Hey Laura, What...?

I make soup (usually beans, sometimes minestrone if we have leftover veggies ailing in the fridge) and bread almost every Friday, and by the end of the week it is really nice to have the work done for me. Most weeks I make cornbread (my family’s favorite) or quick biscuits, but sometimes I’ll stir up a batch of dough from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day and we’ll have hot loaves of bread to share with our neighbors and enjoy with butter and honey that night.

I never measure when I’m making bean soup, and I often end up soaking way too many beans. Lately, I’ve started purposefully prepping too many so that I can freeze some soaked beans for later, thus cutting down my meal prep time by...

Are you a parent like me, who grazes off the kids’ scraps and inadvertently consumes a whole meal’s worth of calories off of the “crumbs,” before even sitting down to your own actual meal?

I discovered a new lunch time hack last week. When I cut the crusts off my kids’ ham sandwiches, I added some cheese (they’re dairy free, but I’m not!) wrapped them up in big crunchy leaves of Romaine lettuce, and sat down to the table right away with my very own “Crust Wraps.”

These delicious, inside-out “mini-sandwiches” are a perfect answer to wasted crust and extra calories. Don’t they look delicious?

I know I have not originated this recipe, but all the variations I’ve seen congregated in my subconscious as I put this delightful little treat together yesterday afternoon (and again today because it is just that good).

It really is delicious - creamy, rich, sweet, and filling. It’s by no means a “Health Drink” but it certainly scratches the milkshake itch without being quite so devastating to your waistline!

Cinnamon Banana Date Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1/2 c plain yogurt (I used nice thick Greek yogurt; if you don’t, you might want to reduce your milk a bit)
1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or whatever you have on hand)
4 dates, pitted
1.5 TB peanut butter
1-2 tsp cinnamon (I...

I was recently fortunate enough to receive a fabulous sample pack of agave nectars from Wholesome Sweeteners to review with my moms’ group and on my blog. I have been using agave nectar for a couple years now, but they are introducing some new products that have me (and my kids) all kinds of excited!

Before I get into the review, let me say a little about agave nectar and sugary stuff in general.

Hey Laura, what about sugar?
Sugar is sugar is sugar is sugar. It is an empty carbohydrate that is not meant to be a quality food substance. Sugar should be a treat, a flourish, a small part of your well balanced diet. Just because a sugar is “all natural” or “organic” or “raw” or “low glycemic”...

I have been a great source of consternation to my family for the past year of pancake breakfasts. See, I just never bother to write down the recipe. I just sort of put whatever flours I feel like into my Vitamix and whiz them up with enough liquids and an egg or two to make a serviceable batter.

Most of the time, the results weren’t that bad. Sometimes they were great, and only very rarely I’d have to throw a whole batch away and start over.

But there was no consistency, because I never found anything that was really worth making again. Even if they were good at breakfast, the pancakes didn’t keep well. They were also never fluffy “diner style” pancakes. Not always a lead brick, but...

I promised you a picture of the Bahn Mi Style Noodle Bowl of Delight, and here it is!

This is a modification of the recipe linked above. I used raw spinach, garlicky sauteed green beans (which I’d made for our lunch earlier today), shredded raw carrot, sliced raw bell pepper, and green onions for our veggies - just the stuff I needed to use up in the bottom of the veg drawer of my fridge.

It took about 15 minutes to put together - I just prepped veggies and tempeh as the noodles were boiling!

Do your tastebuds a favor and make this soon!

My family’s latest obsession is this simple meal of utter deliciousness.

If you’ve ever enjoyed a Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich, imagine this as the noodley, salady, vegetarian version of it.

Here’s the sandwich version I made once. Looks yummy, huh?

Here’s a picture of the Bowl version:

To make the Bahn Mi Bowl, here’s what you’ll need:

Noodles
Enough noodles (udon are best, spaghetti will work in a pinch; rice noodles work great for a gluten-free option) for the people you’re feeding.
Boil, rinse, drain, and set aside. You can stir a little sesame and olive oils in if you want, to keep them from sticking.

Meat
Tempeh, or meat if you are so inclined.
Marinate in soy sauce and pan...

A friend introduced me to the magic of artisan roasted single-origin cocoa beans, and I’m totally hooked.

I’m not a coffee drinker, but I often like a hot drink that isn’t tea.

Crio Brü is most akin to coffee. You can’t go in expecting a typical cup of “hot chocolate.” It lacks the thick, creamy mouth feel because it isn’t full of sugar and fat.

My husband likes the soporific effect Crio Brü has on him (I don’t notice it at all, but then I’m not a 2-3 espresso a day junkie!), and I like that it really takes the edge of my late afternoon snack attacks.

If you’re looking for a warming drink that isn’t coffee or tea, but doesn’t have the calories and fat of most other alternatives,...

I feel kind of silly giving you this recipe, because it is so stinkin’ easy! But if your family doesn’t have any ties to South America like mine does, you may not be aware of this simple, versatile, and delicious food staple.

You can read a history of arepas on Wikipedia, if you like. I’ll just tell you that they are basically…corn flour pita pockets.

I’m sure millions of Colombians and Venezuelans are shaking their collective fist at me for describing their national dish so rudely. But hey, they’re made out of corn flour, and (at least in many places) split open and stuffed full of deliciousness. If they’re not split, then the toppings go on top, which is also like pita bread! So...

Haven’t we all had those nights where we’re scrambling for something to make for dinner and realize (about 4 hours too late) that freshly baked bread would nicely complement the soup bubbling on the stove?

I made these amazing little dinner rolls last night and knew I had to share the recipe. They take about 40 minutes from mixing to serving, so they’re perfect for the last-minute bread addition.

I adjusted the recipe I found to have less sugar and half whole wheat flour. I’m going to keep tinkering with it to try for all whole wheat, as that is what my family prefers. I made some rolls plain (as we love honey on ours!), and some with cheese and sage. I think these would be great at...