My mother used to make the most delicious zucchini bread. Whenever friends were coming over to our house or she needed a culinary gift, it was one of the most popular recipes in her repertoire. It’s amazing to me that a bread starring a vegetable (technically, zucchini is a fruit, but trying convincing your kids of that fact) was so appealing to a kid life myself, but it was. So, if you have a little one who is normally zucchini averse, this bread may turn them around on it for good.

I don’t know why so many people have emailed me recently asking for a healthy zucchini bread recipe, but I’m happy to oblige with a weelicious version. There are a lot of zucchini bread recipes out there loaded with white or brown sugar, so I decided to make mine using agave nectar instead. I also opted to bake them in muffin cups instead of a loaf shape so it’s more kid friendly. Zucchini is a good supplier of potassium and vitamin A and it has a consistency that makes for a deliciously moist bread. When I made a batch for breakfast last week, Kenya turned into a muffin eating machine. It was then that I realized that it wasn’t important if zucchini was a fruit or a vegetable. To him, it was simply delicious.

Zucchini Muffins (12 Muffins or 24 Mini Muffins)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs, whisked
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/3 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
2/3 Cup Agave Nectar
1 1/2 Cups Zucchini, shredded (about 2 small zucchini)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Place the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined.
5. Pour the zucchini mixture into large or small muffins cups (I like to use a small ice cream scooper to make spooning into the muffin cups easier).
6. Bake 15 minutes for small muffins and 20 minutes for large ones.
7. Cool and serve.

We’re big on making smoothies in our house. Frankly, I don’t know many kids that object to tossing foods in a blender and then getting to press the “on” button to pulverize them. As I’ve said time and again, if you want to get your kids to eat food that’s good for them, get them involved in the preparation process. Making smoothies is one of the most perfect, fun and simple opportunities to do just that.

Recently, Kenya and I have been switching things up a bit in the drink department and making lassis instead of smoothies. A lassi is a Southeast Asian yogurt-based drink containing milk, honey and/or spices. It’s technically not a smoothie, but you’ll never know that from the way it tastes. I thought that adding cumin (a traditional lassi ingredient) might be a bit too bold for this recipe, so I opted instead for a bit of lime zest and loved the refreshing result.

So, power up the blender, grab your little one and have a great time preparing a uniquely delicious and nutritious treat for the whole family.

Tropical Lassi (Makes 3-4 Servings)

1 Cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Cup Mango, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 Tsp Lime Zest
1/2 Cup Yogurt
1 Cup Milk (you can use rice, almond, soy or cow’s milk)
1 Tbsp Honey
12 Raw Almonds
1 Large Handful of Ice

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender on high and puree for 1 minute or until smooth.
2. Serve.

I eat oatmeal EVERY day. I’m actually eating a bowl of it right now as I write this post — no joke. Oatmeal is one of my favorite foods, not only because it’s heart healthy and nutritious, but also because it’s nutritious, filling and beyond easy to make — which is perfect for moms that are constantly on-the-go. But I’m not the only one in our house who loves oatmeal. At breakfast, Kenya asks for oatmeal as often as he asks for pancakes, omelets and waffles.

I wanted to come up with a recipe using oatmeal that would be perfect for those days that you’re racing out the door and don’t have time to cook (I think that’s most mornings for many of us). I liked the idea of doing breakfast bars since almost every mom I know always has a LARA, Clif, or Odwala bar in their bag for themselves alongside their wallets, diapers, wipes, and sippy cups. These bars are different from the brands I just mentioned — they are essentially oatmeal in bar form, but they are equally delicious. Just prepare a batch and keep them in the fridge for several days. All you have to do as you’re heading out for the day is grab a few bars for you and your kids and you’re set.

For all of you “on-the-go” moms, this bar’s for you.

Oatmeal On-the-Go Bars (Makes 18 Bars)

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 Cup Milk (any kind of milk — rice, almond, soy, cow’s — will work)
3 Tbsp Agave
1/2 Cup Applesauce
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla
3/4 Cup Dried Fruit (Cranberries, Raisins, Blueberries, and/or Cherries)
1/2 Cup Nuts (Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, and/or Pepitas)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Mix the milk, applesauce, egg, agave, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stir to combine and then stir in the dried fruits and nuts.
5. Pour the oatmeal mixture into a buttered or greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until thickened and golden.
7. Cool, cut into squares and serve.
*Refrigerating the bars will make them last up to 5 days.

Have you ever tried seaweed? It’s packed with vitamins and minerals and everyone who’s tried this Brown Rice Pilaf recipe loves it!

As much as possible on weelicious, I enjoy coming up with recipes that are super easy, fun and fast. With each one I try and put myself in the shoes of parents that have never entered a kitchen before having kids. I think these Apple Butter Turnovers fit the easy, fun and fast criteria. They are really simple to make, especially if you’ve made pie crust before. But if you haven’t, that’s OK. Just buy a box of ready-made pie crust and no one will know the difference. You can make things even easier and buy a jar of apple butter, but I have to say that making your own is incredibly satisfying and requires nothing more than cooking a few apples until they’re chunky and tender.

When I was a kid, I had a major thing for McDonald’s apple pies. They were crispy, sweet and I loved getting to hold the little pie in my hand (I’m starting to worry that between yesterday’s Crispy Onion Rings recipe and today’s post, you guys are going to think I was raised in fast food joints!). These days, I avoid fast food, but when these came out of the oven and I took the first bite, I was elated that I would be able to let Kenya experience the great taste of one of my favorite childhood food memories, without exposing him to a whole host of ingredients I don’t want him eating.

Well, he loved them. No doubt these will be a huge hit with your kids too, and then you can consider them your own version of “fast” food.

Apple Butter Turnovers (Makes 8-10 Small Turnovers)

8 Tbsp Butter, chilled and cubed
8 Tbsp Shortening or Lard, chilled and cubed
2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Salt
5-6 Tbsp Ice Water
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Water
Apple Butter

*If you’re using pre-made pie crust, skip ahead to step #5.

1. Place the first 3 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
2. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the water in the food processor and pulse a few times until the dough starts to come together.
3. Place the dough on a piece of parchment or plastic wrap and gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.
4. Refrigerate the pie crust dough for 30 minutes or until chilled.
5. Roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick.
6. Using cookie cutters, cut out turnovers into desired shapes (If you are making 8 turnovers, you need 16 cut-outs, one for the top and one for the bottom).
7. Place one cut-out on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet, top with 2 tsp of apple butter (depending on the size of your shape) leaving a 1/4 inch border around the cut-out.
8. Combine the honey and water together in a separate bowl.
9. Brush the 1/4 inch border with the honey water, place matching pastry shape on top of the apple butter and using the tines of a fork, gently press down to seal the dough.
10. Brush the remaining honey water on top of each turnover.
11. Using the tip of a knife, cut several slits through the dough (to allow ventilation).
12. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
13. Cool and serve.

Months ago I did a recipe for cheese wafers and so many parents emailed me afterwards to say they were a total hit. While testing recipes the other day, I was thinking about how much kids love cheese and bread (I mean, what’s not to love) and I thought it would be fun to try making my own cheese puffs. I can’t tell you how many of these we ate the day we made them. They seemed to just go from oven to mouth! I won’t say this is the most nutritious weelicious recipe of all time, but it you’re craving something cheesy, at least these puffs aren’t loaded with all the fillers and preservatives you’ll find in store bought brands.

In France, cheese puffs go by the fancier name of gougeres, but no matter what you decide to call them, they’re delicious.

Cheese Puffs (Makes 30-40 Puffs)

1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese or Gruyere, shredded
1/4 Cup Parmesan
6 Large Eggs, divided (5 eggs for the cheese puffs and one for brushing on top of the cheese puffs)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a pot and cook over low heat until the milk is warm to the touch (about 2 minutes).
3. Add the flour to the pot and continuously stir with a wooden spoon or a spatula until the mixture is thoroughly combined –about 3 minutes (the mixture will turn from white to a golden yellow and form into a dough).
4. Transfer the mixture to a food processor along with the cheese and blend until cheese melts and is combined.
5. Add 5 large eggs, one at a time until the dough is smooth and thick.
6. Scoop out 1 tbsp of the dough and drop on to a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.
7. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a bowl and brush the cheese puffs just to coat (this is not a necessary step, it just makes the puffs shiny).
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
9. Cool and serve.

We love eating fruit chips, but they’re quite expensive to buy at the supermarket, so we decided to make our own. All you have to do is thinly slice sweet pears and apples and in no time flat you have healthy, crispy chips that everyone in your family will adore.

I’ve been running around trying to get ready for Kenya’s birthday party. This year I’m trying to keep things simple, but even with a “simple” party there are still details like decorations, party favors and of course, SNACKS! I’ve been cooking some of Kenya’s favorites all morning like Rice Crisp-Wee Treats, “Cheesy” Popcorn, Black Bean Hummus with Baked Corn Tortillas (recipe coming this week!), mandarin oranges and of course, Dark Chocolate Cupcakes.

So whether you’re celebrating the birthday of Washington, Lincoln or Kenya, these tasty treats are all good choices to make your day a yummy one.

We love this Toasted Pumpkin Seed recipe because it’s super easy and perfect for Kenya’s nut-free school. Whenever you have a craving for nuts, try this recipe instead!

One of the most fun parts about being a mom is making school lunches. It can also be one of the most frustrating. One day you feel inspired and creative, making meals you can’t wait for your kid to find his lunch box; the next day you’re banging your head against the wall because you feel like a failure for preparing the same boring thing day after day.

One of the things I find kids love most about the surprise of opening their lunch box isn’t just how the food will taste, but also how pleasing it is to their eye. Just making everything look good can have a big effect your kid’s excitement level. I always try and pay attention to how Kenya’s lunch will look to him the first time he sees it. As many of you know, I’m a major fan of the Lap Top Lunch Box because it has several compartments, each of which you can fill with a different culinary treasure for your little one. But you don’t need a cool lunch box to make a good impression. For example, I love giving Kenya tuna sandwiches but let’s face it, after a few days even sandwiches can quickly lose their appeal. Still, I think it’s a wholesome school lunch, so I thought of ways to put a cool visual spin on the same old same old. The result was these “sushi” sandwiches. They are a fun take on a tuna sandwich crossed with a sushi roll (don’t worry, there’s nothing raw here). All you do is flatten your bread, fill it with tuna salad, roll it up and then cut it into individual bites. It’s not only delicious, but an exciting treat that will impress your kids, be fun for them to eat and hopefully inspire you to keep thinking outside of the box — the school lunch box, that is!

Sushi Sandwiches (Makes 3 Rolls - 12 Pieces)

3 Pieces of Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
1 Can of Tuna (I use albacore in water)
1 Tsp Capers, chopped
1 Tbsp Mayonnaise (plus more for spreading on the bread)
1/2 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Cucumber, cut into long, thin sticks
1 Carrot, grated

1. Cut the crusts off of each slice of bread and roll out as thin as possible with a rolling pin.
2. Place the tuna, capers, mayonnaise and dijon mustard in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Place the long side of the rolled out bread closest to you.
4. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on each slice of rolled out bread.
5. Thinly spread 1/3 of the tuna mixture onto half of the bread lengthwise.
6. On top of the tuna mixture, arrange some of the cucumber sticks and grated carrot making sure not too over stuff the roll (a little goes a long way).
7. Starting at the side closest to you (the filled end) tightly roll the tuna/cucumber/carrot mixture up and press to seal into a roll (I dab a bit of mayonnaise across the end of the roll to act as a glue sealing the roll).
8. Cut the roll into 4 even pieces and repeat with remaining bread and tuna mixture.
9. Serve.