This recipe is sponsored by Colavita We have soup weekly in the cooler months (or really, whenever the craving hits) and this Meatball Soup has become a new favorite family-friendly soup. With a flavorful tomato base, tender meatballs, and al dente pasta, it’s both easy and cozy. Plus, you can make it with veggies blended right into the broth, use homemade meatballs or store bought ones, according to your preference, and make it ahead to reheat in the moment....
To help you more easily find the snack recipes on my website that can be most easily made without added sugar, this list of no added sugar snacks is here to help. These work as easy baby snacks, yummy toddler snacks, and just quick bites that rely on other ingredients for sweetness (or are savory). Some of these healthy snacks to make have the option to sweeten to taste with honey or maple syrup, but you can skip that of course....
I love starting the day with a dose of veggies, which is why we do a lot of toddler smoothies in the warmer months. But come fall and winter, we turn to oatmeal a lot. It’s budget-friendly, easy to make, and so simple to customize with all sorts of different flavors…including pumpkin spice! This recipe has a nice dose of pumpkin, but a subtle flavor that everyone will enjoy. And you can serve it up whether you like or have rolled oats, instant oats, steel-cut oats, baby oatmeal…and you can transform the leftovers into a riff on overnight oats....
I’m a huge fan of sweet potato paired with Mexican flavors and this easy vegetarian taco recipe is one of my family’s Tuesday night favorites. I love that the filling roasts together on a baking tray, that the ingredients are super budget-friendly, and that the components of the meal are so easy to combine in different ways to please everyone at my table—baby and toddler on up. You can actually serve the filling in a Burrito Bowl, in a burrito, or as tacos shown here....
Strawberry bread has been a beloved recipe for decades, especially popular during strawberry season when fresh berries are abundant. This recipe combines the sweetness of ripe strawberries with a moist, flavorful bread, making it a delightful addition to your strawberry recipes collection! This strawberry bread recipe is loved for its simplicity and the incredible burst of strawberry flavor in every bite. The combination of sour cream and milk ensures the bread is moist and tender, while the fresh strawberries add a natural sweetness and vibrant color....
I love adding produce to recipes to add moisture and flavor, and zucchini makes such a nice addition to these soft-baked cookies. They’ve become a favorite zucchini recipe when we have too much zucchini from the garden in the summer or when I have an extra from a trip to the store. Combined with oats, a few pantry staples, and mini chocolate chips, these zucchini cookies are a yummy snack or dessert to share with the kids....
Eating Out with Kids When my first daughter was a baby, we tried taking her out to eat. Given that she was colicky, this was so nerve-wracking and we almost always opted for outdoor dining. It got even more challenging when she became a toddler who wanted to be moving, playing, and throwing all of the things. I’ve since had two more kids and have gotten better at eating in restaurants with kids (usually!...
I love keeping healthy treats on hand so we have them when we want something sweet. These No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls are one of our favorites—and I love them extra since they store so well in the fridge! These peanut butter balls don’t require too many ingredients and all you need to do to make them is to stir the batter together and portion out the balls. Easy and delish....
Soup for Kids Whenever the weather turns chilly, we start our routine of “soup Sundays” (which is exactly what it sounds like) and I so love working through a variety of soups to share with the kids. These easy recipes are perfect soups for babies and toddlers as they are full of bright, kid-friendly flavors, have easy cooking methods, and are designed to be enjoyed by the rest of the family too....
Strawberry Yogurt This fruit yogurt is one I’ve offered to my kids from the very beginning of their journey with solids because it’s easy to keep the ingredients on hand, and it takes only seconds to make. Plus, the strawberry flavor is just so good, and it’s less sweet than ones typically sold at the store—which means that fruit flavor comes shining through! It’s perfect as a nutritious toddler breakfast idea, as a nutritious baby snack, or as an easy preschool snack sent in a reusable pouch....
The bright colors and joyful presentation of these fluffy cupcakes bring out the child in everyone, making them a reliable crowd favorite. The use of rainbow sprinkles, the hallmark of funfetti cupcakes, has been a beloved addition to baking since the concept first dazzled dessert lovers. They take traditional white cake and add a playful and festive spirit to any gathering. These confetti cupcakes are basically happiness in cupcake form....
Brownies are one of those desserts that EVERYONE loves, right?! Perfect for sharing, try these Easy Caramel Pecan Brownies which have an irresistible crunch, and our Ultimate Butterfinger Brownies are just what every chocolate-peanut butter lover needs! Listen, I love a good, solid, chocolate brownie straight-up, just like the next person. Does it need any special adornment to entice me to devour? Definitely not. But taking an already amazing fudgy brownie and pairing it with perhaps the best frosting known to humankind creates a completely irresistible dessert that definitely deserves its own post....
If you love dumplings (aka if you’re human) then you need this recipe in your life. With crispy sesame seed bottoms and a spicy Korean pepper paste (gochujang), creamy crumbled tofu, and juicy cabbage filling. They’re SO good! Possibly even the most perfect two-bite sized food there is! They’re just bursting with flavor and perfect for dipping. If you’ve resisted the allure of making your own dumplings/gyoza/potstickers from scratch in your very own kitchen for your eating pleasure, it’s now time to change that....
It’s so easy to make, and works great with any cut of chicken. The end result will be tender, succulent meat that you’ll want to make again and again… Marinades are such a great way to enhance the flavors of your food. Some of our favorites are our Jamaican Jerk Marinade, Cuban Mojo Marinade and Carne Asada Marinade. This Greek Chicken Marinade is right up there with the best of them....
When it’s summer and corn is in season, we love to use it in lots of dishes. Some of our other favorites are Corn Fritters, Grilled Mexican Street Corn, and even Corn Ice Cream! Grilled Cactus and Corn Salad When I think of Arizona, I think of cactus! Every time I visit Arizona I am amazed at many, many cacti that cover the landscape. If you have never seen a saguaro in real life, they really are impressive and majestic things!...
Growth Chart Percentiles From the CDC: “Growth charts consist of a series of percentile curves that illustrate the distribution of selected body measurements in children.” At each check up we have for our babies, and then for our kids as they continue to grow, we’ll be told where they are on the growth chart—but it’s all too easy to worry that a child in the, say, 24% is too small, and one in the 98% is too big....
More than just a sauce to toss with fettuccine, it’s quite versatile and can be customized in a ton of ways. Plus, it only takes about 10 minutes! We prefer to make our own pasta sauces from scratch. From simple Pomodoro Sauce to the all day affair that is Sunday Gravy, homemade is always the way to go. Why We Love this Sauce Creamy Goodness. Seriously, who doesn’t love a creamy cheesy sauce?...
If you haven’t tried making homemade donuts before, it’s actually a really fun and satisfying process, albeit a little messy. The big names in donuts like Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts have nothing on our classic apple fritters! Some of our other favorites to make at home are our Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnnuts and Apple Cider Donuts. These Homemade Apple Fritters check all the boxes! Finding a really good apple fritter at a donut shop is hit or miss....
Make your own homemade chili oil. It’s easy to make from dried chiles and crushed red pepper flakes. Simply heat up the spicy peppers in a small amount of oil to toast them and bring out their flavors. Then add the rest of the oil and warm it up to infuse with chili. This recipe is adaptable, as written it’s not particularly spicy by my tastes, but adds a flavorful warming heat to anything you drizzle it over....
Love a toasty beverage? Be sure to also try our Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix or Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Cider! Last December I shared a recipe for European-Style Hot Chocolate, which is absolutely amazing and delicious in its own right. But this year I wanted something a little bit different while still being every bit as warm and rich and satisfying. This homemade white hot chocolate definitely fits the bill!...
