Happy Monday friends! We had a big weekend including a book signing for my new cookbook First Bites, as well as Parks turning two! First of all, someone please tell me how in the world I have a two year old now? They say you blink and your kids are grown and I believe it! I could get emotional if I think about it too much so let's move on shall we?? We spent the day yesterday just the three of us, doing all of Parks' favorite things, which now includes playing with his new train set! Playing with trains works up an appetite you know...so birthday nibbles were a must! We started the day off with pumpkin donuts (hello October) and rounded out the day with homemade spaghetti and meatballs! Hands down our favorite snack of the day was sliced apples dipped in my homemade vanilla cinnamon almond butter!
This week has felt like the first normalish week since the hurricane. I feel like my brain is finally starting to function properly again and I am feeling inspired in the kitchen after a couple weeks of feeling slightly overwhelmed with everything going on in my community, including my book release! Which by the way, First Bites was the #1 New Release in Baby Food Cooking on Amazon last week! Say whatttt?? So to celebrate I decided to make a batch of my easy white cheddar broccoli waffles which will most definitely have your kiddos eating broccoli without hesitation!
It's almost been a week since my new book, First Bites, has released! I can't begin to tell you how much it warmed my heart to hear your reactions to the recipes that you made in your own kitchens and that your kiddos (and you) are already loving them! While the past two weeks have been full of devastation for a large portion of my community, this book release was a bright spot in the midst everything else going on around me. I feel like I didn't get the chance to talk to you about the book before it got released as much as I wanted because we were preparing for Hurricane Harvey and what would end up being a catastrophic flood. I decided to make up for it this week by sharing one of the most popular recipes in the book, and one of our favorites around at our house! My mini zucchini muffins are perfect for the whole family to enjoy, especially tiny hands, and are made with only good for you ingredients!
I don't know about you, but we have been going through the fresh berries around our house like crazy! Between the three of us, we have been eating pints of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries by the truckload it seems! Parks will sit and eat an entire pint of any given berry if I would let him which is maybe a little excessive, but at least it's fruit and not a unhealthy snack instead! Summertime blueberries are the sweetest and they are perfect for making my healthy vanilla chia blueberry crumble bars!
Okay so I just realized that all of my last recipes have been all about fruit. I guess that's because the heat index in Houston has been 104 degrees lately and fruit is my favorite snack of choice when it is hot outside! The fruit that is produced at this time of year is one of summer's greatest qualities if you ask me, and they just so happen to be all of my favorites! Right now I'm all about sweet cherries and have been eating them in my smoothies, plain-jane by themselves, and even in popsicles! My cherry and vanilla yogurt granola pops are healthy and delicious and, the best part, they are perfectly suitable for breakfast!
I don't know about you, but my mama always taught me to salt my melons. It can take a mediocre melon to pretty dang good with just a little sprinkle. To me there is nothing that says summer more than a cold slice of watermelon sprinkled with just the right amount of salt. It's the perfect snack, although I can literally eat my weight in watermelon, which actually can turn into a problem. I mean...I guess if you are going to be addicted to a food, fruit is one of the better options, but still y'all...I have ZERO self control when it's a good one! I will tell you that I have found the perfect way to add a little pizazz to your next watermelon that will be a hit at any BBQ or picnic! My chili lime salted watermelon is going to become your new favorite thing to eat this summer, and I can promise you that!
