Traditions are held closely in the Wahlund household. For my older son, Ryan, traditions are especially important. So when my boys were young I started the tradition of celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas. Now I know the 12 days are supposed to be from Christmas day through January 5, but we celebrated the 12 days leading up to the 25th of December. This tradition became a fun way to count down the days to that special holiday they seem to be waiting for all year. Using the song, The 12 Days of Christmas, I would do something special for the boys each day that somehow aligned with the lyrics. Sometimes it was a small toy, gift or tree ornament waiting for them at the dinner table, but most often the something special was tied to food.

Weekend get-aways are so fun, aren’t they? I love the chance to have a change of scenery before going back to my next week of work. Lucky for us, we recently we got to do a really fun cabin weekend with some of our closest friends! In celebration of our good friend Jeff’s golden birthday, five of us couples headed up for a weekend away – to relax and, of course, eat.

With school back in full swing, there’s not a ton of time to cook breakfast in our home. With Jeremy gone by 4am and three girls to manage on my own every morning, I just don’t have enough time for an elaborate breakfast. Sadly, it’s usually cold cereal, toast, or toaster pastries for the girls. For me, it’s oatmeal with whole grain toast and a cup of Joe!

I recently went on a “girls only” long weekend trip with my close friend Mary.  We traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to enjoy beautiful scenery, rich history, wonderful food and great shopping.  The weather was a bit warm as the thermometer reached at least 98° each day, and on top of that it was very humid.  But, a little warm weather didn’t bother us one bit.  We explored the charming town of Charleston, visited a nearby plantation and made a day trip to Savannah, Georgia.  On our drive to and from Savannah we kept seeing signs for roadside stands selling fresh peaches.  Although we didn’t stop to purchase any, peaches have been on my mind.

Weekday mornings in the office can be hard - especially in the summer! I have a tough time getting myself into the work-groove when I am dreaming of reading a good book or playing outside (why don't adults get summer vacation?). Those are the kinds of mornings that a fresh little pick-me-up is in order to start the day off right - not just for me, but for the whole crew. How, you may ask? Simple: nothing draws people out of their offices and into conversation like food! 

EGGS...You can dress them up or dress them down.  You can eat them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  They're loaded with protein and are an important part of any diet.  Whether you eat them fried, scrambled, poached, or deviled...it makes no difference.  Eggs are awesome! For our annual camping trip to Lake Michigan (which is right around the corner), we always look for easy, delicious recipes to incorporate into our campfire cookouts.  See, the best part of camping for us is always THE FOOD! 

It's 8 a.m. and the girls are still fast asleep. Joe is in bed reading and I make a plan -- to bake some Sour Cream Cherry Scones and surprise everyone on Saturday morning! Ever so nonchalantly, I go downstairs without saying a word...

When I was growing up, one of our great aunts used to bake coffee cakes to give as gifts to friends and relatives. I have always loved the combination of cinnamon-sugar flavoring, but my youngest sister, Michelle, adored coffee cake even more than most! When she was in grade school, the gifted coffee cake was disappearing too fast for her, so she begged my mom to help her learn how to make her very own. She tried a few different recipes to get it just right - and we got to enjoy the fruits of her pint-sized labors. Now nearing the end of high school, Michelle's memory of the coffee cake baking days has faded - but to this day just mention this sweet treat, and I see visions of my kid sister standing on a chair, diligently attending to her batter.