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More often than not, I find myself with a small container of leftover roasted vegetables in my fridge. I don’t love eating leftover roasted vegetables on their own, but I do love adding them to other foods – especially frittatas. This Roasted Zucchini and Onion Frittata Wrap came together in literally just a few minutes. [...]
This morning I’m playing total catch up. I spent the weekend up the road with my family and a bunch of blogger friends at Walt Disney World attending Food Blog Forum for the third year in a row. To say we had a great time would be an understatement. From Friday until late Sunday, I [...]
Full disclosure: Staples provided me with these items for review. The thoughts and opinions expressed are strictly my own. Feel free to shop their entire line of Keurig Coffee Makers and K-Cups online. Cutting back on caffeine is one of the (many) things you have to get used to when pregnant. Thankfully for me, I’ve [...]
Did all the moms out there have a great Mother’s Day? I know I did. My husband and kids treated me with a relaxing day that started with a delicious French toast and fresh fruit breakfast. The rest of the day was very low key and poolside, my favorite kind. I actually got a ton [...]
(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by McCormick via The Motherhood, I received compensation for recipe development and my time. My recipe was created using McCormick spices, which you would already find in my kitchen.) Taco night is finally becoming a go-to dinner option in my household. My husband and I have always loved tacos of [...]
If you’ve been reading my blog a while, or follow me on any social media platform, or are my real life friend…then you probably already know that I’m obsessed with salads. I really love a good salad (and I really really appreciate a good salad at a restaurant too – those can be tricky to [...]
It’s hard to mess up a smoothie in my opinion. Once you get a basic formula down, and you’re using a blend of naturally sweet fruit with yogurt, milk or a little juice, then really the sky is the limit as far as combinations go. If you look in my freezer you could pretty [...]
I really can’t believe we are in the month of May already. The kids have started their countdown until summer vacation starts, and to be honest so have I. It’s always bittersweet ending another school year and watching your kids grow up right before your eyes – but I truly look forward to not having [...]
(pictured: Spring Giardiniera) Is it me or is cauliflower popping up EVERYWHERE right now? Just this past few weeks, I think I’ve seen a new cauliflower recipe of some sort every other day. Cauliflower is one of those veggies that I think throws people for a loop, meaning, they buy it with intentions of trying [...]
I don’t make meatloaf – of any kind – very often, for no other reason other than it just doesn’t come to mind when I think of what to make for dinner. That’s probably because I didn’t really grow up eating meatloaf, so it doesn’t really fall into the everyday comfort food category for me. [...]
A few ingredients is all it really takes to put together a great side dish during the week. This past week, I had mini turkey meatloaves on the menu (inspired by my friend Liz who always has great healthy dinner ideas) and wanted to use what I had on hand as far as our side [...]
I’m keeping things simple in the garden this year. I’m sticking to what has been working for me well the last few years, and that’s herbs and tomatoes in containers. I find them so much easier to maintain as far as weeds and watering go, my kids really help in the watering department so it’s [...]
I experienced a bit of a meal plan fail this week (nothing new, really). I had good intentions going into the week, stocking up the fridge with fresh fruits and veggies for lunches and dinners like I normally do, with a loose plan. But as the week went on, nothing I had planned sounded good [...]
There are certain foods I find myself slightly obsessed with. Any type of food that can be described as mediterranean can easily fall into that category. There’s just something about the simplicity of the food from that part of the world, the flavors that come together with just a few fresh ingredients – well let’s [...]
I’m a such a sucker for well cooked – fried or baked – french fries (who isn’t?). It’s definitely my favorite way to eat spuds, even though the fried version is unfortunately not the most nutritious. I have been baking fries for quite a while now when I need a fix, and I’ve finally gotten [...]
There was a time, just a short couple of weeks ago, that I thought I may never eat a veggie again. I think these things happen during your first trimester, I know, but I was starting to get concerned when days (a week?) would go by and I may have only munched on a single [...]
Did you all have a nice Easter weekend? I took some time off online the last couple of weeks, enjoying Spring Break with my fam. Hard to believe we are heading into the last 9 weeks of our school year here, I feel like the time after Spring Break always zips by and next thing [...]
I’ve got some more grapefruit love for you today! A couple of weeks ago, my friend Sandy posted this beautiful baked salmon dish on her blog. On the same day, I received a shipment of these gorgeous pink grapefruit from Harry & David. After seeing Sandy’s salmon, and tasting the grapefruit, I decided to play [...]
I’ve been in a bit of a reading funk lately (thanks to Downton Abby, got caught up in a marathon viewing obsession for weeks and it literally derailed my before-bed reading). Now that I’ve moved past DA, I’ve been trying to get back into the habit of always having a book with me in the [...]
I’ve always loved grapefruit. Since moving to Florida when I was 10, my family has been growing lots of pink grapefruit on trees in the backyard. When season hits, we always have an over abundant amount of grapefruits to deal with. You could always count on finding a carafe of freshly squeezed juice in the [...]
I’m really excited about sharing today’s pretty awesome giveaway with you. Last month Land O’Lakes invited me to take part in an interactive webinar they were hosting called Kitchen Conversations where a panel of food bloggers (and dear friends) were brought together to discuss and share tips and recipes using butter. This was to be [...]
I don’t know about you, but whenever I see rain in the forecast I secretly hope for one of those good, dark rainy days that makes it totally ok to get in your sweats, lounge around, eat bowls of hot soup and do nothing for hours. That is, of course, if you have no reason [...]
I have always had a habit of finding ways to “healthy up” recipes that catch my eye. For the most part, I’m successful in my attempts – though I wish I could say that success carries over to my baking adventures. As much as I would like to think there are ways to healthy up [...]
I’m a sucker for anything lemony. Bonus if it’s Meyer lemony. This pasta dish tastes so fresh and springy, I pretty much insist you make it if you are having any kind of spring fever these days (apparently a lot of you are according to all of your comments on my Brookside Chocolate giveaway – [...]
I love it when I make a recipe that my whole family can enjoy. You would think my kids would turn their noses up at the sound of stuffed cabbage rolls (they would) but when I gave them a dish of these for the first time, I didn’t say too much about it and made [...]
I was recently introduced to Brookside Chocolate, and I’m really happy to be sharing them with you here today. Brookside Chocolate sent me a “tasting kit” last month, and needless to say, there isn’t much left to taste. These little chocolate covered gems are the perfect bite – rich, smooth dark chocolate with a burst [...]
There’s a new butter in town folks, and it’s made with one of my most favorite things in the world – coconut. Coconut butter may not be all that new to some of you, but it’s new to me. I’ve seen it popping up around here and there and I finally broke down and bought [...]
For those of us that observe Lent, no meat on Fridays can sometimes throw us for a loop if we’re not prepared. I remember my grandparents always cooking lots of fish on Fridays. If fish wasn’t on the menu, well then we had cheese or some sort of veggie pizza (let’s keep in mind that [...]
I spent some time with my family this weekend, and as per usual, my grandpa sent me home with some home grown goodies. During the winter his trees are bursting with tons of citrus like tangerines, grapefruits and lemons and my car gets loaded up with plenty of gorgeous fruit, but this time around I [...]
I discovered this amazing pineapple salsa a few years back when my friend Heidi brought it to one of our get togethers. I’ve made it several times since (when I’m not asking Heidi to make it for me) and it’s always enjoyed by everyone. Really, what’s not to love when you combine fresh pineapple with [...]
Today’s post is full of all kinds of good stuff. As you may know, I’ve been working with Bush’s Beans for a few years now. Beans are a big part of my diet and I like to include them in many of the recipes that I make, especially warm and comforting soups like this Pasta [...]
Somehow, I’ve avoided the “winter blues” this year. I know a lot of it has to do with the truly beautiful weather we’ve been getting here in Florida, a blue sky and bright sun never hurt anyone that’s for sure. I’ve been staying active, getting my workouts in, as well as spending the month of [...]
As much as I love salads, I haven’t been into them so much lately. I think I’m kind of bored with them maybe? That’s really what it is. We all get into our routines with what we eat, and variations of my super salad just hasn’t been cutting it these days. This salad though, this [...]
January 8: Strawberry picking, one of my favorite things to do with the kids. We visited Pappy’s Patch this day with a friend, came home with several pounds of sweet berries. (iPhone) January 9: Afternoon at the library. January 10: Back to the gym after too long of a break. My new favorite workout? Spin [...]
Last week my friend Julie and I had a play date. We’ve been wanting to get together for a while, and even though she lives just a little over an hour from me, it seems like it’s always hard to find the time with both of our busy schedules. We talked about cooking up some [...]
Pancakes are such a treat in my house. My kids get so excited when I tell them I’m making pancakes for breakfast, so excited that I wish I made them more often (their pancake excitement definitely puts a smile on my face!). I usually stick to a whole grain variety, knowing the extra nutrients and [...]
1. Amber turned 8 years old on January 1. 2. Amber has a keen sense of hearing, she can hear a Cheerio drop in the kitchen from all the way across the house. It’s pretty impressive. 3. Amber is a rescue dog. She was abandoned as a puppy by her “owners” and found by my [...]
One thing about my college years that I truly miss is time with my friends. Since college life consisted of pretty much classes, work, classes, work and partying, my friends were like family and a big part of my everyday. My good friend Belle and I were pretty inseparable for a good part of my [...]
I’m slowly easing back into post-holiday life now that my kids are back in school. I hit the gym for a good hour-long cardio session this morning and am determined to drink a gazillion ounces of water today. I didn’t gain a million pounds over the holidays like I thought I would, but I did [...]
Hello friends…hope everyone’s year is off to a great start! My kids are still on Christmas break from school (I know, right?), so I guess you can say I’ve been sort of on a break as well. On the list of the things I’ve set out to do in 2013 is use my camera more. [...]
Happy New Year everyone! I think it’s safe to say most of us have the same mindset when it comes to eating come the New Year, right? Eat healthier. It is what it is, but we most often find ourselves indulging over the holidays (rightfully so!) and by the time January 1 rolls around, we [...]
I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull off a “best of 2012″ type post this year, but as I started looking back at all the food cooked up over the last 12 months, I couldn’t help but pick more than a few favorites to share with you. I decided to go [...]
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to take a look at McCormick’s Global Flavor Forecast for 2013. With no surprise, the trend that immediately caught my eye was Empowered Eating. Basically, McCormick recognizes that more and more people are starting to take control of their health and what they are eating to support good [...]
Last week I picked up a new cookbook at my local Scholastic Warehouse Book Sale. Have any of you been to one of these? It’s a book lovers paradise, a warehouse filled with rows and rows of books of all kinds – all 50% off. Yes, this book nerd finds this extremely exciting. Not only [...]
Every year around this time as I’m getting to the end of my Christmas shopping list I seem to run into the same problem. There are always a few people on my list (translate: the men) that I seem to struggle finding the perfect gift for. And don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s [...]
I’ve heard my friend Maria mention her favorite go-to lunch being her Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich more than a few times. Every time she mentions it I immediately begin to crave it, but for whatever reason, I have never actually gotten around to making it for myself. Don’t you hate when that happens? [...]
For the last few years, I’ve had to get creative with gifts for some of those hard to shop for people in my family (translate: the men). I tend to pick up bottles of hot sauces for my brother throughout the year, though my plan is always to experiment with making my own to gift. [...]
I know all of you use, or at least have seen and heard of, McCormick spices right? Well, I’m excited to tell you that I have partnered up with them to announce and share their 2013 Flavor Forecast with you. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know what all went into creating this annual trend [...]
I definitely inherited the “no waste” mentality from my grandmother. She will find a way to use up every last drop of whatever you are about to throw away (for example…handwashing soap dispensers, I am constantly adding water to them and shaking them up to get those last few pumps before they get tossed – [...]
I had a major clean out the produce drawer cooking session yesterday. My lack of meal planning and shopping without a list the week before Thanksgiving left me with a few too many straggling veggies to be dealt with. No regrets though, because in result, this bowl of roasted veggie goodness happened. A couple of [...]
