Meatless Monday: Picnic Style

With the warm weather and kids out of school, take the time to enjoy the outdoors by having a picnic.  You can go to the park or even spread a table cloth out in your yard (or even in your house if it's raining).   Today's picnic inspired menu is easy and delicious!

A red raspberry salad from Taste and Tell is a great new salad recipe to try.  The sweet raspberry dressing and multiple fruits tossed in, will satisfy you as a great meal starter.

This yummy balsamic pasta with veggies from Bake Your Day can be served warm or cool, which makes it a perfect recipe for any picnic!  And as Cassie suggests, you can use any leftover veggies so you can customize this based on what you have in your fridge!

To top everything off on a sweet note, these chocolate dipped elephant ears are the perfect balance to this picnic meal.  From eatwell101, these 3 little ingredients form a delicious dessert.

For more Meatless Monday recipes check out our Pinterest board.  Here's to a Happy Monday!

Meatless Monday: Mushroom Inspired Super-Foods

These new Meatless Monday recipes disguise a great veggie like mushrooms, into some irresistible and delicious entrees that the whole family can enjoy. Mushrooms have been considered a super-food as they are a great source of vitamin D and calcium and are one of the greatest foods to help boost your immune system.  According to Health.com, cooking them brings out more muscle building potassium, as opposed to eating them raw, which might help babies and young children, chew and swallow them more easily.  The following recipes are a great way to use the grill and step outside to enjoy the beginning of a new summer month!

First, are these absolutely scrumptious Mini Portobello Burgers from Country Living. Treat you and your family to an outside dinner with these perfect-sized burgers and enjoy summer before it gets too hot.

Vegetable Kabobs, from Life As Mom blogger, Jessica Fisher, are also a great grilling meal that are made just perfect with some mushrooms thrown into the mix (with such pretty colors, maybe the kiddos won't even notice they're eating healthy stuff)!

Substituting the meat in a kid-favorite meal for a meatless option is another yummy way to introduce this super-food into your child's diet. This yummy Mushroom Parmesan spin from KitchMe is an exceptional recipe that you and your family can enjoy.

To see more recipes for this amazing super-food check out our Pinterest Meatless Monday board. Have a happy Monday filled with good eating!

Meatless Monday: Easy Easter Inspired Dishes

Here comes Peter Cottontail... Easter is just under two weeks away and although it's on a Sunday, we thought we'd share some cute recipes you can use that are meatless for your holiday celebration.  Don't forget to check out our last post that also ties in with the Easter theme here, featuring dishes that include carrots!  

Bunny-face pancakes will make your little ones squeal with delight!  Get creative or let your kids decorate their bunny's face.

Need to make a festive appetizer?  How about this Vegetable Carrot from Saavy Mom?  Super easy, and can be paired with any veggie dip you can think of!

Or use up some of those hard boiled eggs to create these super cute Deviled Egg Chicks.

Hungry Happenings gives a great picture tutorial on how to make these adorable egg salad stuffed croissant carrots.

Here's to a Happy Easter!

Meatless Monday: Carrot Craze

Carrots are one of the 40 best anti-aging super foods according to Menshealth.com, so we thought today's Meatless Monday post should encompass this wonderful orange veggie.  Often associated with the benefit of improving one's eyesight due to vitamin A and beta carotene, carrots hold an array of features and benefits that can aid your health.  It can help prevent heart disease and cancer, as well as flush toxins and lower cholesterol, making carrots a worthwhile investment in your diet.

Today's menu features some unique ways to try this tasty root vegetable.

An orange puree made of yams and carrot from Parenting.com can be used to introduce your baby to solids, as well as a way to sneak veggies into your child's entree.  We even like it as an alternative to mashed potatoes as the consistency is thick enough for adults using standard dinnerware, like a fork.

Not into pureed versions of food?  Then this ginger, citrus, and carrot medley, courtesy of The First Mess, may be for you.  With black sesames, avocado, and edamame, this vegetable medley covers all the nutritional bases.  With a citrus-y Asian dressing, this will surely brighten up your taste buds.

Looking for more of a comfort food to warm you up until spring gets here?  A Carrot and Parmesan Risotto from What's Gaby Cooking, is just what the doctor ordered.  All it takes is the patience to cook risotto, but oh what the payoff will be!

And if you just need a quick and easy alternative for a side dish and want a new recipe, then Carrot and Parsnip Fries is the answer.  Our favorite crafty lady, Martha Stewart, shares this wonderful recipe, that bakes, not fries the veggies, so you don't lose any of the nutritional benefits.

Check out our Pinterest board for more carrot and Meatless Monday recipes!

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: Winter Fruits Edition

While winter may be cold and blah, we've found some dishes that'll surely brighten your day.  Get ready for a big dose of vitamin C and some sweet tanginess as we explore recipes containing fruits that are currently in season.

Let's kick start this thing with a breakfast smoothie that'll definitely wake up your taste buds.  The Texas Grapefruit Sunriser Smoothie is chocked full of nutrients thanks to the few key ingredients alongside this tart winter fruit.

via TexasSweet

As your day progresses and you think about having the same boring salad for lunch again...why not pump it up with a Citrus-Walnut Dressing that will liven up those leaves?  Make a larger batch and store it in the fridge for an easy addition to any salad.

via offbeatandinspired

It's now time to leave work and return home.  As you leave your car to walk to your front door, you're greeted by that cold winter chill and realize you want something warm and comforting for dinner.  That means it's time for this Vegetarian Black Bean Chili.   It offers the comfort flavors and earthiness you find in most chilis, but has a cut of brightness by the 2 oranges you'll use to make this recipe.

via bonappetit

And if your sweet tooth starts talking to you, try this delicious dessert.  You'll want to have this prepared ahead of time (so maybe it's a weekend recipe to try)...Caramel-Tangerine Parfaits are creamy, dreamy, crunchy, and fresh.  And remember-it's giving you a good dose of vitamin c so don't feel bad about having dessert.

via delish

Here's to good eating!

Cooler Weather-Keeping Your Family Healthy

www.uic.edu

As we push further into the cooler seasons, it's important that we really pay attention to our family's health.  Cooler temperatures seem to bring on more sickness, which is something we all try our best to avoid.  With young children it's important to talk with your pediatrician about what you can do to keep them healthy.  It's recommended that adults get their flu shot, and most pediatricians will also recommend children 6 months and older to get one as well.  Here are some tips to help keep you and your family safe and healthy during the winter months:

• Wash your hands often
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy diet (it's hard with all those holidays around the corner!)
• Take your vitamins (talk to your pediatrician about what kinds your kids can take)
• Stay well rested
• Drink lots of water
• Use a humidifier
• Wear layers
• Remember it's important to keep your little one warm at night, but that doesn't mean bundling them up with heavy layers or blankets.  Try adding flannel sheets or a bodysuit under their sleep sack instead.  When outdoors, make sure their head, feet, and hands are covered.  

www.huffingtonpost.ca