Almond Butter Harvest Mix Yogurt Bowl

This protein packed delicious yogurt bowl starts with creamy vanilla grassfed yogurt and is topped with almond 

butter, harvest trail mix, and bites of sweet and spicy crystallized ginger. It's the best way to start your day!

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield and Woodstock Foods. 

All opinions, as always, are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

What's better than a bowl full of rich, creamy yogurt for breakfast in the morning? A bowl full of yogurt that's been topped with swirls of almond butter, a handful of harvest mix, and a sprinkling of crystallized ginger, that's what! I recently discovered my new favorite breakfast, folks. Yep, you guessed it. It's this yogurt bowl! Seriously, where has this been all my life?

I often eat yogurt for breakfast, most of the time topped with some crunchy granola. Recently though I got my hands on some new goodies from Woodstock Foods - their Organic Almond Butter and Hiker's Harvest Mix. Of course they are both amazing on their own, enjoying as a snack, but they are even more delicious when paired with the yogurt. The combination of flavors and textures is out of this world!

Grilled Eggplant with Cumin Scented Yogurt Sauce

Thick eggplant slices are grilled to tender perfection and served with a creamy and delicious yogurt sauce. 

This simple recipe makes a perfect side dish or a great party appetizer!

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield and Simply Organic. 

All opinions, as always, are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

I truly love eggplant, but it's not something I cook at home very often. My oldest son enjoys it, but now that he's away at college I don't have anyone to eat it with. My youngest son is just not the biggest fan of vegetables other than the basics like corn, beans and peas. I guess he doesn't have my refined palette yet. 😉

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies + Paying It Forward in the New Year

These soft and tender Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, oats, 

and plenty of chewy raisins! Plus they are simple to make, which is the best part.

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield, King Arthur Flour, Silpat, and Dreamfarm. 

All opinions, as always, are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

I recently realized that although I post a lot of desserts and baked goods, I really don't have that many cookie recipes on the blog. I tend to share cookie recipes around the holidays, but that's it. My dear friends, that is going to change! I love cookies, and so does my family, and I do make them frequently. Instead of keeping my favorites to myself, I am going to spread the love!

Growing up I baked a lot with my mom and grandmothers, and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were always a staple. I like mine soft and tender, with lots of raisins and cinnamon. Not only do they taste good, but they make the house smell amazing as well! I decided to revamp my recipe to make these cookies even softer, by using Stonyfield Greek Yogurt in place of some of the butter. Boy did they turn out incredible! The combination of the Greek yogurt with my favorite King Arthur All-Purpose Flour made these cookies light and tender. And I found it quite hard to stop eating at just one or two. 

Pesto Deviled Eggs

These rich and creamy Pesto Deviled Eggs are full of flavor and lightened up with the addition of Greek yogurt. 

They are the perfect little bite for your next potluck or family BBQ!

Deviled eggs have been a staple at our summer BBQ's and family gatherings for as long as I can remember. My mom was always in charge of making them, and they were quickly devoured in no time at all. I bet I didn't make my very own deviled eggs until just a few years ago. My mom's were so good, I figured I could never make anything better!

This summer I decided to make these little beauties myself, but with a twist. Instead of using the traditional mayo in my deviled eggs, I swapped it out for Greek yogurt. Light and creamy Stonyfield Organic Greek Plain Yogurt to be exact.  AND, I added some pesto to my filling as well. The result was the most incredible and flavorful deviled eggs I've ever tasted! (Don't worry mom, I still love yours too!)

Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl with Toasted Coconut Chips and Almonds

This super simple Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl is packed with tons of fresh berries and creamy Greek yogurt. 

Topped with Toasted Coconut Chips and Almonds for crunch, it's a healthy way to start your day!

The summer of 2016 is going to be all about satisfying my cravings. My cravings for food, for life, and for my wardrobe! Living in Michigan I'm just about 90 minutes or so from the beach. The beautiful beaches of Lake Michigan that is! Last year I told my kids we were going to take road trips every few weeks and enjoy the beach, and you know what? We never did it. Not once! Between work and summer sports for my son, the summer flew by and we hand't visited Lake Michigan one. single. time. This year I won't let that happen! I've already marked off some dates on the calendar and we are for sure making day trips to play on the beach and enjoy everything that Michigan has to offer.

As far as my wardrobe cravings, that has needed a bit of help as well! I will admit that I've gained a few pounds this year {and am currently trying to take them off!}, so I wanted a few new pieces that I could feel comfortable in until the weight goes back down. I picked up a few new tops and capri pants, but I also had the opportunity to try something new from prAna. I chose the lightweight, soft and ultra comfy Quinn Dress in the Indigo Lace pattern. It's made from recycled materials and is very stretchy, making it the best little sundress for the summer.

Chocolate Raspberry Protein Smoothies

Start your day the right way with a delicious and nutritious Chocolate Raspberry Protein Smoothie! Made with Greek yogurt, fresh raspberries, and chocolate protein powder, it will give you the energy you need to rock your morning!

We've discussed this before, but I really suck at weekday breakfast. I love, love, love making huge weekend breakfasts for my family, but during the week it seems I'm always in a rush and often skip the most important meal of the day. And you know what? That's bad for me. So, so bad! When I'm sitting at my computer at 11am and I start to yawn and doze off, I know the reason why. My body needs fuel to start my day off right!

I've been making a conscious effort to eat breakfast lately, and smoothies are one of my favorite go-to's. Easy to make, and easy to take on the go, they are light and refreshing and give me just the boost I need. I've been on a binge with these Chocolate Raspberry Protein Smoothies the past couple of weeks. They are super smooth and creamy and very flavorful, and filled with the nutrition that my body needs.

Rise & Shine Coffee Cake Muffins

The classic coffee cake that we all know and love is transformed into a portable treat! 

Not only are these muffins beautiful and delicious, but they're healthy too!

You know I love me some muffins. Sweet muffins, savory muffins, breakfast muffins, dinner muffins. I'll have them all! My favorite way to eat them is with a piping hot cup of coffee, so it's no surprise that I eat them most often in the morning. Or as an afternoon snack. I do like coffee and muffins in the afternoon, too. Like high tea, but not quite as fancy. 

Another one of my favorite things is coconut oil. It's such an amazing product, with tons of health benefits, and is so versatile. I use coconut oil in my baked goods in place of butter, shortening, and other oils. Obviously it depends on the recipe if it's a good swap, but in most cases when I bake I like to use it. Take these Rise & Shine Coffee Cake Muffins for example. They are made with delicious Barlean's Virgin Organic Coconut Oil. The oil gives the muffins the slightest coconut flavor, and keeps them nice and tender.

Creamy Tropical Yogurt Smoothie

Sipping on this delicious Creamy Tropical Yogurt Smoothie will have you daydreaming of 

being on the beach and dipping your toes in the water!

Spring is finally here - well, almost here, in Michigan - and I'm excited for warmer weather and lots of sunshine. Daydreaming of blue skies and flowers the other day, I decided to make some Creamy Tropical Yogurt Smoothies for me and the boys. Pineapple, mango and banana makes me think of being on a beach somewhere with my toes in the sand!

You know we eat a lot of yogurt around my house, so I was thrilled to try Stonyfield's two newest product lines - 100% Grassfed Yogurts and Whole Milk Organic Greek Yogurts. I can officially say that I am in love with both of these lines, and so is my family! 

Raspberry Swirl Brownies

These fluffy, chocolaty, delicious brownies are swirled with raspberries and have a secret ingredient inside. Can you guess what it is? It's Greek yogurt! The yogurt keeps the brownies incredibly light and tender, and saves us a few calories, too!

Everyone should know by now how much I love yogurt. Whether I'm putting it in my smoothies, eating it for breakfast with granola, or just snacking on a cup, I go through a lot of yogurt in my house! What most people might now know is how much I love to bake with yogurt, too. Adding yogurt to cakes, breads and other baked goods gives them a light, airy texture, and makes them a bit more friendly on the waistline.

I wanted to make a special dessert for my boys for the holiday because, you know, they have my heart and are my true Valentine's. Always. Since they both love chocolate (and so do I!), I decided to make brownies. Not just any brownies, I might add. These brownies are tender and fluffy and swirled with raspberry preserves. To give them even more raspberry flavor, I used a Divine Dark Chocolate with Raspberries bar in the batter, then topped them with a couple of fresh raspberries. It's raspberry love!

Creamy Cilantro Yogurt Dressing

This Creamy Cilantro Yogurt Dressing is fresh and delicious and is perfect on your favorite salad, 
or as a dip for fresh veggies!

Can you believe the first month of 2016 is just about over? Where in the world did January go?! I swear the older I get, the faster time goes. And with teenagers at home, I don't like it one bit! I need to keep them small , ya' know what I mean? Anyway, I digress.

Remember how I told you at the beginning of the month that I was striving to be healthier this year? Well, I'm still working at that, little by little, and things are going well. I'm trying to squeeze a bit more exercise in, and I've been upping the fruit and veggie intake for the whole family. We eat salads with dinner several times a week, but I had always purchased store bought dressings, never made my own at home. Well, up until now.

Maple & Walnut Yogurt Muffins

These tender and delicious muffins are filled with nutrients and protein and make a great portable breakfast 

or perfect midday or post-workout snack!

My youngest son has been playing sports pretty much all summer. First it was summer basketball in June. The rest of the summer has been dedicated to football. Football camp. Football workouts. Weightlifting. Football scrimmages. Seems like we eat, breathe and sleep football. Now don't get me wrong, I am a total sports mom, but it's nice to have the occasional day or two off!

Evan and I after one of his games last season!

Eat Write Retreat Recap

Inspire - Dream - Create - this is my new motto after attending the amazing Eat Write Retreat conference! 

Check out all the conference details in my recap!

A few weeks ago, on my birthday to be exact, I had the most wonderful opportunity to attend my first ever Eat Write Retreat bloggers conference. Other than a couple of smaller, Michigan based conferences, I had never been to a big blogger conference. I was only able to attend with the help of my amazing sponsor, Stonyfield! So I'm sending a big, huge, fantastic THANK YOU to them for sponsoring me to go the conference. It was a fantastic experience, one that I won't soon forget, and I deeply appreciate all that they did for me. 

Eat, Write, Retreat was developed by a couple of pretty fabulous ladies - Robyn Webb and Casey Benedict - as a way to connect people in the food blogging community through cooking, writing and photography. Lucky for my I got to meet them both at the conference! During my weekend at Eat Write Retreat I became friends with some pretty amazing bloggers, interacted with some fantastic brands, and listened to a lot of awesome speakers! I took pages and pages of notes and now have tons of ideas to implement. The whole weekend really rejuvenated me! And with that, I'm going to share a little recap of that weekend and some of the things we did.

Iced Almond-Lemon Loaf Cake

This luscious cake is tender and lemony, and has an extra citrus kick from the 

sweet lemon icing that's drizzled over the top. 

I'm a huge yogurt lover. Even as a child I can remember getting yogurt cups at the store with my mom. Strawberry and blueberry were always my favorite. Of course nowadays my taste has expanded and I love much more than just those two flavors.

Not only do I eat yogurt for breakfast and as a snack, but I love to cook and bake with it as well. If you've been reading my blog long, then you know this all to well. From Mini Banana Cream Parfaits to Cardamom Pecan Pound Cake to Blackberry Frozen Yogurt, I use yogurt in many ways.

Tropical Green Smoothie + a Giveaway!

This fresh and healthy green smoothie is the perfect Spring pick me up!

Whether you're looking for a quick on-the-go breakfast, a post-workout snack, or even an after school snack for the kids, smoothies are a perfect option. My kids and I love to make smoothies any time of the day really, whenever we need an easy and satisfying snack.

I love that smoothies have a bit of sweetness to them, so they seem like a treat, a real indulgence if you will. But everything I put into my smoothies is healthy. (Shh, don't tell the kids!) It's a perfect way to sneak in extra fruits and veggies and they'll never know because it tastes to good!

Stonyfield OP Organic Protein Smoothies #StonyfieldBlogger

As a busy mom with two very active teenage sons, some mornings are very crunched for time. I typically make sure they are taken care of first, then worry about myself. That being said, I don't always have time for breakfast. I know, I know...it's the most important meal of the day! But with crazy schedules, and the fact that I'm not very hungry in the morning, I need something for my first meal of the day that's healthy and nutritious, gives me energy, but isn't heavy.

That's where the the new Stonyfield OP Organic Protein Smoothies come in. These smoothies are thick and creamy, satisfying, and give me the boost I need in the morning. Since I'm not really hungry until late morning, these smoothies are perfect for my tummy. I'm drinking my meal instead of eating it!

Strawberry Yogurt Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

These strawberry yogurt cupcakes are tender, moist, and delicious. Topped with a decadent strawberry cream cheese frosting, it's hard to eat just one!

As much as I love all things chocolate, sometimes it's nice to make a different type of dessert. Something with vanilla, maybe something nutty, or even a fruity dessert. I tend to make a lot of brownies and cakes, so it's good to break away from the usual. 

That's where these delicious Strawberry Yogurt Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting come in. A little bit decadent and naughty, but also somewhat healthy and nice. It's a two-for-one kinda deal.

Ginger Spice Cupcakes with Browned Butter Frosting

Fresh ginger and nutmeg give these decadent cupcakes the perfect amount of spice. Topped with a mouthwatering browned butter frosting, it's hard to eat just one! 

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday spent with family and friends. The last couple of weeks have been fabulous; lots of family time, movies, games, laughs, and of course, food. Oh and I can't forget football! Lots and lots of football has been watched in our house.

For our New Years Eve celebration instead of making a big meal I decided to serve several appetizers. We had a glorious spread of all of our favorites, and then I created these delicious little cupcakes for dessert. Filled with freshly grated ginger and nutmeg, the flavors were spectacular. Not overly sweet, these cupcakes melt in your mouth. And the browned butter frosting? Oh.Em.Gee. If you've never had it before, you are missing out. I've never tasted a frosting so delicious in my whole life! I'm certain I'll be spreading this on everything from now on.