Have you seen the widely discussed episode of Black-ish? The series is always grounded, but this particular episode felt especially real. I cried—more than once. My partner suggested we might skip it, but I’m glad we watched. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend you do. If you have, I’d love to hear your thoughts. … Read more

You’ll love this crisp gin cocktail made with lime-flavored sparkling water, a squeeze of fresh lime, cool cucumber, and fragrant mint. When the North Carolina summer heats up, I want something light, effervescent, and clean on the palate. Heavy beers just don’t do it for me on a sweltering day — give me something bright … Read more

Crispy and crunchy, chewy and peanut-buttery, these Rice Krispies no-bake cookies with Reese’s Pieces are a quick and easy treat everyone will love. We all know the feeling: a child mentions a last-minute school party or fundraiser and suddenly you need a big batch of cookies. These no-bake peanut butter Rice Krispies cookies are perfect … Read more

Meal Plan Highlights Three chicken-centered mains share bright lemon and classic Caesar flavors, so cooking one batch of chicken on Sunday easily covers multiple dinners. A single batch of cottage cheese Caesar dressing pulls double duty across the salad, the smash tacos, and as a dipping sauce for other meals. Savory feta and spinach muffins … Read more

Laotian stuffed lemongrass is a charming and flavorful appetizer (and sometimes enjoyed as a dessert) that highlights lemongrass in a creative way. Traditionally filled with ground meat—chicken or pork are common—these small baskets are savory, fragrant, and perfect for sharing. To make them, you form little baskets from the lower stalks of lemongrass, then fill … Read more

Happy almost spring, friends! We’re getting ready for my sister’s family to visit next week and I can’t wait. April brings spring break, so life will be full of backyard mud play, bike rides, and park hangs. Nothing too dramatic otherwise — just lots of simple, happy moments. Now, onto what we’ve been eating! My … Read more

Jamie has spent decades cultivating large organic vegetable gardens and routinely raises his own starter plants in USDA zone 6. In this video, Judy explains the two different approaches he has used for starting seedlings and describes which method they now prefer. Seedlings are the foundation of a successful organic garden, and Jamie’s experience shows … Read more

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup – a comforting, one-pot vegan lasagna-inspired soup made with red lentils, broken lasagna noodles, vegetables, and fresh basil. Nut-free and easily adapted to be gluten-free. Jump to Recipe Pasta, tomatoes, herbs, red lentils, pesto and garlic bread—this combination is hard to beat. This thick, satisfying lasagna-style soup comes together in one … Read more

I’ve been off the scene recently thanks to a bout of carpal tunnel syndrome. For anyone unfamiliar, carpal tunnel causes painful nerve symptoms in the wrist and fingers that limit grip and hand movement. Mine isn’t severe, thankfully, but it has meant I need to rest my hand and reduce repetitive movements. One obvious area … Read more

Coffee Talk 12: a chance to catch up on the little things in life—both sweet and salty! April 2019 Good morning! (Or good afternoon, good evening.) Happy Earth Day and a belated Happy Easter! I’m looking at a calendar, so it feels like every holiday deserves a hello. How was your Easter? How is your … Read more