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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Lovely to look at and fun to eat, this smoothie bowl is packed with flavor and nutrition. 

Thanks to the National Processed Raspberry Council for sponsoring this post!  All opinions expressed are my own. 

I’m fascinated with smoothie bowls.  Thicker than a smoothie and eaten with a spoon rather than being sipped through a straw, a smoothie bowl is a heartier, kicked up version of a traditional smoothie.  And in case you haven’t noticed, they’re all the rage right now in the food world.  Just check out Instagram and you’ll find tons of amazing photos of smoothie bowls.  It seems like people love to use smoothie bowls as a canvas to express their creativity.  With their bright, vibrant colors and elaborate garnishes, many of these bowls look like more like works of art than actual food.

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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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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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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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Take your chicken salad up a notch with this easy and nutritious summer dish.

Thank you to Chosen Foods for sponsoring this post!  I was selected for this opportunity as a member of the Mambro Sprouts blogger program.  As always, the opinions expressed are my own.   

I love classic dishes but sometimes I like to break from tradition and spice them up a little.  My Chicken Salad with a Twist is one of those dishes.  I created this dish when I was looking for something to jazz up my basic chicken salad recipe.  I loved it so much, that I actually put the recipe in my Natural Pregnancy Cookbook.  And no, of course you don’t have to be pregnant to enjoy this dish or any of the dishes in the book!  It actually has over 125 of my best nutritious and wholesome recipes for anyone trying to lead a healthy lifestyle.

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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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This delicious smoothie will not only satisfy any chocolate cravings, it will also give you a boost of nutrients to fuel your body.

As a Stonyfield blogger, I received free samples of Stonyfield yogurt and Barlean's products to develop this recipe. All opinions expressed are my own.

I make a lot of smoothies- not only do I love them but my daughter loves them too.  Smoothies are great as a post workout snack or an on the go breakfast.  They’re also one of the few things I know my daughter will always try.  And I can add in all sorts of healthy ingredients! 

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Take your next brunch from ordinary to extraordinary with these delicious and easy chilaquiles. 

Every year around this time, my entire family gets together and goes on a family vacation.  For the past several years, we’ve traveled to Mexico.  What’s not to love about Mexico?  Beautiful beaches, friendly people, and of course, amazing food!  It was on one of these trips several years ago that I first discovered chilaquiles.  Tucked away at the breakfast buffet next to the pancakes, eggs and waffles, I found what looked at first to be a very unassuming dish but ended up being quite a hidden gem. 

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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 lovely gluten-free mini quiches are the perfect addition to your Easter table.


Like many chefs and foodies, I usually get excited when spring is right around the corner.  It’s nice to see the winter squash and root vegetables at the market making way for the fresh spring vegetables that are suddenly abundant like ramps, fresh peas, asparagus, artichokes, radishes, garlic scapes, and leeks.

I also associate Easter with the beginning of spring.  Did you know that Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox?  For those of you who don’t remember your 8^thgrade Earth Science, the vernal equinox (March 20) is significant because it’s one of the two days of the year when day and night are about equal in length all over the world.   

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HelloNutchello #CollectiveBias

Coconut and cashews come together for the perfect afternoon indulgence.  

In case you haven’t noticed, bliss balls have been popping up all over the internet for quite some time now.  Otherwise known as protein balls, snack balls or any other number of names, they all have one thing in common which makes them very popular- there’s no cooking involved.  These tasty snacks are made with a mixture of nutrient dense ingredients, which usually includes nuts and dried fruit.  Other ingredients can be added such as different grains (like oats or millet), seeds (like flax or chia seeds), flavorings (like cocoa powder or vanilla extract) and other add-ins (like protein powder or chocolate chips).  All of the ingredients get pureed together in a food processor and then they’re rolled into bite sized balls.  They can be served as is or can be coated in ingredients like shredded coconut, sesame seeds, chopped nuts or cocoa powder.  Then they’re ready to be devoured.  Quick, easy and nutritious- no wonder they’re so popular! 

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Bursting with nutrition and flavor, Wild Blueberries pack a one-two punch in this vibrant smoothie!

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America and I am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Did you know that smoothies are most popular at this time of year in the winter rather than in the summer?  It makes sense when you consider that many of us have healthful eating on our minds as we start out the New Year.  And smoothies are certainly a quick and easy way to pack a lot of nutritious ingredients into a delicious and portable meal or snack.

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Millet forms the base of these crispy, gluten-free cakes that are packed with nutritious veggies.

For me, the New Year is all about starting fresh, making healthy choices and trying new things.  And that’s exactly what the Recipe Reduxchallenged us to do for the first month of 2016- pick a new ingredient that we’ve been wanting to try and cook up a new recipe with it. 

I make a lot of recipes with whole grains.  After all, the dietary guidelines recommend that half of all the grains we eat be whole grains.  But most of the time, I end up making either brown rice or quinoa for dinner.  Sometimes I’ll make barley or farro.  I've been wanting to try some new whole grains so this week when I was at the grocery store, I ended up buying a bag of millet.  Although millet is a new grain for me, it’s actually quite ancient.  According to the Whole Grains Council website, “Before rice was widely consumed in Asia, it’s thought that different forms of millet were the staple grain in this region, as long ago as 8300 B.C.E.”      

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Smoky and sweet, with a bit of heat, this spice-rubbed salmon is the perfect light dish for the New Year.

Once the New Year comes around, I’m like most people- ready to move on from all of the holiday indulgences and start focusing on some lighter, healthier dishes.  Spice-Rubbed Salmon is one of my go-to recipes on busy weeknights.  When people ask me how it’s possible to cook healthy meals when you’re pressed for time, I point to recipes like this one.  Not only is it healthy and delicious, it can be prepared in about 15 minutes!   

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #muBARista #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.

There’s something so comforting about curling up on a cold day with a warm drink.  That’s something I miss about living in New York City.  Not that I don’t appreciate the beautiful hot weather we have in South Florida.  I definitely don’t miss trudging around the snow-laden streets of Manhattan in my winter boots.  But I do miss the feeling of coming home, taking off said winter boots, and enjoying a comforting drink that warms you up from the inside out.  Especially during holiday season when the Christmas tree lights are up and the radio stations are all playing holiday music (yes, I’m a sucker for holiday music). 

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Packed with fresh ingredients, my Sunshine State Cioppino is the perfect light post-holiday meal.

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


I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  But now that the holiday is over, you may be looking for some lighter dishes.  My Sunshine State Cioppino definitely fits the bill.  Packed with flavor and fresh, nutritious ingredients, it’s the perfect post-holiday clean eating dish.

This dish is a twist on cioppino, a classic seafood stew that originated in San Francisco.  Cioppino was originally developed by Italian fisherman who used whatever fresh seafood they had caught that day including crab, fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, and squid.  It’s typically made with a tomato-based broth that’s infused with wine and served with plenty of crusty bread for dipping.  I decided to make a version of cioppino using fresh Florida seafood.  After all, I’m a Floridian now so why not take advantage of the bounty of fresh, local seafood? 

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With the holidays right around the corner, here are two festive rice dishes that would be the perfect addition to your family table.  Both dishes celebrate fall flavors and ingredients.  My Stuffed Acorn Squash pairs Tasty Bite brown rice with aromatic vegetables, crunchy pecans, sweet dried cranberries and salty Parmesan cheese.  The earthy flavor and chewy texture of brown rice works well in this hearty baked dish that would make a lovely side dish for the holidays.  My Pumpkin Spice Rice Pudding uses fragrant Tasty Bite jasmine rice, and is the perfect holiday dessert.  Flavored with delicate pumpkin and warm fall spices, it has a rich, creamy consistency that your guests will love. 

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