January is always a time that I am searching for new recipes to spice up our dinner routine. I'm usually on the lookout for meals that are: full of vegetables full of color don't take too much effort to pull together These are a sampling of the recipes I'm looking forward to trying in the next few months. All the vibrant colors make me want to dig right in! … [Read more...]
New Year’s Eve Treat: Sparkling Jello Push Pops
Have you given any thought to your New Year's Eve plans? Since having kids, we keep it pretty low key ("Wake me up when the ball drops!"), but it's still nice to commemorate the occasion with a special treat. Steph asked me if I could come up with a spin on champagne jello shots for the holiday (she was inspired by a post at Perpetually Engaged) and I was all over it! … [Read more...]
A New Holiday Party Tradition: Ice Cream Sandwich Bar
We've got a real treat for you guys today. This ice cream sandwich dessert bar is so tempting I'm thinking of throwing an ugly sweater party just to have an excuse to set one up. Be sure you read through to the end of the post for all of Natalie's amazing sandwich combination suggestions. Ginger Molasses Cookies with Eggnog Ice Cream rolled in crushed candy canes anyone? Question of the Day What's your favorite dessert for holiday parties? The holiday season and cookies go hand in hand, … [Read more...]
Holiday Baking Essentials for Last-Minute Traditional & Healthy Sweet Treats
'Tis the season for making memories, enjoying time with family and celebrating the sweet pleasures of the holidays. 'Tis also the the season for running around like a crazy person, staying up past bedtime doing projects and throwing together treats at the last minute. While I am all for the memory making, I prefer to avoid becoming a crazy person - at least when it comes to holiday baking. As soon as Halloween passes, I stock up on my holiday baking essentials so I'm never left without the … [Read more...]
A Harmless Halloween Breakfast
Around my house, we don't love the idea of being scared or watching scary movies, but we do love dressing up and being silly around Halloween. We are satisfied with cute little ghosts and pretend mummies - we want to steer clear of any potential nightmare situations (parents included). With the lighter side of the holiday in mind, I came up with a few harmless breakfast ideas to serve up to the kids. Much better than candy for breakfast, right? All the directions for these Halloween morning … [Read more...]
Easy Meal Ideas Using Fall Produce
Fall produce: it's not all pumpkins and apple, folks. There's a lot more to choose from come harvest time. Check out this list of goodies you'll start to see at your market in the next few weeks (if not already!): Vegetables Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, celery root, eggplant, endive, fennel, garlic, kohlrabi, leafy greens, mushrooms, pumpkin, winter squash (acorn, buttercup, butternut, delicata), sweet potatoes, yams Fruits Apples, cranberries, dates, figs, grapes, … [Read more...]
A Month’s Worth of Healthy Family Snacking
Afternoons can be a busy time for parents. We get the kids in the door after school or practice and just as we start to think about preparing dinner, we hear those little voices asking for a snack. Active kids require almost constant fuel. Having healthy snack ingredients handy can keep them from lashing out or melting down. I’ve pulled together 18 easy snack ideas for you - half are savory and half are sweet. That’s about a month’s worth of after-school snacks for you and your family. … [Read more...]
16 Mouth-Watering Summer Fruit Recipes
Fresh summer fruit season comes and goes so quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was seeing the first watermelons in stores, and here we are in August already. That means the summer crop is ending and the autumn produce isn't far behind. Let's take advantage of the summer bounty while we can and get as much fruit as possible into our days! I'm talking watermelon, peaches, cherries - the works. As if the taste wasn't incentive enough, some quick health benefits on your favorite summer … [Read more...]
How to Eat Healthy While Traveling (or Moving)
2013 is the summer of the move here at MPMK. There are currently four members of our team (including myself) who have either already moved or are getting ready to move. With interest rates rising and the housing market once again booming in many cities, I have a feeling there are plenty of you moving this summer as well. So today Natalie is here sharing how to eat healthy while moving. Even if you're not moving, this stuff comes in handy when out on the road vacationing too, so take … [Read more...]