Recipes
Meet Lauren (from It’s Lauren of Course!)
Many people know Lauren for her incredible recipes, unique style of cooking, and her charismatic personality which has stolen the heart of millions on talk shows, cooking shows, and social media! What many don’t know is she is a Westport mom of two boys who left Wall Street for culinary school after her then-boyfriend-now-husband dared her to quit her job and go to cooking school! Since graduating from the French Culinary Institute. Shortly after, she launched her own catering company, while simultaneously working as a private chef, teaching cooking classes, and pursuing her passion for food styling on live television. During the pandemic, she brought joy – and delicious meals – to so many via her Instagram, It’s Lauren of Course, doing 100 live shows! She couldn’t live without smoked fish, is a self-proclaimed night owl, and loves nothing more than a vacation in France! If you are looking for yummy food, some new inspiration, or just someone to make you smile (all the time), Lauren is your girl!!
Summer Chicken Milanese from “It’s Lauren Of Course”
Any combination of farmer’s market lettuces and tomatoes will work with this Milanese. The simplicity of quality ingredients is what makes this dish shine! People often don’t think of Milanese as seasonal, but I surely do. Vine-ripened colorful tomatoes, basil, and tender, fresh lettuces from the farmer’s market . . . these are summer staples. ENJOY!
YUM!! Sheet Pan S’mores
If you love making s’mores but want to skip the mess of roasting marshmallows, keep things toddler safe and make a lot at once, try these Sheet Pan S’mores from Maria Provanzano of From Scratch with Maria. The best part? You can enjoy them this way well after summer has gone.
60 Second Coleslaw!!
This take on coleslaw from Cat with a K Cooks uses pre-shredded coleslaw so it comes together in just under a minute. Plus, it can be made ahead so it’s the perfect summer party (or busy weeknight) side!
Easy Summer Cocktail – Pineapple, Lime and Mint Sparkler!!
Thank you to The Local Moms Network contributor Maria Provenzano of From Scratch with Maria for sharing this delicious recipe! It’s really the perfect summer sip—refreshing, special, and able to be prepped ahead of time. Make a batch of the mint simple syrup on Sunday as part of your “meal prep” and you can whip up individual cocktails during the week without taking much more time than pouring a glass of wine!
4th of July Popsicles!
Celebrate the 4th of July with these festive red, white and blue popsicles! Not only are they adorable, but they’re made with protein-packed green yogurt and fiber rich blueberries and strawberries. Thank you to Sound Shore Moms for sharing!
Easy Dinner – One Pan Skillet Spaghetti Recipe!
There’s a time and place for cooking an elaborate meal, and it’s not during the week. Especially in the fun but frenetic weeks between school finishing up and camp beginning. This one-pan skillet spaghetti recipe from Kathleen, the mom behind CatwithaK Cooks, is more of a technique than a rigid recipe, because it’s so easily adapted to your family’s tastes and dietary restrictions/allergies. “I learned this method when I worked for Martha Stewart. She was doing a one-pan pasta way before Tik Tok!” says Kathleen.
Taco Tuesday! Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado Crema!
Thank you to our food contributor CatwithaK Cooks for sharing this delicious plant-based taco recipe with us. Introducing new vegetables (like cauliflower) to kids can be tricky. Experts recommend serving it in a form they are familiar with (in this case, tacos). Try it for Taco Tuesday, or anytime you need a quick, nutritious meal.
Chocolate Cherry Smoothies to Start the Day!
This refreshing smoothie from Elizabeth Lim, the talented mom behind Beach Cities Moms, is an antioxidant and inflammatory powerhouse. Filled with superfoods like cherries and cacao, it can be made with any kind of milk and different types of nut butter. The best part? It tastes like chocolate covered cherries!
Cobb Salad Board – YUMMMM!
Two things we’re loving right now—food boards and salads. We’ve been sort of obsessed with the gorgeous boards created by The BakerMama for awhile now. And with warmer weather, it feels nice to be turning off the oven for dinner more often, and loading up on hearty salads. This Cobb Salad Board from Maegan, the talented mom behind The BakerMama, is a great way to introduce kids to veggies they might not normally try.
Pina Colada Chia Popsicles for the Whole Family!!
This sweet treat from Beach Cities Moms is full of tropical flavors, and since it skips the rum, is a perfect dessert for the whole family.
Carrot Spice Cake…you’re welcome!
Fall may have Pumpkin Spice, but this Spring, we’re all about this Carrot Spice Snacking Cake. Thank you to our contributor, CatwithaK Cooks, for sharing this gluten, butter and oil-free healthy treat!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Farfel Cups!
This is the easiest and tastiest no-bake chocolate Passover treat of all time! There is nothing easier than a dump-and-stir recipe, and this is one for Passover the whole family will enjoy. Matzo farfel (broken bits of matzo that you can buy in a box or canister at the grocery store) is mixed with melted chocolate chips and peanut butter and then set in paper candy cups. The size of a mini muffin but packed with big flavor, these Passover dessert bites are as delicious as they are easy to make. In fact, this is the ideal “cooking” project for little kids.
Superbowl Recipes from Moms we Love!
Just in time for the big game, we asked some of the moms from around The Local Moms Network for their absolute favorite football recipes. From French Onion Dip to Chicken Chili, here are a few to try!
Superbowl Recipes – TOUCHDOWN!!!
Calling all CHEFS! With Super Bowl 2021 coming up next weekend, we all are looking for some fun new recipes given those Superbowl Parties are likely not happening in the traditional way this year! Thanks to Robin Barrie (@robinbarrie) for some new, healthy takes on the traditional GUACAMOLE and CHILI!
5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake
Looking for a quick sweet treat to get you through the long winter days? Check out this delicious 5 minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake!! And you likely have ALL the ingredients you need (especially if you have some over-ripe bananas!)
January Mocktails!
If you’ve committed to Dry January, you might be in the market for a good mocktail right about now. Sure, a sparkling water with dinner or an herbal tea post-bedtime can do the trick, but these 12 options will help mix things up. We’ve rounded up options for whatever you’re in the mood for—sweet, spicy, refreshing or warming.
2021 Health & Wellness Guide is HERE!!
The WestportMoms 2021 Health & Wellness guide is here!! Though this year may not be quite what we expected, it is undoubtedly time to think about YOU! Whether you need new ideas for what to cook each night, some CBD to help you sleep, or even someone to help you organize that closet or garage, we have you covered! We all spent 2020 making sure everyone else was feeling ok- now it’s your turn!!!
Winter Recipes that are easy – and delicious!!
As we all need new recipes to get us through the long winter ahead, we turned to local mom and nutrition expert, Robin Barrie Kaiden for some of her best! See below for two favorites for right now! For more from Robin, visit her website, and follow her on Instagram (@robinbarrie)!
DIY Hot Chocolate Bombs!
Hot chocolate bombs are having a moment, and with good reason. They’re a perfect stocking stuffer, they’re cute enough to be Instagram-worthy, and they’re delicious. We love this simple DIY version from The Local Moms Network contributor Maria Provenzano. Order some molds, enlist some helpers and use the recipe below to get started!