Baby Food: Mangos

Darlington’s fifteen months old, and we’re over the baby’s “first foods” limitations. Now, it’s all about maintaining a healthy diet and making sure we try to stay away from preservatives. This can get tricky during soccer and football seasons because it’s just so easy to grab stadium food and call it a day. So, we’ve continued to freeze some of Darlington’s favorite snacks and toss them in an insulated travel bag, perfect for on-the-go meal times.

One of her favorite go-to snacks are mangos, loaded with vitamin A and carotenoids. As many moms know, carotenoids are great for reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease, and they’ve also been proven to keep the common cold at bay.

Italian Stuffed Eggplant

Apparently, I’m still stuck in Italy! Though I’ve kicked the pasta and Focaccia bread to the curb (thank goodness because I’m not ready to gain all my baby weight back), I just can’t let go of that Italian seasoning. So here’s my happy medium, an Italian-tasting dish without all the carbs.

With Halloween around the corner, I’m going to be bathing in chocolate candy—my weakness—so something’s got to give. That means I have to eat my best and put my best running foot forward. It’s all about balance. And with our enormous Friscovania Halloween event, I’m not going to be able to say no to the hordes of trick-or-treat candy, and with Italian food like this, why should I have to?

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August 29, 2016August 29, 2016

Rise and Shine Breakfast Bakes

I’ve never been a big breakfast eater, but in the past year I’ve redoubled my efforts in that department. With longer days as a mom and business owner of sorts, I find my energy fizzling out on those days I don’t start with some morning fuel. And in my never-ending quest to eat more protein, eggs have become a recent staple in my diet, which makes breakfast food a no-brainer for some of our go-to dishes. But in my mind, “breakfast food” doesn’t mean that it can only be eaten in the morning. For years I’ve incorporated what my husband and I call “BFD” (Breakfast for Dinner) nights into our weekly rotating menu.

One thing I absolutely love about this recipe is that it’s a single serving. You can easily make one for your solo days, or a set of ten for a special occasion brunch, or even a larger one to share if you’re doing dinner-for-two. For meat-eaters, vegetarians, spicy-lovers, and cheese-lovers, too, you can customize each one to their liking.

August 15, 2016August 20, 2016

Cedar Plank Wild Alaskan Salmon

I’m excited to share a recipe that reflects a couple of my favorite hometown resources—wild Alaskan salmon and the aromatic Alaskan Yellow Cedar. Wild salmon has to be one of the healthiest foods around. It’s an excellent source of protein chock full of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. My mom always told me that salmon was “brain food” and that eating it would make me smarter. Now I’m telling my kids the same thing!

August 1, 2016August 1, 2016

Carrot Mango Madness

As you might’ve noticed over the past year, I’ve been keeping things simple in the kitchen. There are many reasons for this. The first reason is time. I don’t have the luxury of dilly-dallying like I used to. Now when I’m in the kitchen, so is Darlington, and that means I’m on constant high-alert. My curious baby likes to chase the dogs with pots and pans, press the start button on the empty microwave, pinch her fingers between the cabinets, and then yell as if I’m responsible. These days, simplicity is key, and that’s one reason why my juices aren’t as dressed up as they used to be.