Parent-Friendly Cocktail Party Planning

Here’s a parenting issue for you: coping with the multitude of ways you’ve changed since becoming a parent. The cold, hard truth is that becoming a mom has made me a much better person. But, every once and a while, I miss old Stacie. And it’s usually when I think about how I used to socialize and entertain. It’s just so freaking hard to do now. Even when I have the time, I’m T-I-R-E-D. I used to entertain with gusto. Researching for weeks, menu planning for days, creating a prep schedule that would make the most neurotic party-planner weep (happy tears). And, then, the night of, I’d greet guests in make-up and heels without missing a beat getting food prepped, warmed, and served. Alas, those days are long gone.

Shepherd’s Pie: Easy from Scratch or Use Leftovers

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.

For the Love of Food: Bucatini all’Amatriciana

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?