Mangos! Avocados! Jalapeños! Pickled red onion! Pistachios! 

These ingredients are magical and really sing on a plate together. 

Arugula Salad With Mango And Avocado

For the salad, you will need:

3-4 big handfuls of (washed and dried) arugula

2 ripe mangoes, cut into chunks

2 ripe avocados, cut into chunks

1/4 c pickled red onion

1/2 c salted pistachios

1/2 a fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced or diced*

*Optional

For the dressing, you will need:

juice of one lime (lemon works too)

chopped cilantro (1-2 TBSP)

a few shakes of adobo ( I use Goya)

2-3 TBSP olive oil

I put the arugula on the bottom, then add the mango and avocado. I follow the fruit with the pickled onions. Sprinkle pistachios over the top. Add the dressing and you're looking at a very tasty salad. 

Enjoy!  

Every year, I grow zucchini in the garden. It's usually just one plant, but I always have a ton of zucchini.  I have had to get creative with new ways of using this abundant veggie.

I have made a lot of zucchini bread in the past, but I wanted to try a new variation.  After a trip to a wonderful local spice shop (Penzeys in West Hartford), I thought I'd try anise instead of cinnamon in the recipe. I know you either love anise or hate, but I LOVE it!

Side Note: Penzeys is a cool spice shop to bring a child.  They have a smelling sample jar for each spice in the shop. If you're talking to your kids about their senses (especially the sense of smell) it's a great place to explore that. They also have a kid corner with coloring activities.

Zucchini Muffins With Anise

1 1/2 c flour

1 TBSP ground anise, plus a pinch or two

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 c sugar

1 c shredded zucchini

1/4 c oil

1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Mix the sugar, oil, egg, and zucchini in a large bowel. Add the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into lined (or greased) muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes. Check for doneness.  Enjoy!

This goes really well with tea. If you can't get enough of that licorice flavor (and happen to be nursing), I recommend Mother's Milk Tea to go with it. 

It's a rainy day and I am craving something hearty and warm for dinner.  The only problem is that I have no desire to cook.  I usually make dinner when my son is napping, but I don't always want to spend that whole time cooking.  I need some me time too.

My solution to this problem is lentil soup.  It is hearty and delicious.  The bonus is that it literally takes 15 minutes (probably less) to make.

I use low sodium chicken broth, frozen lentils, pre-chopped mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery), half a ham steak, olive oil, and Mural of Flavor (a spice mix from Penzeys).  

I basically dump all of the ingredients into a soup pot and let it simmer until dinner time, leaving me ample time to write, read, or take a cat nap.  Purrfect! 

Ingredients

32 oz. low sodium chicken broth

16 oz. bag frozen lentils

1 container of pre-chopped mirepoix

half a ham speak, chopped into half-inch cubes

olive oil

3 shakes of Mural of Flavor spice mix (you can use your favorite spice mix)

Add some oil to a soup pot on medium heat.  Dump the mirepoix and spice mix into the pot and give that a little stir. Add the lentils, followed by the broth. After the soup starts bubbling, reduce the heat to medium low and cover.*  Simmer until your ready to eat.  

I usually serve this with a slice of havarti cheese mixed in.  I sprinkle the top with crackers.  It is so good! 

 Enjoy!

*You can also put the heat on low and just let it slowly cook for hours.  This is a no stress approach to awesome soup. 

Lemon-flavored foods have always made me think of Spring and Summer.  I make lemon scones, shortbread, and muffins during those months when it's not too hot to bake.

I love lemony baked goods equally well during the winter months.  The citrus helps to wake me up on cold, dark winter mornings.

Lemon Bread
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. of milk (I used whole milk because that is what we have in the house right now)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
the zest of two lemons

Lemon Glaze
juice of one lemon
powdered sugar
zest of half a lemon
(I would play around with the sugar/juice ratio until you have the thickness you desire)
1 tsp. of dried lavender (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the zest.  Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the milk. Next, add the dry ingredients.

Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes.  Let cool for five minutes or so. While, it is slightly cooling, mix up the glaze.  Pour over the loaf.  Allow to fully cool.

Enjoy this with a nice cup of chamomile tea before the kids wake up, though they are sure to love this too!  

When the weather just isn't cooperating, moms and dads need indoor activities to keep the kiddos occupied and engaged. I'm all for an occasional TV show here and there, but I wouldn't want to lean on that crutch too hard.  I'd like to have a slew of fun activities for indoor play that don't include a screen.  I'm hoping to post on indoor activities every now and then to keep a list going. If you have a special activity, please feel free to comment.

An activity I'm looking forward to is reading The Gingerbread Man, followed by making gingerbread cookies!

My son LOVES his pancakes.  I usually make pancakes with a smashed banana, some flour, an egg, a bit of milk, and some vanilla.

I realized that I did not have bananas this morning and would need to improvise. I looked through what was left of the baby food in the pantry, and found apple/pumpkin/carrot puree. It looked like a good choice, so I went with it.

Originally, I was only going to use baby oatmeal as the "flour" in these, but the consistency wasn't right. I ended up adding 3 heaping teaspoons of flour.  They turned out to be really good, so I thought I'd share.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

1/2 c. Baby oatmeal
1 package baby food (I used apple/pumpkin/carrot)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/3 c. Milk
2 eggs
3 heaping tsp. flour

Mix all of your ingredients together.  Let some butter (or coconut oil) melt in the pan. Make those pancakes!

Cinnamon's competition has arrived!

As much as I LOVE cinnamon, and I do love cinnamon, I have been increasingly drawn to a different spice: Cardamom.  If you want to blow your mind this Fall, add cardamom to a baked good that usually only calls for cinnamon.  This extra spice will bring your desserts to the next level.  The following recipes are bound to be a hit with your kids too!

Cardamom Spiced Applesauce Cake
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
tiny pinch of salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. clove
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/2 c. vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
1/2 c. water
1 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. nuts (pecans or slivered almonds)

Maple Apple Cider Glaze
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 TBSP. apple cider
1 TBSP. maple syrup
dash of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, ginger

Preheat the oven to 350.  Mix all of the ingredients and pour into a greased square 9x9 baking dish. Bake for an hour before checking doneness.  This cake may need to be put back in the oven for a few minutes.  It is done baking when you can poke the cake with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Once the cake has cooled slightly, arrange nuts on tope of the cake.  Mix the ingredients for the glaze and pour over the cake. Let cool.

Pumpkin Pie
1 can pumpkin puree
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 pre-made graham cracker crust
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. clove
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cardamom

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Mix all of the ingredients together.  Pour the mixture into the pre-made crust, and pop it into the oven. Bake for 55 minutes or until the pie is firm when jiggled.

This will make your house smell amazing!

You may have read the post title and uttered an audible "eck!" You may cringe at the thought of mushy tofu. I felt that way once too, but in experimenting with the flavorless soybean curd, I have found a few recipes that I really enjoy.  This is one of them.  If you like chicken salad, but you're trying to cut down on cholesterol, this is a fabulous alternative.

This is my vegetarian spin on curried chicken salad.  It uses a mild caribbean-style curry (I like Badia brand), grapes, carrots, onions, and celery.  I have also found a cholesterol-free mayo that could easily be Hellmann's in disguise.  Just Mayo (that's what it's called).  I first stumbled upon this brand in Whole Foods, but have since seen it in many grocery stores.  I love this stuff!

Lightly Curried Tofu Salad 

Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 c Just Mayo
2 c of cubed tofu (one inch cubes)
1/2 c of Stop and Shop pre-chopped mirepoix (chopped celery, onion, carrot)
salt and pepper
Badia brand curry powder
paprika
1/4 c grapes, thickly sliced

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add your tofu cubes.  While the cubes sizzle, add your spices.  I like to play with different levels of spice, so the quantity is really up to your own taste.  Sauté the tofu until it is slightly crispy on the outside.  Remove from heat, and allow the tofu to cool in a big bowl.  

Next, add the mirepoix and grapes.  I bought a pre-made mirepoix from Stop and Shop.  You will find this in the produce section.  Add your mayo.  

Heap some of this tofu salad on your favorite bread.  It's great with some crunchy lettuce.  

Enjoy! 

Last weekend, my in-laws visited and I wanted to make a gluten-free dessert option (my sister-in-law has a gluten allergy).  I went to the pantry and found that my gluten-free brownie mix had expired.  I tossed the mix.

I remembered seeing a recipe online for gluten-free brownies made with black beans, instead of flour. After a quick google search, I found this recipe.

It is a vegan recipe as well as being gluten-free, though I didn't make mine vegan.  Instead of using two "flax eggs", I used two regular eggs.  The brownies turned out well and were a huge hit!  I will definitely make them again!

I like that these brownies are easy to make (you just throw all the ingredients into a blender, blend, and pour into muffin tins).  If you have a child with a gluten allergy, I know they will love this dessert.

I will be visiting minimalistbaker.com for more recipes in the future.  If this recipe is any indication of how good they are, I know I will not be disappointed!

I have fond memories of my grandma making "icebox cake" during the summer months. It's called icebox cake because you simply assemble the ingredients and then throw the "cake" in the icebox (fridge) for a couple of hours.

An icebox cake's ingredients can vary. I've seen a bunch of different flavor combinations that I hadn't even thought about on Pinterest.  This dessert is so easy to make and so tasty, I hope you'll check it out.

Here's my recipe:

Icebox Cake

1 1/2 bananas, sliced into rounds
Abt. 10 oz. strawberries, sliced
1 large package of vanilla pudding (I use the cook and serve, but instant would be fine), prepared as box instructs
1 1/2 tubs of Cool Whip
Graham Crackers

That's it!

All you need now is a container. A trifle dish would look pretty, but I've made this in a tupperware container too.

Start by setting down a layer of graham crackers, then smooth half of your pudding over the graham crackers.  Make sure that all the crackers are covered because when this sits in the fridge, the crackers absorb some of the moisture and that's what creates the "cake" element of this dessert.  Next, put down a layer of bananas and cover that with a layer of Cool Whip.  Repeat this whole process again, only with a strawberry layer.  You will end up with a Cool Whip layer on top.  I crush up left over graham crack and sprinkle that all over the top (It presents the lid of the container from sticking).  Pop the dessert in the fridge and let sit for a few hours.

Enjoy!

It must be said that I have a wicked sweet tooth (so does the hubs). Since I became pregnant, and before I was diagnosed with GD, I began to experiment with healthier dessert options.  I tried to cut out foods with a ton of preservatives and artificial food dyes.  I know that what you eat is important for the baby's health and I didn't want my baby to get all that garbage while he was developing.

The GD diagnosis threw a wrench in the dessert department, but after the baby was born I began to experiment with sweets again.

One dessert that is incredibly easy to make and on the healthier side is homemade Jello.  Not only is it easy, but you can really make any flavor you like.  All you need is your choice of juice, flavorless gelatin, and water.  If you want to make it more exciting, you can add fruit pieces and whipped cream.

J-E-L-L-Oh, That Was Easy!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup of fruit juice, any flavor combo you like
1/4 cup of boiled water
1 packet of Knox gelatin

Take 3/4 c of fruit juice and add the gelatin.  Mix this up until it becomes thick.  The photo below shows the thickness (Not the best photo, but you get the idea).  Add the boiling water and mix.  Add the remaining fruit juice.  Refrigerate for 4 hours.* Enjoy!

*One little trick I remember from my jello-shot-making days in college is putting the jello in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to shorten the chill time.