Something I really enjoy doing when we have overnight guests is getting up early and preparing something sweet to cook in the oven. As the goody bakes, it fills the house with a warm and welcoming aroma that everyone appreciates waking up too. Add a pot of hot coffee or tea and bam, just call [...]

A few of my readers have asked me for a healthy oatmeal raisin cookie that they could feel good about feeding their children for breakfast. I was out of raisins when I made these but you could used any small dried fruit. Again, ease and versatility are the name of the game! These cookies are [...]

Thank you for the big warm response on the Back to School: Lunch Box Ideas! That got me thinking of the first obstacle of the day – breakfast! The kids are often not hungry right away, still half asleep, and parents are trying to get anything into them before they leave. The school day is long [...]

Oh strawberries. Juicy. Sweet. Plump. Beautifully red. Naturally heart shaped. Fun fact: I also recently learned that North Carolina is the #3 for harvesting the most strawberries in the United States. Personal fact: As much as I enjoy chocolate, I will always pick strawberry shortcake over a brownie sundae! These cupcakes do require some love [...]

Your kids (and you!) can cool off with this frozen treat without a sugar crash and while getting oodles of good-for-you fruit, fiber, and vitamins in these Apple Berry Cinnamon Mango Vanilla Pops.   These *silicone pop making sleeves are much easier to pour your liquid into and unlike a popsicle, less drips and clean up. *(I originally [...]

I am going to get a little scientific first and discuss the glycemic index. Every food is designated a certain rating on a scale called the Glycemic Index (GI). This number (scale 0-100) correlates to the propensity a food has to raise your blood sugar. The faster and higher your blood sugar (glucose level) rises, [...]

Happy Saturday morning! I woke up to no milk, bread, cereal, bars, or yogurt BUT I did have these: I didn’t want to make something as heavy or time consuming as banana bread so I flipped through one of my favorite quick-recipe books. Bread & Wine: a love letter around the table with recipes by Shauna Niequist [...]