It’s been a few weeks since I’ve blogged and I have to be honest, it feels a bit awkward writing this post. Truth is, I’m suffering from blog burnout, and after just about 6 years of blogging, something I’ve experienced a couple times. This time feels different though. In my past burnouts I found myself come out of it by looking for inspiration in the kitchen (I wrote a little post about it here a couple of years ago). Right now though, life with 3 kids is just completely full and taking over and I’m in full on survival mode. Cooking has become pushed aside as more of a chore and something I am doing as a necessity, not as a pleasurable activity. My meals are simply thrown together with the priority being quick, nutritious and as effortless as possible (and the less clean up the better). The thought of pulling out a camera during the chaos called dinnertime makes me cringe, and finding the time to write a post is just getting harder and harder. There are just a million other things I’d rather be doing lately, none of them include being on my laptop (except going through my “to print” photos that are piling up at a ridiculous pace – oy vay).  :):)

This is real life. I have 2 busy kids finishing up their school year and a 7 month old who is busy exploring his new world. I’m totally embracing it people. (well, trying to 😉 )

Just when I thought I may never make anything worthy of a blog post ever again…an impromptu late afternoon nap happened while the kids were outside playing with their friends yesterday. I needed to use up what I had to serve alongside some simply broiled salmon for dinner. This came together during that short little nap, and I loved it, as did my husband. It’s a perfect summer quinoa salad, one that I will surely be making again.

Until next time my friends… xoxo

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Have you recovered from your post-Halloween hangover yet? Honestly, I can only handle so much candy. I don’t normally have a sweet tooth, but once I open the door to having “just one piece” I pretty much lose all my self control. It gets ugly people. Ugly.

Something needed to be done.

Here’s where this lovely, healthy quinoa salad comes in. I forced myself to make a batch of quinoa yesterday morning and using what I had in the fridge and pantry turned one of my favorite pasta salads into a quinoa salad. I skipped the cheese and made the dressing more simply and snacked on this salad pretty much all throughout the day. I have just enough leftover for my lunch today and that makes me a happy girl.

And let me tell you, I’m feeling a whole lot better than I was yesterday morning. And the candy is hidden and locked up. (Don’t worry, I’m not too much of a party pooper…my kids are enjoying their daily ration, for now) 🙂

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I have had cranberry on the brain lately.  I’m craving cranberry everything for some reason.  I want to make this Cranberry Orange Quickbread that I baked up for Thanksgiving last year…and while I’m at it, make some of this Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce that I fell in love with too.  Now, I’ll have to tell you, I’m not really a big fan of cranberry by itself…for me the flavor is a little too tart on its own, so I prefer it paired with something a little sweet, like orange or apple.

The other day I decided I had to have a cranberry nut cream cheese spread for the little bagels I picked up at the store.  I pictured this spread on everything…sliced apples, grainy flatbreads, turkey sandwiches…or for me, apple sandwiches (I love apple and peanut butter sandwiches so just envision the spread in place of PB on a whole wheat sandwich thin with crisp thin apple slices…crunch…and yum.).  I thought the cranberry nutty cream cheese spread was a novel and brilliant concoction and googled it for “ideas”.

Apparently it’s not that novel.  I found exactly what I wanted to make right here at the Cranberry Marketing Committee of all places.  They are ahead of the game I guess.  Oh well.  I added sunflower seeds to my spread and have been enjoying it on mini whole wheat bagels for a post run snack this past week.  My mom loved it at breakfast yesterday and asked for the recipe…so here you go Mom!

This Cranberry Nut Cream Cheese Spread would be great to bring to any holiday brunch or breakfast…it’s best served at room temperature so take it out early!

Cranberry Nut Cream Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup (or 1/4 cup honey as original recipe suggests)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Directions:

1. Combine cream cheese and agave (or honey) in a medium mixing bowl. Use a mixer or wooden spoon to combine until smooth, then stir in cranberries, walnuts and orange zest. Use immediately or refrigerate covered until ready to use. Best served at room temperature.

Recipe slightly adapted from US Cranberry Committee

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