We're Stuffed!

What's better than a few ingredients you love?  Stuffing those ingredients into something else you love!

Today we're bring you 3 delicious stuffed recipes featuring 3 vessels that are even more delicious when you stuff something in them.  These recipes offer a great way to hide delicious and nutritious ingredients for the picky eaters in the family.

Our first dish, brought to you by Dishing Up Dirt via Bloglovin, is a whole-lotta-goodness!  Chickpea Stuffed Eggplant with Couscous and Tahini Sauce, brings Mediterranean flavors to the forefront.  This elegant dish looks like it came from the most executive chef's kitchen, but can be easily created in your own home.  Give it a go, and let us know what you think!

Next up, a veggie favorite of ours, Stuffed Mushrooms with Farro.  Vegetarian Times brings this tasty recipe to you, with an Italian whole grain, you may not be familiar with.  Farro gives a great texture and flavor to this dish and can be incorporated into your diet along with brown rice, or quinoa as a healthy, starchy alternative.

Let's introduce another stuffed recipe featuring a plethora of flavors, this time, of the southwestern variety, with Stuffed Zuchini from Kalyn's Kitchen.  This thing has cheese, black beans, and green chilies mixed with brown rice for a fantastic new dish with the option to spice it up even more with green Tabasco sauce.

Such amazing flavors in all three of these dishes-which is your favorite?

Meatless Monday: Grill Master Edition

It's Monday again, time to start the week off right with some delicious meatless recipes!  Seems like most evenings you can smell someone grilling something, so tonight, why not let it be you!

We'll kick things off with a tasty Moroccan- inspired side dish from Dinners and Dreams.  Her Mushroom Skewers are packed with flavor featuring harissa, a Moroccan red pepper sauce.  Remember to soak your skewers before putting your veggies on them as they will quickly catch on fire from the grill.

This next recipe is a perfect dish, especially when you need a meal in a hurry.  It's nutritious, delicious, and a great meal that will leave you satisfied.  Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant Parmesan from the Cookin' Canuck takes 10 minutes or less to prepare AND cook!  It's also a perfect dish to make when you have just a little bit of left over spaghetti sauce, and don't want pasta again.

Speaking of fast, this next recipe again, takes 10 minutes or less to prepare and cook.  It's almost too good to be true!  The kids, especially, will love this one!  Grilled Tomato-Basil Pita Pizzas from Kraft, a fun way to get the kids to the dinner table.

This last recipe is stuffed with everything...literally.  Veggies, spices, protein, you name it, it's got it, with a name to match!   Grilled Tex-Mex Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins from Half Baked Harvest...a healthy alternative to yummy potato skins by using sweet potatoes, and chocked full of flavor thanks to Tieghan, a talented, young foodie.  Try them out for yourself!

Feel free to comment about which recipe is your favorite on our Facebook page-happy eating!

Meatless Monday: We're Nuts About Nuts

Has the crazy weather driven anyone else nuts?  We've been part of the uniquely disastrous Atlanta winter storms the last few weeks, and although we aren't complaining as our usual temperatures are much better than the rest of the U.S., it has definitely taken a toll on us.  So, in light of the crazy cabin fever and nutty winter weather, today's meatless Monday recipe index is all about nuts!

We've got some lovely recipes featuring 4 different kinds of nuts to suit your fancy.  By toasting them, notice how the flavor is really brought out, and adds more oomph to your dish.

Let's kick things off with this Pear Salad with Walnuts and Feta, by Babble.com.  This simple dish is great this time of year as many different pear varieties are in season.  Eat it as an addition to your meal or as a yummy lunch entree.

Speaking of additions, these next two recipes will really pick up the slack that your everyday side dishes have been offering.  Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan and Pine Nuts by Your Homebased Mom, is a much healthier option than smothering those florets with cheese.  Or if you're looking for something a little starchier, try Martha Stewart's Rice Pilaf with Toasted Almonds.  Use both if you're really looking to go above and beyond on tonight's dinner.

And of course we can't forget to end our meal with something sweet.  White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are the perfect end for today's meal.  Annalise over at Completely Delicious offers this great recipe that makes about 2 dozen, so you can fill your cookie jar to the brim and enjoy one or two of these at the end of the day.  Here's to hoping your weather is warming up and the cabin fever craziness is over!

Meatless Monday: Cheesy Dishes

Cheese.  It's good on pretty much everything, don't you think?  Unless you're lactose intolerant, we think you'll find these 5 recipes, featuring all sorts of cheesy goodness, to die for!

Starting with a  breakfast dish that can be served all day long, this mini quiche features feta and mushrooms with caramelized onions.  Featured on treehugger.com, you can find easy directions and delicious pictures that are sure to make your mouth water.

photo courtesy of  Jaymi Heimbuch

This Zucchini Parmesan dish can either be a snack or a side.  And all you need is zucchini and Parmesan cheese!  Can't make it any easier than that! For the nutritional information of this dish, check out Spark Recipes.

This next dish is quite the light fare.  Again featuring feta cheese, it's the perfect appetizer or poolside pick me up.  Cucumber-Feta Bites from Bitedelite.com are fun and fresh, not to mention delicious!

Love cheesy potatoes, but need something different?  Try adding cauliflower!  A Potato, Cauliflower, and Cheddar Bake from Martha Stewart gives you a little bit of help lowering your risk of stroke, according to Men's Health.  This lovely white vegetable is also a great source of potassium and folate.  And because it's white like the potatoes, you may be able to hide it in all that cheddar-y goodness, so you're kids will eat it all up without any complaints!  It's a win-win!

Check back next week for some easy no bake, Meatless Monday recipes!

Meatless Monday: St. Patty's Day Edition

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to have today's Meatless Monday post focused around GREEN ingredients.

Let's start off with a nutritious ingredient that has a lot of parent's dying to figure out a way to get their children to eat it...BROCCOLI!  These fun sized, tasty bites will have everyone at the table reaching for more.  Broccoli Cheese Bites from Stacey Snacks are easy for toddlers to eat with their hands (if they haven't mastered the fork yet) and easy for anyone to throw together and pop in the oven for a side that takes less than 30 minutes to make.

This next dish has another ingredient that kids are hesitant to try-spinach-but this recipe for Parmesan & Spinach Orzo will be both satisfying and beneficial-thanks to all the vitamins found in this leafy green.  Life As A Strawberry features easy directions as well as many mouth watering pictures, including this one...

Here's another green side that's a little more grown up, but still can be a family favorite. Green Beans with Walnuts and Balsamic from Healthy Seasonal Recipes is a quickie recipe that can be prepped and cooked in less than 30 minutes.  We also think this could be a new holiday side you add to your table.

This pretty spring dish has a beautiful pop of green throughout it due to 3 accent ingredients.  Tortellini with Asparagus, Peas, and Mint can be made with all fresh ingredients, all frozen ingredients (minus the mint), or a mix of both depending on your time crunch.  Betsy from Betsy Life does use frozen peas, but everything else is fresh-she even uses her own home grown mint!

We'll end today's green blast with a celebratory Shamrock Shake to satisfy your sweet tooth and offer the kids a new, fun dessert.  This low calorie drink from Skinny Mom has healthier ingredients than a traditional milkshake, but if you need or want the extra goodness of using icecream as opposed to frozen yougurt (we won't tell anyone!)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Meatless Monday-Savory Soups Edition

Happy Monday!  Today we've got some savory soup recipes to warm you up.  Enjoy them right away, or freeze them for a quick meal on another night.

This yummy Red Pepper-Carrot Soup from Vegetarian Times, hosts a wealth flavor, not to mention gives you a great dose of beta carotene and Vitamin A (these nutrients can help lower body fat, protect your skin from sun damage and boost your immune system, among other things).  And all you need is about 30 minutes to make this!

This next recipe is a classic-French Onion Soup.  Follow the tutorial from BS in the Kitchen and you'll have about 12 servings of this delicious dish.  Freeze it and thaw it later for a night when you don't have time to cook dinner.

Skinny Jeans Food has a great vegan friendly dish (vegans are people who try to avoid using or consuming all animal products) for Mushroom Soup.  This recipe takes just over a half hour and is filling from its creamy texture.

Today's last dish is a slight twist on another classic-Roasted Broccoli Cheese Soup from I Am Baker.  This soup is a great recipe for a chilly or rainy day-just brings some warmth and comfort...and let's be honest-cheese makes just about everything better!

If you have a Meatless Monday dish that you want to share-feel free to email us at valorbrandsng@gmail.com or comment below!

Meatless Monday-Crockpot Edition

The crockpot is a fabulous tool for families who don't have time to stand over the stove to cook a delicious, well balanced meal.  Today's edition of Meatless Monday is going to highlight some fabulous recipes that you can throw together in minutes and let cook throughout the day, saving you tons of time!

Today we'll start out with a healthy, hearty, veggie packed version of Minestrone Soup.  This recipe  brought to you from Windsor Style Files, includes nine, yes, nine different veggies that can either be fresh (we like that best) or frozen.  They even claim it's better than Olive Garden's version!

Next we'll take a stab at Martha's Greek Stuffed Peppers.  We like to pretend we're on a first name basic with Ms. Stewart, we don't think she'd mind.  Her recipe takes just minutes to throw together, and what's nice is you just turn on your crock pot and let it do all the hard work.  *Side note-the couscous goes in dry-no need to cook it beforehand.  Follow this link to see a 6 minute video on the Martha Stewart website for this dish, as well as see the ingredients and recipe.

This next dish can be a beautiful addition to any meal.  GreenLiteBites.com featured these Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes as a side to a holiday meal, but we think this would be great any day of the year!  Sweet potatoes offer so many wonderful nutrients and are a great alternative to everyday starches like white rice or regular potatoes.

We'll finish today's edition of Meatless Monday with an easy to make, Black Bean Pasta, from Jamie's Cookin'.  This recipe takes just a few minutes to throw together and 3 hours on a low setting.  This would make a great dinner, or make it on the weekend and pack it for lunch for the next day.

Stay tuned next week for more Meatless Monday recipes!

Back to Meatless Monday

Sorry for the brief hiatus everyone!  We're back in action this week with our weekly Meatless Monday post.  For those of you who don't know what Meatless Monday is, let's give you a brief overview.  Meatless Monday is the idea that you can and should cut out meat once a week for multiple health and environmental purposes.  There's even an organization called Meatless Monday-http://www.meatlessmonday.com-who's in association with the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health.

By cutting out meat from your family's diet once a week, you can decrease your risk of certain health issues likes diabetes, obesity, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.  You also help the planet by reducing man made greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption that are used by the meat industry to feed and manufacture meat.

So with the facts straight, let's dive into some delicious dishes that will have your family asking for seconds!

For breakfast, or a snack on the go, try these delicious Fig Bars from Betty Crocker-and what the kids don't know won't hurt them (they contain nuts and fruit!)

Or go to your grocery store's bakery and ask for some pizza dough so you can try this gourmet Heirloom Pizza from Martha Stewart.  Turn it into a family activity by letting the kids add their own toppings or try a  pizza bake-off with the group!

For a hearty meal, go for this easy 20 minute (or less) recipe that will leave everyone satisfied-Mushroom Zucchini Cream Spaghetti from Cook Republic.

And for those who need a little something sweet after dinner, why not have this Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake from BHG.com.  Dense and delectable-a great way to finish off a Monday.

Let us know how you like our Meatless Monday picks, and please share if you have a Meatless Monday recipe of your own-it could get featured on our blog!

Meatless Monday-Fall Flavors Edition

Now that the fall season is in full effect, it's fun to include some of the seasonal fruits and vegetables into our diets.  With pumpkins, pears, sweet potatoes, and squash varieties, among other fabulous flavors, we've found 10 amazing recipes that are begging to be tried!

Let's start with the obvious seasonal favorite-pumpkins!  If you're like me, you know when Starbucks comes out with their famous Pumpkin Spice Latte.  You'll may also know how if you get addicted to them, your daily fix can quickly add up.  According to The Family Kitchen blog, on Babble.com, this copycat recipe is sure to satisfy your cravings. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte

What you'll need is:

2 c. half and half, whole milk, reduced fat, or skim milk
2 tbs. canned pumpkin puree
1-2 tbs. sugar, stevia or splenda
2 tbs. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1-4 shots espresso or very strong coffee

Directions:

Brew your espresso or strong coffee. If brewing strong coffee, use double the amount of grounds you would in your regular coffee. Then combine half and half or milk, pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin pie spices in a small saucepan. Heat until very hot, but do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Transfer to a blender or a milk frother and blend until frothy.
Pour 1 cup warm pumpkin milk mixture into coffee mug and add 1-4 coffee shots. Dust with more pumpkin pie spice if desired.  Yields 1-2 servings.

Want to get your pumpkin fix via something other than drink form?  Try these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.  Great for breakfast or a snack on the go!  Unbelievably, his recipe has absolutely NO butter in it!  Check it out here, on Cooking With Kessner.

If pumpkin is not your thing...why not the classic fall fruit that's got everyone out visiting orchards...apples!

Spice up your regular breakfast routine with these Apple Spice Waffles or Apple Oatmeal.  For the waffles, simply add nutmeg, cinnamon, and fresh apples to your mix if you've already got a store bought waffle mix, otherwise follow these steps from tasteofhome.com.  Sames goes for the oatmeal-just add some fresh apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to your instant oatmeal, or for a more homemade recipe-try this one from Eatingwell.com.

Pears, although similar to apples, offer it's own unique flavor, especially when they become ripe in the fall.  This Caramelized Pear Jam recipe from Localkitchenblog.com is great as a gift, or can it and use it year round.  With only 4 ingredients, it does take 2 days to make, but the flavor and possibilities of how to use this are endless!

Craving something with a quicker turn around time?  Why not try this Asian Pear Salad that can be made-dressing and all, in less than 20 minutes?

From Whiteonricecouple.com

Not feeling all the fruitiness?  Let's try some more savory dishes that incorporate these delicious fall flavors.  Check out these recipes made with one incredible "super food"-the sweet potato!  These Twice Baked Bourbon Sweet Potatoes are definitely a grown up's favorite side dish.

From closetcooking.com

Or these yummy, creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes, from The Merry Gourmet, that can be served as a nutritious side dish since they offer almost twice as much fiber as a regular potato and tons of vitamins.

What about all the varieties of squash that you now see available at your grocery store or farmer's market?  That butternut and acorn squash seems intimidating, but with these spins on classic recipes, you'll be mad you didn't try them sooner!

The traditional comfort food of mac and cheese has this tasty surprise-butternut squash-hidden inside.  Shhhh!  Don't tell the kids-they'll never know!

Mac & Cheese with Butternut Squash from Healthyseasonalrecipes.com

Or this homemade Acorn Squash Ravioli dish, is to die for since everything in it is fresh!

Recipe from Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes

Try one or all 10 and tell us which is your favorite fall recipe?

Meatless Monday: Finger Food Edition

It's Monday again and our Meatless Monday post features tasty finger food ideas that kids and adults will both enjoy.  These yummy recipes not only feature a vegetarian take, they also eliminate the extra time and water spent on doing dishes, because you don't need to use utensils to enjoy!

Let's kick it off with a tasty snack that can be thrown into a lunch box, or served as a great after-school bite.  Homemade fruit roll ups!  In this case, we're only using 2 ingredients...that's right 2!  Check out the recipe from The Copycat Cook.

Want something a little more filling?  Then try these crunchy tofu tenders with a side of sweet potato fries.  Michelle at Peachy Palate has a flavorful take that will clearly fool the kids.  This recipe takes no more than 35 minutes from start to finish and will have the kiddies smacking their lips!  Pair them with a side of sweet potato fries that Karen from The Art of Doing Stuff has created for a great spin on this All-American favorite.

Still wanting more?  Try these delicious fried raviolis created by none other than the Italian hostess with the most-est...Ms. Giada DeLaurentis.  Again this recipe takes no more than 1/2 hour from start to finish-perfect for a party, or for a quick dinner.

Cooking Channel

Do you have a Meatless Monday recipe that you'd like us to feature on our blog?  Then comment either here or on Facebook for a chance to be showcased!

Meatless Monday: School Lunch Edition

School is starting back for many youngsters around the country and you face the dilemma of what to pack them for lunch.  We've got some great recipes, starting with breakfast on the go, snacks, and lunch time entrees, that are healthy and meatless.  Remember, going meatless one day a week can help minimize your carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, but it can also lower your risk for certain cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.  Start your kids off on the right foot by packing them a lunch full with nutritious and delicious food.

For breakfast, try these easy to grab, Marble-ous Blueberry Muffins, from the Fit Cook.

And these baked oatmeal cups allow you to get creative with the ingredients...chocolate chips, walnuts, fruit...something for everyone in the family!  Find the recipe on the SugarFreeMom.com website here.

Of course there are plenty of things to munch on that can be eaten for breakfast or a snack, such as a piece of fruit, yogurt, string cheese, or a bagel, but the snacks we found below have a little more thought put into them.  Even if it's just in the decoration, your child will surely enjoy these fun ideas.

Butterfly snack pack-get creative with the contents-this one features grapes and goldfish, but you can really use anything-raisins, popcorn, trail mix, carrots...what will you use?

Something that is a little sweet, but has no added sugar AND doesn't require baking. These No Bake Cookies are the way to go!

It's 5 ingredients include 8 finely ground whole wheat graham crackers, 1/4 c. raisins, 1/4 c. smooth peanut butter, 4 tsp. shredded, unsweetened coconut, and 2 tbs. plus 2 tsp. honey.  Combine the ingredients and pat into cookie form.  Done and delicious!

For lunch, you may be able to squeak by with a pb&j sandwich, but if you were anything like me as a child-that's just not going to cut it!  Try an easy pasta salad, like this one from More Than Burnt Toast.

Or for a spin on the Peanut Butter-Banana Sandwich-try this one from Parents.com instead!  It's a Honey, Almond Butter and Banana Sandwich.

And of course don't forget, it's all in the packaging.  Use a reusable lunch box instead of paper or plastic bags, and reusable containers instead of plastic sandwich baggies everyday.

These collapsible lunch boxes from Smart Planet save space...

And these stylish lunch boxes from Dabbawalla are machine washable!

Here's to starting off the new school year on the right foot, whether it's for your child's first year of pre-school or senior year of high school-good luck!