Earlier this summer my daughter requested I make a pasta salad. She didn’t have to ask me twice! I always love a good pasta salad and tend to volunteer to make them whenever invited to a potluck, but I have to admit I avoid making them for our meals at home because honestly, I don’t have a lot of self control when it comes to eating pasta. Knowing that more of that big bowl of pasta salad will be shared with more of my family gave me more incentive to make it for dinner a few times this summer (my husband and daughter will eat it, my older son is still not on board but I have a feeling our littlest guy will be a fan soon enough).

I used quinoa pasta for this pasta salad recipe (found a great big bag at Costco recently), but your favorite whole wheat or regular pasta would work just fine. I kept things simple and summery with sliced raw zucchini, shredded carrots and grape tomatoes. The bite sized pieces of chicken sausage made it a tad heartier (for those that don’t think pasta salad could count as a meal) but the sausage could easily be replaced with beans to turn this pasta salad into a vegetarian dish. And because I’m all about shortcuts these days I used a bottled vinaigrette – this one from Brianna’s was just recenly introduced to me by my friend Shari and I am absolutely in love with it (among a few of their others).

Since I know I have a hard time controlling myself around pasta, I try to bulk up my pasta dishes with as many vegetables as possible. I added a couple large handfuls of spinach and baby kale mix to a serving of this garden pasta salad with a couple extra splashes of dressing. It was perfect. My husband and daughter approved and agreed!

Hope everyone is having a GREAT summer! xo

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We’ve entered the time of year where I am seeing requests for recipes using zucchini everywhere I turn. Zucchini seems to take over gardens, farmer’s markets and produce sections for a good part of summer and I love finding new ways to incorporate it into everyday recipes to keep things interesting.

When my kids were little, I always sliced a zucchini and sprinkled it with salt to give them as a snack on the counter while I cooked dinner. They never questioned what they were eating, and they finished up their healthy raw zucchini snack without complaining every single time (this made me so happy!!). I started eating it this way with them too and over the years started adding raw zucchini (and yellow squash) into salads more regularly. I think it makes a great healthy addition to a salad, especially when you add in some crunch from nuts and sweetness from raisins like in this Zucchini and Walnut Arugula Salad.

Walnuts are one of my favorite nuts to throw into salads. They have a ton of flavor when roasted (or quickly toasted up in a skillet) but I find myself eating them raw more often due to a bit of laziness but more importantly for added health benefits. Whether they are roasted or raw, they are an absolute must in almost every salad I make, especially in the summer time!

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Did all the moms out there have a great Mother’s Day? I know I did. My husband and kids treated me with a relaxing day that started with a delicious French toast and fresh fruit breakfast. The rest of the day was very low key and poolside, my favorite kind. I actually got a ton of reading in, which is what I was hoping for, finally finishing up a book I had been reading for a couple of weeks and starting up a new one. And I didn’t have to wash one dish all day. 😉

(me with the little guy who first made me a Mom…at his 2nd grade class’s Mother’s Day Muffin Breakfast on Friday – it was honestly the sweetest thing ever)

I almost didn’t post this recipe for you, because it’s embarrassingly simple. For me, “simple” seems to be becoming a reoccurring theme in the kitchen – and really, sometimes it’s hard to mess up simple when you have good fresh ingredients like this. Let’s face it, that kind of simple just tastes GOOD.

I had a pile of produce that had to be used up the other night. When I mean pile, I mean random stuff like a whole jicama, some carrots, a mango and limes. There were probably a few other friends in this random pile, but these guys jumped out at me when I was struggling with what to put on the side of some bean and cheese quesadillas I was making for dinner. Well, the answer was right in front of me – and this fresh little salad happened.

I think you’ll love it.

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I really can’t believe we are in the month of May already. The kids have started their countdown until summer vacation starts, and to be honest so have I. It’s always bittersweet ending another school year and watching your kids grow up right before your eyes – but I truly look forward to not having to set an alarm clock or pack lunches or being on any kind of schedule for a couple of months. Lazy days ahead!!

Warm weather dinners, the kind where most of your food is cooked out on the grill or prepped ahead of time and served chilled, are my favorite. I love the early evenings of summer where the kids are jumping into the pool while I’m getting the grill ready for dinner. We had one of those nights recently, though it was a school night it felt like a carefree summer night. The kids were getting into the pool to swim for the first time this season, and although the water was still a little chilly, they hung in there for a good hour or so going back and forth to the hot tub to warm up every now and then. Seeing them outside having so much fun instantly put me into that summer mood…the one where if I wasn’t pregnant I would have poured myself a glass of chilled white wine or made myself a Captain & (diet) Coke with extra lime and sat in the lounger to watch them play. I settled for a glass of ice water instead. 😉

Grilled chicken (like this Italian Herb Grilled Chicken) and veggies always come into play when that summer mood hits and it just happened to be on the menu that night. That and this unbelievably fresh and delicious Herbed Wild Rice Salad. I actually prepped it earlier in the day while the kids were still at school using leftover rice from the night before’s dinner (glad I made a double batch!) and fresh herbs from my little garden. I swear, I could not stop eating this stuff. It’s dressed very simply with a good drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of coarse salt and pepper. But the toasted pine nuts paired with the fresh herbs put this leftover rice over the top.

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I experienced a bit of a meal plan fail this week (nothing new, really). I had good intentions going into the week, stocking up the fridge with fresh fruits and veggies for lunches and dinners like I normally do, with a loose plan. But as the week went on, nothing I had planned sounded good anymore or fit into our evening schedule. As I saw this all unfolding, I had to regroup – and make something out of the packed veggie drawer that was easy and easy to eat within our schedule.

It doesn’t get easier than pasta salad in my opinion.

It took a little prep, yes – but I spent a few minutes yesterday afternoon chopping up the three packages of asparagus, zucchini and squash that I was afraid would go to waste if I didn’t do something about immediately. I tossed them in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and filled two baking trays to roast up. I didn’t fuss over any special vinaigrette – though I did start to brainstorm for another time – instead just simply using balsamic vinegar and olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese to dress the pasta and veggies once everything cooled down. Oh my goodness, this turned out so delicious.

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I’ve got some more grapefruit love for you today!

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Sandy posted this beautiful baked salmon dish on her blog. On the same day, I received a shipment of these gorgeous pink grapefruit from Harry & David. After seeing Sandy’s salmon, and tasting the grapefruit, I decided to play with her recipe and treat the family to a healthy salmon dinner. We love salmon at our house (well 3/4 of us do at this time), so I’m always looking for new ways to serve it. And to be honest, I hadn’t made salmon for dinner in too long. The last time was when I posted about this Salmon Salad a couple of months ago!

All the ingredients for the pistachio topping came together just perfectly. To be honest, I was enjoying the topping all on it’s own way too much during “taste-testing”. The crust was so good over the wild sockeye salmon I used. I purchase it frozen at Costco, so I always have some in the freezer for convenience. I think it would also be good on any other firm white fish like grouper or red snapper.

How do you make pistachio crusted salmon?

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place your salmon filets on a lightly greased baking sheet. Season top side with salt and pepper.
3. In a food processor or blender, add olive oil, honey or agave nectar, grapefruit juice, pistachios, paprika and a light pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse ingredients a few times until combined. Spoon nut mixture over salmon filets and spread evenly. Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes until salmon flakes easily.

Citrus goes so well with all kinds of seafood or fish, so it’s worth a try to experiment! I paired up the salmon with a nice spinach salad, topped with this simple grapefruit vinaigrette, for a great healthy weeknight dinner. For dessert, we had raspberry-rhubarb crumble with vanilla ice cream. So delicious!

I hope you enjoy this grapefruit-pistachio crusted salmon recipe as much as we did.

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Last week my friend Julie and I had a play date. We’ve been wanting to get together for a while, and even though she lives just a little over an hour from me, it seems like it’s always hard to find the time with both of our busy schedules.

We talked about cooking up some lunch, playing with our cameras and just hanging out but little did I know that our time together was going to stir up both of our creative juices in the kitchen. Personally, I’ve been in somewhat of a cooking slump since the holidays, really not in the mood to try anything new…basically it’s been survival mode around here with lots of easy pasta dishes and big pots of soup. That’s not a bad thing. But I’ve missed the excitement and energy I get when I start playing around in the kitchen, and of course I’ve been wanting to share new stuff with all of you!

Our plan that day was to learn how to make Chinese dumplings together. It’s one of my kids’ favorite things to order when we pick up take-out and something I’ve been wanting to get better at making at home. Well, it turns out, Julie was a natural at putting these dumplings together. They turned out delicious and my kids scarfed them down at dinner time. I’m seriously so excited about making them again and experimenting with different types of fillings.

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I wanted to share this awesome turkey veggie platter I found on Pinterest last year and brought to our Thanksgiving feast. It was loved (and welcomed) by all and really helped in the snacking department while we waited for everything to come together. There’s not much to putting it together – check out this link here for the “recipe” and pick up some dip at the store or even better, make your own (for the record, I love Heluva Good Bodacious Onion or French Onion when I’m not in the dip making mood).

I’m all about kicking off a Thanksgiving feast with some heathy snacking…a little less guilt and the cute little turkey veggie platter is always a hit with the kids – and adults.

Here are a few simple dips from friends that would pair up with fresh veggies very well:

Swiss Cheese Onion Dip

Avocado Ranch Dip

Spinach and Kale Greek Yogurt Dip

Ranch Style Veggie Dip

Creamy White Bean Dip with Parmesan and Sage

Cucumber and Feta Greek Yogurt Dip

Svelte Green Goddess Dip

Gobble Gobble!

Hope everyone enjoys the holiday and the long weekend! I am so thankful for every single person who reads this blog and even more thankful for the friendships (virtual and in real life) and the opportunities that have been created because of it. You all make me smile 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving to you! xoxo

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Goodness gracious, Thanksgiving is seriously right around the corner. Like, 10-ish days away around the corner. Not trying to stress you out or anything…

My favorite part of Thanksgiving has never been the turkey or the ham. For me, the star(s) of the meal have always been the Thanksgiving side dishes. From sweet potato casserole to all kinds of veggies prepared all kinds of ways to my family’s favorite Italian stuffing…my plate is usually filled to the max with plenty of deliciousness. No disrespect to the turkey, I usually manage to find a spot – though small spot – for a piece of him as well, for the sake of the holiday and all.

Since most of us are already in Thanksgiving menu planning mode, I wanted to bring forward a few Thanksgiving side dish recipes I’ve cooked up for my family over the years, along with plenty of others from friends around the web. Whether you are looking for traditional or want to get a little adventurous this year, there is something for everyone. Happy menu planning!

Cranberry Sauces and Relishes

Apple Orange Cranberry Sauce (shown above)
Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
Simple and Amazing Cranberry Sauce
Apple Cranberry Tangerine Sauce
Boozy Cranberry Sauce with Port Wine and Cloves
Tequila and Lime Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce
Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Pear Ginger Relish
Pomegranate Apple Cranberry Relish
Cranberry Orange Walnut Relish

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I don’t know about you, but chili is definitely one of my many favorite fall foods. I love pumpkin, I love apples, I love all the funky looking squashes – there really are so many fall foods to love aren’t there?

Fall doesn’t officially start for another week, but I have already started craving chili as I’m sure some of you have too. There’s nothing like a pot of chili bubbling on the stovetop on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon, while football is playing in the background. I made this season’s first pot of chili earlier in the week and am looking forward to many more…especially after browsing all of my favorite blogs for new ideas. My stomach is officially growling…

These 35 mouthwatering chili recipes will surely get you in the fall chili making mood:

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