Every week I ask the family what they want for dinner. And every week Mr Hedin says “meatloaf.” Literally, every week. Everyone else groans. I end up making it every few weeks but not as often as Mr Hedin would like.

The problem with meatloaf is that it’s usually too thick to cook easily for dinner. I found that by flattening the loaf to a reasonable thickness, I can make this in about 30 minutes. Plus - I can pop the potatoes in the oven on a baking sheet next to the meatloaf and they are done at the same time (-ish). While it bakes, I usually make a green salad. But you could also throw some asparagus or broccoli in the oven with everything else.

Weeknight Meatloaf

Serves 4

2lb ground beef

1 cup ketchup

1 grated onion

1 tsp worchestershire

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

1 clove garlic, grated

¼ cup milk

½ lb potatoes, slice in half

4 sprigs rosemary

salt

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine together ground beef, ketchup, onion, worchestershire, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, and milk.

STEP 2

Form into a flat loaf on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.  Squeeze ketchup on top.  Bake 30 minutes until done all the way through.  I usually make sure the middle is not pink and then I know it’s done. Because it’s so thin, it should cook quickly. You can also use a thermometer and make sure your beef is at 180 degrees.

STEP 3

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss potatoes with rosemary and salt.  Bake 20-30 mins until crispy. I put both in the oven at the same time and they are done at the same time - usually!

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We are a mostly non-dairy house. That severely limits some of the options for dinner. Luckily, Asian inspired dinners are always an option. I am constantly recreating things we’ve had from takeout or making up things that feel like our favorite take out places.

This is a mash up of those inspirations. Dan Dan noodles are a Szechuan dish that I have completely changed from it’s original form by using curry (not Chinese) instead of the traditional sambal olek and removed the Szechuan peppers so my kids will actually eat it.

Is it authentic? No. Is is even Dan Dan Noodles? Hard to say. But it’s delicious and we love it. I think you will too.

In-no-way-authentic Dan Dan Noodles

Serves 4

1 red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lb ground pork

2 tbs red curry paste

2 tbs rice vinegar

2 tbs soy

2 tsp ginger

2 cloves garlic

2 carrots, grated

2 cups chicken stock

1 lb pappardelle noodles

4 scallions, whites and greens chopped

1 cup bean sprouts

¼ cup peanuts, chopped

STEP 1

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan and cook the onions slowly until translucent. Use low to medium heat so they cool nice and slow.

STEP 2

Add ground pork with red curry paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to the pan and cook until browned. 

STEP 3

When meat is browned, add carrots and stock.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil. 

STEP 4

Add noodles to the pan and stir to cover with stock.  Cover and let summer on low until the noodles are done.

STEP 5

When noodles are done serve hot with scallions, bean sprouts and peanuts. 

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Recently House Beautiful posted that our Grandma habits are making us healthier - mentally anyway. My mental health must be tip top. Not only did I take up needlepoint a few years ago, but last year I started playing bridge.

My bridge club is the most fun group of ladies. We have the best time together. It’s been great for me, because the other three have their kids in college. So I have been able to bounce parenting issues off of them. I highly recommend getting yourself a bridge group of moms with older kids. And then have a cocktail while you do it.

We play every week. Sometimes we play at the club and sometimes we play at one of our houses. We pretty much always play with a cocktail in hand. This week, supplied with Fresh Victor cocktail mixes, I made our drinks.

I am a snob when it comes to cocktail mixes.* I do not want one with sugar. I do not want one with anything fake. I do not want one that is just juice. I do not want one with food color. Fresh Victor fit the bill. Also, they taste good.

Fresh Victor has been SUPER GENEROUS and offered all of you a 20% discount when you order before July 31st. This means you are set for all of you spring and summer parties! Use code WNSFRESH20 when you order - click the link below! Stock up!

*I am always a snob.

This was taken after a cocktail….

Usually when we play we end up pouring a glass of white wine or making a ranch water. Mostly because none of us want to go to the effort to mix an ACTUAL cocktail. When you’re the dummy hand you could take the time. But do we actually want to? No. We’ve tried other short cuts before but I am a big fan of this short cut.

Our drinks were:

• Mexican Lime & Agave + Tequila + Squeeze of Lime

• Jalapeño Lime + Agave + Tequila + Squeeze of Lime + Ring of Jalapeño

• Cactus Pear + Pomegranate + Broken Shed Vodka + Squeeze of Lemon & Lime

• Grapefruit + Sea Salt + Broken Shed Vodka + Squeeze of Grapefruit

Why on earth did I choose Broken Shed Vodka, you ask? First, why not? Second, they sent it to me. Third, it’s really good.

Trying unique vodkas when we travel is really fun. Almost everywhere I’ve ever been has their own local brand of vodka. The good ones are made with fresh local water and distilled several times. We loved the vodka in Iceland and I was excited to try this New Zealand Vodka. It did not disappoint. Now New Zealand has moved up on our list of places to go!

Discount Code Details:

• For Online Store

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I started making these bars for our meal prep breakfasts a few years ago and totally forgot to share them with you! My husband just likes them cold. I like them crumbled up in a bowl like it’s cereal - then I pour almond or coconut milk on top and add more berries.

I’ve made these with raspberries and blueberries, but strawberries are my favorite.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

With sliced almonds

Makes 12 bars

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup quick oats

2 tbs brown sugar

2/3 cup almond milk, or other milk

3 tbs coconut oil

3 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup chopped strawberries

½ cup sliced almonds

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl on a stand mixer, combine oats, brown sugar, and salt.

STEP 2

In a separate bowl, whisk together almond milk, coconut oil, eggs, and extracts. 

STEP 3

Slowly pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until they are just combined.

STEP 4

Stir in chopped berries and almonds. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let rest in the pan 5 minutes before cutting.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Share with me on Instagram if you make these too. I can’t wait to see what you do with them!

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I get to do some of the coolest projects. For the school auction last year I was asked if I could make a giant bow. I agreed without having any idea what I was actually going to do or how I would make a bow be “giant” and also look tailored and in the Ralph Lauren Christmas vibe we were going for.

Luckily, I’m not the first person to make a giant bow so there were dozens of tutorials out there to reference. I ended up wanting a stiff bow, so I used chicken wire for the base. In case you want to make your own giant bow, the steps were as follows:

1. Cut the chicken wire to form two loops and two ‘tails’ for the bow. I knew my end bow needed to be about six feet across, so all of the components together needed to add up to that.

2. Using hot glue and clothes pins, I attached the fabric to the chicken wire. I did only one side. If I did it again, I would wrap all of the chicken wire in the fabric, so even as you walked under the bow it would just look like fabric.

3. To attach the bow to the arch I used zip ties and wire. Wire pokes right through the fabric, so it was simple to connect anywhere on the bow to the arch. Depending on what you are attaching it to, you may need to find another solution.

4. To finish the bow, I used a length of fabric wrapped around the middle and hot glued it in place. And there was a little more wire to make sure it stayed up all night!

This is not a hard project, but it does take some time and strategy. And for the little amount of money, it creates a huge impact for guests walking in the door. Totally worth while. I ended up making miniature ones as well for the bars. Let me know if you end up making one too.

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Every year I make a coffee cake for my kids birthdays. Some years I make my Coffee Cake Muffins - because this cake bakes for a full 45 minutes! On a school day there is almost no chance I’m getting up early enough to have a full hour to bake a cake and then let it rest before the kids leave the house. I am not that much of an early riser.

But when a birthday is on the weekend - or if I plan ahead the night before - then they get the whole cake. This year we had a snow day, so the whole cake was made for Pearl’s birthday. Lucky for all of us, the whole neighborhood came over for breakfast, so we celebrated with all of the 13 year boys in the area. Pearl was not thrilled. But it made for a fun, full house this morning and she did like that.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sour cream

FOR THE TOPPING

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350. Start by making the cake. Blend together melted butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla.

STEP 2

In a separate bowl combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Pour half of the dry ingredients into butter mixture blending until just combined. Add sour cream and combine with as few strokes as possible. Add the remaining dry ingredients and combine. I like to finish with a spatula so it isn’t over beaten.

STEP 3

Pour batter into an 9x9 baking dish and set aside while you make the topping.

STEP 4

With a fork, blend together all of the topping ingredients until it resembles sand. Spread evenly across the top of the batter.

Bake for 45 minutes to one hour until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

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Valentine’s Day is a family day at our house. At least it has been for the last sixteen years. We’ll see if the teenagers will change things up this year. But I also way cook a fun Valentine dinner for the whole family. There’s nothing sacred about February 14 (sorry to burst your bubble) that Mr. Hedin and I need to run out to an expensive dinner on that exact day.

I’ve done heart shaped make-your-own pizza, steaks, and plain old red sauce pasta. Recently I discovered that you can cook pasta in beet water and have it turn out red/pink-ish. It’s not perfectly even color - but it’s all natural and you can pop the beets in to the pasta sauce too! I think it’s a cool thing for younger kids to se happen. My teenagers did think it was cool. I got a shrug, but I’ll take a shrug.

The trick to getting the pasta to cook and the beets to be done is to start the beets early when you put the water in the pan. And then to get the color to stick, turn the water off when the pasta is basically done (but not crunchy) and let it rest all together. Then when you go back and drain the pasta - keeping some water! - the pasta is a lovely little red shade.

While the pasta sits, you can get the breadsticks going and tell one of your kids to mix up a green salad.

Heart throb Pasta

With love-ly bread sticks

Serves 4

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 sweet onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbs olive oil

2 beets

½ lb pasta

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 package crescent dough

STEP 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Slice the beets in half and add them to the water as it begins to boil.  When the water has come to a boil, add the pasta.

STEP 2

When the pasta is nearly cooked, turn the heat off and let rest for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

STEP 3

Unroll the package of crescent dough and press together all of the seams.  Slice the dough into strips.  Twist the dough and form it into a heart.  Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

STEP 4

Heat a skillet with the olive oil.  Cook the peppers, onion, and garlic over medium heat until softened.  Zest in lemon juice and toss with cooked beets. 

STEP 5

Drain the pasta – reserving at least one cup of pasta water – and toss the pasta with the peppers.  Add the pasta water, a little at a time, and toss until a sauce has formed.  Remove from heat and sprinkle parmesan on top. 

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Over the holidays we bought a ski condo in Canada! So our holidays were appropriately themed “Ski-mas” around our house. I made custom stamps to make custom wrapping paper to commemorate the occasion. Now I’m working on turning those stamps into decor for the condo - and you if you’re interested.

We bought the condo furnished, which was a great because we didn’t have to buy a bunch of furniture - but also challenging because usually other people’s style is not my style. And that was the case here.

Once we can be up at the condo more often, I’ll fully decorate the whole thing. Until then, I’m collecting a few bits and dreaming of what the future will look like.

Pendelton Blanket :: Fondue Pot :: Aprés Cookbook :: My Favorite Fir Candle :: Sheep Skin Rug :: Gray Malin Puzzle :: Yard Sale Banner :: Ski Pillow

This time of year we are drowning in events, activities, and more things going on than time. Breakfast for dinner is the perfect solution. This frittata is a little bit of a “clean out the fridge” + quick dinner that will be a winner.

My dad is a champion frittata maker. He can seem to put anything in it and it’s always delicious. That spirit is what led me to pop in every winter veg that we love in our house and bake it up. It is amazing. And you can pop in anything you will probably love.

Topping with cheese is obviously delicious but totally optional. In our house we have lots of allergies and intolerances, so we make adjustments as we go. You should do the same!

Winter Vegetable Frittata

Serves 4

8 eggs

2 cups Swiss chard, chopped

1 red onion, sliced

1 small sweet potato, sliced thin

¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tbs butter

STEP 1

Preheat broiler.  Cook potato, chard, and onions in 2 tbs butter. Season with salt and pepper

STEP 2

Continue cooking until potatoes are browned and chard & onions are limp.

STEP 3

Whisk eggs in a bowl and pour into the pan.  Stir until ½ way cooked.  Remove from heat.

STEP 4

Top the eggs with parmesan cheese and pop into broiler.  Cook until bubbly on top.  Keep an eye on it!  Serve with toast.

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I love a sheet pan dinner. If they aren’t the hero of the weeknight, then I don’t know what is. This one is especially great because it can totally be a fancy night dinner - and done so easily. Do you need to celebrate a birthday? A good grade? Anniversary? This one is the one.

I like this dinner in the winter because that’s usually when you can find a good black cod. If you can’t find good black cod, then skip this. Do not buy mediocre fish. Buy the good stuff. It’s about 1/2 pound per person - a little less if you have light eaters (read not teenagers). You can do this with any thick fish - it just gets more expensive when you pick halibut instead of cod!

The salad is great too because it’s just a panzanella that cooks ALONGSIDE the fish! Pop everything in the oven - watch the time - and then dinner is done.

Roasted Black Cod

with tomato bread salad

Serves 4

1 ½ lb black cod filet

1 large onion, sliced

2 cups cherry tomatoes

3 tbs olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1 loaf crusty bread

salt and pepper

4 sprigs rosemary

1 lemon, juiced

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place fish in the middle and surround with tomatoes, chopped onion, and garlic cloves.  Sprinkle rosemary over top and season with salt and pepper.

STEP 2

Toss bread in 2 tbs olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet and season with salt.

STEP 3

Place fish filled sheet on the upper rack of the oven.  Place the bread filled sheet on the lower rack – directly below the fish.  Roast 15-20 minutes until fish is cooked and tomatoes have burst.  Check the bread periodically and make sure it doesn’t get too brown. 

STEP 4

Remove from oven.  Remove the fish from the baking sheet and place on a plate to rest.  Cover with foil

STEP 5

Toss tomatoes, onions, garlic, and bread together in a bowl.  Add remaining oil and the juice of one lemon.  Toss again to coat.

STEP 6

Serve fish alongside bread salad.