Explore Our Side Dishes Archives

Sixteen Things to do in Nice, France

September 29, 2023

Our weekend in Paris kicked off our week-long adventure through France. Our next stop is where we would be spending the rest of our week basking in the sun (and heat!) of Nice. We had an amazing time. Like our Paris itinerary, I filled our days with tourist attractions, but made sure to take it at a slower pace and throw in relaxation all around. Here are some things to…

September 29, 2023 By Brian

France/ Side Dishes/ Travel

Paris in Thirty Six Hours

September 27, 2023

We recently traveled to France and spent a short time in Paris before heading to Nice for the remainder of our week. While we wished we had some more time in Paris, I built a just-right itinerary to hit all the spots in the short time we had available to us. This is how we saw a piece of Paris in thirty six hours. The idea of this trip has…

September 27, 2023 By Brian

All Recipes/ Cooking Through Cravings/ Lunch and Dinner/ Side Dishes

Orange Chicken Fried Chicken Sandwich: Cooking Through Cravings

August 16, 2023

Oh my gosh. This orange chicken fried chicken sandwich was so good. There are notes, but overall, this was a really good sandwich. I love anything Fatima fries. Chicken, shrimp, fish tacos; there’s really nothing she can’t fry. Lilies and Loafers has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by Lilies and Loafers. This recipe can…

August 16, 2023 By Brian

All Recipes/ Comfort Food/ Side Dishes

Food to Eat After Oral Surgery

April 26, 2023

I just had my wisdom teeth removed. On the oral surgery scale, it’s like the least troublesome. But any small disruption in my daily routine is like the end of the world haha. I knew that I’d be limited to certain foods in recovery, so I planned my surgery in an off time of the year; between holidays and right before summer. Once I got through the first few days,…

April 26, 2023 By Brian

Millennial and Parents/ Parenting/ Side Dishes

Black Maternal Health Week 2023

April 12, 2023

Yesterday kicked off Black Maternal Health Week. Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. This is on top of the fact that women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than in any other developed nation. Black Maternal Health Week is a reminder that so many families experience pain, neglect, and loss during what should be…

April 12, 2023 By Fatima

DIY/ Side Dishes

DIY Food Photography Boards

March 29, 2023

As we grew the blog, I needed to elevate our photography mis en scene. Since you eat with all your other senses before you taste food, our photos needed to look good. Eventually, we bought some backgrounds. I love them, but I could not justify their cost when I wanted to change them out. So I made these DIY food photography boards; some with wallpaper and some with paint. I…

March 29, 2023 By Brian

All Recipes/ Celebrations/ Christmas/ Dad Bakes Cookies/ Dessert/ DIY/ Gift Guides/ Side Dishes/ Valentine's Day

DIY Gift: Cookie Jar

December 21, 2022

A previous version of this post for DIY Cookie Jar was published in February 2013. We took new photos and adjusted the recipe. Valentine’s Day (and the week leading up to it) gives us a sweet excuse to make delicious treats. This DIY cookie jar is a perfect gift to hand out to your friends and loved ones. Although Fatima and I would love to hand out jars of MarquisRitas, we…

December 21, 2022 By Brian

Celebrations/ Christmas/ DIY/ Side Dishes

Chalkboard Ornament

December 5, 2022

A previous version of this post for DIY Chalkboard Ornament was published in December 2013. We took new photos and updated some of the written content. Here’s a thought, let’s make a chalkboard ornament! Take all that chalkboard paint you bought earlier this year and spray your ornaments. We got these ceramic ornaments from Michaels for about $1. Let them dry and write a message or draw a picture! This…

December 5, 2022 By Brian

Celebrations/ Christmas/ DIY/ Side Dishes

DIY Faux Gingerbread Houses

November 30, 2022

A few weeks ago, an Etsy ad jumped into my Pinterest feed pushing a faux gingerbread house to me. These weren’t just any old gingerbread houses. These were dollhouse-sized replicas of historical homes. They were gorgeous and way out of my price range. But they gave me an idea. Can I make these in real life? And then I saw a video of someone making faux gingerbread houses on Pinterest.…

November 30, 2022 By Brian

Celebrations/ Family Fun/ Halloween/ Parenting/ Side Dishes

Halloween Decorations and Costumes 2022

October 31, 2022

I cannot believe this is our fifth year celebrating Halloween as a family…and it’s Blair’s first Halloween! We (I) got so many new Halloween decorations to display around the house. This year, Liam was adamant about being Spider-Man. I did not put up a fight because that meant we could reuse his birthday costume. Lilies and Loafers has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of revenue from…

October 31, 2022 By Brian

Celebrations/ DIY/ Family Fun/ Halloween/ Parenting/ Side Dishes

Boo Baskets

October 29, 2022

What are Boo Baskets, you ask? They’re like Easter Baskets. Instead of a ‘bunny’ delivering them, a ‘ghost’ delivers these baskets. Boo Baskets are just another excuse to fill something up with candy and goodies to give to kids. This year, I was feeling extra festive and wanted to send my nephews and niece some goodies for Halloween. Target’s Halloween pails were only $1 and we found a lot of…

October 29, 2022 By Brian

DIY/ Family Fun/ Halloween/ Parenting/ Side Dishes

Fall Crafts for Kids

October 21, 2022

After the success of our summer crafts for kids, I needed to continue arts and crafts for Liam, but themed for the fall and Halloween. Our son has been loving the arts and crafts sessions we do on weekends, school holidays, and rainy days. We get to practice cutting, gluing, taping, and working our imaginations. But my main goal is for these projects to be fun. Here are some of…

October 21, 2022 By Brian

Halloween/ Side Dishes

Unboxing Halloween

October 14, 2022

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love the lead up to Halloween even more. I think it’s just the whole autumn vibe I love about this time of year: the cozy lattes, crisp and cool air, carving pumpkins, leaf colors etc. Oh, and the decorations. On our YouTube channel, we started a new series called Unboxing Halloween! Lilies and Loafers has affiliate relationships, so we may get a…

October 14, 2022 By Brian

DIY/ Family Fun/ Parenting/ Side Dishes

Six Summer Crafts for Kids

September 14, 2022

Liam loves arts and crafts. Throughout last year’s school year, he brought home so many crafts. We didn’t know what to do with all of them. So when camp ended a few weeks ago, we wanted his days between camp and the start of the new school year to remain structured. So in addition to reading his favorite books, writing in his workbooks, and three-thirty p.m. movies, I held art…

September 14, 2022 By Brian

DIY/ Family Fun/ Millennial and Parents/ Parenting/ Side Dishes

Gallery Wall for Preschool Artwork

September 7, 2022

We are a family who celebrates everything. The first time using the potty. The first time sleeping in your own bed all night. The first time sleeping in your own bed consistently at night. Your first art project. Fatima and I want our kids to be proud of themselves; to find that inner motivation to keep going. When Liam brought home his first art project from school, we hung it…

September 7, 2022 By Brian

Cooking Through Full Plate/ Side Dishes

Chinese Five-Spice Fried Chicken: Cooking Through Full Plate

September 5, 2022

We couldn’t pass up an opportunity to make some fried chicken. This was one of the first recipes we made from The Full Plate. I love my fried chicken recipe and I’m open to trying new ones. I wanted to like this Chinese five-spice fried chicken, but it seemed to be missing a spark. It wasn’t the spice, it wasn’t the batter. It was just another fried chicken recipe. Before you…

September 5, 2022 By Fatima

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