After posting a picture of these Turkey Pesto Meatballs last week on our Facebook School Lunch photo gallery, I got so many requests for the recipe that I decided I should put it up ASAP!

A weelicious reader emailed me recently saying that she had tried a version of these meatballs at a friend’s house, and while she knew the flavors and ingredients, she could not recall the amounts or how to make them. I love getting requests to figure out recipes because part of the fun for me in testing is discovering new family favorites. I’m so grateful to that reader because everyone under my roof loved these bite-sized gems. Shockingly, the person who ate the most — Chloe, our 14 month old — downed six (six!) in one meal. She probably would have eaten the whole batch had I let her, but even babies need to share!! Next time I have to remember to make double the amount.

Turkey Pesto Meatballs (Serves 4-6)

1 1/4 Lb. Ground Lean Turkey
1/4 Cup Pesto
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Tsp Salt
2 Cups Weelicious Tomato Sauce or Marinara Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place all the ingredients (except for the marinara sauce) in a bowl and using your hands, combine until everything is incorporated.
3. Using about 1 tablespoon of the mixture per meatball, roll into balls and place on a plate.
4. Pour the marinara sauce into a 9 x 9 inch baking pan and top with the meatballs.
5. Cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Serve.

*Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet and freeze. After 30 minutes place the par-frozen balls in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, defrost in fridge for 24 hours or put them straight in the oven with sauce increasing cooking time by 5 minutes.

Valentine’s Day is only a couple of weeks away and I’ve been thinking about all the yummy recipes that I can make for the Valentines in my life. Someone on the Weelicious Facebook page suggested making fondue, which I thought was a perfect idea. What better way to get your little ones (and not so little ones) excited about eating than to give them a dessert that requires dipping!

Fondue is simpler to make than it sounds and the only issue for me was the amount of sugar normally found in most chocolate fondue recipes. After a bit of trial and error, I came up with this recipe that is smooth, creamy and perfect for dipping fresh fruits into. Even better, your kids will get a boost of protein from the almond butter, so they’ll get strong muscles to give you loads of loving hugs!

Chocolate Almond Butter Sauce (Makes 3/4 Cup)

1/4 Cup Almond Butter (I use smooth)
1/4 Cup Agave
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Hot Water

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Serve with sliced fresh fruit.