Last weekend when Joe and I were in Idaho visiting my family, we stopped by Great Harvest to pick up some bread for the weekend. Like Joe and me, my family loves Great Harvest bread because it tastes, well, like bread is supposed to taste. I could go on and on about their bread, but I’ll spare you the details and tell you to get yourself to a location near you. Up until six months ago, Des Moines had … Read More
No Fat Talk Tuesday: Kristin’s Story
Today’s No Fat Talk Tuesday post comes to us from Kristin. I enjoyed reading what Kristin wrote because I think it really examines the thought process behind fat talk and body confidence. I especially liked the last part of Kristin’s post where she says, “I knew it was my mindset that needed to be reformed.” Isn’t that the truth? Thanks so much for sharing your story, Kristin! – Madison No “fat talk” may seem like a simple enough mantra. If … Read More
Easter Weekend in Idaho
Last weekend Joe and I hopped a plane and headed off to Idaho to see my family (dad, second mom, little sisters). My dad’s sister, Gwen, flew in from Florida for the weekend, too. I can’t tell you how great it was to be able to spend time with everyone. We did a lot of normal, everyday things, including watching my little sister Taylor run in her first track meet and attending my other little sister Ashley’s sorority philanthropy event. … Read More
Spring Green Salad
Lunches are difficult for me. Are they difficult for you? The whole process of packing a lunch, trying to find something in the fridge that will transport well and keep me filled throughout the afternoon. Something that’s not going to stink up the office fridge (which is already its own kind of disgusting). It’s really a drag, isn’t it? But since I’m trying to eat out less during the week and save us a little extra money, brown-bagging it … Read More
NYC Travels and IACP
Last week Wednesday I hopped on a plane and headed to New York for five days to attend IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals). You might remember last year’s trip to Austin, in which I met the lovely Dorie Greenspan, watched thousands of bats fly at night and ate some of the most amazing tacos of my life. This year’s trip was entirely different but every bit as fun. Most of my time was spent at the conference, but during … Read More
No Fat Talk Tuesday: Alaina
Today’s No Fat Talk Tuesday post is from the lovely Alaina who blogs over at The Jogging Concierge. Although Alaina claims she doesn’t really have a way with words, I would beg to disagree. Her story touched me and motivated me to continue to work towards fighting the good fight against fat talk. Thank you, Alaina, for sharing your story and helping others learn to love their bodies! – Madison I’ve never really been the one who was extremely eloquent … Read More
Sour Cream Raisin Pie
Hello, all! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I’ve actually been away in NYC for work since Wednesday (more on that later) and am just getting home today so things have been a little slow around these parts. But I know what you really want to know is who won the giveaway, right? It seems like I’m not the only one obsessed with Greek yogurt since over a hundred of you entered to win the free Chobani. So, let’s … Read More
Greek Yogurt Raisin Pie and Chobani Giveaway
When Joe and I first got married, Joe’s mom, Lisa, gifted me with a recipe book filled with her grandmother’s recipes. This binder, filled with scans of recipes both handwritten and clipped from various sources, is called ‘Grandma Jacobs Recipe Book’, and boy is it a gem. Although I don’t think I’ll be making many of the entrees or ‘salads’ out of this book, the desserts immediately won me over. As someone who develops recipes for a living, I was … Read More
A Food Editor’s Take on How to Write a Recipe
Developing recipes, formulating story concepts and writing about food accounts for a large chunk of my day-to-day at work. That’s not to say the less glamorous aspects don’t exist. Budgets, schedules and scouring recipes for errors and misplaced commas also take up a good chunk of my day. But let’s not focus on that right now. The point is, I’ve become very familiar with recipe structure and formatting over the past four years, since the beginning days when I was … Read More
No Fat Talk Tuesday: Iradis’s Story
Today’s No Fat Talk Tuesday post comes to us from Iradis. She wrote her No Fat Talk story and sent it my way over a month ago, and I’ve been excited to post it ever since. A frequent commenter on Espresso and Cream, I feel as if I know Iradis personally. Her story about learning how to love and appreciate her body is something I think we can all relate to. -Madison Honestly, it has taken me a long time … Read More
Garlic Feta Burgers
Hey, everyone! How was your weekend? We had a wonderful weekend over here. My mom arrived on Friday night and stayed until Sunday after church. And she brought Nutmeg with her, too! I can’t tell you how good it feels to be reunited with our little fur baby after two weeks without her. The weather in Iowa was absolutely unreal this weekend, too, so we made the most out of it by spending a lot of time outside. Tennis … Read More
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
You know me. I’m all about simple weeknight meals. In fact, I think everyone I talk to is looking for more easy meals that don’t require a bunch of ingredients or a lot of time. This is especially true when it comes to meat. Being a vegetarian, most of my meals are quick to prepare. Roasted veggies, sauteed tofu, loaded up salads – they’re all quick and easy. So it’s probably no surprise that I have less patience when cooking … Read More