Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear.

Nicole's meal plan for this week features panini with turkey, bacon, caramelized onions, aged cheddar, and red pepper-garlic mayonnaise; carne asade tacos with salsa borracha; fast and easy chicken chow mein; paella made simple and fast; and these baked chicken thighs with accompanying side dishes.

Fall is upon us, and with it come the delicious rib-sticking dishes that are perfect for cool autumn evenings. Pot roast is one of those meals that, when done right, has few equals in the world of hearty cool weather cuisine. Unfortunately, it has the reputation of being hard to make, and is often tough and flavorless.

I confess that many of my early attempts at pot roasts didn't turn out very well. But by utilizing a few key ingredients, classical cooking techniques, and patience, I managed to overcome the tragedy of blah pot roast, and you can, too. Ready? Then let's begin!

First, you'll need to gather up your ingredients:

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

This Saturday, Sausalito's Bay Area Discovery Museum opens Out on a Limb, adventures with nature and art, it's new special exhibit that promotes nature-play through a sculptural, interactive design that incorporates nostalgic settings, such as a tree house and a fort-building area. Out on a Limb will be at the Bay Area Discovery Museum from Saturday, October 29, 2011 through January 8, 2012, and is included with general museum admission.

The 1,200 square foot imaginative environment is designed to inspire children and their caregivers to learn to explore nature by using their senses. More than simply seeing the beauty of a tree, the exhibit encourages visitors to hear the sounds of the forest, use leaves to make beautiful art, and build big and little structures from bark and limbs. Out on a Limb, adventures with nature and art was originally created by Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose.

Remember when we wrote about how much fun we had at the last California Academy of Sciences Penguins + Pajamas sleepover? Well, their next sleepover event is scheduled for Saturday, November 12, and we're giving away tickets to a lucky Marin Mommies reader!

Experience your own "night at the museum" as you explore the exhibits after-hours, stargaze at the planetarium show, and enjoy a special live animal presentation. Before bedtime, settle in for story time with cookies and milk to learn about Pierre—the Academy’s famous wetsuit-wearing penguin.

When the lights go out, unroll your sleeping bag in African Hall, next to the swaying kelp of the California Coast tank, or even at the Swamp window, face-to-face with Claude, the albino alligator. In the morning, rise and shine, then head over to the Academy Café for breakfast.

Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear.

Nicole's meal plan for this week goes meat-free, and features the yummiest peanut tofu stir fry ever, bucatini in a tomato and eggplant sauce, arancini with salad, risotto with asparagus, and these flexible, easy-to-make, and delicious tostadas with homemade refried beans.

This tostada can be made a number of different ways. Make homemade beans or use canned. Add chicken, beef or pork. Add more or less ingredients than I suggest. Really the possibilities are endless. In this recipe, I have made homemade beans so that you can have the recipe. They are very simple to make and taste so much better than anything you can get out of a can.

Novato's Studio4Art celebrates not only its four-year anniversary, but also the opening of its new Annex, located directly behind the main studio! This new space will be used for parties, summer and holiday camps, workshops, and classes for children two years and up. The Annex will also serve as a gallery for student-created artwork and student art shows. The main studio will continue to be the place for drop-in art sessions as well as the retail area where customers can continue to find quality art supplies and unique art gifts.

Studio4Art has been serving Novato and surrounding communities in Marin and Sonoma County since it was opening in September of 2008 by owner Kebby McInroy. Studio4Art has maintained a specialized niche within the community, serving schools, families, and civic groups such as scout troops and dens. Studio4Art continues to advocate for children of all ages and their creative needs by offering affordable and quality hands-on classes, summer and holiday camps and workshops, and drop-in art sessions covering a variety of media from acrylic, watercolor, and oil painting, to sewing, wheel-throwing, clay hand-building, silk screening, block printing and mosaic-making.

Marin Mommies is happy to present this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear.

Nicole's meal plan for this week includes smokey tomato bacon soup and grilled cheese, quick and easy baked chicken parmesan with roasted broccoli and pasta, carne asada tacos with salsa borracha (drunkem salsa), spaghetti bolognese, and this sweet and tangy chili beef, complete with a less spicy portion for the kids.

Ingedients

Sweet and Tangy Dressing

We finally had a chance to check out the Family Fare series at Novato's Ghiringhelli Pizzeria Grill & Bar. Ghiringhelli's Novato restaurant is a relative newcomer on the Marin dining scene (they've had another location in Fairfax since 1985), and has created this series of Monday night events with families of young children in mind. Each Family Fare event features a local children's musician or performer, arts and crafts, and other activities, in addition to dining from Ghiringelli's menu.

On our visit we ate pizza while local kid music legend Miss Kitty performed. Family Fare takes place in the restaurant's event room, where, in addition to dining tables, a large padded "dance floor" and activity tables were set up. Activity table offerings included coloring and painting, and a Wii console was available on a nearby flat-screen TV for game playing. Tables were covered with butcher paper and cups of crayons encouraged us to draw on our tablecloths.

Speak to Me, Marin's premiere series of intelligent, inspiring speaking events for women, presents "Girlfriends' Guide to Learning from Life's Little Surprises," a discussion with the co-authors of This Is Not the Life I Ordered, on Tuesday, October 18 from 6:30–9:30 pm.

Scheduled to appear are Deborah Collins Stephens, best selling author and co-founder of the Center for Innovative Leadership; Congresswoman Jackie Speier; award-winning broadcast journalist Jan Yanehiro; and Michaelene Cristini Risley, an award-winning writer, director, and human rights activist. These Bay Area women, co-authors of This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down, have experienced extraordinary life challenges over many years of friendship.

Join Dr. Lisa Brent on the second Tuesday of each month for discussions that focus on the most relevant health issues for women today. These one-hour classes will include a lecture, hand-outs and time for questions. Classes begin at 6 pm and take place at the Marin Natural Medicine Clinic, located at 265 Magnolia Avenue, Suite 201, in Larkspur. RSVP to (415) 945-3213 or drbrent@marinnaturalmedicine.com.

Dr. Lisa Brent is a naturopathic doctor, licensed acupuncturist, and Marin mom who specializes in natural gynecology and women’s health at Marin Natural Medicine Clinic. She has more than ten years of experience providing holistic gynecological care, fertility enhancement and hormonal support for women in all stages of their reproductive lives.

Topics for this series include:

• October 11—Natural Approaches to Fertility Enhancement
• November 8—PMS and Painful Periods: Alternatives to Medication
• December 13—A Holistic Approach to a Healthy Menopause
• January 10, 2012—Weight Loss and the HCG Diet