This week, I was featured on MomTrends as part of the site’s Fit Mom series. When I received the email from Nicole Feliciano, who writes MomTrends, that my profile was up, I was a little giddy. Not only did Nicole say some nice things, but it was an amazing feeling to show off my successful efforts to shed my weight from marriage and two pregnancies. You can check it out here.

I’ve lost about 12 pounds since just before Thanksgiving. I feel better, I look better and I have more energy. Lately, I have conquered some serious vendetta goals. For instance, I’ve been running lately as part of my workout. Last week, I ran for a whole 11 minutes. It might not seem like much to most people, but to someone who has never been able to run due to breathing issues, it’s huge.

But here’s the thing: being a healthy mom and getting fit isn’t easy. Heck, it’s hard. There’s always temptations – the cupcake at a kid’s birthday party, the on-the-run lunch, the kid’s leftovers. And there is always reason to slip up: being too tired, feeling weak, being stressed out. So to be fit and healthy takes a good deal of constant effort. You have to be vigilant and make conscious choices to do the right thing. Read the rest of this entry…

I miss summertime. We’ve had a taste of warmer weather (notice I didn’t actually say warm) lately, and it was starting to spoil me. My thoughts have drifted to all the things that my little family will do this summer: growing our food, making weekly trips to the farmers’ market, heading to the beach. And while it’s been fun to dream, Mother Nature made sure today that I remember which season we’re in.

This morning’s snow was a complete surprise to me. I think I had just about married myself to the idea that even though it’s January still, that the harsh temperatures and need to shovel was behind us. It so totally is not.

Regardless of what season I am in, some days I like to eat lightly. Today was one of those days.

But then, it really doesn’t matter what time of year it is or what the weather is … I love salads all the time. Sometimes, I go for bold toppings — glazed nuts, homemade croutons, roasted tomatoes. Sometimes, I want my dressing to be the star with a bold, aged balsamic vinegar. But other times, I just want simple, easy, light.

This dressing is great for the days where you just want something simple. Although it’s built around the sweet juice of a Honeybell orange, it’s not overly sweet. It does have unmistakable orange notes though. It’s a subtle dressing, one that tastes great without overpowering anything. It doesn’t mind if it’s paired with other ingredients that want to shine too.

And really, it’s a dressing perfect for a simple salad like this one: Romaine hearts, gorgonzola cheese and sunflower seeds. And really … it doesn’t need anything else. Read the rest of this entry…

It’s not unusual for breakfast in my house to be buttered cinnamon raisin toast and a banana or yogurt. Most days during the week, I like to keep things really, really simple. The kids have school, I have work … we just don’t have time to fuss with complicated breakfasts.

But sometimes I like to surprise the kids with something a little different … a little special. Pancakes make too frequent an appearance on our table on weekends and when my husband is home from work, but muffins are a rarity … and one that the kids love hot from the oven.

With whole wheat pastry flour glaring at me from the cupboard, I decided to adapt a recipe from Tablespoon to make these muffins with an extra punch of whole grain goodness. Add some streusel and you’ve got a great morning surprise.

The result was a moist muffin with hints of apple and graham and cinnamon. It’s homey and comforting, soft and sweet. Does it get any better?

What do you make for a special breakfast?

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When it comes to kitchens, I have to admit that I am bit of a voyeur. I love seeing what other people conceal behind pantry doors. Seriously, I can’t help it, the allure of spices and non-perishables leaves me oh so curious. Paprika, cinnamon and sugar, oh my! But don’t get me wrong: I would never actually snoop in other people’s pantries … really. That’s a bit much.

It’s that sense of curiosity that keeps me going back week after week to check out Other People’s Pantry on The Perfect Pantry. I’ve gleaned great organizing ideas and tips from the weekly posts, which showcase pantries from all over the world. It’s also wildly interesting to see how a pantry in Brazil differs from one in Ohio.

Anyway, a little while back, I noticed that Lydia, who writes The Perfect Pantry, was looking for more pantries to feature. Since I had recently gotten control of my pantry with some new organizing tools, it seemed like the perfect time to share mine, so I sent her a note. Next thing you know, I was sending photos and descriptions over.

That was about a month ago … my pantry appeared this weekend. It was really exciting to see how my ideas resonated with others.

So, speaking of my pantry, I was thinking about the things that I just cannot live without in my pantry. There are some ingredients that are just musts for me. So, I figured I would share my top 10 must haves. Of course, I made a few self-imposed rules: I limited this list to items with a longer shelf life (so potatoes, onions, garlic and the like were out). And I let myself lump together a few like-items (flours, sugars, etc).

But, being the kitchen voyeur I am, I want to know what yours are too! Share your top 10 must have pantry items in the comments! I can’t wait to hear about the things you love.

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When I saw the recipe for Glazed Peanut Butter Fudge Cupcakes, I knew it would be our next Cooking with Kids creation. I showed it to Paige, Will and then Shawn. We couldn’t wait to try it. They looked mouthwatering. The recipe comes from Food For Thought From Parents to Children, a cookbook put out by the Wheat Foods Council a few years back. Although Gale Gand has several recipes in this book, this one comes from an Erie, Pennsylvania woman. No matter, these recipes have to be good, right?

So, the kids and I hit up the grocery store after school on Friday. The recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour … something that apparently is only available in a gigantic bag at my usual store. And don’t we all need big bags of whole wheat pastry flour? Huh? Okay, maybe not, but I didn’t want to stray from the original recipe on this one.

Later, the kids and I settled around the table for baking. Paige and Will took turns adding ingredients and stirring, with me guiding them. The recipe was coming together fine … it seemed. And while I found it curious that there was no sifting of dry ingredients, I just went with it. I scooped the thick batter (I thought cake batter was supposed to be thinner …) into the cupcake holders, careful to evenly divide it between the cups. Read the rest of this entry…

If you made a New Year’s resolution to be healthier this year, now is a critical time … or so says the barrage of emails I have been receiving. Apparently, this is the time when people start abandoning those healthy vows and going back to their old ways.

I haven’t given up yet. Have you? I’ve been focusing on improving my diet and upping my exercise and it’s paying off. I’m down several pounds, my clothes are fitting better and I am feeling great. Exercise makes me feel so good.

What are your plans for the weekend? The kids and I have an active weekend planned. I can’t wait to get it started.

But first, here are 5 healthy things that you and your family can do this weekend … Read the rest of this entry…

Over the weekend, I was busy testing recipes, photographing and preparing for all the work assignments I have due this week. Among the things I had to make was this marshmallow fudge for a post I wrote for Tablespoon. (Psst! Head over there to find out how I started making this in the first place!) This is a recipe I have been using for a long time, and I love the ease and simplicity of it. Plus, it’s easy to change up the add-ins to make all sorts of different fudge creations.

Truth? I use an easy method of making fudge … it doesn’t involve candy thermometers or long lists of ingredients. Purists might say that this isn’t truly fudge, but I don’t mind. It looks like fudge, it tastes like fudge and it always draws raves.

What’s your favorite fudge flavors? And do you make fudge the old fashioned way?

Read the rest of this entry…

Meet quinoa. It’s a good-for-you “grain” (I’ll tell you why that is in quotes shortly) that looks and behaves similarly to couscous … though the two are not related. It can be used in place of rice or couscous for whatever you might be making.

But what is it? Well, it’s natural — not processed or anything. And lately, it seems that everywhere I turn, I hear about this unfamiliar food. Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, is a relative of ultra-healthy leafy green veggies and also high in antioxidants, according to World’s Healthiest Foods. In fact, contrary to popular belief, it’s not actually a grain (hence the quotes above).

So, after hearing and reading about it, I got really curious. Is quinoa something that my family might like? Could it be a healthier take on our fav sides of couscous, rice or potatoes?

Quinoa is one of those foods that will take on the flavors of whatever you cook it with, making it pretty versatile as a side dish. The first time I made it (after heading a few towns over to the natural foods store where I could buy just the amount we needed from the bulk bin), I cooked it in chicken stock and seasoned it with garlic and basil. It was very good. Will practically inhaled his and once Paige was finally convinced to try hers, she ate most of it too. As for Shawn, he said that while it’s not his favorite, it’s definitely something he will eat again. I really liked it myself.

I’ve since refined my method, using vegetable stock instead and adding in cheese. It’s got a lovely nuttiness that works so well with the combination of basil, garlic and Parmesan — it reminds me of a good summer pesto.

As for locating quinoa? Not the easiest thing. In fact, my search made me wish I had bought more from the get-go. It certainly wasn’t the easiest thing to find. On my first trip to look for it, I came up empty handed at two stores. Then I headed to that health food store and found it. After that, I gave a closer look at one of my local grocery stores and found one (yes, one) bag of it, on the top shelf, with the couscous and rice. So, lesson learned: you have to really seek this one out … and you should. It’s really very good.

Here’s what you need to know (and what I learned from my food-loving friends on Twitter):

• To make, you use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa.
• You cook it basically like couscous — boil the liquid, add the quinoa, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Then you season and serve.
• Rinse it before cooking. This is very important.
• People who’ve tried it largely love it.

Have you had quinoa? What flavors do you like to mix it with?

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Pretty much everyone who knows my family knows that my husband Shawn hates onions … or at least he says he does. The truth? He doesn’t like the texture of onions, but he does appreciate the flavor that a sweet onion can add to a dish. Don’t tell him I told you though, he’s very sensitive about it. (I jest. He reads my blog. I am sure to hear about this paragraph very soon).

Beef stew? It’s one of those dishes that absolutely needs to have onions in it. I love big bits of onion, personally, but everyone knows that life and marriage is about compromise, so over the years, I have tried different methods of incorporating onions: dried onions (from the spice aisle), finely chopped onion, even onion free … but I finely found the method that works for us.

My stew starts with a puree of onion, carrot and potato, fresh from the food processor. What I love about this is that it adds the flavors while also thickening the stew a bit (you can thicken it more, if you want, but you totally don’t have to). It’s important that the onion is a sweet onion though. The flavor of yellow onions just isn’t as good for this. Oh, and beware, the puree is known to make your eyes water a bit. Small price, I say.

Next comes the beef. I buy natural grass-fed stew meat, usually from a local farm because it’s fresh and very tender. One of my local grocery stores also sells a decent version of this. However, use whatever type of stew beef you prefer. As for amount, I usually add about 1 1/3 lbs, but if you want a meatier stew, make it 2 lbs. Once the meat is browned and mixed up with the puree, I deglaze the pan with red wine. Choose a good red wine that you enjoy. Also, know that different varieties will add different sub-flavors … for instance, merlot adds a slight peppery flavor while a cabernet can add a warm richness. Use one that you like (and avoid cooking wines!).

Finally, water, seasonings and veggies are added. The stew cooks for about an hour total, from beginning to end, and then it’s ready to thicken or serve. The rich stew is a family favorite here. Paige could (or rather does) drink the stew liquid. Will can’t get enough of the veggies. Shawn is sure to go back for seconds … and usually take leftovers for lunch the next day.

Yes, it’s that good. Read the rest of this entry…

Will has an apron with a rocket ship on it. When it comes time to start cooking, he requests it and orders reminds me to get one of my aprons out too. Then he asks where to go. Sometimes, when whatever we are making requires a lot of measuring and stirring, we set up at the kitchen table. Other times, when our creations use the stand mixer, he pulls a chair to the counter. Yesterday was a counter-cooking day.

While we were cooking, it struck me how Will’s skills have improved. When we started cooking together regularly more than two years ago, he would frequently spill flour while sifting with the whisk and spooning the mixture into the mixer involved lots of spillage. It was to be expected … he was just a toddler. But these days he’s continuing growing, changing and learning. His movements are more fluid. And he understands things that amaze me – like why we use baking powder. Everything about him amazes me.

Last summer, the kids and I went berry picking with friends and froze a good deal of strawberries for the winter. The berries are sweet and tender, perfect for smoothies, pancakes, anything. Will, with his magical memory, remembered earlier this week how we’d picked in the pouring rain. It was so much fun.

This snack cake started with an idea: how could we use those delicious strawberries in a baked good? I honestly am not that fond of chopped berries in bread-y items. They tend to make the result a little too gooey. So, I wanted to take a different approach: puree.

The result? A moist cake, with a hint of strawberry flavor and a glorious layer of chocolate. Delish. This is best eaten the day it’s made with a glass of milk, but can store for a few days in an airtight container.

Read the rest of this entry…