Wednesday is Split Day! (Banana, that is)

 March 16, 2016

I know Wednesday is better known as “hump day”, but because it splits the week in half we’ve unofficially named it “Split Day” in our house.  Of course, this special day comes with a special snack:  Banana Splits!  These may not be exactly what comes to mind when you think of banana splits, but they are delicious, healthy, easy to make, and easy to eat!  Perfect for a hungry after school crew!banana split

 

Just cut a strip out of the top of the banana, fill with peanut butter and top with chopped strawberries, and mini chocolate chips -or any toppings you like!  If you want to make these ahead of time just brush some canned pineapple juice on the banana to keep it from browning.  I like pineapple juice better than lemon because it doesn’t affect the taste as much.  You can also fill a small spray bottle with the juice and just spritz the banana.

Enjoy!

 

Play date snacks – Avoid the feeding frenzy!

 March 9, 2016

Every day when I pick my boys up from school they come running over begging to have friends come home with them.  Which means, until recently, every day at 3:15 I’m gripped by PLAY DATE PANIC!  It’s not the extra kids I mind, it’s more a question of “what do I feed them?”  Because, as all parents know, after school they are starving.

Also, they do not want carrot sticks and water.

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Pavlova for your lov-a this Valentine’s Day!

 February 12, 2015

Melt in your mouth perfection!  This pavlova recipe has it all:  sweet, crunchy, chewy, creamy and fruity.  Given to me by a friend from New Zealand, it’s an authentic dish that’s a delicious change from your typical dessert.

Pavlova Recipe: A light and dreamy dessert you'll fall in love with!

This is the recipe that finally changed me from a chocolate-only dessert lover.  Before I was introduced to this pavlova recipe if I made a dessert with -gasp! – sugar,  it’s a pretty good bet that it would be made with chocolate.  Why risk disappointment when we so rarely have something sweet? That all changed when a friend from New Zealand introduced me to this authentic New Zealand recipe.  In fact, I love it so much that I made it for Christmas this year and my husband’s birthday.  And my chocolate loving kids even chose this over a chocolate cake at our holiday party, asking for the “cake with the cucumbers on top.”  Fortunately, there are no cucumbers, but there are kiwi and strawberries – a little healthy fruit to go with all the sugar. 🙂

Although the recipe isn’t hard, you do need to use superfine sugar (find it at gourmet food markets, kitchen stores, and online at amazon.com), and be sure to bake it low and slow (around 225 degrees for 90 minutes).  Somehow it magically bakes into a “cake” with a crisp outer layer and a soft, gooey inside.

If you’re looking for a change from the traditional chocolate this year this beautiful pavlova recipe is sure to impress your Valentine!  Enjoy!

Pavlova recipe: an easy, dreamy dessert you'll fall in love with!

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Make ahead Berry Breakfast Bake!

 December 17, 2014

Here’s a delicious way to start the morning and set you and your kids up with energy that lasts all day.  It combines super foods like quinoa, chia seeds, nuts and berries and leaves out all of the artificial ingredients found in similar foods like flavored instant oatmeal.  And, one of my favorite things about this dish, it can be made the day before so it’s ready to go in the morning.  Just heat and serve.

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Beware of Thanksgiving Feast Fakes!

 November 24, 2014

feast fakesI love everything about Thanksgiving- from the decorating, to the cooking, to the eating (ok, maybe not the clean-up)- but one thing I don’t love is the idea of chemicals and “manufactured food products” masquerading as my favorite foods.

When you’re planning your meal, I’m sure you’re not planning on cooking with and serving  “Sodium Bisulfite”, “Partially Hydrogenated Oil”, “Pyrophosphate”, “Disodium Guanylate”, “Disodium Inosinate”, “Propyl Gallate”, and a slew of other unknown items.  However, if you’re using one of these boxed options you’re serving all of this and more.

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Magic Mix – my secret time saver!

 November 20, 2014

One of the things I hear most often from other moms is that it’s time consuming to eat real food all the time.  It’s so much easier to grab a pre-packaged mix.  Well, here’s a little secret:  You don’t need to buy packaged mixes!  You can make your own in 5 minutes.  Here’s a “pre-made mix” I created that you can use any time you want to make things like pancakes, muffins, and biscuits.  Trust me, take 5 minutes to mix this together and it’ll save you lots of time later. magic mix Continue reading