I'm a girl of simple needs — for mother's day all I need is the chance to sleep in past 6 a.m., a pretty card from my boys, time for a long run, lunch of burgers and beers at the Terrace and a glass of Bandol rosé at the end of the day.

For those who wish for less ephemeral gifts, here are some pretty things for that fabulous, lunch-packing, dinner-cooking, (still) sexy, smart-as-a-whip momma in your life. 

As a collector of all things pig-related, No. 1 is to-die-for! And No. 20 is a dream gift, but how glorious is that coop?!

Anthropologie: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Jcrew: 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
Terrain: 9 / 10 / 11 / 12
West Elm: 13 / 14 / 15 / 16
Williams-Sonoma Agrarian: 17 / 18 / 19 / 20

Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous moms out there! -s.

Inspired by the picnic under the stars we will be having for our dinner group this weekend, I thought I would share some of my favorite outdoor-dining accoutrements — some I already have in my arsenal; others I want with religious zeal. Enjoy!

Duraclear barware — this is some fancy plastic! Love the monogram. A mojito or vodka tonic would look smashing in here. At Williams-Sonoma.

Ice bucket — one on each end of the table with a bottle of bubbly chilling inside. At Anthropologie.

Serving (and hauling) tray — this tray is perfect for lugging lots of things in one go, instead of in many trips to and from the house or car. In the off-season, this eco-friendly galvanized version would also be great on a coffee table or desk as well. At Pottery Barn.

Candlelight — a few of these gorgeous lanterns would add such a nice glow as the sun sets. At Pigeon Toe Ceramics

Utensil caddy — for me, anything in this marigold yellow is a must, especially this charming yet modern utensil caddy. I would fill two slots with utensils and the other with a drinking glass filled with flowers — an instant centerpiece that is both functional and frilly. At Crate and Barrel.

Tea towels — picnic fare tends to be a little messy, which is why I forego the normal cloth napkin for a crisp, large, lap-sized dishtowel. At Williams-Sonoma.

Stainless steel cooler — no picnic is possible (or safe from food poisoning) without a big cooler. I just saw this model on Apartment Therapy last week; now I must have it. At coleman.com.

Chairs with flare — love, love, love these chairs. At Wisteria.

As you can see, I lost some steam at the end and didn't get my last dinner posted until last week. Sorry to leave you hanging. But, this way, you will now have time to re-read all of the recipes and take stock of the ingredients you need and come tomorrow or Sunday, you can hit the ground running. This list is long enough to grab a delicious coffee drink to sip while shopping. How nice does that sound?

So, without further ado: the grocery list ... happy shopping

Produce:
1 small carrot
3 large onions
1 small red onion
fresh thyme
16 oz. of baby spinach
1 large apple
celery
1 pint strawberries, preferably organic, quartered
fresh ginger
1 head of garlic
1 bunch of cilantro
1 avocado, ripe as hell
2 limes
1 pint grape tomatoes

Meat:
9 thin slices of Genoa Salami
3 split chicken breast
3-4 tilapia fillets

Dairy:
8 oz. mozzarella or provolone cheese, grated
4 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)
1 dozen eggs
6 oz. ricotta cheese
4 oz. aged cheddar, Parmigiano or gruyere
2% Greek yogurt
unsalted butter
small container of sour cream or Mexican crema

Packaged foods:
2-28 oz cans of whole plum tomatoes
kosher salt
black peppercorns
sherry vinegar
balsamic vinegar
maple syrup
honey
toasted walnut oil (optional)
extra virgin olive oil
peanuts
walnuts
sliced almonds
golden raisins (optional)
15 oz. can of black beans

Spices:
ground cumin
smoked Spanish paprika
ground coriander
dried red chili flakes
cinnamon sticks
bay leaves
garam masala

Breads and grains:
basmati rice
Fabulous Flats wholegrain "tandoori naan"
Whole grain bread, sliced
whole-wheat panko
all-purpose or white whole-wheat flour
fresh pizza dough (of your not making your own)

Happy eating, -s.

As you can tell by the title, making weeknight meals — healthful, palate-satisfying ones for both grown-ups and kids — is a little overwhelming. My dear friend Shannon, a mother of two darling boys as well as a full-time pediatrician, is my inspiration for the next few posts that will tackle several things:
1. Meals that can be shopped for on the weekend that will take you through Thursday of each week and that share ingredients to save money, time and space in the fridge.
2. Meals that satisfy the palates of grown-ups and youngsters.
3. Meals that can be either prepped the evening before or made once home from work or running the kids to all their activities (and on the table by 7 p.m.)
4. Healthful, balanced meals that feature seasonal or local produce

Daunting, huh?

Shannon’s boys have gotten a little bit pickier recently, but they are not afraid of flavor (which is good!). And while Shannon doesn’t want them to go to bed hungry, her mantra is “you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!” (Love it!). She has a good set of recipes in her arsenal, but these are getting a little overplayed. What she needs is inspiration. That’s where I come in!

The boys love quesadillas and other Mexican food, pasta, Indian (Tikka Masala in particular and Naan), quiche (depending upon what is in it), pizza, and their favorite, macaroni and cheese!

My goal is to spice up their current menu, while providing some alternative proteins (eggs, fish, and beans) into the mix and highlight some readily available, seasonal or local produce.

Here’s the menu:
Monday: Panko-crusted American farm-raised tilapia tacos with avocado crema and a black-bean salad
Fish. It’s so darn good for you and growing brains! Responsibly farmed US tilapia is a great choice since it's mild in flavor, not too expensive and readily available at your fishmonger or grocer. Most kids (except mine!) like crunchy textures and this definitely has some crunch with the whole-wheat panko (I use Ian's brand). The avocado crema adds some creamy coolness to the tacos and the black-bean salad provides some complexity for adventurous little palates and grown-ups, too.

Tuesday: Sarah's Chicken Saag (Spinach) curry with shredded chicken, served with basmati rice and wholegrain flatbread
This not-so-hidden vegetable curry is my riff on Tikka Masala without all the cream and butter (okay, there's a little butter). Simple roasted chicken breasts provide the protein and can be prepped the evening prior making both adults and kids happy. Wholegrain flatbread instead of buttery, white-flour naan will still hit the spot with the kids, while the grown-ups will like the more complex flavors and the easy prep.

Wednesday: Spinach Ricotta Frittata with wholegrain toast and balsamic-macerated strawberries

Shannon’s boys like quiche. I took the buttery crust out of the equation with this egg-based dish. The fresh ricotta makes the frittata light and fluffy, while providing a boost of calcium. Leftover ricotta is great on waffles with jam, on bruschetta with arugula and honey, or my favorite way, by the spoonful.

Thursday: Pizza with homemade red sauce and Genoa salami served with an apple-celery slaw
The secret is in the sauce. Grated carrot is a traditional Italian component of basic tomato sauce used to enhance its inherent sweetness, but I throw in chopped spinach or grated zucchini into mine for the hidden vegetable factor. This pizza is all about the salami that gets deliciously crispy edges while in the oven. I search out nitrate-free salami when kids are eating it. Applegate Farms is one brand I like to use. And the apple-celery slaw is dressed in a maple-sherry vinaigrette and garnished with toasted peanuts for the kids and walnuts for the adults.

So, the next several posts will feature each day's recipes and their side dishes. At the end, I'll put together a grocery list to make it easy to execute the entire menu in one go. My goal is to have you prepped, shopped and ready to roll for the week ahead.

Happy eating, -s.

Looking for a last-minute gift idea for the foodie in your life? Check out this super cool product: The Herb-Savor (love the play on spelling). I found it in the December issue of Real Simple. It's $30, but reviews are rave and since you pay about $4.00 for herbs at the store in the middle of winter, it pays for itself in six or seven uses ... not bad and you don't have slimy cilantro anymore (even better!). Oh, and it looks cool, too. You can get it and it's sister, the Herb-Savor Pod, at Macy's.

Happy (last-minute) shopping, -s.

My very talented friend Katie is owner and curator of artwallonline.com. Recently, she's been blogging about great holiday gift ideas in easy-on-the-wallet price ranges. She inspired me to put together a list of my own ... with a decided slant toward kitchen and dining accoutrement. So, here's a sampling of things that would make your kitchen or dining room a special spot.

1951 Argentina Seltzer Bottle from Three Potato Four — one of my favorite websites! Would look fabulous on a bar table.

1934 dining chair from Sundance catalog — eight would be great!

Porcelain Mason Jar by Pigeon Toe Ceramics at Reform School — another favorite site.

Rancho Gordo heirloom beans — a must for the foodie in your life.

Handcrafted Dotted Bowls from Orange Lola — this stack looks just about right … for ice cream, soup, dips, lemons …

Diamond pillow cover from Stitch in Dye — perfect backrest for the 1934 dining chair? Yes!

Fair Trade Burlap Buckets by Maya*Made — I want one of these for tossing dirty towels and cloth napkins into before they head to the wash!

Wisconsin Artisan Cheeses and Companions gift box from Fromagination — yum! One of my favorite local shops … ships everywhere!

Yummy, yummy, yummy! Tea towel from Mr. PS etsy shop — so fun!

Milk jug from Keith Brymer Jones @ Horne

Piggy Lunch Bag from Hero Bags — Must. Have. This.

Spouted bowls from Gleena’s etsy shop — elegant and useful.

Happy shopping, -s!