It's amazing to me how different sliced almonds are from their whole-nut brethren. Smooth, subtle, and somehow more almond-y than uncut almonds, those little blond shards have become my favorite stealth flavor and texture weapon lately. And not just because they are loaded with protein, calcium, fiber, vitamin E, and good-for-you fat; they are also scrumptious. To appease my addiction, I add them to pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt, salads, rice dishes, and whatever fruit happens to be on hand for breakfast. Much to my surprise, my 2 1/2-year-old--who thinks he likes whole nuts and often tries one when a dish has been set out, only to spit it into my hand moments later--loves them also. 

Who: Mother of two girls, ages 5 and 6
Where: Dobbs Ferry, NY

1. Tonic. Two bottles. Must never run out for nightly gin and tonic.

2. Trader Joe's Natural Peanut Butter. I had been giving my kids the sugar-loaded kind (because it's what I grew up on) and decided recently to try to convert them to all-natural, since we go through peanut butter like water in my house. I did a half-and-half spread for a few weeks and then slowly made the mixture 100 percent natural. Now none of us can eat the old stuff.

3. Three-pound Flying Pig Pork Roast Loin. A holiday gift from a friend. We're going to braise it, shred it, and make it the centerpiece for a taco bar this weekend when a few families come over.

4. Sprout Bread. I toast it and have it with natural peanut butter almost every morning for breakfast.

5. Ice Cream. Our vice. We all have it almost every night.

6. Sliced peppers. We buy a ton of peppers on the weekend, and my babysitter slices them up for us. The kids snack on them, and they're an easy add to an unbalanced dinner plate or a green salad.

7. Frozen Blueberries. My friend Lori's son is suddenly eating no vegetables. His pediatrician told Lori to give him nutrient-rich antioxidant-loaded blueberries at meals, for snacks, basically around the clock until he gets out of the phase. This was enough to convince me to always have a supply on hand. We drop them into muffins, pancakes, cereal, oatmeal. Just about anything.

8. Gatorade. We drink it by the caseful in my house. My husband chugs it after runs, and the girls beg for it (and we almost always give in).

9. Homemade Salad Dressing. Such an easy thing to do on a weekend and such a nightmare to do after work. My go-to is Our Favorite Salad Dressing (yes, it's actually called that) from the very first Silver Palate Cookbook. It's about 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, a squeeze of lemon juice, 1/2 cup good olive oil, salt and pepper, and any fresh herbs you have lying around.