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Gourmet cooks and wanna-be's alike, should never be intimated of the Asian market. The thought of walking in a place where people speak little English is one of the biggest worries. Other's complain of seeing "weird" ingredients. What's weird in my book are those who stock their pantries with boxes...

All photos courtesy of Artizone.comSupporting local food artisans and farmers are on the forefront of many people’s minds…I know it is on mine! But for a “typical” busy American family, although eating locally is a good idea, it may not be as easy or appealing as it sounds.While pregnant with my...

Like many busy moms, eating a healthy breakfast is usually last on my list of things to do on a hectic weekday morning. Packing lunches, making sure each kid has brushed their teeth, and a million other things crosses my mind…not breakfast.As mothers, thinking of our families well-being before ourselves comes with...

Lemon Tree Grocer is located on 935 West Burlington Avenue in Downtown Downers Grove and opened it’s doors in August 2010.I first heard about Lemon Tree through Twitter last year. As someone who sincerely enjoys perusing through markets, I was interested in finding out more about this market and their full-service...

On Wednesday, February 8th, 2012, I co-hosted an event “Because We Care” for a local food pantry called, Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry. The event turned to be a huge success where I met my goal of raising at least $1,000 for Loaves & Fishes.Food is obviously something that I not...

Amazing food prepared by event co-host Johanna Cook of Momma Cuisine and Jennifer Cannon of Cupcake Whimsy. A downtown Naperville home opened to a good cause and beautifully decorated by event co-host and homeowner Doreen Schweitzer of Doreen Schweitzer Interiors, Ltd. An evening to raise money for Loaves & Fishes set to the tunes...

On Tuesday, January 31st, TheMotherhood.com hosted a Virtual Cooking Class with Chef George Duran (@GeorgeDuranEats), and sponsored by ConAgra Foods.Chef George talked about simple game-day recipes that can be made in the slow cooker. The slow cooker was unanimously a favorite for preparing meals for although the process “slow”, it saves tons of time in...

Join #lifestylechat guest host @maritramos, founder of  A Savings Wow for an hour long live chat with@Loaves_Fishes during our fundraising event to raise money to help them continue to help feed local families in need.We will be discussing The Power of Community To Change Lives, and share ideas about we can all serve and support our...

What: A virtual cooking school class called Game Day and Slow CookerRecipes.  The class is part of the Cooking Connections series on TheMotherhood.When: Thursday, February 2, at 1 p.m. ET.  It will last 30 minutes.Where: TheMotherhood ­ here is the link to the page where the class will beheld: http://www.themotherhood.com/talk/show?id=62363About the...

I love going to markets like a fashionista loves Oak Street, and quite the grocery store connoissuer. Every week, sometimes even twice a week, I take a trip to the market that takes at minimum two and half hours.I have spent my entire adult life around food, working in restaurants....

Tis’ the season for resolutions!Anything from the typical weight loss and smoking challenge, to mending broken relationships, reconnecting with long-lost passions, and finally finding the guts to  start a small business, the new year always helps to make people start anew.However, with setting new challenges, many people fall off the...

This past summer, Cadillac invited me to be a guest judge at their Cadillac Culinary Test Drive event at Oakbrook Center, an upscale shopping center just outside of Chicago.Tonight, I got another opportunity to partner with Cadillac in an event called #CadillacRock; an event hosted by Cadillac and Social Rev Up, a company that connects influential bloggers...

Motorola teamed up with luxury and high-end retailer, Bloomingdale’s at 900 N. Michigan in Downtown Chicago, for an event called #MotoChic; combining the best of fashion and technology in Bloomingdale’s the New View on the 4th floor.Hosted by Motorola’s Director of Global Social Media, Blagica Blottigliero and Bloomingdale’s personal shopping manager, the fashion show showcased...

This fast and easy chicken salad has become a household favorite! My 5 year hates chicken but asks me to make this almost every week, and I am happy to do it! Its incredibly easy and though it yields enough to last for a few days, its usually gone in...

Every fall as the weather grows colder I find myself craving my favorite childhood treat! There is something irresistible and comforting about the aroma of cinnamon and spices filling the air when the leaves start falling off the trees and I begin looking forward to the holiday season!Because many holiday...

With celebrity chef, George Duran as the guest host and sponsored by ConAgra Foods and their new campaign Ready Set Eat in TheMotherhood.com, the topic of the day was how to turn Thanksgiving “Left-Overs to Left-Uppers”.Live streaming from his own kitchen, Chef George Duran, took turkey left-overs and turned them into completely new meals,...

 Join me with nine other bloggers for a virtual cooking class at TheMotherhood.com on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm EST, with celebrity chef and host of TLC’s “Ultimate Cake Off” , George Duran.What: A virtual cooking school class called Turning Leftovers into Left-Uppers.¹ The class is part of the Cooking...

Because I cook so much at home, and because I have worked in upscale-casual restaurant concepts for a long time, going out to eat at chain establishments doesn’t excite me.Operationally, I expect chains to receive most (or all) of their meatsOperationally, I expect chains to receive most (or all) of...

Standard Market is changing the game in the grocery store business. Today, I attended their soft-opening in Westmont, Illinois; the first location in the Chicagoland area with plans to open it’s second location in Naperville, Illinois sometime next year.I expected to walk into a “specialty” store type – like a smaller...

Let me preface this article by stating like so many mothers, since having children, I have not tapped into my inner fashionista in a loooooong time!With that said, getting the courage to ask a fashion editor of an extremely popular local lifestyle magazine to style me for my web-based cooking...