Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
It’s grilling season! We love to fire up the grill around here, especially if it involves plenty of fresh seasonal produce on the side. I’m always excited to add new favorites. I love experimenting with creative ethnic dishes especially, so I thought I’d try making kofta kebabs and they turned out really well! If you’ve …
When summer is finally in full swing and cucumbers are growing, this cucumber salad is a great simple “salad.” Also, if you already grow dill with your cucumbers to help control garden pests, you’ll have two of the ingredients right in your backyard! All you need is cucumber, red onion, and a few kitchen staples you’re sure to …
Tater tots were a very occasional treat when I was growing up. (I confess, I loved them.) The grated zucchini in these fritters mimics the texture of tater tots and is a great way to reinvent an old favorite in a healthier way. The zucchini gives them a nutritional boost that tater tots don’t have, …
I came up with the idea for these bacon chicken bites when I needed an idea for a potluck. I had chicken in the fridge that I was going to use for Parmesan chicken nuggets, so I made these up instead and had them done in less than an hour. The key is the honey, mustard, …
Pickles are one of the items that I always have in my naturally stocked fridge. I learned how to pickle cucumbers because I wanted to avoid the less than ideal ingredients found in most store-bought pickles. Not only are homemade pickles healthier, but they taste great! Why Pickle Cucumbers? Aside from the fact they’re a …
The first time I made this pineapple whip, I had no idea how much it resembled a certain famous dessert. I was just trying to make pineapple sorbet! I’m not sure how I got lucky the first time I tried making it, but I do know: I love pineapple My kids love pineapple I was …
Since we don’t eat a lot of grains, I’ve had to get pretty creative to find alternatives to eggs for breakfast. We’ve done cottage cheese crepes and chia seed pudding. This coconut granola recipe was created in an attempt to find something new. If you’ve been looking for a healthy “cereal,” this is a good option. Granola Without …
I love the time of year when gardens are starting to produce and farmer’s markets have fresh greens for salads. Big salads are my go-to lunch and often my go-to dinner with a glass of kombucha or iced herbal tea on the side. And guess what… adding berries is a sure way to get my kids excited …
Newsflash to no one… I really like coffee! While I may have evolved from vanilla lattes to mushroom coffee over the years, our coffee bar has always been one of the most popular spots in the house. I’ve made a hobby of coming up with delicious coffee drink recipes at home, so when I started …
Most nights, I cook one of the easy one-pan meals in my Wellness Mama Cookbook (grab a copy here) because those are our family favorites and I know they are fast, easy, and delicious. With over 200 recipes to choose from, we hardly ever get in the dinnertime rut of using the same meals over …
I’m a huge fan of deviled eggs. They’re one of the few modern snack foods that can easily be made healthy! Deviled eggs are perfect for family get-togethers, picnics, and backyard parties since almost everybody loves them. They’re also really easy to throw together. I wanted to try something a little different from the same old …
Every once in awhile, there is a food that we really miss from our pre-real food lifestyle. Like the kids’ desire for waffles. Or my love of Chinese food. I’m not willing to throw healthy eating out the window just for the sake of a craving though, so I usually come up with a healthy alternative that …
Garlic is one of my family’s favorite flavors, so it’s no surprise that we loved these garlic roasted mushrooms. They’re simple to make and go with almost any beef recipe (poultry too!). Healthy Garlic Roasted Mushrooms I’m always looking for new ways to include a variety of nutrients in my family’s diet. Garlic and mushrooms are …
Beef and broccoli stir-fry is an easy and simple recipe and one of my go-to favorites on busy nights. It can be made quickly, especially if you have a wok, and reminds me of the beef and broccoli I always used to order at Chinese restaurants (before I found out about all the stuff besides beef and …
When my family stopped eating grains, one of the hardest things to give up was pasta (my husband is Italian after all!). This Thai peanut butter noodles recipe uses shirataki noodles so we can stick to our grain-free lifestyle while still enjoying the finer things in life! What Are Shirataki Noodles? Shirataki noodles are completely grain …
Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. My husband, on the other hand, grew up hating asparagus because he’d only ever had it from a can. (Think about the difference between a fresh green bean and a canned one!) When we got married and I made this roasted asparagus for him, he realized what he had …
With a large family and a business to run, I’m a big fan of easy meal ideas. Lettuce wraps are a simple lunch idea for those of us staying away from bread and grain. This Asian chicken lettuce wrap recipe is full of flavor and only takes a few minutes to throw together. How to Make Healthy …
Since my husband is Italian, we enjoy our share of Italian food (healthy alfredo, yum!). Chicken Francese is another Italian dish I’ve come to love (and it sounds much fancier than “breaded chicken”!). This Italian-American dish is thought to have originated from Italian immigrants. It was likely a variation of veal Francese since veal was …
I’m a big fan of simple, healthy meals that take only a few minutes to cook (even better if they use just one pan). An egg dish similar to huevos rancheros, shakshuka eggs fit this description perfectly. My family fell in love with this dish for its simplicity and flavor. It doesn’t hurt that it’s beautiful …
I love a filling one-pot meal, and soup is a great place to pack in a wide variety of colorful vegetables. This hearty, veggie-filled soup with Italian sausage is a nice change from the usual and one I make whenever the weather is cool enough. Goal for this year: Freeze my garden zucchini (which is …
Let’s face it: everything tastes better with bacon! For example: Loaded cauliflower with bacon Crustless broccoli quiche with bacon Bacon chicken bites (a family favorite!) Bacon lime sweet potato salad Even chocolate-covered bacon! See what I mean? These bacon wrapped salmon patties are a fast recipe and an easy way to make canned salmon “gourmet.” The kids …
I used to love making potato soup, clam chowder, and other potato-based soups and stews. Now that we don’t eat white potatoes very often, I hadn’t made any of them in years. I found my old potato soup recipe when I was cleaning out my cabinets, and decided to try a sweet potato version instead. …
The quicker and easier breakfast is, the better. Eggs are our go-to breakfast since they’re an inexpensive and healthy protein source that can be cooked quickly. It doesn’t take long though until we get tired of the typical fried or scrambled approach. Shirred eggs are a new (and kind of fancy) spin on breakfast eggs. …
My family loves Indian food so I’m always looking for healthy Indian recipes to try at home. This mulligatawny soup recipe has become one of our favorites. It’s so simple to make, but packs a lot of flavor. What Is Indian Mulligatawny Soup? Mulligatawny soup is an Indian soup that became popular in England during British …
