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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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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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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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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These tasty vegetarian patties are nutritious and satisfying- the perfect addition to your dinner table!
  

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.


One of the most common requests that I get for the blog is easy, filling, vegetarian dinner ideas.  Perhaps it’s partially because of the Meatless Mondays movement, which encourages people to give up meat once a week to help reduce our risk of chronic preventable diseases and reduce our carbon footprint.  People are starting to shift from the traditional way of thinking that meat should take center stage at each meal with vegetables, fruits and grains relegated to the role of supporting players.  I try to incorporate as much plant-based whole foods as possible into my diet, so I’m always happy to oblige with new tasty and hearty vegetarian recipes.  In fact, the most popular recipe on my blog to date is a veggie burger recipe.  Who would’ve thought?

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

At less than 150 calories and almost no fat, these healthy muffins are the perfect, guilt-free snack.

I have a confession to make- I love to bake.  It’s funny, most chefs fall firmly on one side of the savory or sweet fence- they're either savory chefs or they’re bakers, but usually not both.  It’s probably because with savory dishes, you can be more experimental while baking is much more of an exact science.  With savory dishes, you can add a little bit of this or a little bit of that, mixing ingredients until you achieve the right balance of flavors.  But with baking, you have to be very precise, measuring each ingredient; otherwise your pastries may not rise or have the proper texture.  In culinary school, practically every student in my class except for me dreaded the mandatory 6-week pastry module (of course I mean the cooking part, not the taste testing!).  I love cooking savory dishes but I also love to bake.  I guess it’s my background in science, but I actually enjoy measuring out ingredients.  Plus, it’s amazing to me that you can mix together a few simple ingredients like flour, eggs, sugar and oil and just a short while later, you have a delicious baked confection.

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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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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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