I’m going to rename this blog Mel’s Food Truck. Because most of our dinners are composed as if they were just grabbed from the window of a food truck. You know the kind. Familiar with a modern flair. Casual but flavorful. Saucy with ten thousand toppings. We have a new item on our food truck dinner menu—a Walking Bánh Mì. Read more
Early alarm clocks. Bedhead. Breakfast at the kitchen counter. Spilled milk. Last-minute lunch box packing. Excited giggles. Anxious bellies. Shoes on the wrong feet. Scurrying out the door. First day tears. Back to school cheers. It’s that time again. Let’s keep packed lunches simple, and sleep-in a snooze longer. Read more
We just got back from Texas, from the hottest place on earth, from my brother’s wedding, where my sister and I made enough cake to feed 230 people. With just enough time to put on makeup, dresses, and knot our hair up into an up-do, we pulled it off. Mostly thanks to this sturdy cream cheese frosting recipe. It sounds like an oxymoron, I know. Sturdy and cream cheese frosting in the same sentence. But it’s real. And it’s pipeable. Read more
Kristin, author of Modern Potluck, blogger at Eat Better Drink Better, and former editor at Food & Wine, might disown me after she reads the accidental adaptation of her Chinese Chicken Salad from her new book. Forgive me, Kristin? You see, I didn’t set out to make this salad vegetarian, even though two posts back I waxed on about falling out of love with meat. But a vegetarian Chinese Chicken-less Salad is what happened. Read more
Kev leaves for work and comes home to find a more grown up version of Hal. At least that’s what he says 2.5 days out of the week. Of course, I can’t see it because I’m with her half the day. We don’t live near our extended family. Mostly because we’ve yet to convince them to trade in the south for the north. But Summer’s let us enjoy their company. From each appendage of our extended family, usually on the first day of our visit, I get the same question. “Are you a vegetarian now?”
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When Kev decided he wanted to become a psychologist, before he took any classes or practiced therapy, he wanted to work in the prison system. This didn’t come as much of a surprise to me. He volunteered at a nearby prison throughout college. He told me he wanted to reduce recidivism. “Recidi-what?” I said. Recidivism is the relapse of criminal behavior after previously serving time. It’s the boomerang effect. Like poverty. Like a lot of touchy subjects that seem too messy to touch. Read more
Shattered flaky thin crust. Handheld pizza. Familiar. The crack of a perspiring can. Crisp white wine. Obligatory cheers. New. Wrinkled white tablecloth. Unpretentious picnic table. Collected flowers. Random vases. Unbreakable plates. Just right. Read more
The sprinkler runs as we try to salvage our patchy lawn. First time homeowners. Seizing the opportunity, she puts on her swimsuit. I’m glad I skipped buying that $7.99 kiddie pool at Target. It would have been a better mold-grower and debris-collector anyways. She runs a miles worth up and down the driveway, dripping wet, under the canopy of droplets that touch the rays of sun before landing on her. Then the tears show up. I look for blood from the inevitable stubbed toe. Nothing. Read more
