My church has been booming with babies lately. 

It feels like every week another little one enters the world. In response, we cheer, we give thanks…and we cook.

To me, one of the best things you can do for a growing family is bring them a meal. Because in the first weeks after bringing a baby home—in the midst of the crying, the sleepless nights, and the tears of both joy and pain—everybody still needs to eat, but nobody wants to cook.

This Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage has become my go-to meal for families with new babies. It’s mild enough that it suits most taste buds, it’s nutritious enough for those who are health-conscious (while still being hearty enough for a hungry, breastfeeding mama!), and I can easily take out the chicken sausage for vegetarian families.

Plus, if I bring along a bagged salad and maybe some garlic bread, I’ve given the family a complete meal—exactly what they need! More →

For many people, the arrival of all things pumpkin represents the beginning of fall. While I love pumpkin as much as the next gal, for me the quintessential autumn food is definitely chili.

Give me the crunch of leaves underfoot, a cozy knit sweater, and a big bowl of chili and I’m a happy lady.

Oh, and a piece of cornbread doesn’t hurt either!

Vegetarian Black Bean and Squash Chili

We made this chili last weekend, and it was a hit! A great use of winter squash—that super nutritious and ever-affordable vegetable. What’s more, it’s a slow cooker recipe, which makes it that much more appealing to busy moms struggling to find the time to throw dinner together in the evening.

I used half a can of chipotle chiles, which gave just the right amount of heat for me. If you like your chili to have a full kick, throw in the whole can. More →

Here we are again, straddling the seasons. One foot is pressed firmly on the summer side—with temps still in the high 80s in my neck of the woods—and the other foot is situated squarely on the side of fall, with kids back in school and riding boots on the covers of catalogs.

I find myself asking the question I always do during this in-between stage: What should I eat?

Well, today I have an answer.

For that wishy-washy day when the heat has you craving something refreshing but the date on the calendar has you yearning for something autumnal, I give you the Healthy Pumpkin Spice Smoothie. More →

Tell me if this sounds familiar: You fell off the healthy wagon for a few weeks—or months, or years, whatever—and can’t seem to jump back on because the thought of overhauling your diet or adding exercise to your already-crammed schedule is just too overwhelming. 

Or maybe you’ve been making really healthy choices for the past few weeks, but one indulgent weekend—too much chocolate and wine, not enough movement or sleep—has you feeling like you’ve blown it.

Well, here’s a little secret that people who maintain good health for years and years know: You’ve never blown it. More →

The first time I had Hamburger Helper was at a friend’s house when I was ten years old. I immediately deemed my friend’s mom the most amazing cook in the world.

I had no idea that all she did was brown some meat and add it to a packet of powder and dry pasta. I just knew it tasted good.

These days I try to eat more from the ground and less from a box, so Hamburger Helper has lost a lot of its appeal—though the concept behind it hasn’t. Protein mixed with pasta and topped with seasonings will always make for a delicious and easy meal.

Here’s one of my favorite Hamburger Helper alternatives: Healthy Taco Pasta.  More →

Staff members at Google, Inc. are known for being some of the happiest employees in the world, and the internet giant works hard to keep them that way.

Turns out Google is just as interested in keeping their waistlines in check.

When execs notice their workers overdoing it on the chips and soda, they attack the problem the “Google way”: scouring research, conducting surveys and crunching massive amounts of data to help their employees make scale-friendlier choices. Here’s how you can use the tech titan’s research in your own quest to eat healthier.

Tweet this post! More →

I keep a running list on my smartphone called “Go-To Dinner Ideas.” It features meals that are both easy to make and sure to please, and I reference it often when making my grocery list for the upcoming two weeks (since we’re trying to save money by making fewer trips to the grocery store). 

The list features staples like tacos and pasta, plus some of our personal favorites like tuna melts and stir fries. 

It also includes these three delicious letters: B-F-D.

Breakfast For Dinner.

At least twice a month we have breakfast for dinner in some form or another—maybe an egg casserole with veggies or (my toddler’s personal favorite) pancakes with fresh fruit.

Last week we went with this Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal, which totally hit the spot! More →

There was a time when I believed the only way to get in shape was to dedicate at least an hour per day to exercise.

While I may have been able to swing that in my former life (otherwise known as life before children and full-time employment), it just isn’t in the cards anymore. Spending that much at the gym would require me to give up other passions and pursuits, something I’m just not willing to do.

But that certainly doesn’t mean I can or should neglect working out completely. When I resumed exercising regularly after giving birth (which wasn’t until my son was about six months old), I did so with the mindset that a little bit of movement is always better than no movement at all.

To my surprise, I’ve managed to get into pretty decent shape with only intentionally exercising for 30 minutes a day.

Of course, I say that with this important caveat: To me, “pretty decent shape” doesn’t mean that I’m able to run a half-marathon in under two hours, the way I did a few years ago. My definition of “fit” currently doesn’t include triathlons or the ability to do fifteen pull-ups.

So what does that 30 minutes a day give me in terms of fitness?

The strength to hoist my almost-two-year-old around without being sore the next day.

The lung capacity to go for a family hike without huffing and puffing.

And the energy to end a busy day of working and mothering without totally collapsing.

I’ll take it!

Here’s how I’ve been making it work. More →