{MM} an indulgent weekend, fave links + giveaway winners!

Like, eat a whole pint of maple pecan coconut ice cream, go out to eat three times, get a manicure & pedicure (it’s been years), go on a get-away with Joseph, indulgent.

I started running, or should I say shuffling. Can I say it’s much harder to run when you are carrying around an extra 45 pounds?? I shuffle for a bit, then take a break & walk. Then I shuffle till my knees feel like they’re going to give out, & take another walking break. It’s a sorry sight, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

Sally-babes (our nickname for Salem) turns 3 today!

And, this week marks 6 weeks post-partum (can you believe it?), which means…I’m kicking things into gear. Exercising, eating for weight loss, & getting back into fit fabulous shape. I know, everyone says, “you just had a baby…take your...

super simple red pepper lentil & quinoa soup

salad & soup, simple cooking, frugal eating

You know who I really like?

Nigella Lawson.

Not because she refused to be airbrushed (which is awesome), but because of her standing up for the home cook.

In a recent interview on The Splendid Table (for all you NPR junkies, you may know of this show) she said a few things that impressed me.

First, she says:

“I think it’s necessary to champion the home cook because people are apologetic. They say, ‘I’m just a home cook.’ When, of course, it’s home cooking that keeps the universe alive — at least the human race alive.”

Amen, Nigella. Amen.

Then she makes an even more profound point:

“I think chefs can over-complicate because the thing is when it comes to the very basics, they are charging money. And people want to go out and they want to pay money for something they couldn’t cook at...

a little bit about me, a little bit about you (part 2)

personal, giveaways

A few years ago I did a post where I shared a little bit about my personal life, & then asked you to share.

It’s been one of my favorite posts because I got to know you better, got a better of idea of the kind of amazing people who are reading .

Since it’s been awhile, I thought it’s about time to do it again, especially since many of you may be new to .

So here goes, a little bit about me…

I love music, though I cannot sing (but I do fairly decent rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”) & the only instrument I play is piano & my skills are abhorrently rudimentary. Some of my current fave musicians–Mumford & Sons (their CD Babel is particularly awesome), Joshua Radin, Brandon Flowers.

I am an eternal optimist though I love depressingly tragic novels & movies.

Joseph is much...