One of the things I’ve been working hard at is creating healthier breakfast and snack options for my children. At first there was a bit of complaining but we are working through that.

We now have conversations about having good protein in our meals that give us energy and help us think and make better decisions.

While at the Mom 2.0 Summit I tried the Love Crunch Aloha blend by Nature’s Path. For a quick and easy breakfast or snack we’ve been sprinkling it on top of our favorite Greek yogurt that is high in protein.

The story behind Love Crunch starts with the Marriage of Arjan & Rimjhim. They wanted their guest to experience giving and spreading love in lieu of wedding gifts.

This premium blend of granola was well received and with all of this excitement Nature’s Path was encouraged to launch Love Crunch!

We love the Aloha blend with the pineapple, white chocolate, and toasted coconut.

Love Crunch Aloha Yogurt

1 cup of your favorite yogurt
1/4 cup of Love Crunch Topping (I used the Aloha Blend with pineapple, toasted coconut, and white chocolate granola)
1 tsp of honey drizzled on top
Fresh Fruit: I used blueberries

My mother made this cake and it was divine + easy. Two words that when used together means every person should have this written down or saved.

It takes 15 minutes to assemble and 1 hour of chill time.

Also – I love pineapple. It reminds me of weddings. I think that’s because my parents had a pineapple cream layered cake as their wedding cake. We’ve ordered that for many of their Anniversaries (over 50 years and going).

Also at bridal showers we serve a punch that uses pineapple as the base and it’s really good.

This particular cake was served at our Easter gathering. It was light, airy, and full of pineapple flavor.

Next time you need a cake and you don’t have time to bake this recipe is for you at that very moment.

Angel Food Cake with Pineapple Cream

Ingredients

1 can (20 oz.) Crushed Pineapple in Juice, undrained
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2 cups thawed Whipped Cream Topping
1 round angel food cake, cut into 3 layers
Strawberries or whatever berries you like for the topping

Preparation

1. Slice the angel food cake into 3 layers.

2. Mix the pineapple and dry pudding mix together and gently fold in the cool whip.

3. Take the bottom layer of the cake and place on a plate or stand.

4. Spread the pineapple pudding mixture in between each layer.

5. Finish off the top layer with a layer of the pudding mixture.

6. Dollop a few drops of cool whip on top and add a strawberry in the center. (see picture)

Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

The one thing that I don’t like with lamb is mint. I know many people and many recipes call in the mint but I can’t take it. Instead I go for garlic, rosemary and flat leaf parsley seasoned with sea salt and ground pepper.

This is a really good recipe for Lollipop lamb and when placed on a serving dish that is laced with a Red Wine Port sauce – oh the joy of dinner!

Lollipop Lamb in Red Wine Port Reduction

Ingredients

2 1 1/4-pound racks of lamb, fat trimmed (Ask the butcher to French them for you).
2 Tablespoons of Olive oil
2 teaspoons of Fresh rosemary, minced
2 teaspoons of Fresh garlic, mashed
1 cup Flat Leaf Parsley minced (1/2 cup for garnish)
Sea Salt season to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Red Wine Port Sauce
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
3/4 cup tawny Port
9 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Preparation

1. Take your lamb chops and pat them dry.

2. Next season them with salt and pepper.

3. Drizzle them with Olive Oil.

4. Sprinkle with fresh mashed garlic, parsley (reserve 1/2 cup for garnish), and rosemary.

5. In a frying pan cover with olive oil and heat up on medium-high.

6. After the pan is hot (about 2 minutes) sear each lamb rib for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side so that you form a nice brown crust.

7. In a baking dish lay out the lamb chops and depending on how pink you want your lamb finish it off in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Note: If you like your lamb on the rare side omit this baking part.

To make the red wine port sauce

8. Boil wine and port in large saucepan until reduced to about 1/3 cup (around 25 minutes).

9. Remove from heat. Add butter; whisk just until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

10. On a serving plate spoon the red wine port sauce on the bottom of the plate.

11. Assemble your lollipop lamb on top and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley around the plate.

12. Your ready to serve!

Note: As I side for this dish I like to baked sweet potatoes with sea salt and olive oil.

It’s family owned and operated with great food, live music and a belly dancer!

I decided to make my mom’s birthday cake this year but wanted a Greek twist to it. I researched particular flavors and came up with pistachio and apricot.

This cake was super moist and had the exact flavor of a really good pistachio gelato!

Pan Notes: I used 3 round pans. Bottom pan was a 9 inch round and the 2 top pans where 8.5 inch round. I used the 9 inch round as the base of the cake.

Assembly Notes: If you want to stabilize your cake because you might be taking it somewhere you can take straws and cut them to the appropriate size and stick it in the center through the 3 layers. This will secure the cake. Since I wasn’t going anywhere I didn’t do this at all and the cake was fine. I just wanted to give you that option.

Icing the Cake: Once I put my layers on the cake stand I cut strips of parchment and stick it around the base of the cake so that when I am icing it doesn’t get on the stand. Once I am done I remove the parchment and it has a nice clean finish at the bottom.

Pistachio and Apricot Cake Recipe

Pans that I used
3 round pans, if you can I like using 9inch for the base then 8.5 for the top 2 layers.

Ingredients

Cake Batter
2 Cups of Sifted All Purpose Flour (I like to use Farino Tipo 00 – An Italian Flour, note: you can also use Cake Flour)
2 Cups of Sugar
1 Stick of Butter
3/4 Cup of dried apricots diced up (I used my food processor to make them tiny pieces)
1 Cup of chopped Pistachios + 3/4 cup to sprinkle on the iced cake and in between the iced layers
5 Egg Whites (beat until stiff peaks)
5 Egg Yolks
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
1 Cup of Buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon of baking soda (not powder but soda)

Cake Icing
Three 8 oz of Containers of White Chocolate Cream Cheese
1/2 cup of Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of Powdered Sugar

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. If your oven browns quickly then take it down 15 to 20 degrees. Grease and flour 3 round cake pans.

1. Cream butter with sugar and add vanilla.

2. Next add 5 separated egg yolks and 1/2 cup of olive oil – mix and beat until fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients: Sifted flour and the baking soda.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture a little at a time alternating with the buttermilk (about 1/4 cup at a time).

5. Next mix in 1 Cup of Pistachios and 3/4 cup of the Apricots.

6. In another bowl beat the egg whites until you have stiff peaks.

7. With a spatula gently fold in your egg whites into the batter by making the figure 8 pattern.

8. Spoon the batter into your 3 pans and make them as even as you can.

9. Bake until light brown and for about 30 minutes (use a toothpick in the center and make sure no batter is on the stick).

10. Once the cakes are done pull them out and let them cool.

11. After they cool place the cakes on parchment and use a brush to dust off the crumbs (easier to ice).

12. Now for the Icing: Cream with a hand blender the 3 containers of White Chocolate Cream Cheese + 1/4 of powdered sugar + 1/2 cup of whipping cream (a little at a time) until you have it all mixed together.

13. After the icing is mixed start to assemble the cake by taking one of the layers of cake and making it your base. Stick strips of parchment paper around the bottom of the cake. Ice the top of it and add the next layer of cake and ice the top of it adding your final layer of cake.

14. Now start to ice the sides and the top of the cake until covered. Use chopped pistachios to decorate the top and sides.

15. Refrigerate the cake until you are going to slice and serve!

When I think of this amazing island the fruit that comes to mind are oranges and of course figs. Oranges make their way into everything. For example my mother makes a fantastic orangecello (this is like a limoncello but with oranges).

There are orange cakes, orange cookies, orange candy, orange drinks, even the arancine snacks look like oranges. It’s all about the orange.

Oranges grow abundantly and in many varieties all over Sicily. Therefore, the markets are full of them.

I picked up a few to make the Insalta di Arance, which is so delicious. You have to try it. Especially, if you are a fan of the sweet and salty combination. I am addicted to it!

Ingredients:

4 Oranges (blood red are the best if you can find them)
1 Red Onion
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
4 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt to your taste
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Peel the oranges and remove the pith and slice in rounds. Fan them out on a plate.

2. Peel and half then onion and thinly slice 1/2 of it, finely chop the other half and mix with the chopped parsley.

3. Sprinkle the onion parsley mixture over the oranges.

4. Season the oranges with salt and pepper then drizzle the olive oil.

5. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.

6. Remove from the refrigerator 5 to 6 minutes before serving.

The leaves taste a touch bitter and peppery along with a nutty flavor.

It’s very delicate and can wilt easily. It’s very popular to top off a tray of bresaola or prosciutto with fresh arugula and parmesan- It’s also amazing like this on top of Italian Style pizzas!

This is my go to salad. It’s the one I crave. It’s the one that goes with many things I make.

Note: It’s absolutely wonderful with my Tuscan Chicken.

I make this salad 3 to 4 times a week. It’s simple, clean, and so flavorful.

Ingredients:

4 cups (packed) baby arugula ( I buy the clear box in the produce section where the salad bags are located)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I like to use a Parmigiano wedge and grate it fresh)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 Lemons)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (or more, I usually load my salad up)
Sea Salt to your taste

Preparation:

1. Combine the arugula and tomatoes in large bowl.

2. Add the lemon juice, grated Parmesan cheese, salt to taste, and olive oil.

3. Toss the salad and serve immediately!

With Spring Break, Bridal Showers and other commitments it’s been hard to try new things.

So to get back into the swing of things I decided to challenge myself by cooking simple and easy menu options that I can pull together fast.

I was inspired a bit on our Spring Break.

I had a wilted salad that was very tasty. I decided to try a version of it at home with spinach, cranberries and some pine nuts. It turned out nice and will be something I know I will make often.

Note: If your in a pinch it goes well with the prepared Lemon Rotisserie Chicken. I love the one from Whole Foods!

Wilted Spinach and Cranberry Salad with Pine nuts

Ingredients:

2 and a half bunches of baby spinach stems trimmed (or a container of spinach)
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup white onion finely diced / minced (don’t use chunks)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of pine nuts
Salt to taste
(you can also crumble goat cheese on top)

Preparation:

1. In a wok or saute pan cook the onions until translucent in the olive oil.

2. Add in the garlic and move it around the pan to be sure it doesn’t burn for about a minute.

3. Next add the Balsamic Vinegar.

4. Bring to a boil and reduce mixture to half.

5. Add Spinach leaves and cook until wilted (2-5 minutes).

6. Move spinach to serving bowl.

7. Add pine nuts and dried cranberries to spinach and mix together. Salt to taste.

8. Serve warm.

If your having a dinner party or a Sunday lunch or brunch use these pretty pastel food labels. Cut them out and stand them up by your different food platters. Instant cuteness.

Also check out these cute Easter gift tags to tie together all the Peeps and Cadbury Eggs my family’s heart desires.

Both these will work best if you use a cardstock and the photo settings on your printer.

Grab your free Easter downloads, and let us know how your holiday turns out.

Local Foods can be describe as a casual, hip diner meets a deli with creative sandwiches, inventive sides all prepared with fresh and local ingredients. They also have some great micro beers on tap.

Local Foods is part of the Benjy’s portfolio of restaurants and is located next door to their rice village location.

I wasn’t sure what to expect and for some reason I thought it was more of a takeaway place with some seating if you wanted a quick lunch.

I decided to make a quick phone call and they explained that it’s a diner meets deli sort of concept with many tables and outside seating. So off we went on our bikes to discover what Local Foods was all about.

The space is open, bright, and very clean. They have the right mix of retro meets earthiness that made me feel comfortable in their space.

Its counter service so you quickly grab a menu sheet located next to Mom’s homemade specialties.

I quickly scanned the creative list of sandwiches, sides and salads.

The kids each had a PB&J with homemade chips. John was excited to see they had Karbach Beer on tap and ordered one of those fairly quickly.

I decided on the Gulf Shrimp and Blue Crab Sandwich with Green Goddess Dressing and a side of Italian Kale.

The Italian Kale was actually one of my favorite finds here and has inspired me to try a version of it – recipe coming soon!

John ordered the Falafel sandwich which was also very tasty, so tasty that I don’t have a picture to share.

The kids loved their PB&J’s especially the Jam because it had a tart flavor that caught their attention.

We can’t wait to get back there again and try all the other wonderful ideas on their menu.

Definitely check this place out when you get a chance!

The kids and I decided to create these beautiful blue eggs and decorate them with winding branches and pops of sparkly flowers.

They turned out very nicely! This is now our favorite way to decorate our Easter Eggs.

5 steps to Beautiful Easter Eggs

1. First, make sure the patterns of your stickers are pliable so they can easily bend around dyed eggs.

2. I used different types of floral stickers and dyed the eggs with food coloring.

3. To get a smooth colored egg make sure the egg is covered completely in the colored dye. I use a coffee cup so the egg is completely submersed in the colored water. The depth of color will depend on how long you keep it in the colored water.

Note: Below are some instructions on how to Dye Easter Eggs with Food Coloring

4. Once the egg is the depth of color you like give it a light once over with a paper towel before it goes on the racks to dry.

5. When the egg is dry about 10 to 15 min you can apply the patterns.

How to Dye Easter Eggs with Food Coloring

Here’s what you will need:

- vinegar (plain white)
- small bowls, or coffee cups
- water
- food color drops

Preparation:

1. First, mix the water and vinegar together. For every cup of water add 1tsp of plain white vinegar

2. Next, fill the cups about 1/2 to 2/3 full of water.

Note: Don’t fill the cups to much otherwise when you put the egg in it will overflow.

3. Now add drops of food color until it is the color you are looking for (then add 2 more drops to ensure that it translates that color to the egg).

4. Add, your hard boiled eggs to the cups with a spoon. Move it around with your spoon gently about every 15 seconds for about a 1 minute or 2 or until your desired color is achieved.

5. When you are ready to take them out let them dry on a rack so the color can set.

Note: Lay out plenty of newspaper for easy clean up!