Summer Garden Series: Cilantro (And a Guacamole Recipe!)

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Cilantro, the latest post in my summer garden series, is the classic topping for just about all Mexican food  – tacos, enchiladas, refried beans, salads, quesadillas. They all seem to taste just a bit more vibrant with this herb sprinkled on. 

Cilantro isn’t just found on Mexican food, though. It’s grown in Europe, North Africa, and Southwestern Asia, making a frequent appearance in a variety of cuisines. Though we call the leaves cilantro, the seed is actually coriander and this is the most common term for the plant. Continue reading →

The Life of a Millennial: How the Economy, Politics, and Money Have Changed Me

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I’ve recently read some interesting articles about Millennials – it seems, while there are still the nasty articles that talk with certainty we will never amount to anything, more and more people are talking about the real issues we face and how it’s changing us. For me and many of my friends, we are becoming more alike to our grandparents than our own parents – despite still being extremely close with our parents.

Additionally, we are increasingly cynical about politics and economics – this NYT article points to a variety of issues and concerns that are leading many of us away from either political party. It was an article in Alternet, though, that inspired me to write a bit more about my generation and how we’re doing, because I didn’t think it went quite far enough. Continue reading →

Summer Garden Series: Lemon Thyme

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Not just thyme, lemon thyme! One of my best friends gave me some from her garden last year, and this was one of my first plants in my first garden last season. I’m very attached to this plant for that reason – it’s been with me for awhile now! While I wasn’t sure at first how I was going to make use of it, I’ve now discovered several uses and benefits of this tasty herb. Continue reading →

Summer Garden Series: Parsley

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Parsley is the first plant I’m focusing on in my summer garden series. It’s a new addition to my balcony garden this year. I’ve never cared much for the taste of flat-leaf parsley, but do recognize it’s importance in fresh pasta dishes and in cooking stocks. Plus, the bf loves it so I figured I might as well grow some this year. One plant that produces all season – at least six months – costs what one little package does at the grocery store. And that always goes bad before I can use it all!

Parsley has been easy to grow and care for thus far, and I’m figuring out new uses for it in my kitchen all the time. Continue reading →

Mom’s Famous Baked Ziti

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I’ve been bugging my mom for her official baked ziti and homemade meat sauce recipe for a long time. However, this recipe doesn’t have her homemade meat sauce in it and we also added Giada de Laurentiis’ meatballs. I just can’t leave well enough alone – tinkering is what I do! 😉

I promise I’ll share mom’s homemade meat sauce recipe, but I just didn’t have time to make it on this day. It’s divine, and it makes me sad to settle for store-bought. The good news is that I didn’t have to settle for store-bought: I used a jar of sauce my mom brought on her last visit from one of my favorite Italian restaurants in my hometown. Supporting local every chance we get!

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Summer Garden Series: Uses for Herbs, Plants, and Vegetables

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I started my first container garden last season on my balcony and enjoyed it so much I decided to do even more this year. Growing my own food, even a small amount, is not only rewarding it also saves me money and time from shopping. It also sparks creativity as I’m constantly thinking of new ways to use the things growing right outside my door.

I realize that beginning to garden can seem overwhelming. When I think of actual gardening outside I containers, I feel the same way! Growing in containers is a great first step, as is starting with just one or two herbs, plants or vegetables.

This series will run the entire summer, with one post each week focused on an item from my garden, how to grow and care for it, and a variety of different ways it can be used. There’s no need to feel overwhelmed – you can do ONE THING and it will make a big difference. And in this series, I will show you exactly how to do that – one herb at a time!
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