Fried rice is such a fantastic meal! It is comforting, delicious, and complete. It is hearty, has veggies, protein and yummy scrambled egg! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like fried rice! That being said, I don’t love the calories or salt involved in take out fried rice. So…I started making cauliflower fried rice! I’ve tried several recipes and eventually combined my favorite parts of them all to get this recipe! Yay! Give it a try 🙂 It’s delicious and healthy! Not to mention easy and makes for yummy leftovers! Did I mention my kids love it too..?

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 – 16 oz – Cauliflower rice, frozen or fresh (you can also make your own)
• 2 – Large organic eggs
• 2 – Cloves minced garlic
• 1 inch – Fresh ginger, peeled and grated (look for grated ginger in the jar at your grocery store as an amazing kitchen cheat)
• 1 1/2 cups – Frozen mixed peas and carrots – frozen or thawed
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut aminos 
• 2 Tbsp – Sesame oil 
• 1.5 – 2 cups –  Protein of choice. Shrimp, chicken, boca…you pick! 🙂
• Coconut oil spray – Canola or olive oil spray work as well
• 1/4 Cup – Scallions, thinly sliced
• Sriracha to taste (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray your pan with olive oil spray (or spray of choice). Add your 2 large eggs and quickly scramble. Once eggs are scrambled and cooked, put on a plate and set aside.
• Spray your pan oil again and add your minced garlic and ginger. You don’t want to burn your garlic and ginger so be sure to stir constantly for roughly 1 minute.
• Next add the peas and carrots (I usually throw them in frozen), scallions and riced cauliflower. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked through.
• Now for the sauce! Whisk the coconut aminos and sesame oil together in a small bowl. Pour over the cauliflower and other veggies and cook for about  2 minutes.
• Add the scrambled eggs to the mixture and gently stir.
• Add your cooked protein of choice. I usually use what I have on hand. A rotisserie chicken works great if you want to use cubed chicken meat as your protein. When I have cooked/leftover shrimp in the fridge, I cut it into pieces and throw it into this dish. Boca chickenless chicken is another fantastic protein that I love in this “fried rice”. I usually put 2 boca chicken patties into the microwave for 1 min 20 seconds. Then throw it into the toaster oven for another minute or so to get crunchy. Dice it up and throw it in! Delicious and vegetarian! Get creative and clean out your fridge! 🙂
• Garnish with a little more fresh scallions and sriracha to taste!
• ENJOY!

When I was a kid I loved fruit rolls! They were a great treat in my lunchbox, fun to play with and even more fun to eat! My favorite ones were red – which usually meant they had some sort of strawberry flavoring in them. I have no idea what was in the the fruit rolls of my childhood, but I can tell you exactly what is in the fruit rolls I make for my kids! They are fresh, delicious, and crazy easy to make! Not to mention, they are a great way to use up fruit that is super ripe and needs to be eaten fast!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Cups – Fresh ripe (or slightly over ripe) fruit of your choice
• 2 Tbsp – Fresh citrus of choice (lemon, lime or orange)
• Optional: 1/4 Cup Sugar (You can omit completely if your fruit is super ripe and sweet, or use a couple tablespoons of honey or agave if you prefer)
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
• Baking sheet (13×18 or 13×15 both work fine)
• Blender
• Spatula (I use an offset spatula because it tends to work best for spreading in a nice thin even layer)
• Large bowl

INSTRUCTIONS:

• First, line your baking sheet with parchment paper. I like to use parchment because it can be used when rolling up the fruit rolls once they are baked and cooled. You can also use a silicone baking mat. Make sure it covers the whole baking sheet.
• Wash and cut your ripe fruit into medium sized pieces that are easy to measure in a measuring cup and easy to blend. Make sure you have 3 cups of fruit and put into a large bowl.
• Squeeze 1 lemon, lime or small orange. Measure 2 tablespoons and add to your bowl of sliced fruit. You can also just add it to the blender on top of the fruit.
• Pour the fruit and juice mixture into your blender.
• Measure 1/4 cup of sugar and pour into the blender on top of the fruit. As mentioned above, you can omit the sweetener if your fruit is ripe and already very sweet. Adding sugar does make the fruit rolls a little more chewy in texture – more like a store bought fruit roll – but it is delicious no matter what!
• Place top on the blender and blend until almost smooth. A little texture is good. Your puree should be thin enough that it pours – and thick enough to stay put when you spread it on the pan.
• Pour the mixture onto your lined baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to spread the mixture about 1/8″ thick.
• Bake at about 170 degrees Fahrenheit for around 5-6 hours (might take longer depending on the thickness of your batch and what fruit you used. You are baking this low and slow to basically dehydrate it. If the edges start to get dark, take the pan out of the oven and brush the edges with a little water to help rehydrate it. If they are a little overdone at the end, just cut the edges off or try brushing with more water to make it more pliable. I baked my batch for about 4 hours and then turned off the oven and left it there overnight. My oven takes awhile to cool off so it continued to bake and then fully cooled by morning. If you need to bake it a little longer in the morning, that is totally fine, it won’t hurt it at all. If it is pretty close to done, keep an eye on it as you don’t want it to overcook and get crispy. For the first couple of hours you can be very hands off and just let it do it’s thing. After about 2 hours, it is usually a good time to test how done it is. If it is still very soft, set your timing for another 60 – 90 minutes or so and then check it again. Use the tip of your finger to test it by touchingthe center of the fruit mixture. It should notstick to your finger or leave an indent when you touch it.
• Once it is fully cooked and cooled, use kitchen scissors to cut into long strips, roughly 1-1.5″ thick. I eyeball it so my fruit rolls are not perfect – but I think it’s fun that way 🙂 They fit perfectly into kids lunches and you actually know whatis in them! YUM!
• Roll the strips into little rolls with the parchment paper and put into an airtight container for easy storage (mason jars or tupperware work great).
• Now, go enjoy your sweet and healthy treats! Don’t forget to share with the kids! 😉 XOXO

NOTE: I made 2 batches which I took photos of for this post. The first was made with 3 cups of strawberries and the juice of a small ripe orange (2 tbsp). For the second batch, I used 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup pear, 1 cup apple and the juice from 1 lime which came out to exactly 2 tablespoons. Both batches came out delicious! Use what you have on hand that needs to be eaten/used up! Also, look for ripe organic fruit on sale! Super ripe fruit is usually being sold for a great price before it goes bad – and it is perfect for these fruit rolls!

Weeknights are always so busy! I wanted to do something easy and fun with the kids as an after dinner activity and treat. Then I remembered Jigglers! I haven’t made Jigglers since I was a kid! I used traditional Jello for this recipe, but I’m sure you can look into Vegan options for this as well.

This is my super simple recipe so you can give them a try!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 – 6 ounce packet of Jello (I used strawberry but pick your favorite)
• 1.25 cups – Boiling water
• 1 – 9×13 baking pan (Use a Pyrex if you have one – the higher sides help)
• Saran wrap
• Cookie cutters

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Line your baking pan (Pyrex) with Saran wrap leaving a little overhang on each side. This will make it much easier to get your Jigglers out later – and makes it so you don’t have to grease the pan.
• Next, boil the water in a sauce pan.
• Pour the Jello powder into the boiling water, turnoff the heat, and gently mix with a whisk until completely dissolved
• Pour the hot Jello mixture into your prepared pan. Be careful, the liquid is very hot so pour slowly.
• Put the pan into the fridge. Please be sure to clear a shelf so there is room for the hot Jello pan to sit flat in the fridge. Do not set this on top of anything but the shelf in the fridge.
• Let the Jello set in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Do not add any cold water or ice – that will dilute the Jello and you won’t have successful Jigglers!
• Once the Jello is fully set, get out the cookie cutters, make shapes, eat up and have fun!!!!

NOTE:

There is a new NATURAL Jello available flavored with real fruit juice and other natural flavors. It looks like this! I believe these come in a 3 ounce package, so you would need 2 packages to make this recipe.

A VEGAN NOTE:

For those looking for a vegan or vegetarian option, google Vegan Gelatin for some fantastic alternatives. I also found a great recipe (listed below) with information about Agar Agar (vegan) – so check it out! Try out her recipe – so worth it!

Agar Agar Fruit Jellies – The Food Librarian

Kids love to get their hands dirty. That’s why I try to find new and fun ways to get them involved in the kitchen. These easy treats are a lot of fun and can be done quickly with young children. Gabriel and Sofia loved making these – and eating them! Though this is a recipe, it doesn’t actually require any cooking. Perfect activity to do as a family after dinner. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup – Chocolate pudding (you can make your own or purchase it)
• 3 to 5  – Chocolate sandwich cookies (pick your favorite)
• 6 – Gummy worms
• 2 Pre-made mini graham cracker crusts (adjust recipe depending on how many you make) OR clear plastic cups if you skip the crusts
• Parchment paper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Open all 5 sandwich cookies. Scrape off or eat the frosting. The kids really like participating in this part – if you let them eat the yummy frosting middle.
• Place the cookies onto a piece of parchment. Fold the parchment in half so that the cookies are completely covered. You’ll want it to be large enough that crushed cookies won’t spill out. Using a rolling pin,can from your pantry, or other hard item, crush the cookies into a dirt like consistency. Set aside.
• Give each child their pre-made mini graham cracker crust. Give them a spoon so they can fill it with the pudding. If you can’t find these mini crusts (or choose not to use them), you can easily use a clear plastic cup to hold the pudding and toppings. 
• Next let the kids top the pudding with the crushed cookies.
• Cut the gummy worms in half and let the kids stick them into their “cups of dirt.”
• Eat and enjoy!

It’s Summer! Yay! In most places it’s HOT out. Not San Francisco – but that’s ok 😉 Personally, I don’t really like to eat anything warm or heavy when it’s hot outside. I like things light and refreshing. Popsicles are at the top of the list when I think of yummy summer treats.

I want to share a delicious, easy and healthy treat that you can make for friends and family! They are made with Greek yogurt and fruit – so the possibilities are endless! Give these a try and get creative with new combos!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup – Plain Greek Yogurt (my preference is Fage total)
• 12-14 medium strawberries (A bag of frozen organic strawberries are the most cost effective and are perfect for this recipe)
• 4 Tbsp – Chia Seeds
•  2 Tbsp – water
• 1 set of popsicle mods (or dixie cups w/ popsicle sticks). This is my FAVORITE popsicle mold – check it out and give them a try!

INSTRUCTIONS:

• In a blender, blend the strawberries and chia seeds and until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little water. Start VERY slow as you can always add more – not less. Start with 1 Tbsp and add more if needed. You’ll notice the mixture will loosen up and blend easier with a little liquid added.
• Add the yogurt and blend until mixed well.
• Using the small funnel, fill each popsicle mold, leaving a little room so it doesn’t overflow when you put the sticks in.
• Put the sticks/tops onto each popsicle mold.
• Freeze until hard.
• Enjoy as a snack or even breakfast!

Happy Foodie Friday! I’ve posted a lot of family friendly recipes, but Friday is going to be my recipe day moving forward. It should give you something new to try over the weekend – or you can use it as you meal prep for the following week.

Ok…who doesn’t love tacos? I mean – Taco Tuesday exists for a reason – right? No, it isn’t Tuesday, but I want to share this as another easy, family friendly, healthy recipe for any day of the week. 🙂

My taco bowls have all the fixings, are crazy easy to put together, and are much more healthy than your traditional tacos. I hope you have as much fun eating these as I do with my family!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 – Small yellow onion (diced)
• 1 – 11 oz Bag Beyond Beef (or alternative vegetable protein)
• 1 packet – Low sodium organic taco seasoning
• 1 cup – Cooked organic frozen corn. I use a silicone steamer to steam organic frozen and fresh veggies in a snap!
• 1 can – Organic black beans (drained)
• Organic cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 – Large organic avocado
• Shredded cheese (taco blend or other)
• Tortilla chips
• 1 Tbsp – Olive oil
• Hot sauce (optional spice)
• Sour cream (optional garnish)

INTRUCTIONS:

• Heat olive oil in large sauté pan on medium heat.
• Cook diced onion until it starts to look translucent. This should happen pretty quickly, so to be sure to stir and keep an eye on the onions so they don’t burn.
• Mix in the entire package of Beyond Beef (or other protein of choice). I love this option because it is made of vegetables, has the texture of ground beef (perfect for tacos), and you don’t have to drain it. Not to mention how healthy it is! Trust me – it’s a perfect substitute when making tacos or taco bowls.
• Once heated through, mix in your taco seasoning. I usually only use half a packet because the Beyond Beef is only 11 oz. You can season to taste, but start slow, you can always add more.
• Distribute the cooked Beyond Beef and onion mixture into bowls. Top with the cooked corn, drained black beans, tomatoes, cheese, avocado, and a couple of crushed tortilla chips (photos below). My kids like to crush their own tortilla chips on top since it’s pretty fun!
• NOTE: You can add or take out any toppings you like! Try using pinto beans and heirloom tomatoes instead in a variety of colors! It’s a great way to introduce your kids to new veggies and flavors. Dan and I use hot sauce on ours, but we omit the extra spice for the kids. You can even top with a dollop sour cream. Get creative and have fun with this one!
• Thats it! Eat up and enjoy! XOXO