Wraps are one of my favorite ways to take food on the go... which my family (and perhaps yours!) seems to need a lot of these days. Made with ...
Mixed Greens Salad with Roasted Chicken, Goat Cheese, Figs and Shallot Vinaigrette
I recently served this salad to my very happy, working from home hubby. It's such a simple salad but both of us delighted in the flavors - that was a ...
Chicken Salad with Almonds, Turmeric and Celery Leaves
Pre-made, portable meals are my favorite, especially this time of the year when school and sports have ramped back up. Like so many with school aged ...
House Vinaigrette
Every weekend, usually on Sunday, I have a list of kitchen staples that I prep for the week ahead. Some type of vinaigrette is always at the top of ...
The Best Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte
Matcha green tea seems to be all the rage these days. During the summer, this is the drink I make after a day at the lake or pool, but also the one I ...
Southwest Chicken Salad with Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette
Cooking during the summer, at home or on vacation, is a true pleasure for me. Summer's bounty combined with high quality proteins I keep stocked up on ...
Everyday Protein Smoothie
Another day, another smoothie in the Shoup House! After 15+ years we are still going strong with our smoothies. My kids regularly prepare a smoothie ...
Spring Greens with Radish, Flaked Mackerel and Toasted Walnuts
"Don't overlook the oily little fishes" -Michael Pollan, Food Rule #32 Eating FOR Health... it's been a shift in my meal planning strategy for ...
Carrot Soup with Turmeric, Ginger and Lemon
When I looked back on my meal calendars, I noticed that this soup was always in heavy rotation January-March. At first thought, it made total sense. ...
Swiss Chard and Spiced Sweet Potato Hash
File this dish under one of my top 10 (maybe 5!) favorite things to eat. The word hash was never one of my favorite words - brings to mind a college ...
Power Smoothie
It seems running out of smoothie names is going to happen well before I run out of sharing smoothie combos that my family enjoys! As I've said many ...
Veggie and Quinoa Egg Bites
Egg muffins, sous vide egg bites and similar products are popping up all over grocery stores, big box stores and coffee shops - and for good reason! ...
Spiced Cauliflower with Dates and Pine Nuts
With travel adventures a distant memory right now, I often find myself cooking food that reminds me of some of the wonderful places we’ve been. One ...
Almond Butter, Banana and Chia Seed Toast
This is a "no recipe" recipe... but writing it down is a good way for me to remind myself about a great dish or send to a friend! Some time ago we ...
Quinoa Salad with Arugula, Roasted Carrots and Fennel
I had the pleasure of sharing this recipe in the January issue of our sweet local magazine, Hillsborough Living. It is not only a perfect recipe for ...
Candy Cane Crisps
Many years ago when I was away at college, I received the most delicious care package - these cookies! My brother's girlfriend, now wife of over 20 ...
Sugar Cookie Cut Outs
The Christmas season would not be the same without these cookies! I've been making them since my kids were little and it's always a fun project to ...
Maple Oat Nut Scones
Waaay back in the day, I sold these scones through my eBay store called Coffee Companions. Cute name, huh? During the hours I wasn't teaching 3rd ...
Mixed Greens with Pecans, Gorgonzola and Apricot Jam Vinaigrette
A perfect salad to begin a meal with or piled on a dinner sized plate next to a crusty baguette or hot cup of creamy soup. This salad is perfect year ...
Baked Turkey Meatball Sub Sandwich
If this isn’t a way to change up the work and school week, I don’t know what is! I recently made these turkey meatballs in the morning to prep ahead ...
Pumpkin Pancakes
It seems Starbucks and Trader Joe's have done a good job of creating pumpkin season. Pumpkin flavoring in everything from coffee to cereal, pasta to ...
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Many years ago there was a restaurant called California Cafe in Los Gatos and it was a favorite date night spot for my husband and me. I ...
Quiche with Bacon, Baby Kale and Gruyere
A good quiche is one of my all time favorite dishes. I frequently order it when I see it being offered on a restaurant or bakery menu and am often ...
Grilled Brie, Prosciutto and Fig Panini
These delicious, and incredibly simple panini have been a household favorite longer than I can remember! Something about the crispy buttery outside, ...
Glazed Pumpkin Cookies
When my kids see this pumpkin cookie coming out of a hot oven, it is a tell tale sign that Fall has arrived. It’s a childhood favorite of mine, ...
Baja-style Fish Tacos with Spicy Lime Crema
It’s a very rare occasion that I fry something in my kitchen - I rarely pan or shallow fry, let alone deep fry. When I do, it causes quite a stir ...
Cantaloupe Banana Smoothie
The most used appliance in our house is our Vitamix... this is not a paid sponsorship, but rather a ode to my favorite appliance for almost 15 years. ...
Green Beans Provencal
This side dish is such a hit with my family that during the summer when green beans are in peak season, I make it on a weekly basis. Correction, my 13 ...
Summer Fruit Almond Cream Galette
When your favorite summer desserts include all things fruit, you come up with new ways to use all that peak produce! Fruit crisps are one of my ...
Arugula Salad with Tomato, Peach and Roasted Golden Beets
For many of us, a simple trip to the farmer’s market can provide such joy these days. The aromas, the array of colors, and the people! Oh how nice it ...
Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are such a welcome treat in the morning, especially during the summer months when even the thought of a steaming bowl of anything makes ...
Cherry Peach Smoothie
This refreshing smoothie is one of my favorite summer smoothies. The fresh peach and mint are such a great flavor combination. During the ...
Boysenberry Pizza
This is a childhood favorite - a 4th of July staple for our neighborhood block parties, and even now, I crave it every single summer. It’s in ...
Salmon Sandwich with Bacon, Pesto Mayo & Apricot Jam
This is dish is a Shoup family favorite and was a perfect meal for our Father's Day dinner. We were enjoying some time in Lake Tahoe last week and ...
Energy Bites
Summer is in full swing, and that means so is the snacking! These power bites are a great addition to your family's snacking repertoire - whether ...
Spiced Rosemary Bar Nuts
This snack is a house favorite! During shelter in place it’s been the perfect complement to Zoom cocktail hour with friends. In pre-COVID-19 days, it ...
Southwest Grain Bowl with Roasted Poblano Dressing
Bowls have been popular for some time now, and I’m in no hurry to have them go away. Grain bowls, poke bowls, burrito bowls, breakfast bowls, smoothie ...
Carrot Apple Muffins
For most of us with kids, a synonymous word with summer is the word snack. They begin early in the morning where a typical breakfast teeters on ...
Grilled Pork Chops with Stone-Fruit Relish
With Memorial Day weekend behind us, the first heat wave has passed quickly followed by unseasonable rain, and school distance learning winding down - ...
Cherry & Nectarine Cake
Memorial Day weekend is usually Crazy Town in our household - usually falling right in the middle of two special birthdays. Combine those ...
Sweet and Smokey Baby Back Pork Ribs
Let’s talk about barbecue for a moment… I am not a huge meat eater. We eat mostly chicken and fish, as well as the occasional pork products- bacon, ...
Crispy Pork Carnitas Tacos
I’m not sure where my love of Mexican cuisine began, but it is no doubt my favorite cuisine. “Authentic,” not authentic, Tex Mex, Cal-Mex, it’s ...
Ben’s Tropical Smoothie
Years before Jamba Juice was a thing, my hometown of Bakersfield had a local shop called Bagels and Blenders. It was a favorite in our family ...
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
As a typical kid who grew up in the 80s, we ate our fair share of fast food- namely Taco Bell and Burger King. A popular item at the King was a ...
Berry Banana Smoothie
I cannot count how many smoothies we’ve made over the years, but I can safely say it’s in the thousands. My husband and I made them almost daily when ...
Potato Salad
I don’t know about you, but I crave (and plan!) food based on the weather. The cooler weather and hunkering down in March and early April likely had ...
Tex Mex Breakfast Burrito
It is no secret in my family that I could eat mexican food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. One way to sneak in my mexican food craving first thing ...
Smoky Black Bean Dip
I’m a sucker for a good bean dip, but then again, who isn’t? Good old fashioned 7-layer Tex Mex bean dip is one of my all-time favorites. ...
Freshly Baked Muffins, Anyone?
As we continue our 5th week of Shelter in Place here in the Bay Area, a bit of the panic has worn off and we have all begun to find our new normal. ...
10 Minute Hummus
Homemade hummus is too easy not to make at home and far superior to what you can typically find in the grocery store. Brands seem to vary widely ...
Eric’s Sipper (House Manhattan)
I’m not sure if we are the only ones, but the older my husband and I get, the more the old saying, “less is more” seems to apply to our lives. ...
Mezcal Con Pepino
A few years ago my husband and I were celebrating our anniversary in Cabo San Lucas at the beautiful Resort at Pedregal. Our vacation was at the ...
Anytime Frittata
Frittatas are a perfect way to use up veggies that may be past their peak freshness, small chunks of random cheeses in your fridge drawer, or leftover ...
5 Day Post-Vacay Reset- “The Meal Plan”
Here is the meal plan for a 5 day reset. Any of the dishes with an * will be a recipe on the blog in the coming days. Any dishes with ** already ...
Post-vacay 5 day reset- the “rules”
A few weeks ago my family and I enjoyed a fantastic family trip to Vancouver and Whistler. Canada is one special place! Besides those friendly ...
House Granola
Homemade granola is such a staple in our house, I often forget what the store bought version tastes like, but I vaguely recall it resembling overly ...
Summer Tomato Pie
It’s late July and the local farmer’s markets in the Bay Area are overflowing with summer’s bounty. I don’t usually have a go to list from week ...
Summer Sipper
Back in my early twenties, when my friends and I wanted a drink, liquor cabinet foraging was a pretty regular occurrence. I was legal, working ...
Marinated Beans with Garlic and Herbs
One way to enjoy a summer evening at home is to have an easy, stress-free seasonal meal planned. Even better if it’s a hit with the whole ...
It’s Raining in May- Keep Calm and Roast a Chicken!
It's supposed to be sunny and warm outside- it's mid-May in California after all. The sun is coming, we just have to wait several more ...
Simple Make-Ahead Spring Menu
Spring has definitely sprung in Northern California! The temperatures in the Bay area have my kids barefoot and jumping in the chilly pool after ...
Everything Muffin
Last week I made these little muffins when I should have been packing for a big family vacation. I knew we had an early morning flight and the ...
Meal Planning WHILE on vacation!
We've been home from a Hawaiian vacation for less than 24 hrs and the relaxation is already a distant memory! Sound familiar? So much fun, sun, sand, ...
SFCS: Externship and Beyond
The ultimate goal of Restaurant Week, beyond showcasing our new skills and amazing food, was to get us ready for our externships and working in a ...
Cooking School: Weeks 14-16
With just days to go before we had to begin preparing for our big Restaurant Week finale, we enjoyed a few super fun days at school. Early December ...
Cooking School: Weeks 11-14
Weeks 11-14 of cooking school have come and gone, as they took place in November. Any parent knows that once the first holiday of the season hits- ...
Cooking School, Weeks 9 & 10
It’s no surprise, but weeks 9 and 10 were full of many fun experiences and tasty dishes. There were at least two days that I declared, “this is my ...
Weeks 7 & 8- Workshop Days!
Happy weekend, friends and family! I hope you all had a great week! I am so glad it’s the weekend because I’m not sure I had another 6-hr cooking ...
Cooking School- week 6
Hi Friends and Family! I hope you all had a good week. Aren’t Fridays the best? Leaving San Francisco this afternoon under the bright blue sky and ...
Cooking School: Weeks 4 & 5
Happy Sunday, friends and family! I have never appreciated my weekends more… getting some rest and relaxation is not just wanted, but absolutely ...
Cooking School- Week 3
Is it the weekend yet?!? I want to make brunch! Last week was Egg Week and I’m dying to put these new egg skills to good use. We had a full week of ...
A Delicious Week 2
Last week at cooking school was a blast! We started the week with a super fun Taste Workshop by the fabulous Barb Stuckey. I read her book Taste What ...
Cooking school, one week down!
Happy Labor Day, Friends and Family! I cannot think of a better placed 3-day weekend on the calendar than this one. Kids are back in school, weather ...
Melon Salad with Feta, Jalapeno and Mint
Happy Friday, friends! I hope you all had a great week. If it's 5 o'clock where you are, congrats! If you're still a few hours away like we are, ...
Zucchini-Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Icing
August marks an important month for me. Exactly a year ago I began looking online for classes for home cooks. My plan was to give myself a ...
Food helps soothe the soul
For my close friends and family, you know the past few weeks have brought lots of sadness and anxiety with the disaster that has unfolded in ...
Happy 2018!
Happy 2018 to you all! I truly hope you had a great holiday season filled with family and friends. We sure did! Apparently, I failed to take a closer ...
Christmas Cookies: It’s the Yummiest Time of the Year
Happy December, everyone! We are in full holiday swing around here, although we have heavy hearts with the fires in Southern CA. And this time ...
One holiday down…
Happy Sunday! I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. Whether it was a large group or small, you had turkey or tofu, and were at home or ...
Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies with Browned Butter and Sea Salt
Cookies and I go way back. Anyone remember going to the mall with your friends and getting a bag of Mrs. Field’s mini cookies? I sure do! In fact, I ...
A year later… and still meal planning
Happy Fall everyone! It's been just over a year since my last blog post. Anyone remember my last post about us suddenly buying a new home and putting ...
Big changes around here!
Happy October!! Just when I thought fall couldn’t get any busier, we bought a new house and put our current home on the market- all in the past 2 ...
Easy weeknight meals anyone?
Anyone worried my family didn’t eat this past week due to a lack of post? I’m not going to lie, it was just one of those weeks. A busy holiday ...
When you know better you do better
Let me first say that I truly appreciate all the feedback since I’ve started this little blog. I have really appreciate our texts, emails, ...
Plans change, so use pencil!
Meal planning always begins with the best intentions- a nice balanced week of food, a mix of simple and more involved recipes and different types of ...
The Countdown…
Where did summer go?? The first day of school is just around the corner for most of us and fall sports schedules are slowly trickling in. To parents ...
Back from vacation and back on the wagon
First, thank you for all the kind words and feedback on the first WORDY post! I promise to never write such a long post. It was no surprise that from ...
Once a planner, always a planner!
This is the “I don’t have time/talent/energy to write a food blog” blog. With that said, here it goes! Many years ago, before I had kids, I was an ...