Yes! It’s the Friday before a three-day holiday weekend, and most of you probably have grand grilling plans, right? You’re in luck — this week’s Forky Friday is filled with links to tasty recipes for all your barbecue party needs.

But don’t worry: if you’d rather stay indoors and eat a bunch of worms, I got your back, too. 

Let’s jump right in!

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Late Sunday night, the Nombomb clan returned home from a quickie trip to Disney World in Orlando.

Although we all had a blast — the boys flitted from park to park while I soaked up lots of great information and advice from the inspiring folks in attendance at Food Blog Forum — we were ready to crash in our own beds again.

Or on the floor near the baggage return carousel at the airport, snuggled up against a much-loved, well-traveled stuffed cat.

This morning, everyone was finally ready to get back up and at ‘em. After I made the kiddos breakfast (seared sausages, sliced apple, and pastured raw milk)…

…I assembled a quick frittata with spinach and seasoned ground beef for Big-O’s school lunch.

I finished cooking the frittata in the toaster oven, divided it up, and stuck a slice in Big-O’s lunchbox and one in my piehole.

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I’ve got a recipe that’s quicker, healthier, and tastier than ordering takeout from your neighborhood Thai joint.  Just grab some chicken (or whatever quick-cooking protein on hand) add some frozen and leftover vegetables, and stir in some curry paste and coconut milk. After a few minutes on the stove, you’ll have a fragrant, flavorful curry. Instead of tipping the delivery guy, you can give yourself a pat on the back instead.

My PSA of the day: Make sure your pantry is stocked with a few Thai curry pastes. My favorite brands are Aroy-D and Mae Ploy and I like yellow, red, and green. You can buy these pastes at most Asian markets, but choose the ones that only contain herbs and spices. Read your labels, folks.

Ingredients (Serves 4 people):

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or fat of choice
• 1 small onion, chopped medium
• 1-2 tablespoons Thai curry paste (whichever color you prefer)
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 10 ounces frozen vegetables
• 2 cups leftover roasted kabocha squash
• 2 tablespoons apple juice (optional)
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

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Welcome to another edition of Forky Friday!

For a change of scenery, this post is being produced in the dark confines of our hotel room in Orlando, Florida. With amber goggles shielding our bleary eyes, Henry and I are silently tapping away on our laptops while the Double-Os sleep in the neighboring bed. Every time I hear one of them stirring, I (quietly) slam my laptop shut and hold my breath. Who said being a blogger wasn’t glamorous?

I’m here at Disney World to attend the Food Blog Forum all day Saturday, but I hope to squeeze in some family time at the parks during my non-conference moments. These past few weeks have been a nonstop flurry of activity, so I’m looking forward to decompressing with my boys — and there’s nothing more relaxing than being flung around like a rag doll on a bunch of thrill rides. Whee!

Enough about me — let’s get to the links. The gems I’ve curated this week include a restaurant’s “wild” menu that has some people seeing red, a spot-on rant by one of my favorite food writers, some cool giveaways, a bunch of tempting recipes, and a video that’ll inspire you to book a gastrotour of Spain.

Let’s dig in!

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The other day, I asked you guys what motivates you to keep cooking. Personally, whenever I’ve got the kitchen doldrums, I watch the video below. It makes me want to keep cooking, cooking, keep on cooking…

Now that we’re all properly inspired, go roast a chicken…

…or fry up a Thai Rolled Omelet.

Bon appétit!

I’m a bit obsessive about testing and re-testing my recipes, so before heading out the door this morning, I tried out my recipe for Uova in Purgatorio one more time to see if my latest tweaks pass muster.

Success!

I have a feeling we’re going to be eating these little egg pots for days…

After fueling up, I hopped in my car with Cheryl Sternman Rule to meet up with Irvin Lin in San Francisco so we could chat over coffee about blogging and social media.

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(Yes, I’m almost 40 and I still call her Mommy. Sue me.)

This blog would not exist if it weren’t for my mother, and not just because she gave birth to me. It’s because she was the one who raised me to be an obsessive food nerd.

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Hooray! It’s the Friday before Mother’s Day! That means I’m just two days away from being pampered by my husband and kids. Am I right?

*crickets*

Fine.

Let’s get back to my weekly roundup of cool links from the wild, wild web. This edition of Forky Friday is packed with lots of fun nuggets: a news segment featuring the Paleo Parents, a great salt primer, and a slew of tempting springtime recipes to whip up this weekend. You know — for your long suffering mother. *Ahem.*

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Two weekends ago, Henry and I took a last-minute, 42-hour trip to Kansas City on clandestine Nom Nom Paleo business. (Don’t worry, all will be revealed in due course.) The few meals we had in KC were already planned, with the exception of Sunday brunch. I’m a firm believer that no meal should ever be wasted, especially in a new-to-me city.

Although we’d hoped to try the legendary barbecue at Oklahoma Joe’s, it’s not open on Sundays, so I polled my pals on Facebook and tweeted my favorite Kansas City homie for recs on the best brunch in town. After scrolling through the different options and checking out Zagat scores, Yelp reviews, and restaurant websites, I chose Bluestem.

Bluestem is located in the historic Westport neighborhood, where the streets are dotted with bustling restaurants and funky boutiques. Chef Colby Garrelts has been nominated seven times for the Best Chef of the Midwest by the James Beard Foundation, and this year he won the coveted prize. (In your face, Susan Lucci!) His food has been described as “progressive American cuisine with seasonal selections and a bounty of local farmers and producers to showcase the best of Kansas City and the Midwest.”

Admittedly, I’m a bicoastal food snob who was wary about Midwestern cuisine (outside of Chicago). Bluestem might be good for Missouri, but it can’t be better than what I’ve eaten in San Fracisco or New York, right?

Wrong! Our meal at Bluestem may have been one of my favorite brunches of all time.

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