Food & Dining

As a food lover and new mom, I was eager for the day I could start making homemade baby food for my little one. I had the special baby food blender, the freezer containers, and the cookbooks. I was all set. When the time finally arrived to begin solids, I followed the recipes for the perfect mashed sweet potatoes and homemade applesauce. I spent hours in the kitchen, prepping for the coming week. Sometimes he ate it. Sometimes he didn't. And then the novelty wore off. I was a working mom and I needed to find a more efficient method for this baby food, without sacrificing the nutrition. Now, after introducing my second kiddo to solids, I've gotten pretty good...

We have a 4 yr old, a 2 yr old, and 2 babies ... grocery shopping can get CRAZY. And don't even think about looking to Pinterest - I don't have the time or energy to do grocery bingo cards or come up with elaborate activities each week. But I love grocery shopping! Well, not really in and of itself, but grocery shopping with my girls is usually one of our favorite things to do. Here are some simple tricks I've used to make our shopping trips enjoyable.  Be Prepared. I usually look at my calendar and do a rough meal plan and create a quick grocery list from that. I include things like "3 types of fruit, 5 veggies and 2 kid...

Do you like getting together with friends but feel intimidated by having them over? While I love looking forward to more elaborate events planned ahead of time, it's also fun to be spontaneous with impromptu gatherings. I love to plan dinners and parties, whether they are at my house or someone else's. I used to think that having people over took a lot of time and planning, but now I also like the freedom of getting something together just a day or two before. These days entertaining is about recharging and relaxing from a busy week, which lets me focus on having fun with other people instead of stressing about food or lots of preparation.  Here are some easy ways...

Author's Note :: The below is what has worked for me & my family. They are suggestions, but as always, please follow the instructions of your child's pediatrician for managing food allergies. We found out about our son's severe food allergies to peanuts and eggs at the doctor's office 9 years ago. We were confused and overwhelmed but after a few months, living with food allergies became our new normal. I learned how common food allergies are and that countless other families were navigating the same road. Here are some things I learned over the years that have made our lives easier ::  Have snacks on hand wherever you go. I stash a few of his favorite snacks in my purse in case we...

We've become one of those families. You know the ones who now don't eat meat or dairy. And it's not because of the "What The Health" documentary (though it is an incredibly eye opening documentary). This all started because my husband has what the doctors categorized as Psoriatic Arthritis, and apparently a diet change can help the pain. So here we are. Of course we aren't perfect, and this is all a learning process of finding new recipes that are filling and delicious. But I've finally found the perfect breakfast meal that has greens in it! I mean it's so good even our toddler eats a bowl or 2 sippy cups full. This is my tried and true smoothie...