover watching lacrosse videos.

Happy weekend!

Now that the weather is getting warmer, all I want is fresh salads and fruits and vegetables. Isn’t it funny how that happens as soon as we say goodbye to winter? This simple fruit salad is beautiful, refreshing, and so easy to make. I like a fruit salad, but I think that they can be a little boring, so made a really easy dressing to toss the fruit in. Citrus juice, honey, and fresh mint is not earth shattering, but so crisp and clean when tossed with fruit. A little pinch of sea salt would be great in this too. I had some leftover fruit salad, so I turned it into a smoothie. In all honesty, it was best smoothie I have ever had.

I was flattered to be asked to participate in the Pampered Chef Help Whip Cancer campaign again this year. Every year Pampered Chef turns a few of their products pink and makes them available during May and October. For each pink product purchased they donate $1 to the American Cancer Society. During the month of May you can also host a Fundraiser Cooking Show and 25 percent of the proceeds will go to the ACS. Since the campaign’s beginning in 2000, Consultants and customers have raised more than $10.2 million to Help Whip Cancer. These funds go to early detection programs and breast cancer education across the country. With so many friends, family members, and loved ones being diagnosed each day, I am happy to spread the word on this great program.

1 pint raspberries
1 pint blueberries
1 pound strawberries
2 oranges
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoons fresh mint

Rinse berries under cold water. Drain.

Slice strawberries.

Segment two oranges. Start by removing the top and bottom of the orange.

Remove the peel and pith from the orange by cutting it off starting at the top and working your knife down the sides of the orange. I like to go back and clean it up with a paring knife.

Cut in between the membranes, and remove the flesh of the orange. Easy right?

Add the fruit to a large bowl. Add the zest from half an orange, the lemon, and the lime.

In a small bowl, add citrus juices.

Whisk in honey and mint.

Pour the dressing over the fruit.

Give a gentle toss. Be careful, or you will crush all of your raspberries.

Garnish with more mint. Fresh and easy! I had some fruit salad leftover, so I decided to make it pink, and make a smoothie out of it.

Leftover fruit salad
Almond milk
honey
coconut oil

Put the fruit salad, almond milk, and a little extra honey in the blender. Let it run until smooth. Add a Tablespoon or two of coconut oil at the end. Pour into jars. These are headed to my freezer for breakfast tomorrow.

**I have been selected by The Pampered Chef to be an ambassador for their Help Whip Cancer® program. While I have received product in exchange for my post, my opinions are my own, and I have not been paid to post positive comments.**

I seem to be on a rhubarb kick. But is there really anything that says spring more than rhubarb? Or Mother’s Day? How pretty is this dessert? And how perfect would it be for your Mother’s Day brunch? We don’t see a lot of fools here in the US, but it is a very popular dessert in England. I totally get why. It is a bowl of whipped heaven with fruity swirls running through it. It is light and delicate, and in this case, perfectly pink.

Since rhubarb is so tart, you need to roast it with sugar to bring out the sweetness. Depending how much liquid is in your rhubarb, you may have a lot of liquid left in the pan after you finish roasting it. You can transfer the juice to a saucepan and boil it down into a thick syrup that you can drizzle all over the top of your fool. These pictures show a half recipe, but the full recipe (the one below) makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on the size of your glass.

If you want an even simpler recipe, you can use mixed berries like my friend Alison did. Her recipe uses smashed raspberries, strawberries,  and lemon juice. It is equally as beautiful and mom will love it.

12 stems rhubarb, chopped
1 cup Dixie Crystals sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
2 cups heavy cream

Add the rhubarb, sugar, and vanilla bean to a 9×13 baking dish.

Toss to coat and cover with foil. (No water is needed.)

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 degrees or until the rhubarb is soft.

Remove the vanilla bean. The rhubarb should be stringy, and there might be liquid in the bottom of the pan. If you have a lot, you can put it in a saucepan and boil it down and make a thick and gorgeous syrup to drizzle over the cream.

Whip the cream into soft peaks.

Gently fold the rhubarb into the cream.

Serve in a pretty glass. Adapted from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson.

I am so not a morning person. I really, really, really want to be, but it does not appear that is in my character to be my best self in the wee hours of the morning. I need time in the morning to wake up, even after I have been out of bed for awhile. I like my days to start slowly. Which is kind of funny because I live in a house of early risers that are ready to go the moment their eyes open. I like to head downstairs, watch a little Today show, and after about 20 minutes, I am okay to start the day. I am very lucky that my husband feeds the kids breakfast before he heads to work, so I am only responsible for feeding myself. In my half-awake state it is highly unlikely that I would a.) make myself a breakfast that involved much effort and b.) do dishes.

For many years, I popped open a can of Diet Coke and called it breakfast. If I was really feeling it, I might eat a handful of dry cereal. We all know that is not the way to nurture ourselves and begin the day on the right footing. We need to fuel our bodies and give it the energy that it needs to face the most likely insane day ahead. I have learned that you really don’t need to spend a lot of time to eat a healthy breakfast. I do like a green juice in the morning. If you would have told me a year ago that I would begin to crave kale in juice form any time of day, I would have laughed at you. But I do. I love it. I feel brighter, more energized, and it does amazing things for my skin. Avocado on toast is another great breakfast. Once I realized how good I felt by starting the day with a healthy breakfast, I made it a priority.

When my husband and I have the rare morning alone we like to go to Le Pain Quotidien. The last time we were there, the women sitting next to me had the most gorgeous breakfast parfait I have ever seen. It was a chia seed pudding with mango puree on the bottom and fresh fruit on top. I was envious of her breakfast because it looked like dessert. I went home and found out that chia seed pudding is just about the easiest thing to make, and it is the perfect make ahead breakfast. In fact, it has to be made ahead of time so the chia seeds can expand. The pudding lasts in the fridge for 3 days, so you can just grab it and go.

Chia seeds (yup, the little seeds that make a chia pet grow) are full of fiber, protein, calcium, and Omega-3 fatty acids. They expand in liquid and can be used in smoothies or added to cereals. You can also use them raw and sprinkle them on yogurt or anything really. They have a very neutral flavor, so you can add them to just about anything. Store them in the fridge to expand their shelf life. I don’t drink dairy, so I prefer to use almond milk, but you could use regular milk if you like.

2 1/2 cups Almond Breeze Vanilla Almond Milk
3 Tablespoons raw honey
1/2 cup chia seeds
zest from one orange
blueberries
mango
shredded coconut

Pour the almond milk into a 1-quart mason jar, or a jar with a tight fitting lid. Add chia seeds.

Add honey.

And the orange zest.

Screw on the lid and shake well. Keep in the fridge until very thick and pudding like, preferably overnight. I like to give it a shake every now and again.

You can add whatever fresh fruit you have. I had mangoes and blueberries, so that is what I used.

Add fruit and shredded coconut before serving.

We started our weekend with our first trip to the farmer’s market. Spring is in full swing – ramps, zucchini blossoms, lilacs were abundant. I had forgotten how much I love the farmer’s market. We didn’t have one last year in Kansas (well, there is a great one, but it was an hour away) and I had forgotten how amazing the people and produce are when you buy from a person and not a store. The kids ate gigantic muffins and almond croissants, while I did the one time around before I keyed in on the vendors that I wanted to go back to. I have a feeling that this will be the start of our weekend from now on.

1. Lately, I have really been spending time making my home feel more homey. When you rent like we do, it is can be hard to make your house feel like your own home. White walls, carpet that you would never pick on your own, and someone else’s style. I have finally come to realize that this is more of my issue and my choosing to think that way. This is still the home that we live in, the one that our children call home, so why shouldn’t I spend the time and energy making it “ours”? Thank you to my friend Hannah for reminding me of this.

2. I have fallen in love with this British magazine. I picked it up at Barnes and Noble and need to figure out how to get a subscription. I know that I can get the iPad one, but I really like my magazines to have pages. I have easily made the switch to e-books, but not e-magazines. Call me old school. Gorgeous images, great recipes, love this and am so inspired by it.

3. Tomorrow I am taking a macaron class at Sur la Table and I am so excited. I have only once been successful when making macarons. See above. And I think that was a total fluke, because I have tried a few time since then, and they didn’t turn out so great. I hope to pick up some pointers.

4. My friend Kristi recently introduced me to Stella & Dot. I am not a huge jewelry wearer, but bought these earrings and I love them. I also bought this bag, and I love it. It is the perfect size and so summery. Some great Mother’s Day gifts!

5. So, this has not been the best week for Reese Witherspoon. She did a dumb thing (don’t we all?), and in all honesty, I like her more now than I did before. She took ownership of the situation, was contrite and apologized, and took responsibility for her actions. I wish that more celebrities (and all people, really) did this. She blamed no one but herself. Good for her. Just a random note, I went into labor with my last two children watching Reese Witherspoon movies. If the pineapple and eggplant parm are not working to get you into labor, try a Reece flick.

6. Favorite Instagram of the week – this week, I couldn’t narrow it down to one, so I added a collage. It has been so beautiful after dinner that we have been taking the kids to the park every evening. These were from last night. I brought my big camera only to realize that there was not a memory card in it. Again, the best camera is this the one that you have on you.

Happy Weekend! Off to lacrosse!

Mother’s Day is coming up, did you know that? It is time to get mom a special gift and say thank you for all that she did and still does for us. My mom loves rhubarb, and when I saw this drink (she loves those too) in this month’s Martha Stewart Living, I knew that this would make her very happy. If I am being honest, I was a little scared of rhubarb. First, It is one of those words that I never spell correctly (like definitely and particularly, why do those words always trip me up?) and secondly, it is has the reputation of being incredibly sour. It is sour, but a little sweetener and this becomes one of the most beautiful and delicious fruits (or vegetables, depending on how you classify it) around.

When I have people over, I like to make one special drink and serve it when people arrive. I do have a stocked bar, but I like to start the party off with a signature drink that sets the tone for what is to come. This beautiful, pink, fizzy, cocktail would be perfect for Mother’s Day (obviously), a baby or bridal shower, Easter, or any spring event. If you want to make this non-alcoholic, more like a rhubarb lemonade, skip the gin, and replace the Prosecco with sparkling water.

1 cup Dixie Crystals sugar
1 cup water
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
1 1/4 cups fresh rhubarb, finely chopped

Add all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, and let cook for 3 minutes, or until rhubarb is tender.

I strained mine because I did not want the pulp in my drink. But you could simply remove the vanilla bean and call it good.

Pour into a container and store for 1 week in the refrigerator.

Now that you have the syrup made, we can move on to the cocktail. You need:

8 ounces gin
9 ounces rhubarb syrup
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
12 ounces cold Prosecco
ice
lemon rounds for garnish

Put the gin, rhubarb syrup, lemon juice, and ice in a pitcher. Stir to combine.

Pour into glasses filled with ice, and top with Prosecco and a lemon round. Cheers!