Posts

Chia Seed Oatmeal I love oatmeal of all kinds—with fruit, with mashed banana, with carrots—and I really love adding in extra nutrition so it’s both filling and yummy. Chia seeds are awesome in oatmeal because add fiber and healthy fats and soften up nicely. They can also help the oatmeal hold together so older babies and 1-year-olds can enjoy it easily as a finger food. This recipe is straightforward and involves cooking the oats, adding milk and chia seeds, and choosing a fruit for flavor (and more vitamins) if you’d like....

Chocolate Chia Pudding There are only two ways that I’ve found that my kids enjoy eating chia seeds—in my Blueberry Chia Jam and in this crazy delicious Chocolate Chia Pudding.(I also love my Coconut Chia Pudding.) I am ridiculously excited to share this with you today because it can be made in minutes and is a perfect make-ahead breakfast to have on hand and serve up throughout the week. It’s also great for snack or dessert, according to the day....

With the wintery cold setting in, I find myself eating a lot of pasta and a lot of soup. I look towards warming foods that fill the belly and satisfy with rich flavors and textures. It’s even better when they’re filled with good for you wholesome ingredients like this curry sweet potato, kale, and peanut stew! This hearty, stick-to-the-ribs stew is inspired by the West African maafe with a definite American twist to it....

Easy Easter Idea I love interactive kitchen activities for the kids and this Easter snack or lunch is our favorite one in the spring. We usually do it a few times leading up to Easter since my kids love the novelty of it, and I love how easy it is to put together using whatever foods we happen to have on hand. You simply put the elements of lunch or snack into plastic Easter eggs and let the kids hunt and open the eggs to see what they find inside....

I love easy pasta salads and this one is a favorite that we turn to for dinner all the time—and it also works great to pack as an easy school lunch idea. The pesto gives it fresh flavor and nutrition and the rest of the ingredients are super simple and easy to prep. I love this pasta salad recipe because it’s really straight forward and it relies on veggies for crunch, beans for protein, and pesto for flavor (and extra nutrition)....

There is nothing like loaves of homemade bread coming out of the oven. Some of our other favorites are Sweet Molasses Brown Bread, Easy Rosemary Focaccia Bread, and Amish White Bread. You’ll love this Light Rye Bread I am a big-time bread fan, whether it’s a sweet molasses brown bread, a classic loaf of french bread, or a strong caraway rye bread. Bread is one of my favorite foods. Since I had never made rye bread before, I looked to a lot of resources online to get an idea for how to approach it and what kind of rye bread would work best for my family....

Tomato Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes If you have a pile of fresh tomatoes to use up, but you don’t have time to spend a day canning, you will love this recipe. And if your kiddos love pasta, you will double love it. It took me a few years to figure out this method, but it’s by far the easiest way that I’ve found to quickly turn a pile of tomatoes into delicious spaghetti sauce....

The past few years, every time I’ve traveled with my kids, we’ve stayed in a rental house. I prefer this since we have more space (and better sleep!) and we can save on eating in restaurants by shopping for groceries and eating at the house. It can often feel overwhelming to plan meals when away from home though, especially when there are kids involved, so these easy vacation meals are here to help....

Sore Throat Popsicles When we need foods for sickness, especially for little kids, it can be so hard to find options. And it can be so hard to comfort them—especially before they can fully tell us what they’re feeling. To help, I love to have easy foods and drinks on hand to help soothe them, including popsicles. This recipe for sore throat popsicles relies on fruit for the creamy, soothing texture, as well as vitamin C and are a hydrating food....

I marinate the chicken in citrus juice and soy sauce for that extra boost of flavor, then braise it in tomato sauce until it’s tender and falls right off the bone. It’s a dish that’s sure to impress! ALERT: It’s going to be very difficult to say NO to rice when this one is finished cooking in your kitchen! I am always excited when some stew or curry is happening in my kitchen....

Yes fajitas are, believe me or not, a “quick throw together” meal. And though it’s most commonly eaten with tortillas, this platter also has low carb and gluten free options. And most importantly, it’s addictively delicious. Fajitas, to me, are one of the most fun meals you can enjoy with your friends and family. The fun aspect comes in when you take this beautiful colorful platter to the table, followed by the excitement when you dig into it in various ways....

Breakfast Egg Casserole Recipe If you are agonizing over what to make for your next brunch that is as impressive as it is easy, this Green Chili Egg Casserole is the answer. Even though the recipe is vintage, it’s super on trend with the cottage cheese craze that is viral these days since it’s such a great source of healthy protein. Savory and satisfying, with a much punch of flavor from the diced green chilies, this breakfast casserole egg bake is assembled in under 10 minutes and never mushy or soggy like the croissant casseroles that you usually see....

All you need is a flavorful marinade, and a few tips and tricks, to cook these thighs perfect every time. Let’s get grilling! Flame grilled chicken seems to be one of those foods that find it’s way to every corner of the globe. From Indian Tikka, to Greek Souvlaki, to Mexican Pollo Asado, there are a huge variety of flavors out there. And once you master the technique, you’ll be enjoying these versatile grilled thighs in so many ways!...

So you want a vegan steak and potatoes meal? Please, look no further! This hearty stick-to-your-ribs meal will fill you up and satisfy like no other. We’re talking delicious vegan seitan steaks, high in protein and with a great chewy but tender texture. A savory shallot gravy, sweet sautéd zucchini, and buttery mashed potatoes. This recipe takes advantage of my homemade seitan steaks which grill up beautifully. The seitan is fully cooked before you grill it, so you just want to grill long enough to heat it through and get those grill marks....

Shake ‘n Bake has been a household favorite for decades, offering a simple yet tasty way to prepare pork chops. The boxes of Shake ‘n Bake at the store made a convenient semi-homemade dinner solution for moms and dads across America back when it was introduced in 1965. All you had to do was drop your meat into the bag of seasoning, shake it up and bake it for a quick dinner fix that pretty much everybody loves....

This Instant Pot Pork Roast is so delicious and easy to make. If you’ve never made pork in the Instant Pot before, you will now! Seasoning and browning the meat takes just a couple of minutes, then the Instant Pot magic happens, and you thicken the sauce afterward and serve. It really is that simple – and it’s ready in just 90 minutes! And the balsamic vinegar pork roast is divine with a savory sauce that is perfect for spooning over mashed potatoes in place of gravy....

This Italian Sausage Soup demands to be in your meal rotation all through out the year. And who could resist it on any night when those hearty, comfort cravings call for a bowl full of soup brimming with good old Italian flavors? Sure not me… I go through a lot of soup bowls here, winter or not. Why not? They are super easy one pot meals that are ideal for quick weeknight dinners....

Considered the “holy trinity” in Italian cooking, it is essential for soups like Minestrone and Ribollita, as well as Ragu Sauce. Today we’re sharing a few tips and tricks to help you get it just right… What is Soffritto? Soffritto is a simple sauté of three aromatic vegetables: onion, carrot and celery in olive oil. It is used as a starting point for many recipes. It has many cousins around the world, the most similar being the French mirepoix, which consists of the same three vegetables cooked in butter....

Instead of flash cooking the meat, like a Chinese pepper steak, cook the meat low and slow until it melts in your mouth. This Jamaican style pepper steak ends up with tender strips of beef in a tasty, savory sauce, with colorful bell peppers cooked to sweet perfection. I have been cooking this dish for years, and it’s about time I present it to my readers. You will absolutely love this beef dish, which is not the usual stir fry pepper steak....

All you need then is an unlimited supply of tortilla chips… We love all kind of salsas. They come in all tastes and textures, from our simple Pico de Gallo and Salsa Verde, to fiery Salsa Taquera and fruity Peach Salsa. It’s all good when you scoop addictively till you finish that giant bowl. But by far, this Mango Salsa is our Favorite, Why? The sweet and tangy flavors are simply too addictive....