Long ago when I was a teenager, we had a well-loved cookbook from a natural foods store in Philly. There was a recipe for crispy brown rice bars that we tried and I’ve always remembered it fondly—and love to make this updated version for my family now. This recipe is just three simple ingredients and it comes together in minutes. It’s sweet enough but also has a nice mix of other flavors, too....
We recently discovered making waffles with savory flavors, and they’ve been really fun lunch and dinner options. (Really, they work any time of the day.) My kids thought I was crazy the first time I put broccoli into a waffle, but once they dipped them in pizza sauce, they were sold. We still do sweet Whole Wheat Waffles, but this is a fun way to offer veggies (or ham and cheese) when you’re looking for an easy meal for the kids…or to share with the kids....
Toddler Travel Beds Oh, toddlerhood. The age that seems to be the in-between stage for everything—as in, your toddler is probably just too big for that travel crib or pack n’ play—or about to be too big for it—but not quite ready for the twin bed at grandma’s house or in your vacation rental. But don’t worry! Not only are toddler travel beds a thing, they also come in tons of options to fit both your kiddo’s needs and your budget....
When you are craving all things gingerbread, make this baked oatmeal for breakfast. Or also consider trying our Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls, Gingerbread Cupcakes, or Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies! Nothing makes a home smell like the holidays more than the aroma of gingerbread spices! Well, except for maybe the fresh pine scent of a Christmas tree. But cinnamon and ginger and brown sugar come in a close second in my book....
These festive Gingerbread Truffles are a perfect recipe to add to your holiday baking collection. Homemade truffles are quick and simple to make, and they look like mini snowballs on the plate! These bite-sized confections have all the delightful flavors of gingerbread, with the sweetness of white chocolate, in a delicious bite-sized ball that is creamy on the inside with a soft crunch on the outside. They are the perfect holiday treat for giving as edible gifts in a festive tin with homemade fudge, peanut brittle, peppermint bark, toffee, or Christmas cookies....
After too much heavy holiday eating, I like turning to these stuffed peppers. They’re light, nutritious, and really balance out the rich meals from the festivities. Stuffed veggies always make a fun meal. My Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Zucchini Boats and Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers regularly find their way onto my menu. This time, I am going with a Mediterranean theme, and making them even healthier by swapping the beef for ground turkey....
I have been having so much fun experimenting with the activated charcoal powder that I used to make our Black Spider Bread Bowl that I decided to throw some into pancake batter and see how it worked there as well. Despite their charred appearance, these coal black pancakes are deliciously fluffy and moist! So forget about Count Chocula or Boo Berry cereal for your Halloween breakfast this year and make short stacks of orange, black, and white pancakes instead!...
This post is sponsored by Colavita. Honestly, I only do “fun food” for kids if it’s actually as easy as the normal version of the food, and this Halloween Pizza fits that goal perfectly! These pizzas are cute, easy to make, yummy, and a nourishing option for this time of the year. I particularly love that they have protein, which means they are a great base for all of the fun that comes with Halloween parties and trick-or-treating....
How to Prevent Toddler Choking We did baby-led weaning foods in our house, so I was always pretty comfortable with letting my girls try new foods. That said, it was clear to me from the start that there are some textures and foods that are just plain tricky for little kids to handle. And then when my oldest was three, she got a small piece of tortilla chip stuck in her throat because she didn’t chew it well....
Toddler Appetites There was a weekend when my oldest was two that we spent some time with my two best friends and their toddlers. It was a really fun weekend away and I love that our daughters had the chance to get to play together. One thing that I couldn’t help but notice was how different the girls appetites were, especially the two that are closer in age. Both are healthy, both are energetic, yet their eating styles were pretty different....
It’s just a matter of shredding some cabbage and carrots, whisking up a quick dressing, then tossing everything together. I recommend making it ahead of time, because the flavors just get better as they mingle. This is gonna be a quick one. I hope you don’t mind. There’s really not much to say, I mean it’s coleslaw. But then again, it’s not just any coleslaw… it’s KFC coleslaw! I’ve been eating Kentucky Fried Chicken since I was a little kid, and they have the best coleslaw....
It’s easy to make using pantry friendly ingredients. And if you don’t already have these ingredients on hand, they’re definitely ones you want to consider adding! Ingredients you need for Korean BBQ sauce: Soy sauce. I actually like to buy low sodium tamari and use that in my cooking. Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce, and it is gluten free. You can use a different soy sauce, but if you use full sodium soy sauce you may want to decrease the soy sauce to 1/3 of a cup just to keep the sauce from getting too salty....
I’m sharing another Afghan recipe today, for delicious stuffed bread. Bolani is an Afghan stuffed flatbread, not too different from the Indian stuffed parathas I grew up with. Except that parathas have layers of fat worked into the dough, and while you can stuff the breads whatever veggie or lentil filling you desire, the most popular fillings vary between the two cuisines. The two most popular bolani fillings I’ve encountered are a mashed, spiced sweet potato filling and a peppery, oniony leek filling....
Lentils and Sweet Potato Soup is more than just a good soup; it’s a bowl full of goodness. It’ll warm you up during soup season in the cold winter months, but it’s also a great healthy soup recipe that can be enjoyed any time of year. This one-pot, easy lentil and sweet potato soup recipe is nutritious and delicious. Plus, the recipe is so versatile and can easily cater to a gluten-free or vegan diet, so it’s great for dinner guests with specific needs and it’s perfect for a hearty lunch, a light dinner, a side dish, or a starter for a dinner party....
Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast Ideas I love a holiday morning when the normal rules go out the window—and the last thing I want is to be stuck in the kitchen cooking while the rest of the family is having fun. So these make-ahead breakfast ideas are perfect for a holiday and are great to make ahead of time. Each feels special and yet doesn’t require fancy or fussy ingredients or cooking methods....
Making Moo Goo Gai Pan is easy and doesn’t take long. With just a few ingredients and a hot pan, I can whip up this delicious dish in under 30 minutes. Plus, being able to control what goes into my meal and adjust it to my taste makes it even better. What could be better than a stir fry? They’re so tasty, and so quick and easy! From classics like my Beef with Broccoli and General Tso’s Chicken, to lesser known dishes like Korean Squid Stir Fry and Vietnamese Shaking Beef, I make sure our wok is well used....
With summer upon us and the weather heating up (it was in the high 80’s here just the other day!), I’m already looking for ways to avoid turning on the oven and heating up my kitchen. Enter the easy, wonderful no-bake pie! When it comes to no-bake desserts, my go-to’s are typically banana cream pie (which I make in the microwave!), grasshopper ice cream pie, and chocolate cream pie. Except honestly, every time I’ve made those I’ve baked the crusts, and it’s really just the fillings that are no bake!...
If you love trying new Christmas cookies from around the world, be sure to check out my Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Rugelach, Greek Baklava, and Italian Pizzelles! I’m going to admit that I was skeptical about making this linzer cookie recipe at home. Linzer cookies seemed like one of those cookies that look pretty but involve more trouble than they’re worth and the end result is just so-so. But I couldn’t have been more wrong!...
This homemade rice pilaf with orzo pasta is a delicious warm side dish that feels fancy and makes any dinner feel a little more upscale, even though it’s incredibly easy to make. Plus, homemade tastes WAY better than the kind from a box, too! Seriously, why pay money for a small box of flavored rice with dried out veggies, when you can mix your favorite seasonings, fresh vegetables, and rice at home and create an amazing taste experience....
This pasta romesco with crispy baked tofu is one my favorite meals. It looks fancy and tastes amazing, but requires very little effort and time to put together. And while I love a project, these easy, healthy, flavorful meals are my bread and [vegan] butter! Er, that is to say, they get me by on busy and/or lazy days! For this dish I used my easy romesco sauce. It’s a zesty, roasted pepper sauce made creamy with ground almonds, tangy with roasted tomato, and a little zippy with charred chiles....
