Growing herbs: The Best Idea I’ve Had This Spring
It began with a little basil. Last spring, I planted some in a window box on the side of our house. The side that apparently got more bugs than sun. It had a good run, providing me plenty to sprinkle into my scrambled eggs, but not quite enough for the giant batch of pesto I … Read more
Spaghetti Squash Pasta & Eggplant Rolls: subbing veggies for simple carbs
We first discovered the gloriousness that is spaghetti squash in a CSA farm box a few years back. I cut it in half (which is no small feat), scooped out the seeds and roasted the halves face down with olive oil until they were soft (what I’d been instructed to do with any mysterious squash). … Read more
Going online to buy local produce? Exploring Relay Foods
When I first met with Caesar Layton for a story about Relay Foods, a Charlottesville-based online grocery store and farmers market that recently expanded into DC and Baltimore, I didn’t quite get the convenience factor. I mean, I am one of those people who drives to three or four different stores and markets each week. I … Read more
The fruit-n-veggie “cleanse” experiment
For three days, my Instagram feed, typically resplendent with photos of meat-centric entrees, turned very green. My husband and I — to help kick off his I-rolled-my-ankle-now-back-to-the-gym “diet” — decided to try just veggies and fruits for a few days. Originally, we thought we might last a week. We didn’t do a lot of research, … Read more
Ava’s deeply flavorful chili (with bacon & cinnamon to boot!)
This recipe comes to you all the way from Nashville, from a longtime family friend named Ava Parker whom we had the pleasure of staying with on our roadtrip to Kansas for the holidays. I remember Ava cooking a lot when her daughter Jenny and I were BFFs in grade school, but it was fun to connect with … Read more
Christmas Party Recovery: Warm Pancetta Spinach Salad
It’s the month of Christmas, the month of cookies (as I’ve moaned about before) and party food and gluttony. And we’ve still a week to go! When I hit the grocery store this weekend to find fixin’s for a few weeknight dinners, I wanted minimal effort, something hearty but healthy (at least healthy sounding) and … Read more
Thanksgiving side dishes to bring — from the farm
Today was the last day for my ’round-the-corner farmers market in Mount Vernon, the last time I get to buy brussel sprouts and butternut squash from my favorite farmer, Jesús. But it’s also the day before Thanksgiving, the day for thanking God for the bounty before us — and boy did I come home with … Read more
Power foods for a workout weekend
The whirlwind weekend I’ve been planning for weeks starts tomorrow. And, just like when I went camping, I find myself the day before planning every detail of what I will eat. Tomorrow I ship out on a half-day boat trip with a handful of chefs from DC (and our fearless leader from the Department of … Read more
The conflicted converted cereal craver
It’s a gorgeous fall day. At a farmers market yesterday, I squealed out loud at the bounty of autumnal offerings: dozens of apple varieties, leafy greens galore, butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, oh my! I already have a list in my phone of all the fall-ish foods I want to make, to include pumpkin bread, … Read more
A foodie goes to a party
Let’s just say I don’t go “out” a lot. It’s dinner at home and bed at 10 p.m. (OK, sometimes 9:30) at the Pipkin residence most nights. I like to say we’re old souls trapped in our mid-20s. So when the fabulous founder of LipstickRocks.com, a social networking site for women relaunching very soon, asked me … Read more
