I Bought $12 Bakery Bags on Amazon, and Now I Want to Bake Bread for Everyone

Once you start baking bread, it’s only natural to shop for bakery bags. There’s no denying that giving someone a fresh-baked loaf is more fun when it looks professionally wrapped. So, fresh from my own hunt for the best way to gift sourdough to friends, here are some recommendations worth trying!

bakery bags for bread

The only thing better than a fresh loaf of sourdough is a fresh loaf of sourdough someone made you and wrapped in a clean bakery bag. Presentation, am I right? Read More

14 Freezer Meals for New Moms

This post on freezer meals for new moms is part of a series of articles on bringing meals to friends who’ve had babies or are sick. Interested in learning more? See also Instagram survey results and this interview with Amanda Waddell. Or, if you have an idea or feedback on the topic to share, message me anytime!

freezer meals for new moms

Have a friend who’s been in the hospital? Are you pregnant and prepping for those postpartum days? Whatever the case, when you want meals that can be made ahead of time, frozen and then popped in the oven, here’s a roundup of great ideas for freezer meals for new moms (or anyone in a tough spot). Browse through and get inspired with what to bring or prep! All recipes feature comforting meals that can be brought fresh or frozen.Read More

Fourth of July Desserts: Mini Fruit Pies

Looking for Fourth of July desserts that are fun, adorable and easy to share? Take your standard fruit pie and miniaturize it in muffin cups. I mean, think about it: is there anything cuter or more seasonally appropriate than mini lattice-topped fruit pies, filled with red and blue fruits?

Fourth of July Desserts: Mini Lattice Pies

Let’s say you’re going to a picnic or potluck in the next few weeks. You want to bring some cute summer dessert–a dish that tastes great, looks good and is kid-friendly if possible. You could bring ice cream, but it melts. Brownies, cake or cookies, but you’re uninspired. Then you remember pie and picture it: a golden, lattice-topped pie filled with red and blue fruit. Even better, you think, why not up the cute factor by making the pies mini, little hand-held treats baked in a muffin tin?Read More

Sourdough Starter: Where to Get One, What Kinds Are Out There

Before you can use tools like a brotform, artistically copy an intricate scoring pattern you saw on Instagram or bake a beginner sourdough recipe, you need one thing: a sourdough starter. It’s the one non-negotiable for all naturally leavened foods. So when you’re ready to be on Team Sourdough, here are four types of places to source one.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the idea, a sourdough starter is, essentially, pretty simple: flour plus water plus time. Supported by the wild yeast and lactobacilli in the air, the flour and water become a living culture. That living culture is an entity capable of birthing some of the world’s favorite baked goods.Read More

Food Gifts for New Moms: a Q + A with Amanda Waddell

When it comes to food gifts for new moms, Amanda Waddell is an inspiration. She occasionally posts her meal deliveries on Instagram–thoughtful, nourishing packages of homemade meals and treats–before she drops them off to someone. They’re just incredible. So, curious to learn more, I recently quizzed her about her hobby. Read on to see what she had to say about taking meaningful meals to new moms! All photos used with permission from Amanda Waddell.

food gifts for new moms: a q + a with amanda waddell

Tell me about the meal packs and food gifts for new moms that you make. How long have you been doing this, and how did you get started?

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[survey results] What to Bring a New Mom

When you’re sick, overwhelmed or newly postpartum, there are few things as comforting as food. When someone drops off a meal, it’s like a life raft in a sea of exhaustion and a reminder that you’re not alone. So what to bring a new mom, new parents or someone who’s ill? In a recent informal Instagram survey asking that question, a few conflicting opinions and several consistent themes emerged. Here’s a look at the results.

what to bring a new mom [instagram survey]

It’s a time-honored tradition to bring meals to new parents or people who need support. In fact, the idea is the main subject of The First Forty Days (affiliate link), a book Mother Mag says is geared especially towards the healing postpartum period for new moms. According to the review, this book incorporates “the wisdom … in which a new mother is pampered and cared for, sometimes isolated from the distractions of the outside world, so she can solely focus on rest and recovery for herself and the new baby.”

No matter what you decide about what to bring a new mom, bringing over some sort of meal is usually a welcome favor. Why? As one Instagram respondent said this week, “That postpartum period is HARD. All the hormones, the recovery, still getting to know your little one–it’s a lot. And having someone take care of this need for you means so much.”Read More