Posts

Simple and homey, this Apple Ginger Quick Bread is a tender loaf studded with chunks of fresh apple and spiced with ginger and cinnamon. Replacing some oil with applesauce adds even more apple flavor and moisture. It’s perfect for a breakfast treat or afternoon snack. Easy, comforting quick breads are one of my favorite things to bake. This apple ginger quick bread comes together in under 15 minutes and fills your house with the wonderful aroma of baked apples, cinnamon, and ginger....

It’s like the Filipino version of congee, with a nice blend of ginger, garlic and fish sauce that gives it a unique taste. The best part is adding my favorite toppings!! Boiled eggs, crispy garlic, plenty of scallions and a squeeze of lemon. It’s such a simple dish, but it’s perfect for when I need something warm and filling. Every culture has that one dish you reach for when you need a little comfort, especially on days when you’re feeling under the weather or when the weather itself is a bit gloomy....

Years ago, a friend mentioned to me that her favorite tradition during the holiday season was making homemade baklava and we have started the same tradition since then. Although there are a few steps to assembling the baklava, none of them are difficult! It only takes trying it once to realize just how easy it is to make truly fantastic baklava at home! You kind of have to love nuts to love baklava....

Since I haven’t been able to eat caramel apples for years thanks to my braces (adult orthodontia is the worst, I tell ya – hopefully I’ll have them off by next year!), I figured I can get my caramel apple fix in pie form. And salted caramel apple pie is delicious indeed. (Updated 2021: Braces are off! I can now eat regular caramel apples but still love this pie as much as ever!...

Disposable Lunch Boxes If you can’t use a reusable kids lunch box, baby lunch box, or bento lunch box for any reason, or are just running out of patience with losing reusable ones (ha, real life!), here are some options you can consider that can be tossed right after using. Some of these work better for certain foods, so read through the options to get a sense of how I recommend them (or use your best guess!...

Kids Aprons Aprons for kid are a kitchen essential if you often have the littles with you cooking or prepping food. We’ve tried a lot over the years and I’m so happy to share my favorites today. These are great toddler aprons (including ones for one-year-olds) and big kid options options—and many will last from one kid to the next! My kids are with me a lot in the kitchen, doing toddler kitchen activities, helping me to bake kid-friendly recipes (like cookies for the holidays and everyday snacks like Graham Crackers and Cheese Crackers), and using their kids kitchen tools, so having a way to keep them a little cleaner is key for me....

I’ve cooked and baked with my kids regularly, starting when they were toddlers since it’s a fun way to be together and be productive. We have a few tools that we love to use to help make our experience a little easier, and I am delighted to share them with you today. These kitchen tools for kids hold up well through typical toddler wear and tear and are great additions to your kitchen (in addition to our favorite toddler learning tower)....

Busy parents, this one is for you! Don’t you just love dinner recipes that are all made in one pot? It makes life and clean up so much easier! This one-pot Cajun Pasta with sausage and peppers is just that. My sister made this for us last summer when we visited her family over the 4th of July and I fell in love with it. The flavors in this Cajun Pasta with Sausage are absolutely amazing!...

I don’t need any fancy ingredients or extravagant spices, nor do I need to follow any complex cooking techniques. All I use is a regular soup pot and a bit of patience to create the tastiest, most delicate chicken broth filled with loads of veggies to enjoy. It’s straightforward, comforting, and just perfect for me. For many Mexicans, a big bowl of Caldo is welcome any time of the year, even if it’s a million degrees in summer time....

These Caramel Apple Pie Crescent Rolls are a deliciously easy Fall dessert. Gooey caramel and apple pie filling is wrapped up in buttery crescent roll dough then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Only 6 ingredients and they are ready in under 30 minutes. Ready to eat right out of the oven, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to take them over the top. If you need a quick treat, these caramel apple pie crescent rolls are sure to do the job!...

Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins Every time I go to our local big box store, I always walk by a giant stack of Little Bites muffin boxes. And while I almost never have the urge to do copycat recipes, this one stuck with me—because I just knew I could make an equally tender little muffin that the kids would love. And with the inclusion of yogurt and a little less sugar, and a super simple method, these are exactly the kind of homemade snack that makes me excited....

This date bar recipe is a yummy snack or breakfast since it’s easy to eat and seriously satisfying. It’s lightly sweet and has the most delicious flavor combo from almond butter and dates. It’s made with a base of rolled oats, eggs, and almond butter—and blueberries and dates—so you’ll know the kids are getting a nice mix of nutrients in each bite. It’s easy to make this date bars recipe gluten-free if you use GF oats, and it is packed with protein and beneficial fats for the little ones … though I love it just as much for myself!...

Cauliflower Cheese Sauce I love adding veggies to sauces to add flavor and nutrition to food for kids—it’s often an easy and effective way to boost nutrient intake! And the thing about using cauliflower in this cheese sauce is that it adds creaminess and nutrition, but blends right in. And the best part? You can make it ahead of time, stash it in the fridge, and use it as needed throughout the week....

Bring home this German Beer Garden and Oktoberfest party food and introduce it to your friends and family. Make a big heap of these savory treats to get that party going, because everyone will be going back for seconds… Seriously, when Jason suggested these balls, his German blood after all, I kinda rolled my eyes. I do like sauerkraut in moderation here and there, but I don’t go crazy at the sight of some kraut....

When nourishing a baby, it can be so (so!) hard to also nourish ourselves. And while we all know that we should, it can be daunting simply due to the demands on our bodies and our time. That is where smoothies come in. Smoothies are one of the very best ways I have found to feed myself well when caring for babies (and toddlers). (Along with these Lactation Cookies.) This postpartum snack or meal is quick to make, loaded with nutrients, and incredibly easy to drink even if you need to be caring for baby at the same time....

There are a few things I aim for with my recipes to make them easier for families to enjoy, these include short ingredient lists and accessible ingredients. And since I know dishwashing tends to be one of the factors that can make cooking so much harder—and it is one that is often never acknowledged by us recipe developers—I wanted to put together a collection of toddler dinner recipes (suitable for the whole family) that require just one pan for cooking....

When it comes to Christmas cookies, these peanut butter blossoms are the first to be made in our house every single year. Everybody loves these Hershey’s Kisses cookies, and they always make it onto my holiday cookie trays. Peanut butter blossoms are a classic Christmas cookie, although I’m not sure why or how, as there’s nothing inherently Christmas-y about them. However, this peanut butter blossom recipe is perfect for taking to a cookie swap or leaving out for Santa on Christmas Eve....

After having such success with my Applesauce Cake and Sweet Potato Cake, I knew it was time to add a pumpkin cake to the mix. And this easy pumpkin cake recipe is absolutely so delicious. It requires only one bowl to make it—no stand mixer required. There is also a full can of pumpkin puree in the batter, which means no concern about potential waste! The texture is soft and pillowy, the flavor lightly pumpkin spiced, and the whole thing gets topped with a creamy Cream Cheese Frosting....

I am going to just say it: I am not a huge fan of the flavor of quinoa on its own. And while I don’t believe in making anyone eat foods they dislike, I have found that serving quinoa mixed into these quinoa cakes is a terrific way to improve its naturally grassy flavor. I LOVE these for myself and as a way to make quinoa for kids. The beauty of this recipe is that you can make the quinoa way ahead and stash it in the fridge or freezer....

When my oldest was a baby, there was a period that I remember so well when she was hungry. And while she was still learning to eat, I found that an easy pasta recipe with a hearty veggie-based sauce was a simple way to help her fill up before bedtime. This baby pasta recipe is one that I served to her (and my other two kids) when they were babies and as an easy one-year-old recipe, but it has stayed in rotation since then....