red kidney beans

Try adding (or sneaking) red kidney beans into your meals! One cup of red kidney beans has 14 grams of fiber! They are a major source of protein, amino acids, antioxidants and iron.

Add beans to salads, soups & rice. Smash or puree the beans and add them to meat dishes, quesadillas and sandwiches.


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make smoothies with the kiddies!

Smoothies are a big hit at our house! The kids love watching the blender whirl and mix the chunks of fruit, ice and yogurt into one thick drink, and I love knowing that they are drinking 2+ servings of fruit or vegetables, yogurt and flax seed.

This drink is so versatile and adaptable… use whatever fruits (and some veggies), juices and yogurt that you have. Smoothies are super easy to put together… throw it all in and seconds later, its ready! We make these as snacks, but they are a perfect & portable breakfast or light meal on-the-go.

banana strawberry smoothie: 

1 banana, peeled
1 cup strawberries, hulled {if they are organic, i throw the whole strawberry in}
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup milk, orange juice or water
1/4 cup crushed ice
1 Tablespoon flax seed

(1.)  Put all of the ingredients in the blender.  Blend for one minute; until smooth.  Serve :)

For a basic smoothie recipe, I typically take 2 cups of fruit {and sometimes spinach}, add yogurt, milk or juice & ice.  Blend well and serve!

Some additional add-ins to complement your smoothie: nuts, coconut, protein powder, vanilla, cocoa powder, peanut butter & honey

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chocolate snacking cake

All of your sweeties will love this chocolate snacking cake!  This sweet & tender cake is packed with nutritionally rich foods like oats, cocoa powder, walnuts and semi-sweet chocolate… what’s not to love?

1 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 3/4 cups boiling water
½ cup butter cut into small cubes & softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 ¾ cups flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips
¾ cups walnuts, chopped

1.) Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 glass dish and set aside.
2.) In a mixing bowl, pour boiling water over oatmeal. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3.) Add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar; stirring until butter is melted.
4.) Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5.) Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda together. Add to batter; mix well. Stir in half {1 cup} of the chocolate chips. Pour into the pan.
6.) Sprinkle walnuts and remaining cup of chocolate chips on top.
7.) Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center come out clean.

pasta fagioli soup

Happy Meatless Monday!  Warm up with this souper duper recipe- pasta fagioli!  It’s hearty, healthy and so tasty {extra cheese for the kiddies, please}!   This soup has a whole bunch of kale in it… kale is a nutritional powerhouse.  It’s in the cabbage family & loaded with Vitamins A, C, folic acid, calcium and iron!

3 Tablespoons olive oil,

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes (with basil, garlic & oregano)

2 14.5 cans vegetable or chicken broth

3 cups of water

2 cups small pasta (shells, rigatoni)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 bunch fresh kale, tough stems discarded, chopped into 1/4-inch slices

2 cans small white beans, drained & rinsed

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt, additional to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Grated Parmesan for serving

1.)  Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 5 minutes.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

2.)  Stir in tomatoes, broth and 3 cups of water.  Bring to a simmer over high heat.  Add pasta and Italian seasoning.  Cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

3.)  Stir in kale; cook 5 minutes more.  Reduce heat to medium and stir in beans, tomato paste, salt and pepper.  Heat through.

4.)  Ladle into bowls; garnish with Parmesan cheese.


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recipe adapted & photo courtesy of Family Circle

apple muffins

For all of the little apples of your eyes... this tasty apple muffin is a simple & nutritious snack for little ones (or as a breakfast on-the-go). For some delicious variations, replace the apples with blueberries or grated zucchini and/or add chopped walnuts.



1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 dashes of nutmeg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 3 cups)


1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.) Lightly grease or line with paper baking cups18 muffin cups; set aside.
3.) In a small bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
4.) Beat butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in applesauce and vanilla.
5.) Reduce speed to low and alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour. Stir in apple pieces.
6.) Fill each muffin liner with 1/4 cup batter. Bake muffins at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


photo & adapted recipe courtesy of Family Circle

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

We love pumpkin & chocolate – it’s a perfect match in these super delicious, moist and cake-like cookies!  These are delicious unadorned, but kids love the iced pumpkin faces.

2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.) Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2.) With an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. Beat until blended.
3.) Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon), beat until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4.) Using a Tablespoon scoop, drop the dough onto the baking sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven for 12-17 minutes, until bottom of cookies are browned. Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
5.) If making pumpkin face: While the cookies are still warm, press two chocolate chips into the cookie to make the eyes for the pumpkin.
6.) For the glaze: Stir together the sugar, milk and vanilla until the glaze is smooth. Drizzle in a pumpkin pattern.

Recipe adapted & photo courtesy of King Arthur Flour

black bean & goat cheese quesadillas

This delicious quesadilla is vegetarian-friendly and kid-approved! We got the recipe from Fine Cooking and made two small modifications - we reduced the level of spice for the little ones and added spinach for color & extra nutrition!


3 Tbs. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
15-1/2-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teasspoon chili powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups spinach, packed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp. fresh lime juice; more to taste
3 to 4 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 large or 2 small ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
6 flour tortillas, 8 inches across


(1.) In a medium skillet, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and sauté, stirring, until it softens, about 5 minutes.
(2.) Add the beans, cumin, chili powder, and 1/2 cup water and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all the water has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. With the back of a fork, break up the beans to make a chunky mash. Stir in the spinach and half of the cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
(3.) In a small bowl, combine the avocado, lime juice, and remaining cilantro and use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash into a chunky paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper; add more lime juice if you like.
(4.) Spread the black bean mixture evenly over three of the tortillas. Scatter the goat cheese over the beans and cover with the remaining tortillas. Lightly coat a large heavy skillet or griddle with oil (about 1 tsp.) and heat over medium heat. Set one of the quesadillas in the skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the quesadilla over and brown on the other side for another 1-1/2 minutes. Remove from the pan, cook the remaining quesadillas (add more oil to the pan each time) and cut each into eight wedges. Serve each wedge with a dollop of the guacamole.

sweet pea soup

A taste of the spring season that little ones and adults will both love! This delicately sweet soup has a vibrant green color with a fresh flavor.

5 cups peas

2 shallots, chopped fine

2 Tabelspoons butter

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

salt

pepper

1.) In a soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

2.) Add the peas and the broth. Simmer for 25 minutes.

3.) In batches, transfer the soup to a blender and blend until completely pureed.

4.) Stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper.

5.) Serve the soup hot or chilled.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4