My Favorite Healthy Grocery Finds at Target! When our Target first started selling groceries, I’m not gonna lie – I wasn’t an early adopter. Eggs and strawberries just didn’t seem right in the same sturdy red cart with new socks for my son, a cell phone charger, and a pair of sandals that caught my …
Recipe for Mock Chow Mein A family favorite growing up was mock chow mein casserole. Even back then I wondered at the name. Besides the obvious chow mein noodles, it was nothing like the chow mein we had out of cans. I’m not sure where it got the name but eventually I adapted it to …
Perfect Roast Beef in the Oven I realize it’s almost summer and it’s HOT and you probably don’t want to use your oven. BUT. This roast beef? 110% worth it! We had amazingly delicious roast beef while using the oven in the heat of summer and didn’t have to pay for the A/C to cool …
Prep Cook a Week of Meals with ¼ Effort I hate cooking. But I like eating! And my family likes eating. Not cooking is not an option, sadly. I tried once a month cooking. That was horrible. Just horrible. There are too many things to keep track of and I have 4 young children. I …
One of the things about the instant pot that caught my attention was the fact that you could cook frozen chicken in a fraction of the time it takes to cook in the oven. The main reason that we end up ordering pizza and cheese steaks so often is because we don’t have anything thawed …
Last year for Cinco De Mayo I happened to be on a fishing trip with my work and it didn’t even occur to me to make my office famous taquitos and queso blanco. So I made them on Sunday, brought them in on Monday, and called it Cinco de Monday. The queso is surprisingly easy …
So everyone is raving about these new instant pot things. I was skeptical at first. I love my crock-pot. My crock-pot and I have a very intimate, loving, and reliable relationship and how dare you for even insinuating that anything could replace that. But the more I heard and the more I read about these …
My favorite cooking appliance isn’t in my kitchen, it’s right outside, literally. It’s my gas grill! I love cooking meals on the grill and use it all year-long — in rain or shine, snow or sleet, as long as there is a clear path leading to the gill, I cook on it. It wasn’t until …
Great Bacon Lover Gifts Bacon is one of, if not the, greatest creations in human history. The smell of bacon in the morning (or any time of day) makes our mouths water uncontrollably. There’s no doubt that many of you bacon fans out there have the same thought process as we do, so we created …
Best Smoothies for Kids The best smoothie recipes for kids can be hard to come around. It can also be just as challenging to get our kids to eat a healthy diet. With the current pace, most of us, our children included, are lucky to get one good meal a day. That is why juicing …
5 Of The Best Smoothie Recipes for Kids On The Planet Read More »
When I posted 10 Breakfast Cereals to Avoid I seemed to have suffered a sugar flashback; and the 1970s-swank, Henry Mancini jingle for Pink Panther Flakes has been stuck in my head ever since. The fuchsia frosted flakes were painfully pink and shamefully sweet, and thankfully, haven’t been seen for several decades–but what an enduring …
A bowl of cereal alone shouldn’t give you or your kids the shakes first thing in the morning. But considering the amount of sugar in these breakfast favorites, don’t be too surprised if you start feeling a little rattled. Here are some of the least healthful breakfast cereals marketed directly to children according to the …
All about Arugula Also known as rocket, rucola, or roquette, this peppery green has been cultivated in the Mediterranean for thousands of years. With high levels of potassium and vitamins A and C, arugula is a nutritional powerhouse. It makes more of a punch, flavor-wise, than most other leafy greens, which lends itself nicely to …
Back when I was a kid, my sister (the unrepentant animal lover) made the public declaration to our family that she was now a vegetarian. She was probably 15-years-old, which is old enough to make these sorts of choices without too much parental disdain, but my father begged to differ. While my father was hardly …
Meat, meat, meat, occasionally corn, and more meat. That’s the dedicated job of many a grill, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The surprising items listed here can become the components of a vegetarian barbecue dinner, or can be grilled alongside meat as accompaniments. 1. Grilled Salad Grilled salad, yum, the antithesis of …
One of the most popular alcoholic mixers in the Western world, vodka is a deceptively innocent-looking distilled spirit with a strong, vibrant kick to it. Its clear, transparent, water-like appearance is a cunning mask for a beverage that often consists of a minimum of 40% alcohol content, and perhaps it should come as no surprise …
Hummus’s popularity has grown considerably over time, and it can lend a Mediterranean flavor to just about any kind of dish. From use as a simple dip with crackers to a way to significantly improve a sandwich or even a funky pizza topping, hummus can be a great addition to many kinds of meals. When …
Quick and Easy Way to Freeze Blueberries If you would like to enjoy blueberries all year round, the best way to do that is to freeze them on your own. The whole process is pretty straightforward and isn’t time-consuming. Many people freeze blueberries to use them in pies, smoothies, etc. and chances are you will …
Coconut oil has only recently shaken off the sorted reputation as being one of the worst oils to being one the best. In the early 1980s the ASA (American Soybean Association) funded a study that found unhealthy levels of saturated fats in coconut oil, the results stipulated that coconut oil had an overabundance of saturated …
Anytime there is a sale on yogurt, you pick extra up thinking you are going to eat it all, but you end up throwing some out because you cannot eat it all before the expiration date. This time if you purchase yogurt on sale in bountiful amounts, you should freeze it instead so it stays …
Does Almond Milk Go Bad? Almond milk’s nutritious qualities have made it an extremely popular drink lately, and you may have fallen in love with it as so many other people have. You can make your own almond milk or buy it at most types of stores nowadays, and both have their individual advantages. However, …
Cooking with kids can be fun, not to mention educational and an awesome chance to bond (and to start your kids’ love of cooking and baking early!) Another added bonus? It’s a great way to get picky eaters to eat. True story! If they make it, they tend to actually eat it (or at least …
If you are interested in gardening, you may be wondering about how you can go about starting one indoors. There are two primary ways in which an indoor garden is utilized. First, an indoor garden is a way in which seedlings can be started for transplantation outside when the weather is right. Second, you can …
This week I want to share how I gather some of my whole foods right here in my pajamas at home from my computer – cheaper than I can find it at either local grocery store, Walmart, or Whole Foods. There are a couple of online stores that I check prices for: 1. Vitacost I …
When you walk into the grocery store and stare at the dairy case are you confused by all the labels? Do you buy whole milk, 2%, or skim? Do you buy organic, rBGH-free, or conventional? What about local, grass-fed, or raw? Now milk has additives too – like DHA and Omega 3. Buy rBGH-Free Milk …
I’ve had a lot of questions about how I shop for my groceries, where I go to find the best prices, and where I buy which foods. I’m going to answer those questions today! The truth is, finding REAL food can be an adventure…especially if you want to find the best real food at the …
I love Monkey Bread and luckily, I was asked to develop a new take on this classic treat. See, while Monkey Bread is all the rage now, it’s actually been popular for years. Everyone from Nancy Reagan to Cindy Crawford has their own version. Monkey Bread, though often sweet, can also be savory with flavors …
Everyone wants to instill good eating habits in our kids–but sometimes it can be a real uphill struggle. My boys have far from perfect diets, but I’ve learned several lessons along our journey. 1. What doesn’t get finished for a meal gets saved for the next snack Anything that is left on someone’s plate at …
10 Secrets to Getting Your Kids to Clean Their Plate at Every Meal Read More »
Some foods are naturally nutrient-dense – they contain a significant amount of one or more important nutrients relative to the calories they provide. The nutrient-dense foods you see on this list go a long way in helping your preschooler meet his/her nutrient needs each day. They are minimally processed and were chosen because they contain …
Preschooler Power Foods – Ten Nutrient Dense Foods for Your Preschooler Read More »
Italian Wedding Soup is a classic Italian-American dish with a great mix of vegetables, pasta, and tiny meatballs. Its name comes from the fact the meat and vegetable taste great together – they are a perfect marriage! Kids Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients 2 quarts (64 oz.) chicken stock 1 carrot, diced 1 celery stalk, diced …
Sometimes it seems like potatoes, carrots, and beans get all the attention. So it’s time to give some other earthy edibles their time in the spotlight! Check out these recipes featuring some of the most underrated vegetables. Taro Root This tuber is often compared to the potato, but it packs in far more vitamin E, …
10 Underrated Vegetables That You Can Have For Dinner Tonight Read More »
Toddlers and picky eating are like two peas in a pod. This subject is one of the things I see Moms complain about the most. Their toddlers are picky eaters and they want ways to overcome the pickiness. Or how to make a toddler want something besides nuggets, fries, and pizza. Those are my daughters …
If you are a foodie, vocabulary like Grill, Smoker, and Barbecue must be common terminology for you but just in case, you are not, this article about the difference between Grills and Smokers will educate you! Grill and Smoker are two different cooking units that end up giving two completely different flavors to the food. …
Difference Between Smoking And Grilling – Which To Buy? Read More »
When life gives you broken biscotti, make ice cream. Sometimes we have to adapt when a recipe does not go exactly the way we envision. And sometimes this adaptability leads to an even better recipe than previously imagined. That’s what happened this morning. I swear this biscotti would have turned out to be perfectly formed strips that …
This recipe is one of my favorite party dishes simply because everybody loves it and it’s so incredibly easy to make. Plus, you can store leftovers in the fridge for late-night snacking. Yum! Here’s what you need 2 boxes of cream cheese softened 2 small jars of medium Ortega taco sauce Shredded Lettuce 1 bag …
Summer is almost here! It’s time to figure out snacks. Finding snacks that are both delicious and healthy can be a challenge for any mom. These 5 deliciously healthy snacks are sure to make you the mom of the year! Butterfly Quesadilla Snacks This is great for a toddlers’ lunch or for an older kids …
5 Deliciously Healthy Snacks for kids this summer Read More »
Growing up, we almost always had apple butter in the house. We primarily enjoyed it on hash browns or potato pancakes (if you haven’t tried that, you simply must!) I also loved spreading it on Ritz crackers and (don’t tell) eating it straight out of the jar by the spoonful. I think my mum bought …
Making Apple Butter in the Slow Cooker (with printable labels) Read More »
OK, I know there is an over abundance of sugar in the typical American diet. But, did you know that not all sweeteners are created equally? I won’t go into detail about why refined (white) and artificial sweeteners are bad for you, but I will give you a few sweeteners you can feel good about. …
Little Leprechauns are bound to love this delicious St. Patrick’s Day lunch whether they enjoy it at home or you pack it for them for school. A fun St. Patrick’s Day lunch for hungry little leprechauns. St. Patrick’s Day Lunch Ingredients: Sandwiches Whole wheat bread Cheese slices Rainbow Assorted fruit such as: Red: strawberries or …
‘Tis the season for decorating cookies, and in our house decorating sugar cookies and gingerbread just isn’t nearly enough, this year we decorated Oreo’s too . Make yummy reindeer cookie treats with the kids this holiday season What you need: Oreo cookies (we used the red crème Winter Oreo’s) M&M’s (red) Candy eyes Pretzels Chocolate …
