I NEED A BREAK!!!Things have suddenly become hectic at work, home, church...everywhere. I’m exhausted. This has resulted in eating dinners of toast and cereal - NOT my usual style. So, to help me out, my husband cooked his famous Chipotle Soup. He created this recipe after having homemade Chipotle Soup made by a former co-worker. He took out the cheese and the cream-based broth, added a couple ingredients, and created a healthier, very tasty...and very spicy soup. I love it...when he uses the peppers sparingly. This is a great soup to serve at your final four games this week. It’s healthy, …

Spring is upon us. Time for longer days, a lot of rain, and allergy medicine.This week also marked the beginning of March Madness! It's one of my favorite times of year: exciting games, major upsets, fun parties and delicious food. This month, I'm going to feature appetizers all made with bacon. I've actually been pressured for awhile to have a month of bacon, and I finally caved. I figured with all the March Madness parties, this would be a great time to do it. I mean, bacon goes so well with sports and beer!This week's recipe was a huge hit at a party last weekend. It was a much larger hit …

March is so full of promise: the air gets warmer, flower buds start forming on trees, and the days continue getting a little longer. I love those first few weeks, just before spring officially kicks off (you know, the time just before allergies start really acting up): not just because of the change in temperature. It’s the promise of Selection Sunday. A day of new beginnings and fresh starts. A day of celebration and triumph. The day when we can start creating our masterpiece-worthy bracket. I love March Madness. I also love typical bar food: greasy, delicious finger food. In honor of one of…

I'm not feeling so great today. My husband's sick, it's rainy, I'm exhausted, and this week's recipe was a dud.Like that boyfriend from high school, it had so much potential! All the right ingredients were there. On paper, things were promising. We could have had a great future together (ok, that might have been a bit much). Instead, I was left disappointed and confused. What happened? Did I expect too much?As we conclude this month of breakfast foods containing cinnamon, I wanted to feature a fruit dish. I thought it'd be a nice way to redeem this calorie filled month and go out with a bang…

Hello Ballston and Virginia Square!One of my passions in life is cooking. I’m no Paula Deen or Rachel Ray, and I have never claimed to be an expert, but I love trying recipes and learning how to better provide for my family. I get a little excited about it, but so what? I’m a happy person who loves experiences and life! I think it’s a great thing to be excited about what you get to do.  And, for those of you who read my articles (however many or few there may be) would you really read them if I wasn’t excited? I think not.My biggest goal and hope for this column, as it always has been, is to …

Happy Saturday Ballston and Virginia Square!And what a beautiful weekend it’s going to be! I just read something about 40s and 50s?! PINCH ME! I mean, it’s not tropical, but try to get out and enjoy it this weekend! Perhaps after you have this great breakfast tomorrow morning. We’re exploring fun breakfast foods that feature cinnamon this month. Last weekend, we made a crunchy, healthy, and satisfying Cinnamon Granola Parfait. This week, we’re going to make something...a little less healthy, but (in my opinion) a little more amazing. Overnight Apple Cinnamon French Toast. This recipe takes a …

Cinnamon Granola ParfaitsHappy Saturday Ballston and Virginia Square! We made it though yet another bone-chilling NoVA week. However, I’ve got be honest-the fact that we’ve somehow avoided the massive, insane, crazy storm that ripped across the Midwest and Northeast is amazing....we are a lucky city!Last month, we explored five (yes...five) kale recipes. I feel a little healthier and definitely a little more nourished. It was a good way to start the year. Now, as we head into the month where red and pink seem to throw up everywhere, it’s time to splurge again. I love....LOVE breakfast food. …

It’s been a healthy month, Ballston and Virginia Square! In January, we featured the healthy leafy green veggie kale. We started the New Year with a warm, hearty Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup-perfect for these cold winter days. We moved on to crunchy, satisfying, and slightly salty Kale Chips-a healthy substitute for potato chips that actually taste pretty good! We then got to our main dish: Sweet Pepper Pasta Toss with Kale. This is a refreshing, delicious dish: the pairing of the fresh, juicy peppers, the bite of the kale, and the feta cheese...it all mixes into a fantastic healthy meal. …

There aren't a whole lot of sweet options that include kale on the ingredient list. You won't find a "white chocolate with hints of raspberry and kale" fondue at The Melting Pot, or “kale flavored frozen yogurt” at Sweetgreen. But my favorite way to eat kale is actually sweet tasting. I've decided to let you all in on how I was first introduced to kale. Sweet and delicious. Raw and in a smoothie.  My friend (a nutritionist) and I were chatting a few months ago about how to increase vegetable intake...especially those nutrient heavy, albeit bitter, leafy greens like kale, collard, etc. Those …

Happy three-day weekend, Ballston and Virginia Square!I love three day weekends! Rest, relax, and enjoy some extra time off! On my agenda...sleeping in, maybe picking up that book collecting dust in the corner (one of my 2011 resolutions is to read a book a month...yeah....about that....) and cooking! Are we surprised by that last one at all? Since many of us have fallen away from our resolutions of healthy eating already, this could be a great weekend to get back on track, jump start your diet, and eat healthier with me! The month of January is dedicated to kale-a nutritious, delicious leafy…

Hello Ballston and Virginia Square!Happy Saturday! Hope your first week of the new year was a success, and that you've been keeping your resolutions. It sure seems like people in our area have been...my gym is extra packed!I'm really, more than anything, trying to eat better. Weeks of cookies, cocktails, and fattening dips have taken their toll. In an attempt to learn how to cook different veggies, I decided to make this month all about kale, a nutrient rich leafy green that is super healthy. Last week we made a delicious Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup. It was nutritious, savory, and amazing…

Ballston...Virginia Square...the holidays have been rough on my waistline. I know I can't be alone in this. Mine might be a little extreme: having both the Saturday Saute and the Holiday Saute going on at the same time meant a lot of cooking and a lot of eating (specifically painful was the "cookie week" of the Holiday Saute that lasted about twice as long as it should have. That was a LOT of cookies and a lot of calories). As today is New Year's Day and since one of the most popular resolutions is to lose weight or eat healthier, I thought it right to try to encourage all of you to stick to …

Merry Christmas Ballston and Virginia Square! I'm dreaming of a White Christmas this year-and rumor has it that might actually happen. I'm hoping for it-but I guess by the time this posts, we'll know :). I changed my mind a couple times as far as what to make this week. It's dessert week. It's Christmas. It's Chocolate month. Kids are home for over a week-family could be in town. Nothing is open on Christmas day except 7-11 and movie theaters...This week has a lot of pressure! I want to come up with something fun, something kid friendly, something interactive that brings other people into the…

Happy Saturday Ballston and Virgina Square! Last week, while featuring Chocolate Chorizo Tapas, I talked about a few great winter activities going on around the DMV area. I mentioned that I was going to ZooLights. It didn't happen. I was all worried, as they are only opened on the weekends, that I would not be able to make it, but from December 17, 2010-January 1, 2011 they are opened every day (except December 24, 25, and 31). So I can still drag Joshua and go! WIN! I wanted to pass that information along to all of you as well, as it looks like a lot of fun! This week, we made an amazing …

I hope you all are staying warm during these freezing temperatures! I know the rational and natural thing to do during this season is to stay indoors with a nice, warm blanket, but there are some amazing things going on around the city if you're willing to brave the cold! Last night we went to a Live Nativity featuring singing, Christmas lights, and hot cider at Top Golf Alexandria. It was a blast (but it was COLD!). If you're interested-the same event will be held at Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill today from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Tonight, I believe I'm going to try to drag my husband to Zoo Lights at…

Welcome to the weekend, Ballston! This week seemed to drag on and on. Also, welcome to winter. I was told in parts of Arlington and Alexandria it actually snowed last night. I didn't see it-so I can't confirm if this was real or if people were just trying to scare me...but I believe the rumor to be true. It's that time of year. I-C-K. But, what is exciting is that December also marks the beginning of a new month, which means a new ingredient for the Saturday Saute! Every month, we pick one ingredient to feature in every recipe. In September, it was apples. October was pumpkins. We just …

I awoke Friday morning after a turkey-induced coma, to realize that the recipe I originally planned had...turkey in it. I don't want to see turkey for another few weeks. I have eaten more Thanksgiving turkey than anyone ever should, and the thought of having it again made me shudder a little bit. I hope you all had just as awesome of a Thanksgiving as I did (which, included making my husband his very own turkey so we'd have tons of leftovers. Great idea..but a big mistake-a 13 lb turkey for 2 people lasts a LONG time...). Anyway-I need something light and full of flavor. Something without …

HAPPY EARLY THANKSGIVING, BALLSTON!!!Such a great Holiday! A time to spend reflecting about blessings in your life...and eating. Lots of eating. We're going to shake it up a little bit this weekend, Ballston. Instead of doing the main dish this week-we're fast forwarding straight to dessert. I think this is important because a good pecan pie can be the perfect way to finish your Thanksgiving feast-and if I don't post it till next Saturday-it'll be too late! Therefore, lets break with Saturday Saute tradition and do what our parents always forbid us to do: have dessert before our meal!Pecan …

The Holidays are upon us, Ballston. It's a great time of year to have a cup of hot chocolate and walk around Ballston Mall checking out early Holiday decorations (yes, they're already up). Or you could check out the Holiday Festival at Pentagon Row in Pentagon City. Lots of early Holiday activities this weekend for you and your family/friends to enjoy!But, if we're not careful, we will completely forget about Thanksgiving. So before we get wrapped up in gift giving and tree decorating, lets try out a great unique side dish that would be a great add to your Thanksgiving feast!Sweet Potato Bake…

Here we are, in November already. I hope you all are having a wonderful start to the cold and wintery months. I think I actually saw hints of frost on the cars around Ballston yesterday! Not a welcomed sight for me, I'll tell you that. But on a more positive note-November means we get to start a new featured ingredient in our recipes for the month. For November, we'll be featuring pecans. As always, we'll be featuring this ingredient in multiple types of components to a great meal. This month, we'll be making an appetizer, a side dish, a main course, and of course-a dessert. Now, before we …