tomato bread + a bit about spain

Before we had kids — you know, when we got to do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, or so it seems in glowy hindsight — we went on vacation whenever we found an intersection of cheap airfare and unused vacation time. Then (and I bet this isn’t an unfamiliar story) we had a kid and travel abruptly stopped. What with all of the upbeat stories of angelic children on airplanes, enthusiastically staying seated for 8+ hours and effortlessly adapting to new time zones and cuisines, I can’t imagine how, can you? Plus, between naptimes and nappies and strollers and sippies and snack cups, wouldn’t we just be spending a considerable amount of money just to find a new group of strangers to apologize for our kids-being-kids to?

las ramblas gaudi's casa milà black vermouth at bar kasparo
bar kasparo xurros/churros, xurreria dels banys nous xurros/churros, xurreria dels banys nous
first cortado barcelona hostal de la granota

Fortunately, a couple of years in, reality set in too: we’re parents, we have kids, we’re not getting any younger. We don’t wait to wait 20 years to see the world again, so going on kid-adjusted vacations is still better than staying home. I’m so glad we did.

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20 Vegetarian Dinners You’ll Love This Fall — Recipes from The Kitchn

It’s hard to be sad about summer’s departure when fall favorites like pumpkin, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, apples, and more are rolling into the market any moment. Use their arrival as a marker to shift the meatless night in your meal plan to one that makes these veggies the star of the hearty, comforting dinners that makes this season so remarkable. There’s everything from curries and soup to comforting casseroles and hearty salads. To get you started, here are 20 vegetarian fall dinner recipes that are not to be missed.

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10 Things to Know About Your First Yom Kippur — Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, which translates to the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish Year. It’s a serious holiday. The point is to ask G-d and your fellow humans for forgiveness so you can start the year with a clean slate, and deem yourself worthy of another year on earth. (NBD.) The intense period of reflection is accompanied by a day-long fast.

A cheat sheet to a holiday with such gravitas is a good idea for first-timers, so here are 10 things you should know about your first Yom Kippur.

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10 Easy One-Pot Vegetarian Dinners for Fall — Recipes from The Kitchn

When you start with a single Dutch oven or skillet, adding a meat-free night to your meal plan couldn’t be easier. These warming dinners embrace all the good things this season has to offer, like pumpkin, squash, and plenty of soups. But best of all each one starts with just one pot or skillet, which means dinner comes with the promise of quick and easy cooking, and an equally breezy cleanup.

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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Oatmeal on the Stovetop — Tips from The Kitchn

Oatmeal deserves all the praise it gets: It’s hearty, fiber-rich, wholesome, and ridiculously comforting when you wake up and really just want to stay in bed. While the porridge is incredible easy to make, there are a handful of things you can do each time you ready the oats and a saucepan to ensure your bowl will be at its very best. Here are five thing to keep in mind.

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20 Essential Slow Cooker Recipes for When You’re Feeling Lazy — Recipes from The Kitchn

We all have days when we feel so lazy that calling for takeout seems like a chore. It’s on those days that the slow cooker’s abilities shine the most. Muster up enough effort to toss a handful of things inside of it the morning of or night before and let it work its magic. Here are 20 of the best recipes that are made for moments just like these.

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Recipe: Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken — Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman/The Kitchn)

Coming of age in the High Mall Era meant the food court was the first stop before buying a new halter top or catching Freddie Prinze Jr.’s latest flick. Despite being a mall regular, I always debated between choosing the oversized pizza slice or sticky-sweet chicken teriyaki. Chicken teriyaki always won. Today, I rarely make it into a mall, but on days when my energy is low and the need to feed my family is high, the urge for chicken teriyaki takeout is strong.

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Next Week’s Meal Plan: 5 Easy Weeknight Dinners for Back to School — Next Week’s Meal Plan

This week my daughter started kindergarten in her new school in our new city. We’re still working on finding preschool for our littlest kiddo, but it feels like we are finding our way back to a regular school-year schedule. After a hectic summer, it feels glorious.

I imagine most of you are in the same boat we are: looking for easy weeknight dinners that will make this first week back into a new schedule enjoyable. This week’s meal plan is exactly that: Five family favorites that are perfect for back to school.

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