Food

I’m a busy mom of two under two and a lot of times it’s a challenge fitting in a proper meal. My husband was out of town recently, and the only time I ate a full meal was when the kids were both napping, which I think happened, like once. During busy times, I sometimes grab an energy bar to tide me over to the next meal. The downfall of these convenience snacks is their price and (sometimes) their artificial ingredients. I decided it was time to try a homemade version, so I chose to make pumpkin spice granola bars.

I didn’t try Nutella for the first time until about a year ago. Gasp. This is even more shocking because I’m a true peanut butter and chocolate lover. There is no better food flavor combination, in my humble, baked-good-obsessed opinion.

The minute October (actually September) hits, it’s pumpkin everything. My Pinterest feed is flooded with pumpkin recipes and pumpkin decorating ideas. I’ve also posted my fair share of pumpkin recipes—pumpkin scones with pumpkin butter, and cranberry pecan pumpkin cookies.

One of my favorite bakeries in Phoenix makes the most delicious apple oatmeal cookies. I love that they use dried apples, so the texture is even chewier than your standard oatmeal cookies.

Awhile back, my husband showed me the instructions for no ice cream maker homemade vanilla ice cream using ice cube trays and a food processor. It all seemed simple (and ingenious!), so I bought the ingredients to try it for myself.

My kids aren’t in school yet, but my toddler son already loves snacks. He especially loves those animal-shaped crackery snacks. Even the the whole grain organic versions I buy are still more processed than I’d like and his snack selection is seriously lacking at this point. He will eat most fruits, an occasional string cheese, dry cereal, and yogurt. Most of the time, the crackers win the snack selection battle.

Last week, I found my freezer chock-full of frozen blueberries. The only problem was, we were moving in a few days (more on that later) and I didn’t want them to go to waste. I looked up numerous dessert recipes trying to find one that would use the most berries–since I had four pounds to use quickly.

I’ve mentioned my obsession with all things lemon before. During both of my pregnancies, I craved lemonade, which is odd since it’s not a drink I usually choose. Sure, it’s yummy, but I would almost always order an ice tea or diet coke over a lemonade. But while I was pregnant, I drooled over that combination of sweet and tart and couldn’t get enough lemonade.

I don’t like giving up my bread and baked goods, but I’ve found a low-carb diet is the most effective way for me to lose my baby weight. When you think low-carb, what comes to mind? Eating triple cheeseburgers with piles of bacon in a lettuce cup. No, I’m not eating that. I’m usually eating lean proteins, tons of veggies and protein shakes. But it gets boring. Fast.