Blueberry Puree Packed with antioxidants and fiber, blueberries are a wonderful food for babies and toddlers—and they are so easy to turn into a simple blueberry puree that doesn’t even require cooking. And: You can make this with fresh or frozen berries, which means that it’s a budget-friendly homemade baby food recipe to make all year long! TIP: I’ve never had an issue with this not tasting sweet enough, but you will want to use berries that taste good when you sample them....

Babies and Salt It’s true that everyone, including babies and toddlers, need a small amount of sodium in order for their bodies to work properly. But this small amount of salt is really something babies will get from naturally occuring sodium in healthy foods like meat and dairy and even breastmilk. The Deal With Sodium Added sodium, like the salt you shake into the food you’re cooking or that’s found in packaged foods, should be avoided for babies as much as possible....

Easter Basket Ideas for Toddlers When I was a kid, I always looked forward to white chocolate in my Easter basket and our family egg hunt around the house with plastic eggs filled with coins. We don’t quite have the same traditions as I did when I was growing up (though we are planning to do an egg hunt this year!) but we definitely do Easter baskets. I love thinking about Easter treats that are surprising, fun, and also some that are things that the kids actually might need....

If you’ve got ground beef in the freezer and are looking for more ideas, be sure to try our Tex-Mex Doritos Taco Salad or maybe make a batch of Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs next! While ground beef stroganoff might not win any prizes for beauty, everybody always asks for second-helpings when I make this easy recipe for dinner. It’s a family favorite and one of our go-to meals, especially when the weather is cool because it’s so warm and comforting!...

We love Spring and Summer, and we LOVE fresh berries. Especially strawberries. We always have a few containers of strawberries either from going berry picking or grabbing a flat of them from the farmer’s market during berry season. They’re so fresh and sweet and juicy! But every now and then the strawberries start to turn before we get to them. That’s what I tend to use them for baking in things like this delicious strawberry cake, Strawberry Shortcake, or Strawberry Scones....

I have beautiful memories of making homemade vanilla ice cream each summer at my grandparents’ home in Idaho when we would go visit them. My grandma would mix the ice cream base and pour it into the tall metal canister that my grandpa would carry out to the back porch and pack in ice and rock salt. Then he would churn it by hand in an old, saltwater stained ice cream maker....

Crispy Cast Iron Chicken Thighs If you are in a chicken dinner rut and need something new to wake up your family’s tastebuds, these Cast Iron Chicken Thighs are a sure fire way to liven things up. With only 5 ingredients and mostly hands-off effort, this easy dinner recipe is a weeknight winner and one that your family is going to be requesting in the regular rotation from now on! Looking for more chicken dinner ideas to change things up?...

But today I’m bringing you one of the most iconic dishes out of Austria: Chicken Schnitzel. We published our Jägerschnitzel recipe (pork schnitzel with mushroom gravy) nearly five years ago. That’s pretty mind boggling! Today, I am taking a culinary trip back to Austria with Chicken Schnitzel. It’s basically just a fried chicken cutlet, but it’s so easy and so good that it absolutely deserves a spot in your weeknight dinner rotation....

A good chocolate cake recipe is like a little black dress: everybody needs one. Maybe this chocolate bundt cake will be yours? It’s definitely one of the best, right up there with our Moist Chocolate Cupcakes, One-Bowl Chocolate Cake, and Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake. If you haven’t made a bundt cake in ages because you are afraid of it sticking to the pan or coming out dry, this is your sign to give it another try....

We love all kinds of meatballs. Fried, baked, doused in sauces or just stand alone bombs straight to your mouth. Only one rule applies to the meatball, it must be juicy, tender and packed with flavors. We will tell you all the tips and tricks on how to make them tender and juicy, and of course there is never a shortage of flavors when it comes to GypsyPlate… 🙂 Today we are making these meatballs, not by the traditional frying, but baking them in the oven....

I make it with rashers (which are just another name for bacon) and bangers (that’s sausages, of course). I love layering it all with onions and potatoes, though sometimes I swap in turnips for a keto-friendly twist. Then, I slow cook it for hours, letting everything simmer together with chicken broth in the oven at a low temperature. And let me tell you, the result is pure magic in a bowl!...

Making homemade refried beans is so much easier than you might realize, and they’re an incredibly easy way to serve up vegetarian protein in a budget-friendly dinner. This slow cooker method takes time, but the slow cooker does all the work so all you need to do is add the beans and water and come back later in the day! We love these beans in tacos, burritos, and vegetarian quesadillas, with rice, or as refried bean dip....

Packed Lunch Ideas Deciding what to pack for lunch can feel like such a challenge, especially when we have to do it day in and day out. But with a few easy kids lunch ideas, you can take some of the work out of it because you’ll never have to start from scratch again. The ideas in this post will give you basic categories and options to start with when making packed lunches for kids, so you can always have a firm base to then build on with what you have in the house and the foods your kids prefer....

Avocado Puree Avocado is a favorite first food for baby since it’s not very likely to be allergenic, has lots of healthy fats and nutrients including vitamin E, folate, and magnesium, and has a silky texture that’s great for new eaters. I love making avocado puree to share with baby since there’s no cooking involved and it’s so super easy to do with either a blender or a fork. This is an easy puree when first starting solids, it’s an easy baby breakfast component, and it’s also great for a baby snack since the fat in avocado helps keep baby full until the next chance for food, breastmilk, or formula....

Looking for more game day recipes? Be sure to also check out our Crispy Loaded Potato Skins, Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers, and Easy Refried Bean Dip! Sliders are always a favorite at parties and are perfect game day food because everybody loves a bite-size sandwich! Plus, chicken parmesan sliders are easy to prepare, especially if you use pre-cooked breaded chicken tenders or chicken strips from the store. And the smell of the garlic and butter and marinara just makes your house smell so cozy and inviting!...

My easy version uses leftover lamb meat from any previous meal. How cool! I am always amazed at how a secondary meal, made from what’s at hand, can turn out to be even more delicious than the first. English food is very intriguing and different. We found that on our 5 weeks stint in England last year. But boy we loved it all. From their fish and chips, lovely pies and quirky foods like Toad in the Hole, Bubble and Squeak and Welsh Rarebit, we gobbled everything and some more....

Oven Roasted Asparagus with Garlic, Parmesan, & Lemon Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, especially in the spring when it is in season. We often eat it prepared simply with just a little olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Or turn it into an easy appetizer by making an asparagus tart. But I love the lemon, Parmesan, and garlic flavors in this version and if you take just an extra minute or two to grate some fresh Parmesan, mince a couple cloves of garlic, and juice a lemon, you can have an impressive and incredibly flavorful oven roasted asparagus side dish that is perfect for a holiday dinner or even just your typical weeknight meal....

Every now and then a cookie recipe comes along that steals your heart and demands that you make it right this instant. This is one of those cookies for me. After realizing I had an extra bag of Andes peppermint crunch baking bits and some Oreos on hand, I decided to throw them into one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes and see how they turned out. Needless to say, these have instantly become one of our family’s favorite cookies and I’ll be stocking up on bags of those peppermint crunch baking bits so I can make them even after the holidays are over!...

Let’s take a little trip to the Spanish Countryside. Imagine yourself sipping some sangria (or freshly squeezed Valencia oranges) and looking out over dusty mountains. Sun soaking into your skin, and a delicious spread of food set out before you. I might not have plans to visit Spain in the near future, but I sure can enjoy some of those Spanish flavors. And it doesn’t get much better than a mouth watering romesco....

I love the flavor of Italian sausage, and I’ve found that adding some to a batch of meatballs creates the best flavor and texture—without the need to add much else to the mix. This recipe uses inexpensive ingredients and usually makes enough for at least two meals (depending on the number of people in your house, of course). We like these in jarred tomato sauce, my Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce, or my Extra Veggie Marinara to serve with pasta....