Sandra's Kitchen

One of the best things about summer farm stands.... ripe stone fruit!   Walter (my older son) and I made a fruit tart from nectarines we got at a local farm stand- Tender Crop farm.  Most of the time I'd use store bought pastry dough to save time but this time I wanted to teach Walter how to make pasty from scratch. It was a hot day and our dough kept getting too warm for rolling out, but we managed and had fun getting our hands all sticky in the process. To make a standard dough more tasty use fresh lemon juice instead...

When cooking with kids it's a good idea to keep it simple .  Make recipes with just a few steps.  Blended drinks are great to start with if you're just starting to cook with your kids- it's fast and doesn't require exact measurements.   You can make a cooler/slushy with just about any fruit or veggies.  Encourage your kids to come up with flavor combinations.  Sam and I made cucumber/lime coolers and they turned out delicious!   Try this at home with your kids. Stay cool! -Sandra    Cucumber cooler recipe

After working in architecture for many years, in 2016 I decided to explore starting my own creative business. I've always loved to draw & cook and wanted to find a way to live on my own terms doing the things I enjoy most.  But how to do that? I set out on a path not knowing exactly where that path would take me... and here I am three years later making kitchen goods. Earlier last week I was invited to share my story of how I founded Sweetgum Home with Michele Lamoureux of The Good Life Coach.   You can listen to the...

What do you make for dinner on hot summer evenings? l'm always looking for new recipe ideas that don't require cooking - it's been waaay too hot to turn the oven on lately.   Lately I'm adding fruit to greens to make cool salads- add some grilled shrimp or chicken to the salad to make it more filling. Cantaloupe Salad: Shave cantaloupe with a veggie peeler Thinly slice fennel Rough chop fresh dill Mix above ingredients with baby lettuce then squeeze lime juice, drizzle olive oil and season with salt/pepper. Enjoy!

Happy Summer! I hope you're staying cool.  It's the middle of Summer here in Massachusetts and we've had our share of super hot days already.   Here's a refreshing and simple recipe to make on a hot day when you don't want to turn the oven on.  Watermelon Salad  Ingredients: Watermelon with cucumber, mint, lemon juice and Agave (I do love Agave.. I put it on just about everything). My son Sam and I made this salad last week during a hot spell.  Soooo refreshing for breakfast or as a side dish with grilled chicken. Toss some in a blender with ice and you've...