Cappuccino Chip Muffins I fell in love with these Cappuccino Chip Muffins at first bite a few years ago. We were visiting family in Kansas, and my sister-in-law pulled bags of these baked treats out of the freezer. She warmed them up and served them with scrambled eggs for breakfast or grabbed them for a quick snack as we headed out the door. So delicious, they never lasted long. I copied the recipe and stuffed it in my bag for the trip home. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to share them with you. It has been bothering me for some time now. So without further ado I finally present, from the distant land of Kansas: Cappuccino Chip Keep Reading
Baked Stuffed French Toast recipe
Baked Stuffed French Toast Mother's Day is right around the corner! Like any self-respecting mother, I plan to lounge in bed until ten painting my toenails and catching up on celebrity gossip magazines. I'll call my BFF Keri and talk for hours. I'll stare at the ceiling. I'll think about things I haven't thought about in years. Important stuff like the color I want to paint my bedroom walls and whether or not I should buy hiking boots. My clean-faced children will bring me a plate of perfectly poached eggs and side of toast. My husband will follow with a hot cup of coffee (don't forget the cream) and the Sunday newspaper. They will promptly file Keep Reading
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie recipe
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie I have been feeling seriously wiped out for months. Every afternoon I hit a slump, and all I can think about is drinking coffee or taking a nap. Preferably both. I finally pushed aside my iced latte and Google symptom search in search of a quick, healthy snack. I was looking for an energy boost, something with protein but without refined sugar. This peanut butter banana smoothie fits the bill perfectly. It combines milk, peanut butter, honey, bananas, and Chia seeds for a cool, creamy afternoon pick-me-up (It's kind of like the smoothie version of No Bake Energy Bites). And I think it actually works! I'm not exactly Keep Reading
Mushroom, Cheese, and Toast Frittata
Mushroom, Cheese, and Toast Frittata One of my goals for last year was to tighten up spending on the grocery/household line in our budget. Thanks to some good ol' fashioned discipline (and avoiding Target like the plague), I have shaved off over $300/month. Here are some of my favorite ways to save money on food: Cook your own beans. Eat more simple rice-and-beans dinners. Roast whole chickens (or buy at Costco). Use the bones to make & freeze chicken stock. Bake your own bread. I haven't bought store bread in months. Big savings! Eat more meat-free meals. Stop wasting food. Best way: keep your fridge cleaned out. Fried rice, Keep Reading
Graham Cracker Bread (recipe)
Graham Cracker Bread Thanks to these gray, rainy days I have been on a major baking kick. Granola bars, cookies, brownies, breads. If the sun doesn't come back soon, I am going to have to switch to elastic waistbands on all my pants. This week I was watching my kids roll out Play-Doh creations at the dining room table. It reminded me of one of my all-time favorite bread recipes, Graham Cracker Bread. The recipe involves splitting the dough into 3 equal portions, rolling each into a 12" rope, and braiding them together before tucking them into the pan to bake. The bread dough is really easy to handle and shape. Just dust off your Play-Doh skills, Keep Reading
Chia Seed Muffins recipe
Chia Seed Muffins (recipe) Chia seeds are the Olympic gymnasts of the nutrition world. They are tiny, powerful, versatile. Perhaps the only exception is they don't have to retire by age 18. Chia seeds have twice the potassium of bananas and three times the antioxidants of blueberries. They contain similar nutrients to flax seeds but don't have to be ground up to be absorbed by the body. Chia seeds also have a longer shelf life. They are an excellent source of protein (2 Tablespoons = 4 grams), fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. In recipes, Chia seeds act as a binder, thickening foods without adding a ton of calories. Sprinkle Chia on yogurt, stir Keep Reading
Overnight Oats (Breakfast in a Jar!)
Overnight Oats in a Jar Even though I'm technically a stay-at-home mom, I find myself hustling my crew out the door 4-5 mornings a week. Breakfasts often consist of granola bars flung to the backseat while I balance a bowl of granola on my lap in the front. Not exactly the breakfast of champions. Enter one of my favorite new uses for the humble Chia seed: Overnight Oats in a Jar. I honestly woke up in the middle of the night thinking about this oatmeal. Beautiful breakfast jars sitting in my refrigerator, just waiting for me to grab as I head out the door! It was hard to get back to sleep. Obsessing about food is nothing new for me, but I Keep Reading