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 recipe for this week is this lamb ragù with pappardelle noodles.
I found this recipe years ago after I had surgery. While in recovery I read endless cookbooks and magazines and found this recipe in Food and Wine from 2005. It was the first meal I ate when I came home and I was blown away. My mom made it for me at that time but this time I made it and it was just as good. My family went wild for it, especially my son who cleaned his bowl, which almost never happens. We also had it for lunch today, and a day later it is even better.
One of our wonderful readers told me about the new Cafe du Cirque, a child-friendly coffee house in downtown San Rafael that opened last week, so I had to go check it out. Cafe du Cirque was opened by Marin mom Kerstin Fleischer and her husband Tom Coleman, and features food made from fresh local organic ingredients, locally roasted coffee, and a play area for little ones near the back of the cafe. Relax with a cup of coffee or tea and a salad or sandwich while your kids play safely.
Kerstin is the mom of a three-year-old, and added the play room to the cafe because she was more than aware of the need to have a space like this in Marin. The cafe itself is clean and modern and occupies a long narrow space with lots of natural light.
My children both enjoyed Cafe du Cirque's kids' hot chocolate and fresh muffins, and my daughter liked the play area. Designed for younger children, the small carpeted play area includes toys like a play kitchen, a kids' table and chairs, a chalkboard, and a soft crawling area for babies. You can sip your coffee or eat lunch or breakfast and watch the kids while they play under the play room's festive red-and-white-striped awning.
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 slow-cooker Mexican chicken, lamb burgers with garlicky spinach, potato and leek soup with homemade croutons, braised chicken with artichokes, and these Indian-inspired curreid meatballs with homemade naan.
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 Carne Asada tacos La Taqueria style, Happy Valentine's Day Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Guinness and onion soup with Irish cheddar croutons, and sesame noodles.
Sometimes I just crave fresh flavors this time of year when heavy stews and soups are so prevalent. In this recipe, I use lemon, feta and dill to awaken roasted chicken. With a side of orzo, this recipe will make you feel like you are sitting in a café on the water in Greece.
Instead of buying chocolates for your Valentine, why not make some decorated heart-shaped sugar cookies? We did just that recently and had a lot of fun making them.
We used our old standby sugar cookie recipe that we use throughout the year and that you've probably seen here before. Decorate your cookies with pink and red Valentine's sprinkles or, better yet, an artistically applied drizzle of rich dark chocolate.
Give as a gift wrapped in cellophane bags tied with raffia or ribbon or in a heart-shaped box. Who wouldn't be happy to get these delicious and pretty sweet treats on Valentines Day?
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour (you’ll need a little more for dusting your work surface, too)
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 extra-crunchy Chinese chicken salad, honey walnut shrimp, risotto with red wine and pancetta, coq au vin, and this healthy take on the traditional eggplant parmesan.
I grew up eating eggplant parmesan. This is my mother’s recipe but with my twist to make it healthier. In my version of eggplant parmesan, I bake my eggplant instead of frying it. By doing this it gives the eggplant the same consistency without all the fat. As with any eggplant parmesan recipe, it can be repetitive and time consuming but also by baking it, the time is cut in half.
This guest article is by Nancy Grossi, author of the award-winning blog The Wife of a Dairyman. Nancy started her blog at the beginning of 2010, and offers a look into life on one of Marin's many dairy farms. One of her loves is cooking, and here's a recipe for a healthy Southwestern layered bean dip—perfect for Superbowl Sunday. (Another great game-day recipe is her easy pulled pork, linked below.)
I love football season. Actually, I'm not sure which I love more—watching football or eating the snacks (probably the latter). Since it's Superbowl Sunday, I thought this recipe might come in handy. In this recipe, I used reduced fat cheese instead, which reduced the fat and calorie count further than listed below.
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 lamb chops with mashed sweet potatoes and onions, tofu stir-fry with spinach, lamb burgers with paneer and vegetable skewers, game day Buffalo chicken wraps, and these chicken skewers with Meyer lemon salsa.
When we head into the city for some fun, one of the places we like to stop for a bite to eat is the Beach Chalet at the western end of Golden Gate Park. Housed in a historic building, decorated with amazing WPA murals from the 1930s, that's also home to the Golden Gate Park visitor center, the Beach Chalet and its downstairs sibling the Park Chalet are both well worth checking out if you're in the area visiting the park, Ocean Beach, or on your way to or from the San Francisco Zoo.
Since the weather has been so amazing, we jumped at the chance to dine upstairs at the Beach Chalet with its amazing views of Ocean Beach and the Pacific Ocean. With its exquisite view, the Park Chalet is popular with tourists and out-of-town visitors, and can get pretty busy at mealtimes, so get there early to grab a table by the windows.
Many families opt for the more laid back Park Chalet, with its unique indoor/outdoor configuration. The Park Chalet features a big fireplace and an expansive lawn where kids can run around while mom and dad sample one of the Chalet's house-made beers, each of which is named after a San Francisco landmark.
Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog 
Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog 
Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog 
Instead of buying chocolates for your Valentine, why not make some decorated heart-shaped sugar cookies? We did just that recently and had a lot of fun making them.
Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog 
This guest article is by Nancy Grossi, author of the award-winning blog 
Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog 
When we head into the city for some fun, one of the places we like to stop for a bite to eat is the Beach Chalet at the western end of Golden Gate Park. Housed in a historic building, decorated with amazing WPA murals from the 1930s, that's also home to the Golden Gate Park visitor center, the Beach Chalet and its downstairs sibling the Park Chalet are both well worth checking out if you're in the area visiting the park, Ocean Beach, or on your way to or from the San Francisco Zoo.
