There are different levels of coffee geekery, from grocery store grounds to K-cup fans, to the Starbucks obsessed to my beloved Chemex and the luxurious, gourmet, single-origin beans to which I owe much of my sanity and creative output. …
The freezer aisle in even the most conventional market these days offers gourmet ice cream in every flavor imaginable. I'd started to think that this ice cream social was at maximum capacity until I tried Phin & Phebes , and oh boy am I …
When I first started writing about food , seasonal eating was mostly a concept for food geeks. The idea of summer pies was laughable to all but those farmer's market shoppers and serious gardeners. So I couldn't be happier that only five…
I'm okay with the fact that most holidays involve a lot of cooking, but a party on the 4th of July should be easy and laid-back, summer style. Put out some sparklers, throw food on the grill, make lemonade—and maybe a pitcher of one of t…
It probably comes as no surprise that my favorite part of camping is campfire cooking. There's something satisfyingly primal about giving up my stove and cooking over an open fire in the great outdoors. And with the right camping recipes…
With summer here it's definitely party season: Dinner parties in the backyard, Fourth of July celebrations, graduation gatherings - we love all of them. But when it's too hot to put out a whole roast, we've curated some fantastic appetiz…
Owners of a grumbly tummy or troublesome digestion, I have good news. There's a new old-fashioned weapon in your arsenal, and it's all-natural and even helps me be more aware of what I'm eating. Whether you fight bloating, crave sugar, o…
First it was cupcakes , then Rice Krispies treats and donuts , too. Next up on my approved-dessert-trends roster: whoopie pies . Father's Day is the perfect excuse to get in on this trend and Batter & Cream , an online specialty whoopie …
We're always searching for new delicious and healthy kids snacks, and we found another snack bar to add to the list. Goodkid bars are made with a short list of simple ingredients and I like that they have only 6 grams of natural sugar. F…
Hold onto your baking sheets, cookie lovers. Sweet Loren's all-natural cookie dough for ready-to-bake cookies has arrived and will make eating your favorite sweet treats way easier and with less guilt. Packed with 100% whole grains, natu…
By now it's no surprise that we're huge fans of MOUTH , a rocking online indie food marketplace where you can get anything from an edible gold chocolate Jesus to a gourmet food subscription filled with artisanal goodies like pickles or c…
I'm evidently going through an artisanal chocolate phase--though considering it's been a decade or so, not sure if that's actually a phase or a way of life. Either way, I love visiting small towns or scouring the web for outstanding loca…
"Dear baby: on the day you were born, we ate ice cream with your name on it. It kind of stopped the shower when my water broke, but I finished the whole cup of mint chocolate chip, darn it. And it was delicious. Because it was named afte…
While we try to cook most of our meals at home--with the help of all of the awesome recipes curated on Cool Mom Picks by our resident foodie, Stacie Billis--sometimes dining out is a necessity. You get it. And now Chipotle's new Cultivat…
If your kids are anything like mine—or every other kid I know—they are way into Frozen . Still. Until they let it go (cheap shot?), I say we embrace it. For me, this means whipping up Frozen- inspired recipes that are perfect for a movie…
I more than love my single-origin coffee. You could say we're involved. But it can be hard to find delicious, high-quality beans that aren't shipped out on someone else's schedule as part of a curated monthly subscription . Sometimes, I …
We've talked Mother's Day brunch , Mother's Day dinner , and every Mother's Day recipe idea in between. And you know what every one of these meal ideas comes down to? Dessert. Because, at the end of the day, that's what Mama wants: A swe…
We cool moms love great subscription boxes for kids . We also love a good meal kit delivery . Put the two together and you've got Kidstir , a clever new cooking kit for kids delivered to your door every month that's aimed at getting them…
It's funny that Father's Day recipes are always hearty dinners like steak or chili, while Mother's Day tends to focus on light brunch. Don't get me wrong, I love a good brunch (and we've got plenty of Mother's Day brunch recipes to show …
When you're feeling frazzled , winding down at the end of a busy day, the last thing you want to do is dig through the freezer to figure out what to fix everyone for dinner. Or worse, make a trip to the grocery with kids in tow. That's w…
As an outspoken proponent of healthy, homemade family food, I often find myself dispelling the myth that my family and I live on quinoa and kale alone. Though we're fans of both (well, most of us), we also love burgers, pizza, and, like …
The only downside to my newfound coffee geekery is that some mornings I just don't have time to grind, brew, and enjoy the amazing cup of coffee that I need so badly to function. Quick, crappy coffee just won't do anymore. But the substi…
Parents, don't we all secretly dream our kids will someday request kale over cookies? Laurie David and Kirstin Uhrenholdt, authors of the wonderful Family Dinner are out with a new cookbook, The Family Cooks . They are hoping the recipes…
So let's talk popcorn. Specifically, gourmet popcorn. More specifically, White Truffle Cheddar organic popcorn from Pop Karma . Or wait--you talk a minute, because my mouth is still full. A friend recently sent me some of this stuff from…