Sharing our favorite pumpkin granola recipe below. But first:You guys. I have a son in college. Does anyone else feel weird about that?No, this has nothing to do with my Pumpkin Granola recipe (except that maybe I should be sending some to him in a care package?) I guess I just needed to get it off my chest. Truth is, I just sat down at a coffee shop to put this post together, and got side tracked on Instagram (it happens.) When I saw that my college son, who has not posted any
Snacks and Smoothies
Cookie Dough Balls {inspired by Oh She Glows Everyday.}
I don't know about the rest of you, but in the heat of summer, cooking is just not high on my priority list. Who wants to think about a hot stove when you feel like you live in a hot stove? We've been eating a lot of quinoa salads, yummy burrito bowls, and anything that can go on the grill. Oh, and ice cream. Obviously. But kids still need snacks, right? So I've been trying out some new recipes for snacks that: A) kids like, and B) have some nutritional value. :) You might remember that I
14 Snack Ideas your kids will love (and you’ll feel good about.)
Sharing after school snacks for your kids on those days when you just. can't. think. of. anything. else. I love to hear from blog readers, and especially enjoy emails from new subscribers after I send them a welcome email. They respond to my questions, sharing a little about themselves, then telling me what kind of posts they are most interested in. Some topics come up a lot: communicating with your teenager, boy-related posts, and recently, a lot of requests for the Life in our 40's
I may not have Fall, but I have Avocados. {the best Avocado Toast Recipes}
Before I dive into a brief bragging session, let me remind you that my favorite season is fall. And I'm aware that many of you are currently looking at multi-colored leaves, feeling a crisp chill in the air, and wearing things like: boots and sweaters. And indeed: I am envious. If I could transport myself to some fall wonderland every September-through-November, I would do it in a heartbeat. So count your blessings.With all of that said: I live on a tropical island in the middle of the
Sweet Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Parfaits
healthy cinnamon apple yogurt parfaits, great for breakfast, snack, or dessertSo it's September. And though some of us are still sweating in summer-weather, September puts me in the mood for all kinds of fall flavors.Beginning with apples. Growing up in Washington state, our family had a few apples trees, and every year my mom and grandma would spend a couple of days making all things apple: apple pies, apple sauce, and just slicing and freezing apples for year-long snacking. (So
Family Favorite Energy Balls.
Energy balls are one staple snack food I have in my fridge almost all of the time. I shared a recipe for our favorite energy balls within another post a couple years ago, but as I am cleaning up my archives, I wanted to give the recipe it's very own post. It is worthy. ;) Energy balls are perfect for breakfast, a snack, on-the-go, or late night...Kids love them, and they are packed with great ingredients. They take a little time, but the end product is so worth it. The awesome thing about
Three favorite protein smoothies (without fruits or vegetables.)
You might have noticed, we drink a lot of smoothies around here. If you happen to follow my #healthyhappyandfree Instagram account, you probably have picked up on that. Smoothies really are an easy way to pack in nutrition. They're also great when you're on the go. (Or just too lazy to use a plate and a fork. hehe.) You've probably heard me mention that Green smoothies are my most common go-to. And it's true. But here's a little insider-info about me...(shh, I don't always confess this
(Easy) homemade ranch dressing. {Getting kids to eat their veggies}
Somehow we raised three (out of four) little boys who ate their vegetables willingly. I mean, they ate their vegetables gladly. Like: no battles. Sure, they avoided a few specific varieties: mushrooms and beets I believe, but from asparagus, to steamed broccoli, to spinach and kale salads, they were all in. In fact, raw onions were a favorite to those first three. Of course those first three were born during my husband's medical school and residency years, when Dave was especially aware of
