Our teenager, like many teens, has a desire to spend money and is busy beyond belief (no time for a job).  Enter: cooking for money. At Christmas, he made The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls - they sold like hotcakes. To make money for his Winter Formal, we decided to try savory. I say we because I … Continue reading Crowd Pleaser, Easy Freezer: Mexican Lasagna →

Fourteen years ago, John and I moved to Phoenix with a 10 month old baby boy.  We had no idea how our lives would change by living in the desert for 4 years. Notably, it was the people we met who changed our lives the most. This past weekend I was in Dallas with 3 girlfriends … Continue reading Girls’ Weekend + Reflection Q’s →

Somewhere around 40AD, the Roman philosopher Seneca (also tutor to the young Emperor Nero) told the story of Calvisius Sabinus, who though very rich, was lazy mentally and struggled with his memory. The names of Greek and Trojan heroes that should have been on the tip of his tongue were routinely forgotten or butchered. (Imagine … Continue reading How to Torture your Dinner Guests →

Some people are surprised to learn that I (Julie) don't buy everything organic. This probably goes without saying but I'll say it anyway: don't just take my word for it, do your own research.  And, I do not think less of you when you buy differently than me. Everyone is on their own health journey. … Continue reading My Matrix for Buying Organic →

We spent six months living in the South Pacific. Here's a few things we learned.

This is my family's new fav meal. I think in part because everyone has a bit of control over individualization. Inspiration came from a new-to-me restaurant I visited a year ago in the DC area called Cava. The idea for the restaurant is similar to Chipotle, except instead of Mexican, it's Mediterranean.  You walk down … Continue reading Mediterranean Meatball Bowls (recipe) →

Last spring my laconic eighth grader came to me about the emergency contingency plans at his school. He was legit concerned about what would happen if there was an active shooter situation. Good convo. We moved on. But then he brought it up again. When he's talking to me more than once about a situation, … Continue reading 3 Ways You Can Reduce School Shootings →