Category Archives: Personal

Lilly’s Table turns Four!

Juliette is holding up four fingers celebrating four years!

Midnight September 5th, 2010, our four-month old daughter was thankfully asleep as my husband and I poured small glasses of champagne to toast the first live meal plan of Lilly’s Table. The journey to get to that point was an eye-opening experience and since then there have been many more crazy adventures. I just took a peak at that first weekly meal plan and tried not to cringe, instead I forgave myself for all that I did not know and for everything that was still undone.

The First Week of Lilly’s Table!

For those of you who have not been with me since that exciting day, let me give you a quick sum up of all that has happened since. My husband graduated with a PhD in Physics, accepted a job at the University of Arizona, we moved to Tucson, my daughter and I began to meet wonderful neighbors and then I discovered the national Food Day. Next thing I knew, I signed up to coordinate Food Day there, which included a three course progressive dinner along the Santa Cruz River (which by the way only flows occasionally during monsoon season).

After the excitement of that first Food Day, I started teaching cooking classes to daycare providers through the Tucson Community Food Bank’s Farm-to-Child program and then signed up to do another year of Food Day. For our second year, the incredible Food Day community decided one event on one day wasn’t enough and so we developed Tucson Food Week which included festivals, classes, and a pop-up picnic.

I am on the mic, chatting to our first Tucson Food Day crowd as they eat dessert.

Then I became pregnant. I appeared on local TV to talk about the 2012 Tucson Food Week while doing my best to hide morning sickness… which doesn’t feel terribly different from being nervous in front of a camera apparently. 😉 I also followed up with a spot on the local Radio station KXCI, where I spoke not only about Food Week, but Lilly’s Table. It was awesome.

With the end of 2012 came news of another move, fortunately back to Colorado. I had fallen madly in love with Tucson, but was blissful to come back to the open arms of friends with plenty of kids just about the same age as ours. In an unexpected turn, we bought a home in a tiny town and a few week’s later welcomed our baby boy.

I have been close to my children and my computer since that move well over a year ago. I try not to feel exhausted just writing about all of this. Rather, I want to feel excited knowing that midnight toast with my husband, that tiny sip of champagne was the first of so many possibilities. The meal planning service hasn’t quite grown into it’s full potential. Although, I am tempted to argue I was a bit distracted: community events and babies clearly need a bit of assistance. But, what I put in to my children and the community of Tucson I receive exponentially back in love, appreciation and my own growth.

Regardless of whether Lilly’s Table has grown, I am incredibly grateful for every single member. And throughout all of the drama and distractions I remained ever faithful to the weekly meal plan and I have never missed a week. I cannot say the same about this blog and my supposed-to-be weekly newsletter, but it is my hope to add more to the schedule that resonates even deeper with you as a reader.

Which means…. I want to talk to YOU!

One of my greatest lessons from Tucson Food Day was discovering that community and celebration are essential. There are so many food organizations, farms, restaurants and more doing amazing work. Our mission during Food Day was to bring them altogether to celebrate. To high five and celebrate how we are the change we wish to see in the food world.

It is my mission to continue that. It is my mission to empower the celebration of food. I am now on the hunt, exploring ways to bring joy and good food to every table.

They consider admitting erection dificulties as a shame and levitra online canada avoid telling it to anyone because of embarrassment. Some people in India are still unaware about the long term negative consequences this drug can have.Important things to knowPropecia works by preventing a man’s body from converting testosterone tadalafil 10mg uk special info into dihydrotestosterone, which is responsible for the reduction in the blood supply to the male organ for an erection. An incident of chest ache in minutes or hours subsequent with intercourse is cialis pharmacy also accounted frequent issue among person suffering with coronary artery illnesses. It improves your overall health and makes you a capable lover to perform better in bed and cipla viagra offer her enhanced sexual pleasure. I started one of my first small missions just last week, where I conducted my first Tasting Party. A group of Mamas gathered to taste delights from LT, but more importantly to talk about the trials & triumphs of nourishing our families.

Because here is the deal, even with four years under my belt as an ‘Executive Meal Planner’ and an ‘Executive Mama’, I typically feel I have no idea what the hell I am doing. Not because I am failing miserable, but because there are constant surprises, changes, growth, struggles and most of all… POSSIBILITIES.

That last word has been breathing in and out of me almost daily since moving back to Colorado. Life is brimming over with possibilities… most of which I do not know or understand yet.

So, back to today. Please be a part of the next four years of Lilly’s Table. My heart is exploding with all that could happen, but I need to hear from you. What do you want from me?

More stories?
More recipes?
More tasting parties?
More supper clubs?
Mama focused meal plans?
Kid’s lunch plans?
So. Many. Possibilities!

How can I best EMPOWER you, your family, your friends, your school to CELEBRATE FOOD?

Tell me what you hope to see unfold and I will do my best to deliver. All we have left friends are possibilities and love. Always love.

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Celebrate food,

Chef Lilly

PS- As of LT’s fourth anniversary I have decided to change my tagline from “Live well” to “Celebrate food”. Let me know what you think!?

Mama has gone Coco-Nutty… Granola

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My first-thing-in-the-morning routine is simple: Wake up. Brush my teeth.

When I walk out of the bathroom, my day has begun. This is often my only time alone during the day, unless my baby wakes up and insists on joining me. Regardless, if I do not brush my teeth at this time, it may never happen as I rarely sit still until bedtime, much less have time in the bathroom for such luxurious matters as teeth brushing.

So, this is how the routine started one recent morning. We have a ‘jack & jill’ cabinet that I love, because you can access it from the hallway or the bathroom. This is oh so convenient since we only have one bathroom. But this morning, as I reached in to grab my toothbrush in a groggy state with barely an eye open, suddenly there was a loud whisper and a head poking out on the other side. I did the most natural thing one does in these moments, when one is in a semi-dream like state and then woken by a total creeper:

Blood. Curdling. Scream.

Of course, the creeper was merely my husband and his attempt to keep the children asleep was foiled by me. And my damn scream.

Fast forward just an hour or so, I was still a touch shaken by my only daily little “self-care” routine being so disrupted, and I decided a shower might do the trick. I probably should have considered eating somewhere in there, but since the day began with such a rude alarm, eating did not seem plausible. The baby joined me, because otherwise he just screams and pulls the curtain back: not pleasant. My 4-year old is typically happy to have some time to just hang out alone quietly playing or drawing.

The shower was so calming and relaxing that I finally let the morning melt off me and I let go of my slight low blood sugar. Zed and I climbed out of the shower, me in my fluffy robe, him naked. Ah, here I was: finally ready for my day.

I peaked out, feeling sparkly, and called out to Juliette: “Hey sweetie!”
“Juliette”
“Juliette?”
“Juliette!?”
“Juliette Allison!?”
“Juliette Allison Steirer!?!?”

Of course, I was dashing in and out of every room gathering up more hysteria in my search. After running out to the backyard feeling rather underdressed, I decided the front yard was my only option after one last dash through my house. And who has time really to get dressed when your child is missing?! I ran out, screaming with utter franticness, wearing only a bathrobe and naked baby in tow; a complete spectacle I am sure.

I finally came to the helpless realization that yes, yes indeed the only explanation was quite terrible: she very much had to be completely lost. Gone.

Then I turned around and looked up to see my Juliette, finger in her mouth, leaning on the front door’s frame, twinkle in her eye: “Mama?!”

I am amazed at how many emotions one can feel in a single breath:
Relief.
Happiness.
Anger.
Frustration.
Elation.
Annoyance.
Gratitude.

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I deduced that she was in her bedroom during my manhunt probably tucked in her messy closet, but beyond that I am not certain as to why she did not respond back. We had a little discussion about future times when one calls her name. Anyone, but especially me. Then I decided to get rid of my morning’s low-blood sugar once and for all with my rendition of this Coco-Nutty Granola. Although, I actually didn’t follow that linked recipe or even took a peak at it while I was baking, but it seems unfair not to credit it since it has floated past my pinterest page a bazzillion times it seems. I first made this when we were on a detox, which was grain-free, vegan, no soy, etc. and so breakfasts were challenging us until I whipped up a batch of this. Now we cannot get enough of it.

As Juliette and I sat together peacefully with our bowl of goodness, drenched in freshly made coconut milk, strawberries and berries, she asked me what I was grateful for. This is a common enough question at our mealtimes, but I couldn’t respond until I ate a few more bites and felt my heart palpitations slow a bit. Finally, I looked up and said:

Juliette, I am grateful for you, darling. Always. I love you so much. But, I beg you, never do that to me again.

My Seedy-Coco-Nutty Make this RIGHT NOW Granola

4 cups of your favorite nuts*: almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios, brazil nuts (try them all first, because our brazil nuts ended up being weird- typical I realize)
1/2 cup coconut or olive oil or your favorite oil (or even butter… oh decadence, that sounds amazing!)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup apple or orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla or almond extract
1 cup sunflower &/or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sesame, chia, poppy &/or hemp seeds (I combined them all!)
1/4 cup flax meal (this helps them stick together.)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups large coconut flakes

Roughly chop your nuts. Spread on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 300 F.

Stir together the oil (you may need to melt it, if using coconut oil or butter), honey, apple juice, and vanilla. Quick tip: Keep your measuring cup clean(ish) by measuring the oil first in a liquid cup, then the honey, which will slide right out of the lubricated cup and then finish with the apple or orange juice which will hopefully pick up the remaining goop.

Drizzle the liquid mixture across the nuts and toss.

Toss all of the seeds together with the salt and sprinkle them all over the sticky nuts. Fold in the large coconut flakes. Place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes until they are crunchy. I make this on cool evenings, and typically turn off the oven, leaving them to dry out a bit further into sticky goodness overnight.

* Please note: I soaked my nuts overnight before making the granola, but that is entirely optional. The soaking plumped them up a bit and made me feel like I was somehow stretching this rather expensive cereal into something bigger. Again, it doesn’t make a difference, so do not sweat this step. I share that only for full disclosure.

You certainly can play around with this recipe in so many ways: add spices, longer/shorter bake time, all seeds, no seeds, dried fruit, oats, buckwheat grouts, quinoa, etc. Sky is the limit on this amazing ‘cereal’.

May your morning routines be a bit smoother than ours!

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

Distractions & 8 Lessons

Falling in Love with Real Food… again.

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I love food. And vegetables bring me oodles of joy!

Why? Because vegetables love me back. Sitting down and munching on a big bowl of goodness like these Braised Fennel Turnips & White Beans leaves me feeling rejuvenated and restored in ways that processed food could never.

But, it wasn’t always this way and today I want to come clean as I share my story of starting with goodness, abandoning it and then returning to the love. Continue reading →

Loving up Alton Brown Live!

Warming up, not Detoxing down

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The highs of the holiday season, whether the stress was positive or negative, leaves most of us with a bit of a let down. Or maybe in my case it is really just a sugar crash after I realize my Christmas Cookie tin is empty.

As we commit to a renewed year of health, success or whatever your heart desires, I find this post-holiday time is a bit like climbing a mountain after dancing your way into a deep valley. While the holidays are a whirlwind of fun, I sometimes wish I was starting the trek up to all of my higher goals with the person who I was back in September.

Alas, here I am, my body a little more tired and my mind a bit more relaxed, but dare I say slightly unmotivated. With the enthusiasm of resolutions around me, I enjoy picking up on the excitement. Although, as in last year’s case, I gave myself a bit of grace, let go of my usual intensity and instead simply survived until I surrendered.

I didn’t mention food in that previous post, but it certainly, as always, was a big factor in what did and did not happen in my life. When I consider the meal plans I am sharing in January, I think about how many of you will wonder where the smoothies and juicing recipes are that will help throw you into all of your diet resolutions.

Let me share something I have learned from my dear friend Naturopathic Doctor Kaycie Rosen Grigel. January, despite its post-holiday gluttony, is a terrible time to detox.

I can hear you frantically wondering what I am talking about as you look at advertisements, posts and pins for all of the get-your-body-back diets that promise to help you drink & shrink into pre-holiday figures.

Now, it is not that I am against a good detox. Dr. Grigel has actually helped me with a detox that was an incredible experience and I honestly cannot wait to do it again. (I will even go so far as to say: stay tuned!) The reason to avoid a detox this time of year is actually more reflective of the rhythms of the season.

Even when I lived in mostly sunny & hot Tucson, January and February made me want to curl up, snuggle with a buddy and fill my body with warming, comforting foods. Although, please do not take me for an indoor only soul as I love to ski, snowshoe, read near a fire after sunset and dance outdoors whenever possible, too.

Regardless of my activities, only occasionally do I crave a cold, sweet (or even subtly sweet) liquid during the winter.
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I completely respect that a smoothie or fresh juice may be all you want to drink right now and I imagine if you crave them you know exactly what to throw in your blender or juicer. But, I implore you to step outside (as I so often ask my daughter to do on days when she refuses a jacket) and consider your natural place in this world. A chilly participant who needs to refuel for a season of staying inside cozy or playing outside while breathing in the crisp air.

Maybe this new year skipping the detox trend in January and opting for foods that truly refuel will give you the body and spirit you desire for 2014.

Of course, I also want to feel refreshed and rejuvenated after the gluttonous holiday season and my best strategies are with steamy vegetable packed soups, bone-broths and cups of my favorite herbal infusions and teas.

Lilly’s Table meal plans this month are full of plant focused warm-inspiring real food. A beloved recipe that can be made vegan or chicken broth based is the nourishing Hearty Miso Soup. One slurp and your body will be thankful.

I did sneak in a smoothie for this week’s meal plan as I didn’t want to disappoint- since ’tis the smoothie season, but it is a simple Banana Nut Smoothie which is protein packed with any nut butter of your choice. Perfect for those days (chilly or not) when you are craving ice cream! I am clearly still having a few post-Holiday sugar cravings. 😉

May you find comfort in everything nature has in store for you this month.

In delicious health,

Chef Lilly

Juliette holding her baby brother, Zed.

One year ago, I was sitting, uncomfortably pregnant in a casino parking garage, with our sleeping daughter in her carseat as my husband went to see if there was any room in the inn. I attempted to distract myself from the chilly weather by staring blankly at a New Year’s resolution to do list.

Prior to that day we had celebrated Christmas in Tahoe with my whole big family and it was joy-packed. But, leaving that vacation left me a bit lost.

In years past, I felt so excited about all of the possibilities the New Year grants and yet 2013 seemed too confusing and overwhelming to make any plans.

Beyond knowing we were welcoming a child in the summer, we were waiting to find out about my husband’s long list of job applications. After flying out for an interview in Colorado, we were anticipating hearing if he had beat out hundreds of others applying for the fellowship.

Packing up my house, leaving an incredible community of like-minded friends & food lovers and attempting to run Lilly’s Table in between, left me somewhat sad and defeated.

There were possibilities to look forward to, but I was too distracted by my sadness & confusion to truly dive into the happiness.

As I stared at the New Year to-do list, I wrote down how much I hated resolutions and feeling smug I vowed to simply ‘survive’ the year.

Yes. I allowed my full drama queen to come out.

But, that notion of ‘just survive’ stuck with me this past year better than any other resolution I have ever set. For better or worse, I struggled to grow past it.

Thankfully, life had magic in store for me.

That move to Colorado did happen. And we were welcomed with wide-open loving arms of friends who we dearly missed. Then, we found ourselves in a confusing housing market. This lead to a decision to buy our first home, with the help of a small investment I made years ago and my gracious parents. This was something we figured wouldn’t happen for many more years and we are overwhelmed with gratitude.

Next, we welcomed our son Zedekiah. This was a highlight for sure.

His birth was as uncomplicated and beautiful as one could hope for. He arrived hours after I picked my Mom up from the airport. We brought him home to meet both grandmothers when he was nearly five hours old.

As an additional blessing, he was born in the exact room and tub as his sister despite the fact that we had moved away from Colorado and had an incredible two year adventure elsewhere.

I remember the moments before he was about to join our world, I felt intense contractions that brought up flashes of the past nine months before my eyes like a nauseating movie spinning around my head. And with his arrival, all of that frustration seemed to melt as I looked at his sweetness and love.

Just try avoiding happiness with this guy around.

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While my to do list and busy-ness surrounding the needs of a young baby has increased, his happiness is contagious and I am left grateful.

More joys have happened, too. My daughter started pre-school and we watched her confidence and independence blossom. My husband received that exciting fellowship and is enjoying his work. My mother-in-law has joined us and as I type she is reading stories to my children, which not only gives them special grandma love, but her help allows me to write this and to work on a job I adore: Lilly’s Table.

Picnic on our new front lawn. Everyday moments bringing bliss to each of us.

My list of gratitudes through the big and not-so-big moments this year ended up being fairly endless despite my efforts to simply survive. Not everything was shiny & peachy, but the presence of those challenges made the bright spots more dazzling.

As this year closes, another “s” word keeps popping up in my mind: SURRENDER. And it is a word that feels so delicious and empowering. Especially, when I consider surrendering to joy and diving as deeply into that as my soul allows.

I write all of this for those who may be hesitating about what the year could bring. Especially, if this is a time when setting goals seems a recipe for failure as life has other plans for you.

If you are tempted to live your life simply surviving, if you only feel defenseless against your circumstances, I send you love and peace. And above all empathy. I also encourage you to surrender: To joy. To love. To everything that leaves you grateful.

In this past year, I dove a bit deeper into the work of Brene Brown an incredible shame researcher who I have followed for the past several years. I want to close with her inspiring quote about twinkle lights:

Juliette & Xerxes putting up the twinkle lights

I think the beauty of twinkle lights is the perfect metaphor for joy.

Joy is not a constant. It comes to us in moments- often ordinary moments.

Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we’re too busy chasing down the extraordinary moments. Other times we’re so afraid of the dark that we don’t dare let ourselves enjoy the light.

A joyful life is not a floodlight of joy. That would eventually become unbearable.

I believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude and inspiration. -Brene Brown

What about this past year has filled you with gratitude? What were the joys? Let us celebrate 2013 together as we bid this year farewell.

With love,

Chef Lilly

SEASONAL BITE

NEWSLETTER

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well.

Category Archives: Personal

Lilly’s Table turns Four!

Mama has gone Coco-Nutty… Granola

Distractions & 8 Lessons

Falling in Love with Real Food… again.

Loving up Alton Brown Live!

Warming up, not Detoxing down