I love making super simple smoothies for kids as a way to offer nutrients that they don’t always eat straight up, and this super straight forward avocado smoothie is a favorite. It’s creamy, satisfying, and perfect to make for the kids—or to share with them! The combination of the sweetness of the mango and the creaminess of the avocado means that this smoothie is ultra smooth. And it’s perfect to serve from a smoothie cup, a sippy cup for toddlers, or a reusable pouch....

Craft Kits for Toddlers My girls are crazy into crafting and we almost always have a project (or two) going at any given time. It’s a fun way for kids to be creative and occupied, and I wanted to share some of the best craft kit options for little kids. From monthly subscriptions to ones you can buy one at a time at the store, here are our favorite options for the creative kiddos in your life....

Best Frozen Foods You certainly don’t need to keep all of these frozen foods on hand, but having a few of them ready for quick meals, daily cooking, or even backup in case illness keeps you at home for an extended period can help. I love how frozen foods are processed at their peak ripeness, so frozen produce is often better-tasting than what we can find fresh. And frozen foods can be so helpful either as full meal options or just components of the meal....

Every summer when the peaches come on, we make all of our peach favorites, like Fresh Peach Cobbler and Peach Pie. We even grill peaches and serve them with vanilla ice cream for a quick and easy treat. But we always make sure to churn at least one or two batches of this old-fashioned homemade peach ice cream. This fresh peach ice cream recipe is loaded with real peach flavor from 2 full cups of fresh peaches....

My kindergartner had a Polar Express class party last week before going on Christmas break. Thankfully, I wasn’t in charge of the party this time around, but when I was asked to provide the hot chocolate for the party, I jumped at the chance to do a little experimenting and refine my recipe without having to consume entire batches of hot chocolate all by my little old self. Kindergarten metabolisms are much better suited than mine to downing large quantities of hot chocolate, especially the super rich kind made with plenty of cream, whole milk, and sugar!...

When caramelized onion dip meets a white bean dip, magic happens. And by magic, I mean a really yummy dish is made. Swapping out the cream cheese and sour cream for white beans, and it’s obviously not going to be the same. But that’s ok, it’s not the point! White beans make a great creamy base for a dip. They’re mild tasting, and have a lightly nutty flavor that pairs nicely with the sweet caramelized onions....

Decorative breads are so fun to make and enjoy around the holidays! And they are actually a lot easier than you might think! Really, if you can make cinnamon rolls, you can make this Star Bread. It’s even easier than making challah or babka, and it never fails to impressive at a Christmas brunch! I can totally see making this and serving it as part of a family lesson about the Star of Bethlehem that appeared on the night of Jesus’ birth....

When I was researching foods that Georgia is known for as part of my American Eats series, Coca-Cola was one of the top results. The Coca-Cola Company was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1892 after all! I contemplated making coke cake or even glazing our Easter ham with a coca-cola pineapple glaze. But then Cooking Bride posted her coca-cola jello salad on Instagram. And a few days later when we happened to be in Georgia visiting my college roommate, I picked up one of those paperback cookbooks with plastic comb binding titled “Georgia Cooking” with a collection of local favorite recipes and I was immediately drawn to a recipe for coca-cola jello salad....

When it comes to macaroni & cheese, nobody does it as well as Costco, in my opinion. It’s my favorite! The flavor is just amazing and it’s so creamy and comforting and gooooooooood. I have tried lots of mac & cheese recipes over the years but hands down this one is the best. So naturally I had to recreate it at home. The only other copycat Costco mac and cheese recipes I saw called for alfredo sauce, which didn’t seem right to me, so I looked up the ingredients listed on the Costco mac & cheese package and went from there....

It’s the perfect way to use up your St. Patrick’s day leftovers, but also comes out great using canned corned beef. I’ve loved corned beef hash ever since I was a little kid. Back then it was always the canned stuff, which I will still happily eat any day. Yeah, maybe as a food blogger I shouldn’t admit to that, but it is what it is. Fry it up until it’s crisp, top it off with a fried egg and a few splashes of hot sauce, and I am sure to start my day with a smile....

We LOVE soup and I’m always looking to expand my collection of the best soup recipes. This one has skyrocketed to the top of my list and I’m currently obsessed with the flavors and textures in the creamy, savory broth that is perfectly seasoned with parmesan cheese. My easy chicken tortellini soup recipe has tender chicken, nutritious veggies, and cheese-filled tortellini cooked in a rich and flavorful broth with just the right amount of cream and parmesan cheese to set it apart from any other soup you have tried....

These chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting and a strawberry on top are one of my favorite recipes using strawberries because not only do you get a perfectly moist chocolate cupcake with a mound of homemade strawberry buttercream, but there is also a chocolate dipped strawberry on top of each cupcake! Two desserts in one? Count me in. Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes are decadent desserts that look so impressive but are easier to make than you think....

Of all the kitchen tools used for cooking, the air fryer is easily my favorite and the one we use the most. It’s simple and quick, with easy clean up, and it does a great job of cooking whatever food you are making. It’s become a go-to method for me when I want to cook a simple protein like chicken thighs and I don’t want to heat up the oven....

For more delicious meatball recipes, try my Swedish Meatballs, Baked Greek Feta Meatballs, Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs, and these delicious Grape Jelly Meatballs. Made with flavorful and juicy meatballs in a rich tomato sauce with pepperoni and plenty of gooey cheese inside Hawaiian sweet rolls, these sliders are topped with a delicious butter and parmesan glaze. It’s the perfect snack for game day or as part of your party table spread....

This easy-peasy Caramel Apple Eclair Cake is one of my favorite variations on the classic No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake! These no-bake desserts are sometimes referred to as icebox cakes because they have creamy layers that soften crunchy cookie layers until you have a soft combo that is reminiscent of a cake without ever needing to turn the oven on! Cinnamon, apple, and caramel is one of the best flavor combinations ever, so I thought it would be fun to try making an apple icebox cake with them....

Cook it in a slow cooker (as we are doing today), on stovetop, or in an Instant Pot. It’s a surefire hit every time. We’ve had a big, meaty ham bone in the freezer ever since the holidays. Last year we cooked an amazing Ham Bone Soup. As much as we love that recipe, this time around we wanted to whip up something new for you. Why You’ll Love It Rich and Hearty Flavor: The combination of tender split peas, savory ham, and different veggies creates an incredible flavor profile....

Summer Meals I am always in favor of simplifying cooking whenever possible and summer is a great time of the year to do it. This way, we can enjoy more time at at the lake, pool, beach, playground, or with friends—or just take some of the load off when we have to go to work and feed everyone on normal days. This post includes easy toddler breakfasts, favorite kids lunches, weeknight family dinner ideas, healthy family meals, and more that feature some seasonal and summery ingredients for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert....

Tomato Bruschetta Recipe Need a fresh and delicious appetizer to share that is easy enough for a beginner? This easy Bruschetta recipe is ready in just 10 minutes with only a handful of ingredients like a crusty baguette, juicy Roma tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and minced garlic. We tried to recreate our favorite bruschetta from our time spent traveling through Italy and this is the best version we have found anywhere!...

Cozy right on up with your sweaters and fuzzy slippers friends, cause we have vegan baked ziti to eat! It’s made with a homemade tomato sauce stuffed full of vegan seitan sausage and with a completely logical amount of homemade vegan mozzarella sauce. It’s rich and cheesy and everything you want in a pasta bake! I’ve had baked ziti on my to-make list for months. Quite possibly since last winter....

You can use this vegan ricotta in any recipe that calls for dairy ricotta. It’s perfect for stuffing into large pasta shapes, for layering in a lasagna. I love it scraped over toast, and as a pizza topping. It’s delicious tucked into grilled or roasted veggies, and makes a fabulous addition to salad. It’s a bonus that it’s rich in protein, contains good for you vitamins and minerals, and healthy fats....