Recipe: Best Granola Ever

I love making granola but haven't done so in a long time. And now I think I have found my favorite granola recipe ever. Ever. I literally ate half the granola from the baking sheet as soon as it was cooled down. It's a recipe from Erin Scott's new book Yummy Supper. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at her book signing last weekend at the Edible Schoolyard. She was super sweet and enthusiastic about me making her granola. In her book, she actually says that it's obnoxious to be so boastful about this recipe. But honestly, it really is the best ever and is now my go to granola recipe. So far my kids, my neighbor's kid, and a couple of my coworkers have said it was super tasty. I like to eat it plain, with almond milk, or on top of Greek yogurt.. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Reasons why I love this recipe so much:
+ It's gluten free (I'm not GF, but I do experiment a lot with gluten free baking/cooking)
+ It's super easy, portable, healthy, adaptable, and very forgiving
+ You can swap out different nuts and seeds based on your tastes or what you have available (I'll be making another batch without nuts so Lucas and Theo could bring to school)
+ It's only sweetened with honey

Oh, and couple of minor modifications I made only because it's what I had on hand:
+ I omitted the dry milk powder, but I will definitely try it the next time.
+ I added dried tart cherries (I loved them but my kids picked them out)
+ I added millet for some extra crunchy texture
+ I used whole almonds instead of slivered

+ Click here for a printable PDF
+ Photos by me
+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Free Printable Lunch Box Notes for 100 Layer Cakelet

Check out the Free Printable Lunch Box Notes I designed for 100 Layer Cakelet and some school lunch ideas from Kristina for her cutie pie son Dashiell. I want that rye bagel with cream cheese right about now. Love all of her lunch box picks (silicone muffin cups? genius!) -- we currently use this LunchBots and this Goodbyn. What I'm most excited about though, is my Omie Box to arrive in the mail! I got a sneak peak of a model version from Sarah and it's awesome.

+ Photos by Kristina Meltzer at 100 Layer Cakelet

Weekend Trip: Lucas Goes to L.A.

I recently took Lucas to L.A. for a mini weekend trip to visit my friends Joy, Bonnie, and  Christine. It was the perfect little quick trip before school started. Lucas had flown on a plane several times when he was younger but he doesn't remember it at all so this trip was extra special for him. Plus, it was an adventure with just mama. These one-on-one excursions have become so important to both of us since Theo was born.

We had a pretty early flight which meant I had to wake Lucas up earlier than he would normally get up. Probably not the best way to start the trip, but we had to catch our BART train. Also, Lucas had been a bit under the weather for over a week. Poor guy. Poor me. But we made it and Lucas was awesome on the plane ride. He looked out the window, did some coloring, reading, and played with his cars and Legos. I didn't even have to bust out the Kindle Fire for movies.

When we arrived, L.A. was HOT. I expected it to be pretty warm but when L.A. has a heat wave, it is no joke. My friend Bonnie picked us up from the airport and took us straight to one of the yummiest places called Republique. It reminded me a bit of Tartine but with a much larger menu of sweet and savory treats and dishes. We ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice (I could seriously eat this every day), the Smoked Salmon Tartine, a variety of sweet desserts (something chocolatey, something fruity, and something fried with custard inside), and Golden Juice (a healthy and refreshing combo of yellow carrot, pineapple, golden beet, and orange juice). When I go out to eat with Bonnie, I know it's going to be good and my belly is going to be full.

Our next stop was to pick up Joy from her studio. I've seen so many pictures of her space but seeing it in real life was pretty cool. It's bright, open, and full of fun props and furniture. Since we had already eaten, we decided to stick to something a little on the lighter side. We went to Mendocino Farms for a salad and numerous refills of pink lemonade. Did I mention L.A. was in a heat wave? It was really nice to catch up with Joy since we have both been so busy. She is also due with baby #2 in November so I wanted to see her big ol' belly and Ruby before baby comes.

We decided to stay in for dinner that night (Joy's husband Bob picked up some super yummy food from Forage) and just relaxed as Ruby and Lucas got to know each other. They were way too cute together and hit it off instantly -- playing in her tent with flashlights, playing with stickers and tattoos, etc. In the morning Ruby and Lucas went outside to play with some cool inexpensive airplanes Bob got from the drugstore. Some of my favorite photos are from this little play session -- cheap planes plus active 4-year old boy made for a very quick play date. It was really sweet to see how Ruby seemed in awe of this wild savage older boy and how Lucas tried to take care of Ruby (helping to put on her shoes and telling Bob that he would keep her safe).

The next morning we met up with Bonnie and her awesome daughter Venise at Lucky Duck for brunch -- a deliciously huge platter of fried chicken, pancakes, and waffles. Yum! And how cute are Ruby, Venise, and Lucas together?

Later that afternoon my friend Christine and her insanely cute son Henry (tell me he does not look like John Leguizamo but a hundred times smaller and cuter?) picked us up and took us to the LACMA. We all had a blast here! The boys got to run around, climb, and explore. They climbed on the pillars in front of the museum and kept saying, "Can you do this, dude?!" It was hilarious.

The Metropolis Exhibit was pretty amazing with all the cars and trains zipping around at a super fast speed. Needless to say, Lucas and Henry were in total awe.

After the LACMA, we went to Sycamore Kitchen for a little snack and a drink. Oh, and side note: while walking to the restaurant, Lucas proceeded to pull his pants down and pee on the street behind a car! He just couldn't hold it and I didn't see him in time. I was partially mortified but also had to laugh it off. Luckily Christine was with me on that one. ;)

That night we went to the Americana at Brand. It was kind of funny going to a mall but It was a nice outdoor one with a big grassy play area for the kids to run around. We also rode on a trolley which the kids loved, had a nice dinner at Katsuya, and ran around some more on the grass before heading home.

The next day our flight wasn't until 6 p.m. so we had the whole day to hang out and do something easy going. After a quick breakfast at Lemon Poppy Kitchen (the kale and barley breakfast bowl was delicious) we went to a fun little water park nearby for some splashing around in the heat. We met up with Joy's good friend Marisa who I went to high school with and is good friends with one of my good friends Tina. Get that? Small world! I finally met Marisa's sweet family, Garrett, Cameron, and baby Kaia (a total thunder thigh sweet pea!).

Before our flight we just lounged around at Joy's house. Lucas fell in love with their cat Max - petting her, covering her with a blanket "to keep her warm", and giving her lots of kisses.

Even though L.A. is a quick hour flight away, it took us a while to get home. After we landed, we hopped onto a shuttle that took us to the BART station, then took one BART train, transferred to another BART train, and then drove home. With his glassy eyes and blank stare, Lucas was fading fast but he was a total trooper.

Overall we had a great trip. Thanks so much to Joy, Bob, and Ruby for hosting us and to Bonnie and Christine for hanging out and taking us to yummy places to eat. Next time I'll bring Theo! I must say, it's nice to have some routine back in our lives. :)

A few tips for traveling with a 4-year old:
+ Bring one or two of their favorite little toys (Lucas loves his cars and Legos)
+ Bring even more little surprises (i.e. new markers, new book or magazine, new toy, new toy pouch)
+ Bring headphones and something to play a movie or some games on
+ Bring lots of tasty snacks
+ Put all of the above in their backpack (maybe a new one?)
+ Try not to do too much in one day while traveling. Lucas was incredibly tired from not sleeping well, being a little under the weather, the crazy heat, and packing in a lot of activities in one day. Phew!

One last thing. The sweet Victoria of SF Girl By Bay is going to L.A. soon and is doing a giveaway through instagram. Simply tag your instagrams of L.A. using #SFGIRLINLA by September 18th and you could win a $100 amazon gift card just for contributing. See more details here.

+  Photos by me
+  Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+  Photo at the water park by Bob Cho

Recipe: Gluten Free Carrot Muffins

I had a bunch of leftover shredded carrots after making a carrot cake for Theo's 2nd birthday party. So I decided to make some easy carrot muffins using my favorite banana bread recipe from the Flour cookbook. By simply subbing the bananas with carrots, adding some nutmeg, and replacing the flour with gluten free brown rice flour + xantham gum (my new favorite combo for gluten free baking), the end result was a muffin that was super moist, flavorful, and so easy to eat up. Hope you like it!

+ Click here for a printable PDF version

Recipe: Apricot Galette

Lately, I have been baking these simple fresh fruit galettes for dinner parties at friends' homes. They're surprisingly easy to make and everyone always says they are beautiful and tasty. Inspired by an apricot and strawberry galette recipe by Caitlin Fleming, I decided to flip through a few of my cookbooks to find an easy pate brisee recipe for the dough (if you don't have time to make your own dough, I like the frozen pastry crust from Trader Joes). My fruit basket has been overflowing with apricots from the farmers market so that has been my choice of fruit. I love that you could use pretty much any kind of fruit (you may need to squeeze some lemon on some and watch out for extra juices on others like berries). Apricots are also nice for a galette because they're not overly sweet and they're not so juicy that they leak everywhere when done. After testing out a couple of recipes from a few cookbooks, I found the best tasting and easiest recipes to come from the Flour cookbook and the Tartine cookbook. Though I am in love with everything Tartine, I think many of the recipes are a bit complicated and intimidating. So I ended up mixing ingredients and techniques from both cookbooks to come up with this recipe. Hope you like it!

+ Click here for a printable PDF version

+ Check out this recipe for a yummy gluten free version by Snixy Kitchen

Happy Weekend, a Visit From Friends Old and New, and a Birthday

Happy weekend friends! This week seemed to have flown by. I was so happy to have some old friends and new visit us. I have been a long time follower/admirer of Sally Shim (how cool and cute are her boys?), and while she was out here visiting California from Korea, she and her boys came to visit us in Berkeley (go Bears! Sally is an alum like me!). I thoroughly loved chatting with her and seeing J and j interact so sweetly with my Lucas and Theo. We spent 11 hours together, starting with dinner from Noodle Theory, homemade waffles for breakfast (j ate 8 of them! yes, 8!), lunch at Summer Kitchen, a fun visit to the Lawrence Hall of Science, dinner at the Ramen Shop, and finally ice cream at Smitten. We had so much fun, food, and big time laughs! You can follow Sally and her boys on their trip via Instagram. Another special treat was seeing my friend Bonnie and her hilariously cute daughter Venise who drove up from L.A. for the longest-drive-shortest-play date ever. Next time they need to stay longer but I'll take what I can get. Maybe I can catch her again at her visual social media workshop at Poketo on September 20th.

Here are some of my favorite Instagram pics from this week.

And finally, it's my birthday weekend (July 20th to be exact). My boys are getting bigger and I'm getting older. Ha! Lately I've noticed I've been talking to myself. Busier? Older? I'm still in my late 20's, right? Let's be honest, after having kids, I feel like I'm five years older than I really am, but I wouldn't have it any other way and that's the truth. Oh, and last night Nick surprised me with a brand new Vitamix for my birthday! I've always jokingly hinted at it but never thought I would own one - what a splurge! I made him promise not to get me anything for our anniversary or Christmas or Valentine's day, maybe even my birthday next year, seriously. I can't wait to redefine what a blender can do!

I'm starting off my birthday weekend with a much needed in-home massage and having another yummy Munchery dinner delivered to our door.

What are you up to this weekend?

+ Images by me via Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Recipe: Lemon Olive Chicken

This Lemon Olive Chicken dish is one my all time favorite easy dinners to make. I had my first taste of this dish years ago when my friend Carrie made it and I had seconds and wanted thirds. Healthy, hearty, saucy, salty, and forgiving, it is definitely one of my go-to recipes that I make at least every week or two. I make it with quinoa and baby spinach/chard/kale (from TJ's), but feel free to sub in brown rice, couscous, asparagus, or any other greens you have on hand. Enjoy!

+ Click here for a printable PDF version

+ Image by me via Instagram (@good_on_paper)

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Lucas' Superhero 4th Birthday Party

The theme of this year's birthday party for Lucas who turned four on April 26th was super heroes. While he loves all kinds of super heroes -- Captain America, Flash, Spider-Man, etc., I really wanted the party to be about the super powers of Lucas and his friends (I spend enough time getting shot with spiderwebs and saving people in the Batmobile).

The invitations were printed in black and green on heavy white cotton paper with a clean, minimal design highlighting Super Lucas. Each invitation set included custom tattoos and instructions packaged in a small glassine envelope for each guest. The tattoos had the guest's name (i.e. Super Connor) as well as super hero speech bubbles with expressions like "WOW", "OK", "YES", and "COOL" instead of the usual "POW" and "BANG" expressions. The envelopes were lined with a pattern of the same super hero expressions.

It's been our tradition to have Lucas' birthday parties at Tilden Park but this year we had the chance to have it at his preschool's outdoor space. It's an awesome space that's safe and enclosed, with fun play structures and multiple levels for the ultimate in superhero fun. The only downside to having it at the school was that we had a guest limit.

Last year I took Lucas to breakfast at one of our favorite places, Elmwood Cafe. We did it again this year and I think I'll make it a tradition. Since the day was all about Lucas, we had Theo stay home with Po Po (grandma) which he didn't mind one bit because she is the world to him. And side note here - it is WAY easier with just one kid. Just sayin'. We ordered yummy coffee, a latte, orange juice, an egg sandwich, a frittata with organic greens, and a buttermilk waffle with lemon curd and blueberries on top. After breakfast we walked down the block to pick up donut holes for the party -- a Jackson kid party tradition!

Lucas got to open one small surprise gift from us - a Lightening McQueen race car. He hasn't seen the movie Cars yet but somehow it's one of his favorite characters and he talks about him all the time. Needless to say, he was floored when he opened his eyes to find this little red racer in his hands.

For party favors, we made custom (no sew!) capes for each of the kids so they could wear them on the day of the party. It was a huge hit with the kids and so fun to see them running, jumping, flying around with them. Some of the kids even wore them to school the next day and beyond. A huge thanks to my mom for pretty much doing all of the hard work -- from measuring, cutting, and washing the material, to helping me paint each of the letters on late at night. We also made paper masks (simply cut out the mask shape onto colored card stock and then staple a piece of elastic on both ends) that kids could decorate with markers and star stickers.

My husband Nick also crafted a building scene out of old cardboard boxes, tape, and spray paint as a backdrop for a photo booth. Each guest was encouraged to strike their best superhero pose in front of the buildings using an instant Fuji Instax camera. The guests could stick the photos into a memory book and jot down something for Lucas to read later.

For lunch we catered mini bean and cheese burritos for the kids from a favorite local Mexican restaurant. For the grown ups we catered Vietnamese banh-mi sandwiches and spring rolls. And for dessert I made a yummy chocolate cake (Lucas' favorite) and cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. And lastly, our parties wouldn't be complete without our traditional donut holes wrapped in paper cones.

Everyone had a blast, even Super Theo who came to the party with Po Po and Nana right after his nap.

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate. Lucas had the best time and is now talking about how he's going to be five!

+ See the party featured on 100 Layer Cakelet and the invitations on Oh So Beautiful Paper.

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Favorites: Instagram Finds No. 2

I Iove photography and I love food so these Instagram finds are all about gorgeous food photography. There are so many more I want to share with you but I'll have to save that for another post. Who are some of your favorite food photographers on Instagram?

// 1. Super talented photographer/friend who shoots everything brilliantly. Following Eva is a MUST. I was lucky enough to be shot by her in this series @evakolenko
// 2. Plenty of gorgeous food and travel shots @dicanelo
// 3. Beautiful wooden spoons, bowls, and food @nikoleherriott
// 4. Los Angeles photographer takes gorgeous food pics from his phone and shares his photo tips here @rick_poon
// 5. A fairly recent discovery, Molly Yeh is a baker and a musician who takes beautiful food photos on her blog and has the most creative recipes @mollyyeh
// 6. Beautiful editorial and commercial photography focusing on food. Also coming out with Wild Apple magazine dedicated to gluten-free cuisine @taradonnephoto
// 7. Natural foods that are healthy, tasty, and beautifully shot @jodiwhatscookin
// 8. A long time favorite of mine. Plus all gluten-free recipes! @canellevanille
// 9. One of my very favorite Instagrammers for food porn. So well styled, moody, perfectly imperfect @linda_lomelino

+ See my Instagram Finds No. 1
+ You can see more of my pics on the VSCO Grid.

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Recipe: Strawberry Basil Ice Pops

The weather has been so beautiful these past few weeks. I've been going to the Old Oakland Farmers Market every Friday and lugging a huge crate of strawberries on BART, in my car, and straight into the fridge. It's totally worth it. Lucas and Theo love them so much and get strawberry face every time they're done downing them. We've been making ice pops which I realize Lucas might love more than ice cream. Cool, because it's way easier for me to make and lot healthier. Here's a recipe for strawberry basil ice pops adapted from the Ice Pops cookbook. Enjoy!
 

Strawberry-Basil Ice Pops

1/3 cup organic sugar (or your sweetener of choice)

1/3 cup fresh organice basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 ½ cups organic strawberries, hulled

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pinch of salt

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and basil. Pour in 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved and a syrup has formed. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the basil syrup into a blender or food processor, discarding the basil leaves. Add the strawberries, lemon juice, and salt. Process until very smooth or keep it a little chunky.

If using conventional ice pop molds, divide the mixture among the molds. Cover and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. If using sticks, insert them into the molds when the pops are partially frozen, after about 1 hour, then freeze until solid, at least 3 more hours.

My favorite ice pop molds are Tovolo Groovy Ice Pop Molds.

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