Cooking
Smart Mama recipes, food items and more!
Potato, Leek and Spinach Soup with Diced Chicken Recipe
Whatever the time of year, as moms we are always looking for ways to prepare healthy meals, often within limited time. When I have some hours to prep for the coming week or weeks, I’ll pull out some of my favorite soup recipes that freeze well. Whether I’m feeding 1, 2, 3 or all 4 […]
4 Delicious Homemade Frozen Popsicles Recipes
Summer is finally here and that means that the heat is here, too! Grab some fresh fruit at the farmers Market or even score some of the excellent selection of frozen fruit at your local grocer. With just a few other ingredients you will have some tasty refreshing frozen popsicles to help the family stay […]
Mummy Hot Dogs for Halloween
Make Mummy Hot Dogs for Halloween for a spooky meal! It’s a fun cooking with kids activity that will produce a tasty treat at the end! I had so much fun with my girls making those Mummy Hot Dogs! They are great activity for the kids. The ingredients are simple and the flavor is perfect, […]
Easy Crème de Papaya Recipe for a Healthy Treat
Celebrate the World Cup with a deliciously refreshing dessert in honor of one of the leading and favorite teams, Brazil! This Brazilian dessert, Crème de Papaya, is easy to make and a crowd favorite. The main ingredient is a papaya – a fruit we see grown here in Miami, and grows across tropic regions, like Brazil. All […]
5 Quick Dinners to Create in 20 Minutes with FREE Menu Planner
Quick Dinner Ideas in Under 20 Minutes We’ve all been there. The days gets away from us. We are jammed with work, with meetings and with endless after school activities. Yet every day, we need to be certain there is food on the table for the family to enjoy for dinner. In this post I […]
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Roasted Butternut Squash Butternut Squash the Garden Vegetable Regardless the time of year, shoppers can find butternut squash at the food market. It’s displayed near the potatoes and adjacent to others in the squash family. A mature butternut squash will be approximately 2 to 3 lbs. After peeling and seeding, your squash will lose 2-3 oz […]
10 Mouthwatering Peanut Butter Recipes
March 1st is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day. So, get ready to spread the creamy or crunchy love. If you’re crazy about peanut butter, you’re certainly not alone. Americans fork over millions of dollars a year on peanut butter purchases… over $800 million, to be exact. Do you need to wear this shirt? (It’s available […]
20 Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipes
Once a year we dedicate a day to be full of love. Don’t let the sharing of love with your spouse and children end with flowers from 1800flowers.com. Make a special Valentine’s Day dessert that will add the extra zing of love at the end of their meal. This round-up of 20 Valentine’s Day dessert […]
Warm Chocolate Melting Cake by Carnival Cruise Line
The Warm Chocolate Melting Cake made aboard Carnival Cruise Line ships is always well-received by my family. We make it a point to order it at least one time during a sailing. We were thrilled when Carnival Cruise Line release this coveted recipe to home bakers, ironically on National Chocolate Cake Day, this year! Carnival recommends […]
12 Deviled Egg Recipes for Brunch, Appetizer or Lunch – Whole30 & Paleo
There is something about deviled eggs that I enjoy so much. They are light, savory and sometimes sweet or salty. A common ingredient in deviled eggs is mayo. Try my homemade mayo to make any of these deviled egg recipes even more out of this world. 12 Deviled Egg Recipes Deviled Eggs with a Kick […]
Homemade Mayo for Whole30 or Paleo Eating Plans
You need to learn Whole30 changed my mind and body. Today I want to share with you one of my must-haves when I am following Whole30 – homemade mayo. After you read the book, It All Starts With Food, you learn about the meal template. Every time you sit down and eat, your plate should look […]
How Whole30 Changed My Life
In April 2016, I noticed a friend had lost weight and looked great. A few days later I chose to follow her plan and I lost over 15 pounds in 30 days. I followed the plan again a few weeks after with my husband (shocker!) and I lost another 10 and he lost nearly 20 pounds. More […]
Make a Charcuterie for New Years Eve and Beyond
Going beyond the standard chips & dips for an upcoming gathering such as New Year’s Eve is easier than you think! Make a beautiful dish of olives, cheeses, roasted pepper slices, meat slices and gourmet crackers instead. This French meat and cheese platter is known as a charcuterie. Making a Charcuterie To make a charcuterie, […]
15 Gingerbread Treats to Make for the Family
Gingerbread is cake made with molasses and flavored with ginger. A spice with flavor and nutrition, ginger is a popular ingredient in many holiday treats such as gingerbread. Much like it’s cousin Pumpkin Spice, ginger can be sprinkled into to many recipes to get a sharp flavor that is reminiscent of Christmas. Look through […]
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Recipe
Are you looking for a healthy dinner recipe for the family? This Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce is a winner! As you prepare your meal plan for the coming week, you’ll want to include this sauce. I make this sauce and serve it over pasta or even spaghetti squash on days where I am am eating less/no […]
Gingerbread Pancakes Recipe
Hot Gingerbread Pancakes right off the griddle is a great way to start a winter morning. We much prefer homemade cakes to the boxed versions, therefore, I try to keep the ingredients on hand for those weekend or holiday mornings when we are hungry for a homemade meal. Since Dad and his girls will work […]
Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
This Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is a keeper. This easy to make topping can be used for the pumpkin spice cupcakes, the whoopie pies or any bread or cake that would mesh well with pumpkin spice. My daughter made this frosting to go with her cupcakes that she made for her class. Her class […]
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
You know you’re craving anything and everything Pumpkin Spice! It’s that time of the year! They weather may not have even cooled down yet, but the flavor is synonymous with the time of year. Before you know it we will be playing Ghosted with friends and neighbors and getting anxious over our Halloween costumes. We […]
Healthy Snack Food for Kids
It’s funny, no matter the time a day or the fact that they ate a meal an hour ago – kids are always hungry! It’s so easy to say, “Fine, go get something from the fridge,” while truly not even paying attention to what they’re eating. I’ve realized through lots of trial and error, that […]
Making PB & J Oat Bites
Mixing ingredients that you love often leads to a delicious result. This is certainly true with our PB& J Oat Bites. Using McCann’s Quick & Easy Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal®, I put together this recipe and made it in no time. But let me share why I opt to use McCann’s Irish Oatmeal in not […]
A Typical Cuban Breakfast
“When in Rome” is a saying I try to adhere to in our travels. If you are traveling to South Florida, particularly Miami, you must enjoy traditional Cuban cuisine. From una medianoche sandwich to una tostada to ropa vieja to una frita, visitors must enjoy the savory flavors of the island that are now replicated, quite […]
Ranch Chicken Sliders Recipe
Delicious Ranch Chicken Sliders are a perfect item to serve to guests watching the big game or anytime you have a hungry crowd! We were invited by Naturally Fresh® to use one of their dressings in a recipe. We instantly thought of one of our favorite ways to make chicken and how the flavor of […]
Sausage, Potatoes and Peppers Recipe
This Sausage, Potatoes and Peppers recipe must be added to your last minute meals list. It is delicious and incredibly simple to make. My future chef, or I should say kid chef, and I were at Whole Foods earlier this week when we spotted a chicken sausage with peppers and asiago cheese. I do not […]
3 Considerations for Creating a Thanksgiving Menu
Planning a Thanksgiving Menu doesn’t have to be too difficult. There are LOADS of recipes in your own kitchen, in cookbooks and online. My husband loves this sausage stuffing that his family always makes. And I love to make my aunt’s corn casserole. As you begin to decide what you’ll serve and what you’ll ask […]
Watermelon Salad Recipe with Mint & Feta
A watermelon salad is a perfect side to your barbecue! Throw in some mint and feta and your watermelon & feta salad is a crowd-pleaser. Watermelon is an American summertime treat! Chomping down on a bite of a juicy slice of watermelon on a hot summer afternoon is so utterly refreshing! Kids and adults love […]
Kids Making Wrapped Dogs with VIDEO
This summer has been mostly camp-free, so the girls and I have had a blast doing all sorts of things in and around the house. Recently they wanted to “make lunch” while I make a video. They came up with their recipe and we got to work. Production by the Murphy Girls Yes, the 8 year […]