Having been inspired by my Cross Blog Conversation with Jill, The Veggie Queen, I found some yummy summer recipes with a healthy twist this week.

Summer is so wonderful for jellies and jams made from fresh, homegrown fruit!  If you can’t grow it yourself, check a local farm or market for fresh berries.  Make it From Scratch shares a delicious looking Blackberry Freezer Jam – Freezer jam is easy for anybody to make!

The Vintage Homemaker posted a recipe for Strawberry Kiwi Jam which looks delicious and might be a nice twist for Strawberry flavor! [Read more...]

Oh yay – I was so excited to see Jill’s response to my questions.  I raced through reading it once, and then went back and read it again and loved her suggestions for making a transition to eating more vegetarian meals.  We love chili (although my hubby does not care for beans, so that could be tricky) and soups – and I love her suggestions for introducing quinoa and brown rice!  I’ve never had quinoa – but now I can say I have to because it’s “homework” – LOL!

So now it’s my turn to answer The Veggie Queen’s question to me!  She asked me what has stopped me from trying more veggie meals. [Read more...]

Oh is this fun!  Aren’t these Buzz A Mom’s interesting!?!  It is really amazing to see how different moms accomplish all they do with all they have on their plate.  It’s inspiring and motivating all at the same time, isn’t it?

Our Buzz a Mom this week is Stephanie Elie, The Bizzie Mommy.  Stephanie is a wife, mom of two, entrepreneur (two jobs) and blogger (two blogs).  She considers herself to be a non-cook.  No wonder – she’s The Bizzie Mommy!

Q: As a Bizzie Mommy, how do you manage the grocery shopping, menu planning and meal preparation in your family?

If you asked me this a week ago I would say our menu planning consisted of picking up the phone and ordering Chinese, Mexican or picking up Chipotle. My children love almost any dish with rice. But this week we are committed to cooking healthy meals for each other and the kids. This Sunday we went grocery shopping together and even cooked several dishes that night together. It was really great. My husband usually turns to me for the cooking duties, but this time he helped out. I’m hoping this continues. [Read more...]

This is a fun project for me, because yet again, I have the opportunity to talk with another Foodie who happens to be vegetarian!  In this Cross Blog Conversation, I will start by asking Jill,  The Veggie Queen, a couple of questions and she will respond with the answers on her blog.  Then she will ask me a question and I will get to answer it here!   We get to continue our conversation for several posts and hopefully provide some information to you as we go!

Considering the previous interviews with foodie moms who were vegetarians, my personal interest in vegetarian eating is really peaked!  My husband and I grew up on meat & potatoes and typical “Midwestern” fare.  My husband and I have always dealt with health issues and weight problems, but with two little girls we have significant reason to eat well and take care of ourselves. [Read more...]

So do you know which Spice Girl you are?

Many spices have been used in the healing arts for centuries.  As technology increased, the use of spices narrowed more to the culinary world.  These days, more people are looking for less artificial and more natural means of improving their health and even treating minor ailments, and it’s great to consider the possibilities spices/herbs have to offer.

Note: The use of spices/herbs for medicinal purposes should be taken only with the advice of your physician.  Some spices/herb can affect the efficacy of prescription medication.  Moderation is key – so please consult your physician!

For now – let’s continue with our little journey into Spice World and look at a few more spices/herbs you may want to incorporate into your cooking: [Read more...]