A reader once suggested that the journey to motherhood is akin to walking a labyrinth: a challenging 9-month route to the center, over the course of which that sweet babe grows in your belly, and an equally (if not more) challenging 9 month navigation back to the edge, or maybe more aptly the surface, where you can once again gulp the sweet air of independence and re-assimilate into the society you slowly retreated from, now a full 18 months later. But the thing is, at 18 months (or rather, 9 months out), I still wasn’t quite there. The air still seemed a … Read More
Pigtales 03: Feeding the Babe (Plus Vegan Coconut Waffles and Overnight Chia Pudding)

Pigtales is a glimpse at the going-ons that take place (mostly) outside of the P&Q kitchen. Baby stuffs, things I love, general musings and other tales from my life as a momma, wife and semi-professional goofball. Disclaimer: You know I’m awful at keeping things short. When we were first transitioning Lana to solids, I remember feeling wholly and completely overwhelmed. Moreso than I anticipated, to be sure. Moreso, maybe even, than I felt when we were first finding our way with nursing, which was not without its own struggles. But with nursing, I kept coming back to the idea that I was … Read More
grilled artichoke and cherry tomato pasta with parm, parsley + garlic toast crumbs

There are so many ways to start this post today, I almost don’t know where to start. It’s (un)officially summer! It’s officially mah berfday month! I’m eating dairy again! BRUNCH PASTA! I suppose if you needed to weave all of those items into a common tale, we could talk about how all I wanted for my birthday was to put milkstuff in my facehole again and this totally brunch-worthy pasta that sings of summer is making all those dreams come true. In fact, that’s basically it. I should probably end the post here. But you know meeeeeeeeee. So first off: … Read More
Pigtales 02: A Day In The Life
Pigtales is a glimpse at the going-ons that take place (mostly) outside of the P&Q kitchen. Baby stuffs, things I love, general musings and other tales from my life as a momma, wife and semi-professional goofball. I don’t know what it is exactly about Day In the Life posts that draw me in so, but there’s something about getting to take a little field trip through some of my favorite bloggers’ or celebs’ everyday worlds that leaves me downright giddy. Maybe it’s because there’s almost always a quasi-taboo anecdote that makes the person instantly more relatable (heavens to betsy, Cameron … Read More
sesame balsamic tofu bowls with chile mango + sunflower-cilantro pesto

They don’t yet know this (ok, well maybe they do now), but I am making it my personal mission to get my in-laws fully aboard the tofu train. Not because I’m a super yooge advocate of soy protein or anything (here’s where I’ll remind you that we’re an all-things-in-moderation household), but because I’ve met me a tofu — many tofu/tofus/tofi? in fact — that are off-the-charts tasty, and I’m just not sure they’ve had the pleasure. Ok, I’m certain they’ve not had the pleasure, as evidenced by my mom-in-law meticulously removing tiny cubes of gauzy tofu from her fried rice. (To be fair, … Read More

