Disclaimer: I received a free Tiger rice cooker and soup cup for review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m so excited about this post!  Not only am I going to be writing about my new cookbook, I’m also reviewing a wonderful product and hosting an amazing giveaway!  My latest cookbook, Natural Baby Food: Over 150 Wholesome, Nutritious Recipes For Your Baby and Toddler published by Hatherleigh Press, was released earlier this year.  Over the summer, we’ve had a successful “blog tour” where dozens of my amazing blogger friends have reviewed the book and helped spread the word.

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These tuna tostadas are perfect for a family friendly weeknight meal!


As a chef and food blogger, I love spending time in the kitchen.  I could spend an entire day braising a stew in the oven, making fresh pasta from scratch or even baking a homemade cake.  I’ve always found cooking to be relaxing and a nice change of pace from my day job in the Emergency Room where I’m usually running around for 12 hours at a time.  But I also have plenty of days when I want to get a nutritious meal on the table as quickly as possible.  This is especially true now that it’s back to school season!  

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All of the flavors of a leisurely Sunday brunch baked into a muffin that’s perfect to take on the go. 

Now that my daughter Sienna has started preschool, our mornings have become quite a whirlwind as we get her ready for school and ourselves ready for work.  And like her mommy, Sienna definitely likes to sleep until the last possible minute!  So although I hope to be able to sit down to a nutritious, homemade breakfast as often as possible, the reality is that there will be plenty of days when I’ll need a faster breakfast option. Enter these delicious savory breakfast muffins!   

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Hold on to summer a little while longer and fire up the grill for my tasty Strawberry Teriyaki Salmon Kebabs. 

In a recent post, I shared my Strawberry Jalapeño Salsarecipe and promised that it would make another appearance soon in a second recipe to pair with it.  Well, here it is- my Strawberry Teriyaki Salmon Kebabs. 

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Pure, unadulterated crab cake goodness topped with a colorful salsa that’s bursting with flavor- it’s the perfect summer entertaining dish!

I received free samples of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Zespri Kiwifruit and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

For the most recent Recipe Reduxcontest, we were challenged to “surprise and delight” with a recipe featuring Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit.  I was really excited to start experimenting in the kitchen because I’d never tried SunGold kiwifruit before.  This new variety of fruit is a natural cross between other gold varieties of kiwifruit (non-GMO) and is one of the fastest growing new fruits globally.  With their sweet flavor, pop of color, excellent nutritional profile and culinary versatility, these beauties are a must try! 

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Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, these avocado fries are baked to golden perfection. 

As a Stonyfield blogger, I received samples of Stonyfield yogurt and Kitchen IQ products. All opinions expressed are my own.

Move over French fries, there’s a new fry on the block!  Just when I thought avocados couldn’t get any better, I discovered these beauties.  Coated in panko breadcrumbs and baked to golden, crispy perfection, these crispy avocado fries are not only nutritious- they’re downright addictive!  

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Bursting with flavor, this easy 5 ingredient salsa is perfect for summer!

I always have fresh strawberries in my fridge in the summertime when they’re at their peak.  Strawberries are my daughter’s favorite fruit and we love them too.  They’re so easy to incorporate into a wide variety of dishes, from breakfast to lunch, dinner, and of course, dessert.  And you can use them in both sweet and savory dishes.  Check out my post on 10 fun ways to use summer berries.

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A healthier take on a classic summer dessert, these shortcakes are sure to please.

Can you believe it’s almost August already?  I feel like summer just started!  The other day I was at my local grocery store and the back to school stuff out was already out!  The end of summer tends to creep up on me even faster now that we live in Florida since schools start early here.  Growing up in New York, we had a little more time to enjoy the lazy days of summer since Labor Day traditionally signaled the start of school.

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Nutritious sweet potatoes and a classic summer salad come together in this elegant appetizer.

This month’s Recipe Redux theme is “Get your fruits and veggies in shape… Show us how you’re serving the bounty of gardens and orchards in shapes like ribbons, noodles, cut-outs, or other creative cuts.”  When I read this, my first thought was- perfect!  Finally, I had an excuse to pull my spiralizer out of the closet!  My husband Pete actually got it for me as a gift about a year ago and I think he’s (not so) secretly been a little disappointed that I haven’t been cranking out spiralized dishes every night for dinner.  It’s not that I don’t love my spiralizer- on the contrary, the first time I used it to make zucchini noodles (aka zoodles), they came out great!  The sad truth is that as a food blogger, I tend to get so bogged down with my blog schedule, that it’s hard to find time to just play around in the kitchen and experiment with new tools and recipes.  I know my fellow food bloggers can relate!

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This post was sponsored by Olive Oils from Spain.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

People are always asking me for healthy eating tips.  What’s one of the best ways to make sure that you’re eating the right types of foods?  Cook at home!  When you cook at home, there’s no mystery involved.  You are the one controlling the ingredients and the cooking methods.  Healthy eating is not about following a restrictive diet and denying yourself the foods you love. It’s about eating a well-balanced diet filled with a wide variety of delicious and nutritious whole foods and leading an active, fulfilling lifestyle.

One of the most basic changes you can make to your every day cooking routine that can significantly improve your health is to cook with olive oil.

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These healthy chicken tenders and tomato poppers are the perfect addition to your summer picnic basket.

Don’t you just love summer?  Everything is just more casual and relaxed when the summer season is underway- including entertaining.  All you need is some good friends, good food, and some cold drinks.  Simple is best when it comes to summer entertaining.  No slaving over a hot stove for hours. I’d rather spend the time outdoors! 

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Grilled avocados are the perfect vehicle for serving up a delicious corn and black bean salsa in this easy and nutritious vegetarian dish.  

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…

No it’s not my birthday, it’s the Recipe Redux’s 5^thbirthday!  While I haven’t been a member from the beginning, I’m so happy to be a part of this amazing group of healthy food bloggers.  I think that this month’s theme is one of the best we’ve ever had but it’s also one of the hardest!  We were asked to celebrate each other by choosing a fellow Reduxer and creating a dish inspired by one of their recipes.  The problem is, with so many amazing people in the group, this was such a tough decision! 

Ultimately, I decided to feature the one and only Jessica Fishman Levinson from Nutritioulicious.  Why Jessica?  Well, for a few reasons.  Although we’ve never met in person, I kind of feel like we’re kindred spirits in a way.  She’s a New Yorker, she’s a mom, and she’s passionate about delicious and nutritious food, like myself.  We also definitely have a recipe ESP thing going on and there have been plenty of times when we posted similar dishes at the same time.  We even know the same people- it turns out that I went to high school with her sister-in-law!  If I hadn’t moved to South Florida, I have a feeling that Jessica and I would be getting together for coffee or lunch all the time! 

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This rich and savory dish is perfect for entertaining- and you can assemble it all the night before!

This blog post was sponsored by Stonefire Naan, but all opinions expressed are my own.

When most people hear bread pudding, they think of dessert.  But there’s a whole other world of savory bread puddings and it’s pretty amazing.  Savory bread pudding, also sometimes known as strata, is a casserole made with cubed bread, cheese and other ingredients like vegetables or meat, baked in an egg-based custard.  This rich and elegant dish is equally suitable for the brunch or dinner table.  It also makes an excellent side dish or vegetarian entrée for the holidays.

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Earthy beets are paired with creamy goat cheese and a refreshing vinaigrette in this light summer salad.  

This post was sponsored by Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company.  As always all opinions expressed are my own.

           

Once Memorial Day rolls around, it typically signals the start of the summer season!  Although we don’t get as much seasonal temperature variation in South Florida, I still prefer to eat lighter, simpler meals in the summertime.  That means plenty of grilled dishes and yummy salads filled with fresh, local Florida produce. 

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Today I’m celebrating the recent release of my latest cookbook, Natural Baby Food.  Published by Hatherleigh Press and distributed by Penguin Random House, this book is the culmination of a year of work and is the follow up to my Natural Pregnancy Cookbook.  After many late nights spent researching, writing and testing recipes, it’s so exciting to finally see the finished product in print.  It’s almost like giving birth to another child! 

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A fun take on a classic kid favorite, these tater tots are packed with nutritious zucchini instead of potatoes.

Now that my daughter Sienna is in school, I have to pack her lunch three times a week.   Even with all of the cooking I do, I must admit that I still sometimes find myself in a lunch rut.  I have my usual standbys that I turn to when I’m short on time or creativity like cashew butter and jelly sandwiches (one of her classmates has a peanut butter allergy), yogurt and fresh fruit.  But when time permits, I love coming up with fun and healthy new ideas to pack in her lunchbox. 

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These wholesome, nutritious corn fritters are the perfect snack any time of the day!

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Real California Milk products and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

We’re always on the go in my house so I usually like to keep healthy snacks around.  If a snack is nutritious, tasty and my toddler likes it too, then it’s a winner in my book.  During a recent trip to the grocery store, I saw fresh corn for the first time this year, reminding me that summer is just around the corner!  As I loaded up my cart with several ears, I started thinking about how I was going to use them.  One of my favorite dishes is Mexican street corn.  It's a simple dish that features grilled corn on the cob slathered with a chili-spiked mayonnaise and rolled in crumbly cheese.  It’s absolutely delicious but can be a bit messy to eat.  So I decided to make an easier, portable, family-friendly version of this delicious street food.     

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This easy, protein-packed fried “rice” features nutritious quinoa and canned tuna.

I am a big menu planner.  When people ask me for healthy eating tips, menu planning is always high up on my list.  Menu planning means that I take some time each week to plan out my family’s meals for the week and then I make one trip to the grocery store.  This helps me to plan nutritious meals for the whole week and avoid last-minute trips to the grocery store or take-out restaurant.  But sometimes life can get hectic and every now and then, I’ll find myself tired and hungry after a long day at work, peering into my fridge, asking myself the time old question, “what’s for dinner?”

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5-Minute Pineapple Frozen Yogurt

Disclosure: As a Stonyfield blogger, I received free samples of Stonyfield organic yogurt to develop this post.  All opinions expressed are my own.  


My daughter Sienna has very interesting eating habits.  Like many kids her age, one day she’ll love something and the next day she’ll refuse to eat it.  But there’s one food that’s remained a constant in her diet from the beginning- yogurt.  She’s loved yogurt since she was a baby and we first introduced her to solids.  If it were up to her, she would probably eat yogurt for breakfast, lunch and dinner!  

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These delicious rice balls are a healthy remake of classic Italian arancini.

Thanks to USA Rice for sponsoring this post.  I was asked to participate in the “#ThinkRice” campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network.

If you’ve never had arancini before, then you must try this recipe!  Arancini are Italian rice balls and they’re one of those dishes that I have to order when I see them on a menu.  These delectable bites are traditionally made with risotto, an Italian rice dish that has a rich, velvety taste and texture, but is a little time-consuming to prepare.  The risotto is formed into a ball and can be stuffed with various treats like meat, cheese, raisins or pine nuts.  Then the balls are coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried.  The end result is delicious mouthful that’s crispy on the outside with an ooey, gooey, cheesy center.

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