Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
I know what you’re thinking… meatloaf cupcakes? Have I finally taken it too far?! Granted, frosted meat cupcakes may not sound like a treat, but this recipe takes plain ol’ meat and potatoes and makes them fun and appealing for kids. If you have a picky eater (more on that topic here), you know you need every …
Pizza is big business and an American favorite (and one of my kids’ favorites too!). Experts estimate that half of us eat pizza at least once a week and that in our lifetime, we will eat an average of 6,000 slices! This makes pizza a $37 billion a year industry and a favorite food for …
Beef barbacoa has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to a popular restaurant chain. I first tried this several years ago at a local restaurant and loved the depth of flavors it had. How to Make Beef Barbacoa at Home We just got a Chipotle in our small town. It’s nice to have a decent place to go to …
As a kid, I remember eating things like Hamburger Helper (or Tuna Helper *cringe*) on the regular. This MSG, hydrolyzed corn protein, and enriched wheat with folic acid infused one-pan meal was a staple of the 80s and my friends and I would bemoan its existence over equally processed school lunches (obviously, I had not been …
I’ve recently been experimenting with my new favorite kitchen appliance: the Instant Pot. What is it? An electric, programable, pressure-cooker. Think pressure cooker meets slow cooker. Why Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker? I must confess, while I’ve known about the Instant Pot for a really long time and even had one for several months before trying it …
Note from Katie: Please welcome my friend Elizabeth (also a mom of five) to share her tutorial for how to render tallow (beef fat) at home. If you missed it, also check out her recipe for solid shampoo (shampoo bar soap). Enter Elizabeth… What is Tallow? The first time we bought a share in a cow that …
It may have an unusual sounding name to native English speakers, but Pakistani kima has become one of my favorite dinner recipes. I tried this recipe at a friend’s suggestion and adapted it slightly to fit our family’s preferences. The result is a fast, easy, delicious recipe that makes for great leftovers. (If there is any …
The adjustment to eating real food can be a shock to the food bill, but this recipe is the exception. This is one of my go-to recipes because it is fast and inexpensive to make. Even my one year-old will eat cabbage when I make it this way! I love this beef and cabbage stir-fry …
If you aren’t familiar with Cincinnati Chili, you should be! I must admit, this is an unusual chili. I grew up in Texas where chili meant meat, beans and spicy, so I was a bit taken aback by this chili. Cincinnati chili throws this idea on its head with the addition of cinnamon (yep, really), dark …
It turns out that after all the childhood fear and drama about organ meats, they are actually good for you. If you aren’t already eating liver, you should be! The objection I get most often (including from my mother-in-law) is that liver is the filter organ, so it contains toxins from the body and is …
Many of my recipes are simple stir-fry type recipes because these are the ones I most often cook myself! From a convenience perspective, I certainly understand why many people choose fast food or processed food options… they save time (and sometimes money too). That being said, with a little ingenuity, it is possible to make …
The cooler weather has finally (somewhat) arrived where we are, so I’ve been making a lot more soups and stews. This chili was created as a way to use some of the 100 pound pumpkin we bought at the farmers market, and the kids really enjoyed it. For our son, who is on the GAPS …
If you aren’t already making bone broth regularly, I’d encourage you to start today! It is an incredibly healthy and very inexpensive addition to any diet, and the homemade versions beat store-bought broth in both taste and nutrition (although there is some amazing homemade organic broth you can buy pre-made now). This is the one nutrient …
Zucchini sausage boats are an easy meal to put together quickly and we have several variations that we make regularly. The kids actually enjoy helping make them and they can be easily customized to your tastes by changing the spices. Zucchini filled with bell pepper, onion, and sausage, and topped with melted cheese. They’re a …
Ribs are one of those foods that always intimidated me, and while I liked them, I was never brave enough to cook them for the first few years I was married. Then, one day, there was a huge sale on ribs at our local store, and having no better idea for dinner, I bought them. …
This isn’t one of the most visually appealing recipes to emerge from my kitchen, but one of the simplest! It’s a quick and easy take on spaghetti without the grains. It even got an un-prompted “This is actually pretty good,” from my Italian husband! My favorite part… it only takes one (oven-safe) pan to make …
Are you grain free now, but sometimes wish you could indulge in a pasta dish without the insulin spike and “brick in the stomach” feeling? My husband had been requesting pasta for a long time, and I’ve been meaning to experiment with a good grain-free lasagna recipe. Thanks to reader Desiree for the inspiration! I …
My kids really like beef jerky, and actually I do too. For a long time, we never had it in the house because a) it’s expensive and b) unless its full of sugars and nitrates, it is really expensive! When a road trip left me desperate for some kind of portable protein, I tried an …
Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean forgetting pizza forever. This gluten-free pizza recipe tastes like regular pizza but is much more filling and protein packed. The basic idea is that instead of a flour crust, you use ground beef and spices instead. The texture is amazingly similar, and this “Meatza” is great cold for breakfast …
Being of Irish/Scottish descent, the adjustment away from potatoes was a tough one! I used to make shepherd’s pie regularly every couple of weeks because it was easy and the kids loved it. When we first got rid of grains, potatoes, and sugars, I thought this was a recipe I would have to forget. Until …
If you enjoy steak (who doesn’t?) and peppers (hopefully you do!), then this light seasonal steak and sweet pepper salad is for you. It takes only seconds to make with leftover steak and can be easily packed for an on-the-go lunch. If your kids aren’t big on salad, just serve them the ingredients individually and …
I’m a big fan of protein, and this is by far one of the easiest ways to cook a large amount of healthy protein with very little effort. I buy grass-fed beef whenever possible because of the superior nutrition, but really any brisket could work. The brisket cut of meat comes from the breast or …
Stuffed bell peppers are an easy recipe, especially during the summer when peppers are in season. We usually make this with red bell peppers, but any color will work. For kids who don’t like bell peppers, just bake some of the filling in muffin tins and top with cheese and guacamole (and check out this …
During the winter months, when winter squash is abundant, this is one of my favorite go-to meals. Why Butternut Squash? Latkes, or potato pancakes, are traditionally made with grated potatoes, but this simple switch ups the nutrient content quite a bit (and makes them even more delicious, in my opinion). You can top the latkes …
