Top

The Raw and The Cooked

Simple Meals + Honest Book Reviews + Practical Living

Moroccan Braised Lamb

Hey friends! Last week we celebrated Purim, and in an effort to organize the family recipe binder I hope to pass along to my girls one day, I’m finally typing up what I’ve been making every single Purim since we became a family that needed one. This recipe is delicious, relatively easy, and has such a rich, complex flavor — I promise, your people will be impressed. You don’t have to wait until next Purim to make it, though in this economy, it stays a chag recipe for us, reserved for special occasions. One more thing: the leftovers are even better than you can imagine.

…

View the Post

Exodus 30:11-34:35 | Ki Tisa | “When You Take”

This past week felt choppy. There’s no other word for it. Purim fell on a Tuesday, which meant all four kids were home, we went to synagogue fully clad in costumes. There was joy and noise and hamantaschens — and also no gym, no routine, no walk, no quiet. By Thursday morning, I was already behind on things I thought I’d have done by then.

I didn’t publish my podcast last week. I didn’t publish a single blog post last week. Estate planning paperwork, taxes (more taxes), scholarship applications, birthday cards I’m falling behind on, and things on my to-do list kept piling up. By Thursday, I felt quite overwhelmed, and exhausted. And as usual, Ki Tisa landed pretty on point for the week I was having. How about you?

…

View the Post

Exodus 27:20-30:10 | Tetzaveh | “You Shall Command”

Another really smooth week over here – everyone’s healthy, the weather has been so good to us, and all is running well and good on the home-front. You know the saying, “When Adar enters, Joy increases.” – Talmudic proverb (Taanit 29a). And what a relief, because it was truly a rough, tough, and l-o-n-g winter. I’m looking forward to baking hamentashen’s with the children this weekend in anticipation for Purim on Tuesday. The kids have off school for the holiday, we’ve already mapped out our costumes, the excitement is building. There’s something really joyous about Adar, like we can finally exhale.

…

View the Post

Sourdough Pancakes

A typical school morning breakfast around here: sourdough pancakes, maple syrup, and scrambled eggs (and sometimes fruit). I try to have breakfast on the table, and big kids up dressed, with their beds already made by 7:15am, and then it’s teeth brushing, hair combing, backpack stuffing – water bottles, lunchboxes, snacks – socks, shoes, and jacket, out the door by 7:45am.

…

View the Post

Episode 212: What We Ate This Week, How I Prepped, and What I Spent

Welcome back to another installment of What We Ate This Week, How I Prepped, and What I Spent — part nine!

I think after part ten (maybe this summer?), I’ll officially retire this series. It’s been a good run. But before we close it out, I wanted to document a very full February week — what we ate, how I prepped, and what we spent as a family of six.

One quick note: we had just returned from a trip, and I love coming home to a completely bare fridge. No food waste. No mystery leftovers. Just a clean slate. That means the first grocery week back is always higher than normal — but it’s worth it.

…

View the Post

Homemade Bagels

It started with sourdough a few years ago. Keeping a starter alive, and baking one to three sourdough loaves per week somehow turned into a full kitchen revolution. It was a slippery slope, and now I find that nearly every bread product we consume as a family is homemade from my kitchen. Sourdough loaves, sandwich bread, tortillas, muffins, pancakes, biscuits, pie dough, cookies, cakes, and now… bagels. I’m thrilled to share this recipe with you, it’s become a go-to for my big kids packed lunches on Mondays and Tuesday.

…

View the Post