Birthday Recipes
PB&J Breakfast Bars
Healthy, filling and easy to make, Rachael Ray herself thinks these tasty bars are a total win! Convenient for grab-and-go breakfasts and anytime snacking. As if a compliment by Rachael Ray isn’t cool enough, the following recipe comes from a cookbook I recently reviewed call The Teen Kitchen －and Amazon just named it one of the best cookbooks…
Banana Bread Pancakes (or Waffles)
A wholesome, naturally gluten-free version of the perennial favorite quick bread, these light and fluffy pancakes incorporate heart-healthy oat flour (or oats) and can be prepared as waffles, too. Sometimes we just need a stick-to-our-ribs breakfast – and, happily, we can have it in a deliciously wholesome way! The first banana bread I…
Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore (with slow cooker option)
Tender, flavorful chicken and lots of healthy veggies are the hallmark of this easy meal that can be made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Leftover sauce can be enjoyed like a favorite marinara. Chicken Cacciatore is a classic. Also known as Hunter’s Stew (“cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian), there are many different interpretations of the meal. The…
Emma’s Favorite Cupcakes (dairy- and gluten-free optional)
What happens when a dear friend requests a spot-on replica of the utterly perfect cupcakes her mom used to make－minus the dairy and gluten? You figure out a way, of course! This cupcake recipe, however, is bigger than any one birthday or Valentine’s Day. It represents love and loss and how we can form everlasting…
Salty Sweet Gourmet Sprinkles
Sprinkles are all grown up thanks to this stellar 3-ingredient combination that’s perfect for holiday gift giving! 🎁 The season of gift giving is upon us, and so often we need just a little something to give to a teacher, a co-worker or party host. But it’s fun when that “little something” has a…
No-Churn Kahlua Chip Ice Cream
No-Churn Kahlua Chip Ice Cream is fun to make and oh so delicious to eat—and no fancy ice cream maker is required! It all began with 5-Ingredient No-Churn Vanilla Bean Ice Cream waaaay back in the summer of 2015. At the time, I made a note to share some of the other no-churn ice cream flavors…
PB&J Breakfast Chia Pudding
An option to overnight oats, healthy, prep-ahead PB&J Chia Pudding is surprisingly delicious and satisfying. Feel free to use your favorite jam in place of the chia jam recipe and customize with your favorite fruits and toppings. Cha-cha-cha chia! 🎶🎵 I know what some of you are thinking. Pudding made from chia seeds? Maybe…
Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
Guaranteed to be the hit of the party, my favorite Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake includes fudge filling, chocolate crunchies, and all. There’s also a worthy gluten-free option for those who need it—and nobody will detect a difference! On birthdays and hot summer nights, cake and ice cream really hit the spot. The following…
No-Bake Healthy-ish Buckeye Bars
Easy-to-make, four-ingredient Buckeye Bars taste a lot like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and can easily be made gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan. My grandmother’s recipe for chocolate peanut butter eggs, which she frequently made as buckeye bars or balls, has garnered friends from near and far. Sometimes, however, we want something quick,…
Easy Hand & Body Sugar Scrub
This customizable, boutique-worthy scrub is effective, economical, and smells good enough to eat. It also makes a thoughtful gift that can be made in minutes! Dry, cracked, or otherwise flaky skin isn’t the most exciting topic of conversation, although I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who deals with it. But guess what?…
Overnight Oats Breakfast Cookie
This unconventional recipe is essentially overnight oats in cookie form and can be adapted to create different flavors and add protein and various mix-ins. If you’re a fan of overnight oats like I am, chances are good you’re going to fall in love with this clever spin on the traditional method of preparation. I cannot…
Breakfast Banana Split
So many possibilities for a fun, deliciously wholesome breakfast. Feel free to use the recipe as a framework, adding more or less of the various ingredients as preferred. My younger son has been a major yogurt fan since he took his first sloppy spoonful as a toddler. My older son wouldn’t touch it.…
