at home with ann

Last week we were invited to a birthday party play date for a friend.  Not one to arrive empty handed, and always one to use any excuse to make a sweet treat, it was the perfect reason to make blondies.  These are so quick and easy, a one dish treat that comes together in no time.  They have a whole lot of butter and sugar, so best to share them with friends as opposed to eating them all yourself.  I tortured my poor, deprived children by refusing to let them eat more than the ugly corner piece beforehand, so I think Colin had 4 at the party. These are delicious as-is, with or without frosting, and amazing with the addition of chocolate chips. Blondies From Smitten Kitchen 8 Tablespoons butter (1 stick), melted 1 cup light brown sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch salt 1 cup all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining with parchment or buttering. Beat melted butter and brown sugar until smooth.  A...

If I'm prepared for lunch, it's ready at the precise moment when the kids realize they are absolutely starving.  It's a healthy and delicious mix of foods that they eat in their entirety and give them energy for the rest of the day. Other days, we walk in late.  They both start rummaging through the pantry for snacks while I'm trying to get lunch ready.  James is hungry and tired and clings to me like a baby monkey, so I'm trying to do everything with one hand.  Lunch is a random assortment of things I pull out of the fridge and pantry.  We're all usually back in the kitchen hungry a few hours later. Not this week, though.  This week I'm on top of things.  Nothing groundbreaking, but we're trying a few things we haven't had in a while to avoid the boredom of getting into a rut, and I'm armed with plenty of fresh fruit to round it out. Mini Pizzas Whole wheat sandwich thins Tomato Sauce Mozzarella cheese Heat under the broiler until che...

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and ate all the cookies.  I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but all the treats I've been eating for the past month have been making me feel a little sluggish.  When I saw a one day "cleanse" I thought I'd give it a try.  Loosely, it called for drinking hot lemon water first thing in the morning, a Glowing Green Smoothie for breakfast, Ginger Lemon Cayenne Detox tea and vegetables for lunch and dinner. My day went like this: First thing after my run: Hot Lemon water - This is a nice way to warm up.  I do this all the time. Breakfast: Glowing Green Smoothie - I liked it a lot.  Very refreshing and hydrating.  Wished I hadn't baked donuts the night before as they were staring me down on the kitchen counter. Lunch: Spicy Mulligatawny Soup - I'm pretty sure that's not what they meant by "salad," but I went with it. Snack: Ginger Lemon Cayenne Detox tea - Zingy and invigorat...