Photo: Biltzcelt

The other night, it snowed in Brooklyn. Not the tiny flurries that hint at snow. The big white flakes that scream winter is here! I was worried that everything would melt by morning. And I didn’t want Atticus to miss it. So I did what I usually have a hard time doing. I opted for “the moment” instead of “the plan” and delayed Atticus’ bedtime. We covered our jammies with coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and snow boots and headed into the street.

Watching Atticus with eyes closed, head upturned, and tongue out whispering “Mama, look!” reminded me that kids are an opportunity to see how great “the moment” really is. Of course, by the time we got back, he wasn’t too happy that his hands were like “ice cream” (he’s not so great with expressions yet). So I whipped up a warm ginger milk. I use ginger a lot now, especially when it’s cold outside. Here are some of my favorite bone-warming ginger drink recipes.
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Photo: Palette Plate from SkipHop

Food News, Things We Crave, Resources, Green Your Eats, and Tips, Tools & Techniques. Check out this week’s picks. And our latest feeding hack.
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When Isaac first started eating meat, at around 11 months or so, I made shepherd’s pie all the time. Mike and I love it, and mixing ground meat with mashed potatoes makes it a very friendly way to introduce animal protein to an early eater. Plus, you can throw in a huge variety of veggies.
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Photo: Vegan a Go-Go

It’s the Year of the Ox. A year marked by prosperity through fortitude and hard work. And I say it’s about time! In this economy, we could all use a little more prosperity for our hard work. So in honor of Monday’s Chinese New Year, my one-quarter Chinese 2-year-old, one-half Chinese husband, and I are doing all things Chinese all week. Including eating every dish (from stir fry to spinach pancakes to raisins) with chopsticks.

Now before you say “I can’t” or “I won’t” or even “Why use chopsticks when I can use a fork”—I’m going to tell you my latest parenting secret. A secret that makes feeding a toddler who’d rather be running around with dragons and monsters a million times easier.

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Photo: OldStretch

When I decided to make one of my favorite dishes EVER—Butcatini all’Amatriciana—the other night, I didn’t bother taking pictures. As much as I want Isaac to experience the joys of good eating (and this is seriously good eating), I’m just not ready to feed him a dish so heavy with pancetta, hot peppers, and olive oil, none of which I’m willing to skimp on. So how could not-so-family-friendly recipe be one of my first posts on ChowMama?
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Maybe it’s the funny name that caught my eye. Or the fact that this young green durum wheat looks so damn healthy. (And, as it turns out, IS so damn healthy.) Either way, I grabbed the package of Freekeh off of the Trader Joe’s shelf faster than you can throw this grain into soup for a well-rounded meal.

Freekeh has a great nutty flavor with a pleasant, mild smokiness that makes it a great accompaniment to meat. (I haven’t tried it with lamb yet, but am sure they’re a great match.) Freekeh is also hearty in a way that makes it a nice substitute for meat in soups and stews. So far, I’ve thrown it into butternut squash soup and a chickpea spinach curry—Isaac (and I) loved both.

So what’s the scoop on Freekeh?
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