Party food can be rich and heavy, so I’m always looking for something to fill up my plate that won’t make me feel weighted down and gross. So when Sabra sent my some of their products to play around with (I’m super excited to be a Sabra Tastemaker this year!), I decided to make a fun stuffed mushroom recipe that is unlike any other stuffed mushroom recipe that you’ve ever seen. These mushrooms are cool, refreshing and will be a hit at any party you throw. Even better, there is no actual cooking involved so you don’t need to stand over a hot stove. They come together in seconds and would be great for your kids for lunch too. As long as they like mushrooms, of course.

Another thing I really like about these is that you can customize them based on what vegetables you have available or want to include. I threw in some cucumbers, celery, and carrots. Red peppers would add great color and flavor, but I was using what I had in the house. You could also of course use any veggie dip, but I’d highly recommend Sabra Cucumber & Dill Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip. I’ve been buying it for a while now and love how light it is. Only 35 calories per serving but so much flavor thanks to the dill. You’ll never know that it’s not made with mayo and sour cream. So tasty. My daughter loves it too. You know anything she can “dip dip dip!” is her favorite. Enjoy!

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Apparently I’m on a chicken tender kick. They are so fun and easy to customize. It is a toss up to which flavor I like better, these pizza chicken tenders or my taco chicken tenders. The chicken tender recipes could have something to do with having a two year old, too. She of course loves anything that she can eat with her fingers, and even better–that you can dip into something: hummus, salsa, mustard, ketchup, and in this case, pizza sauce.  Anything having to do with pizza is usually a winner in her book as well.

I typically just buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them up into tender-sized pieces. You can buy the pre-cut chicken tenders, but I typically stock up a bit on the boneless skinless breasts when they are on sale so I feel like that is a more budget-friendly option. One extra step, and your tenders might not all be perfectly shaped, but I think it is worth it! All you do is dip these in some seasoned flour, then eggs, and then a crunchy pizza topping composed of panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, pepperoni and some Italian seasoning. The nice thing about these is that you get the taste of pizza but some added lean protein and far less cheese. Don’t get me wrong, we won’t stop eating pizza any time soon, but this was good for some variety. Oh and did I mention that they are baked, not fried? Enjoy! (more…)

On Friday I asked E what she wanted for dinner. Why I’m asking a two-year-old what she wants for dinner is beyond me. Ben had a late night at work, so I guess I didn’t really care. Well, sweet little E said “pizza!”

Shocking request.

I opened the pantry only to discover that we had no pizza sauce. Well, helllllo–I could make my own, right? Well, with a little tweaking and a lot of tasting, I think this pizza sauce turned out perfectly. I don’t know why I haven’t been doing this all along.

I threw in a completely weird secret ingredient. Chia seeds. Yes, you probably think I have fallen off of my rocker. No, you do not have to put them in if you don’t want to. They are not integral to the success of this recipe, but I wanted to thow in a little extra nutrition. Why not?

This sauce is beyond easy. Throw all the ingredients in a blender, pour them in a hot pan, simmer for 30 minutes and don’t wear white while you’re stirring. And definitely don’t cook in your birthday suit.

Ouch.

I’d say this recipe makes about enough sauce for two pizzas. You can easily freeze half of it for use at another time. Enjoy! (more…)

Today’s “a day in the life”  is the lovely Heather of Heather’s Dish. I love Heather’s devotion to her family. Her blog is a great balance of personal stories, reflections, and of course, FOOD. Gorgeous, delicious food. 

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Tell me about yourself and how you started food blogging.

I have actually been blogging since about 2006 when my husband used a blog for his portfolio for the photography business he did on the side.  We also had a little blog about our marriage for family and friends, but that quickly fell by the wayside when we started to get really busy with work and life.  In the summer of 2009 I started the precursor to Heather’s Dish, A Joyful Kitchen.  It was mainly supposed to be a little adventure of food through the Denver area, where we lived at the time, but eventually turned into a healthy living blog where I documented my food intake and exercise.  I started to realize that recipe development was my true passion, so over time Heather’s Dish was born and I started only posting recipes and stories of our life.  Now that we have a son I love sharing about just life as well as food, and I’m excited to see how my space online changes over the coming years!

Take me through your day.

I am really lucky that I have a job I can set my own hours for and can work from home while I take care of my son.  My main job first and foremost is as Weston’s mom, which is why I don’t do nearly as much work as I did pre-baby, but I would never have it any other way.  I’ve always wanted to work and have something of my own, even with kids, and blogging is just that for me!  While my schedule most of the day is dictated largely by my son’s needs I could never count myself as anything but completely blessed!

• 6:30 AM: Wake up when my son does; he’s kind of my alarm clock these days! I usually wash my face and brush my teeth quickly before grabbing him and heading up to the kitchen.
• 6:45 AM: Fix breakfast for the two of us (and my husband if he hasn’t already eaten). I usually make a big breakfast casserole for Nate and I to eat off of for the week, and Weston’s typical breakfast fare is Cheerios, banana and yogurt. 
• 7:15-9 AM: Play and clean and organize the day.  Wes is in the middle of transitioning from two naps to one, so if it’s a two-nap day then he usually goes to sleep around 9.  We’ll pretend it’s a 2-napper, so we play and get him good and tired until this point.
• 9:00-11 AM: This is when I do the bulk of my blogging and social media stuff for the day, and then I work out.  I usually try to schedule about an hour apiece for blogging and working out before Wes wakes up so that I’m good and ready for lunch when he is!
• 11-11:30 AM – Wes wakes up and we eat lunch.  It’s usually leftovers for me and a mix of protein/fruit/bread for him + milk.  My little dude isn’t really talking just yet, but we’ll read and “chat” while we eat!
• 11:30-1:30 PM:  Play time!  Wes and I play for a while with blocks, books, puzzles and kitchen stuff.  This is also the time that he’ll watch a little Baby Einstein while I unload the dishwasher and fold clothes.  I like to get those things done then because…
• 1:30-3 PM: Weston’s second nap begins and I’m hustling to get all of my cooking for freelance articles and the blog done during this time.  This is also usually when I do the photography and editing done.  Plus it’s when my dishwasher is totally empty, so cleaning up is a lot easier and lot quieter.
• 3-5 PM:  Wes is up again! This is usually the time we head out of the house for a little while.  I try to get us out once a day if I can so that we don’t get totally sick of one another (more like so Wes doesn’t get sick of being cooped up at home).  During the winter there were a lot of trips to Target or the mall to just walk around, but now that summer is getting closer we do a lot of park activities and walks.  We’ll bring water and snacks to eat while we’re out!  If, for some reason, I haven’t been able to finish up freelance stuff I usually try to get it done before we go, but typically I finish those things at night.
• 5:30-7:30 PM: Daddy gets home and we all get to enjoy dinner, bathtime (for Wes), and playing some more outside.  Wes has his last bottle or sippy cup of milk and then hits the sack!
• 7:30-11:30 PM:  This is the time that I finish cleaning everything up, finish editing photos, write blog posts, work on freelance projects, go through emails and generally spend time working.  The week varies so much throughout with the work I do in the evenings; Moday-Wednesday nights are pretty much nonstop, but Thursday and Friday are pretty light loads.  I try to get everything done as best I can earlier on so that by the time Friday hits I can just relax and get ready to enjoy the weekend!
• 11:30-6:30 AM:  Bed!  Unless Weston wakes up in the middle of the night.  In which case it means snuggles and sleeping with a baby horizontally in our bed     (more…)

I hope everyone had a fantastic Mother’s Day! I told my husband that all I wanted for my first mother-of-two Mother’s Day was a card.

Then I changed my mind.

I wanted to not have to cook dinner. I know it’s insane, I have a food blog, I should want to cook 24/7, right? Well, Momma needs a break some times.

I definitely could have thought of a few more things that I wanted for as a present on Mother’s Day, but the truth is, what I want most is more money in our bank account for a new house or a new car. Being a married with kids is so exciting, isn’t it?

Wouldn’t trade it for the world, though. The most important thing to me on Mother’s Day is being with my kids and my husband. I feel so blessed to be living this life that I’m living.

That has nothing at all to do with this quinoa salad, but while we’re off-topic, what did you do for Mother’s Day?

On to this salad, I LOVE it.

Hands-down my favorite spring/summer salad that I’ve tasted so far this year. It is so refreshing and the flavors are just perfect. The grapes are sweet and soft, the celery crisp and fresh, and the orange juice and zest makes everything so lively and exciting. I couldn’t stop eating this salad and I bet you won’t be able to either.

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Clearly I’m obsessed with vanilla beans. This is nothing that we do not already know.  Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese, Vanilla Bean Buttercream, Vanilla Granola, Vanilla Bean Butter, Vanilla Bean Candied Walnuts, vanilla, vanilla, vanilla. Should I go on?  Because there are also meringues, and pancakes…and…

Or perhaps I should seek treatment?

Vanilla bean lovers anonymous. Who’s coming with me?

I just love seeing those little specks of vanilla in whatever I’m eating. It’s pretty much a promise that whatever you’re about to put into your mouth is going to taste great. Moreover, these vanilla bean cookie bars look so pretty and classy. That’s what makes these cookie bars perfect for a party or a Mother’s Day brunch. Girly, feminine and so full of fragrant vanilla. You could even go more traditional and leave out the food coloring for a classic white look. I think they would be prefect in their pure white form for a bridal shower. With some pearly sprinkles or some colored sugar to match the wedding colors.

These are so versatile and fun–customize the colors to meet your needs. The perfect way to end a week of brunch goodness. Enjoy! (more…)

Cocktail? Check.

Egg dish? Check.

Carbs? Completely necessary to every great brunch. And this happens to be brunch week if you’re just tuning in. But back to the carbs. Muffins, scones, bagels, pastries, I don’t really care–give me one of each. Bonus points if they have chocolate, which these muffins do. Now, you could make some healthy blueberry bran muffins, or fun biscoff chip muffins, but who doesn’t like CHOCOLATE?!

Plus, this is a great way to use up that buttermilk you have in the fridge. You know it is in there. It always is.

You don’t have to feel completely guilty about these muffins, though. They are made with yogurt and whole wheat flour so they are definitely skinny-jean friendly. And they still taste great! The recipe I started from, from Erin of Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts, called for vanilla yogurt. I used a mixed berry Greek yogurt because I thought it would taste great with the chocolate. You could taste it if you tried reallllly hard, but it wasn’t an overpowering flavor. Don’t be scared to experiment, but I wouldn’t recommend using something like key lime yogurt. But hey, if you really want to, I’m not going to stop you.

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Brunch week continues, and what brunch is complete without an egg dish of some sort? A frittata, a quiche, an omelette, and let’s not forget a beautiful poached egg. I am obsessed with the fact that spring is finally here so I decided to do a spring-inspired frittata with asparagus and leeks. I kept the flavors simple and fresh, but this Asparagus and Leek Frittata would also be great with some fresh herbs–parsley or dill would be fantastic.

I didn’t put cheese in the frittata (I KNOW! So weird.), but it would be perfect with cheese, and a lot of it. Of course, I’m trying to slim down and the flavors are fantastic without cheese. But let’s be honest, cheese never hurt matters any.

If you’ve never worked with leeks before, make sure to cut them up and toss them around in a bowl of cold water. The dirt will all sink to the bottom and you’ll be able to fish nice clean leeks out of the water. Make sure you do it this way unless you want a gritty frittata. Ick.  (more…)

Today’s “a day in the life” is the lovely Lisa of With Style & Grace. I don’t follow a huge amount of glunten-free blogs, because, we’ll I’m not gluten-free (at all), but I never miss Lisa’s posts. Her food is gorgeous and creative and it is always a treat to read her posts. Plus she has a son just a tiny bit older than N so it’s super fun to read what her little cutie is up to. 

If you needed more of a reason to love Lisa, she talks about her love for popcorn on her “about” page. I am nodding my head reading so much of that page actually. Can’t give up coffee either, would love to have someone do my hair every morning, and also hate wearing socks!

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Tell me about yourself and how you started food blogging.

I started blogging about 3 1/2 years ago when I was working in a high stress position in advertising. Blogging was my creative outlet. I basically shared pretty spaces, fashion trends, cool design & maybe a few recipes (that weren’t even mine – such a no no). It wasn’t until I had a crazy health scare that I started my gluten-free adventures, which I decided to share the blog. Over time I taught myself photography (A LOT of practice), tested a ridiculous amount of recipes and found my niche in blogging. Today, I aim to bring beauty to the world of gluten-free and inspire others. A little bit about me – I’m a mom to a beautiful 6 month old boy. I always have a pack of junior mints in the fridge. In the last 4 years, we’ve lived in 5 cities, 3 different states. We almost named our child Jaxs because of the main actor in Sons of Anarchy. Only time I’ve said no to wine was when I was pregnant. I sing in my car but the second a car pulls up next to me, I stop.

Take me through your day.

• 5:30-6:30 AM: Wake-up call from my lovely son, mason.
• 7:00 AM: Feed, diaper change, and get mace ready for the day.
• 8:30 AM: Mace goes down for his nap. I catch up on emails and try & plan the day – or I’ll shower & get ready.
• 9:30 AM: Feed, diaper change & play time.
• 11:00 AM: Nap #2. I work as fast as I can before he’s up again.
• 12:00/12:30: Feed, diaper change and then we’ll run to the store or go for a walk.
• 3:00 PM: Melt down, time for another nap. I recipe test and or photograph at this time.
• 4:30 PM: Feed, diaper change and play time. If we didn’t go for a walk earlier, we’ll go for a walk then.
• 5:30/6:00 PM: Get dinner ready (multi-tasking uploading dishwasher & cleaning dishes) while mace plays in his jumperoo
• 8:00PM: Bed time routine begins – cluster fed, bath time, story time and then night night.
• 9:00 Mace SHOULD be down. I finish or start my blog post, while getting laundry started.
• 12:00 AM: I head to bed and get a few hours before it’s up again to calm our teething child.

What is your one must-have kitchen tool or gadget?

Sharp knife

What is the most important part of your day? Why?

Spending time with my husband when he gets home. Being parents, it’s so important to take the time to catch up or to just talk about whatever.

What is your favorite part of your day? Why?

Waking up to my son who’s always full of smiles & giggles. Really, any time I’m having a tough day, all I have to do is be with my son and he can flip my mood around so fast.

What is your LEAST favorite part of the day? Why?

When I have to do the dishes. I don’t really know why, but I’ve never liked doing them. I’d rather cook, do laundry, organize a closet, all before doing the dishes.

If you could choose one room in your house to spend the WHOLE day in, which room would it be? Why?

The family room. We’re in transition at the moment, but in all our homes, it’s always been the family room. It’s a place where we eat as a family, cuddle up and watch movies, play cards, or gather when there’s company. It’s always so comfortable, it would be easy to spend an entire day in.

If you could choose one room in your house to remodel (on an unlimited budget!) which room would it be and why?

The kitchen. I want a big, open kitchen that’s filled with natural light.

What is your favorite day of the week? Why?

Fridays. Everyone’s in a good mood. We have some of our favorite dinners on a Friday night. If we’re traveling, it’s always the start of our adventure.

If you had to choose one place to travel to every year over and over, where would it be? Why?

Have you been there before? Orcas Island, WA. We have a family home up there and it’s always been a special place since we were kids.

If you could travel anywhere in the world for free, where would you go and how long would you stay?

Bora Bora. It’s always been on my travel list.

What is your favorite quote or verse?

“Everything happens for a reason”. I truly believe it.

What is your favorite cookbook?

I have so many, but at the moment it’s Weeknight Gluten Free from Williams-Sonoma (affiliate link).

What recipe on your blog are you most proud of?

When life wasn’t so crazy (*cough* we didn’t have a child *cough*) my husband wanted to be a part of the blog. I did a little interview and he’d share a recipe, this one was his healthy nachos. We had so much fun and made blogging that much more special.

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Every good brunch starts with a cocktail, right? Everyone is familiar with the mimosa, and then there is sangria, but I mixed it up a little with these pretty pink drinks. They would be perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch and would be so fun for a girl’s night out, a spa day, a bachelorette party, or a wedding shower.

The current occasion is Brunch Week! I’ve teamed up with a whole bunch of bloggers to bring you more brunch recipes that you will know what to do with, just in time for Mother’s Day. These Pear Hibiscus Brunch Cocktails are a perfect way to kick it off. I’ll bring bringing you more brunch recipes all week, and make sure to look for other bloggers whipping up some great brunch recipes as well. You can follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #brunchweek. You can follow along on Pinterest as well, we’ll be pinning our recipes to the brunch week board. There are some crazy good giveaways going on too! Make sure to head to the bottom of this post for more details on that.

These champagne cocktails are fruity, girly and spritzy. You can tone them down a little by cutting back on the pear vodka. If you notice in one of my pictures that one of the cocktails is a darker shade of pink, that is due to the amount of hibiscus syrup that went along for the ride with the Hibiscus Flower (affiliate link).

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