Packed with nutritious whole grains, protein and fruit, these sushi rolls are the perfect addition to your child's lunch box.

As a Stonyfield blogger, I received samples from Stonyfield, Justin’s, and PackIt. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve been in a bit of denial about the back to school season.  Of course, I’ve seen all of the back to school stuff out at the stores over the past several weeks but I’ve been trying to hang on to the last days of summer.  You see, this is a big year for our family.  My daughter Sienna is starting preschool five days a week for the first time.  It feels like just yesterday that she was born and all of a sudden she’s all grown up and we’re shopping for backpacks and school supplies!  Can someone please slow down the clock?

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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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Oats, walnuts, blueberries, and apples are baked together in this hearty breakfast dish that's so good it almost tastes like dessert!

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

If you have never experienced the wonders of baked oatmeal, then you must try this dish!  Oats, walnuts, blueberries and apples are baked together in a hearty and comforting breakfast dish that tastes so good it almost feels like dessert.  And the best part is, it tastes even better the next day. 

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There’s no doubt that Korean food has become a big food trend in recent years.  A wide range of Korean dining establishments have been popping up all over the map, from gourmet 5-star restaurants to more casual Korean fusion eateries, to trendy food trucks.  It’s become so popular, that gochujang, which is a Korean red chili paste, has even been called the new Sriracha.  I personally didn’t really experience good, authentic Korean food until I went to college.  One of my best friends from college is Korean and I went home with her for a visit my freshman year.  I still remember that meal at Anne's house.  I sampled bulgogi- tender pieces of grilled, marinated beef, japchae- thin glass noodles stir fried with flavorful meat and vegetables, and my favorite dish- bibimbap.  All of this was served family style with a wide assortment of tasty and colorful banchan, or side dishes.

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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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This Wild Greens & Quinoa Grain Bowl is easy, healthy and delicious- you can't beat that!

Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month?  I decided to celebrate this occasion by making one of my favorite dishes- a grain bowl.  If you’ve never made a grain bowl before, it’s the perfect vehicle for combining a variety of healthy grains, vegetables, protein and other ingredients, all in one convenient bowl.  It’s an excellent weeknight meal- quick, easy and nutritious.  And it’s also a great way to empty out the contents of your fridge!

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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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No more boring tuna dishes!  My Spaghetti with Tuna is an elegant dish that will make you look at albacore in a whole new way. 

I love pasta.  I often turn to pasta dishes when I’m looking for dinner ideas for my family or even when I’m entertaining guests.  I try to keep things interesting by adding a variety of ingredients to my pasta dishes like colorful, nutritious vegetables and hearty, lean proteins.  You may not think of adding seafood to your pasta dishes but fish, shrimp, scallops, crab, lobster, clams and mussels are all excellent additions to your usual dinner dishes.  In fact, the US Dietary Guidelines recommend eating at least 8 ounces of a variety of seafood per week for those following a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet.  Among other things, seafood is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have numerous health benefits.  

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Hearty and delicious, my Smoky Beet Burgers are the perfect weeknight meal for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. 

Thank you to Love Beets 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 am really excited to share this recipe with you!  The all time most popular recipe on my blog is actually a vegetarian burger- my Black Bean and Quinoa Veggie Burgers.  I was initially surprised that a vegetarian recipe would be so popular but time and time again, people have expressed to me that they want hearty, nutritious and tasty vegetarian recipes.  I worked on that recipe for a while before I got it just right because I wanted to make sure that it was full of flavor and wouldn’t fall apart when you bite into it (a problem I’ve found with other veggie burgers).  I haven’t posted another veggie burger until now.  And I think this one is just as good!

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Break out of your breakfast boredom with my Strawberry Stuffed French Toast. 

I’m always looking for healthy and delicious breakfast ideas.  On workdays, I’m usually rushing out the door in the morning and prefer portable breakfasts to take on the go.  But on my days off, I love having a relaxing breakfast at home with my family.  When I have a good, hearty breakfast in the morning, it puts me in a good mood and gives me the energy to get my day going.

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Crispy chicken cutlets are topped with a fresh, vibrant salad.  Dinner is served!

Thank you to organicgirl for sponsoring this post!

Many people start the New Year off with resolutions to eat healthier, and this often includes eating more greens.  But it can be easy to get stuck in a salad rut.  I’m here to tell you that salad doesn’t have to be boring or bland!  There are lots of fun ways to make your salads more interesting.  I personally love adding a variety of ingredients with contrasting flavors and textures like chopped nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and crumbled cheese.  

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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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Skip the boxed macaroni and cheese and make this dish for your family instead!  My mac and cheese is easy to make and a lot healthier. 

As some of you know, my cookbook, Natural Pregnancy Cookbook, was recently released.  The follow up book, which is due to be released next month, is called Natural Baby Food.  I’m really excited about this project because it features over 125 nutritious recipes for babies and toddlers.  And the last section in the book includes easy dishes that the whole family can enjoy together.  While I was writing the book, I got to test many of the recipes on my own daughter Sienna!

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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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My Banana Flax Bread is packed with nutritious whole grains, flaxseed and Greek yogurt.  When it’s baking in the oven, it will make your whole house smell absolutely delicious! 

Banana bread is the ultimate fall comfort food.  When the weather starts to get cooler, I often crave warm, comforting foods, and banana bread definitely fits the bill.  

We buy a lot of bananas in my house.  When they get a little past their prime and start to turn brown, I either freeze them for smoothies or make banana bread. And when it comes to making banana bread, the browner the better.  Brown bananas will be softer and sweeter- perfect for a delicious and moist final product.  

When I heard that this month’s Recipe Redux theme was Fantastic Freezer Meals, I knew I had to make my Banana Flax Bread.  Quick breads like banana bread are perfect for freezing.  When I get in a baking mood, I often bake large batches of cakes, cookies, muffins, etc. and then freeze them.  This way you always have a convenient, heat-and-eat breakfast or snack when you want one.

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Featuring eggs in two different ways, this pasta dish is the ultimate comfort food.

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time. 


I love a good recipe contest.  So when I heard about the new “Light and Lean Recipes” contest through the Recipe Redux, I got really excited.  Sponsored by Davidson’s Safest Choice eggs, this contest challenged us to come up with delicious recipes showcasing these pasteurized eggs. 

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Jump-start your day with this Strawberry Almond Breakfast Quinoa- a hearty whole grain dish!

Start your day off right with this nutritious whole grain breakfast.  Quinoa might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of breakfast dishes but it’s a nice alternative to traditional oatmeal and it cooks up quickly.  Quinoa is an ancient grain with spectacular health benefits.  It’s packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals- no wonder the Incas referred to it as the Mother Grain!  To read more about quinoa, CLICK HERE. 

Quinoa can be cooked in milk instead of water, which will give it a slightly creamier consistency.  I use unsweetened almond milk in this recipe but you can use any type of milk like regular milk or coconut milk.  Then you just top it with your favorite ingredients for a filling breakfast that will jump-start your day. 

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All of the bold flavors of a burrito with much less fuss!  These meatless burrito bowls are delicious, nutritious and packed with protein.

People often ask me for nutritious, easy vegetarian recipe ideas and I’m always happy to see that my vegetarian recipes are some of the most popular posts on my site.  You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy vegetarian dishes.  Thanks to movements like Meatless Mondays, many people are trying to decrease the amount of meat in their diet and incorporate more plant-based foods.  It’s not only good for your health, it’s also good for the planet!

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