One of the most common complaints I get from moms is that their kids won’t eat their veggies. It can be an extremely frustrating experience, especially for parents who put a great deal of effort into cooking meals that their kids won’t eat. As dorky as it sounds, making mealtime easy and inspiring kids to love eating their veggies are part of my life’s mission.

This Crock Pot Mexican Corn and Bean Soup is a great way to make both of those things happen. It takes less then 15 minutes to put this hearty dish together and it features a rainbow of nutritious veggies your kids are sure to love. The soup is incredibly flavorful and while the cumin and chili powder might make you think it’s spicy, the taste is actually quite mellow. I like to put out some grated cheddar or parmesan and a bowl of sour cream for my kids to sprinkle and dollop on top. I find that little touches like those make eating fun and allow little ones to make this soup their own.

While I can’t guarantee every child will become a vegetable lover after eating this soup, I’m pretty confident that at least the veggies in their bowls of this soup will disappear!

Crock Pot Mexican Corn and Bean Soup (Makes 8 Servings)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1-28 oz Can Diced Tomato
2-15 oz Cans Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1-1 Pound Bag Frozen Corn Kernels
1 Medium Zucchini, grated
1 Large Orange, Yellow or Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1-32 oz Box Vegetable Stock

Accompaniments: Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add garlic, chili powder, and cumin, cook for an additional minute and then transfer to a crock pot.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
6. Serve with desired accompaniments.

How often do you pull a box of frozen chicken nuggets from the freezer for lunch or dinner? Once a week? Twice? If your kid really loves them, I’d wager it might be even more than that. I get it. Chicken nuggets are convenient and kids will eat them. But what ingredients make up your favorite brand? Are they made from things you want your little ones eating?

These chicken nuggets are unbelievably easy to make, absolutely delicious and made from ingredients you can pronounce. The best part is that you can make a huge batch and keep them in the freezer for future meals, so not only do they save on the expense of boxed nuggets but also the time it takes to go to the grocery to buy them. What could be more simple, economical, nutritious and yummy than that?

Chicken Nuggets (Makes 24 Nuggets)

1 Pound Chicken Breasts, boneless & skinless cut into chunks
1/4 Cup Old Fashioned Oats (also known as 5 minute oats)
1/4 Tsp Dried Parsley
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
3/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor until chicken is finely chopped and ingredients are combined.
3. Place the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl or on a plate and stir to combine.
4. With moistened hands, roll 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture between your palms and flatten it into a “nugget” shape.
5. Gently press nuggets into bread crumbs to evenly coat them.*
6. Place nuggets on a cooling rack. Place cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
7. Lightly spray nuggets with cooking spray.
8. Bake for 15 minutes and serve.**

* To freeze, place nuggets on a sheet tray after this step and freeze for one hour. Place nuggets in labeled freezer bags for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, follow the directions starting with step #6.
** If you want your nuggets to be golden brown, place under the broiler for 2 minutes after cooking.

It wasn’t until after my kids were out of the baby food puree stage that I realized just how easy it was to cook for them. Now I see so clearly how just a few veggies mixed with a little somethin’ somethin’ (pasta sauce and parmesan in the case of this recipe) can transform simple vegetables into something magical. Watch your baby’s face as he tries his first, then second, then third bites of this delicious puree. I always found that seeing the wonder on my kids’ faces as they started discovering new foods and flavors to be among the most exciting and precious moments of my early mommyhood.

Italian Green Vegetable Puree (Makes 6 Servings)

1 Medium Zucchini, sliced
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
1/4 Cup Tomato or Marinara Sauce
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated

1. Place the zucchini and broccoli florets in a steamer pot over boiling water, steam for 5 minutes and allow to cool.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
3. Serve.

You get home, haven’t even begun to think about dinner and have about 15 minutes before your kids start melting down. Wait, isn’t that every night?!

I hope you add this super simple recipe to your rotation. It’s crazy easy to make and, as you can see from the picture above, it’s served with love.

Two Cheese Pesto Pizza (Serves 4)

1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
4 Whole Wheat Naan Bread
1/4 Cup Pesto, basil or sun dried tomato

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Place the first 2 ingredients in a bowl and combine.
3. Spread 1 tbsp of pesto on each piece of naan bread and top with ¼ cup of the cheese blend.
4. Place pizzas on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
5. Serve.

Want an easy recipe to make for your New Year’s Celebration (or really any time of the year)? Stuffed Mushrooms are a healthy way to ring in 2012!

Finding appetizers for your New Year’s celebration that both kids and adults will love isn’t always an easy task. There are my tried and true choices like little shots of soup (appears fancy for the grown ups and fun for little ones) or Mac, Chicken & Cheese Bites (who doesn’t like mac n cheese), and of course veggies and dip are reliable. But this New Year’s Eve, I’m going with Stuffed Mushrooms. I’ve already made them several times this year and everyone seems to love them.

Filled with spinach, parmesan and bread crumbs, they are little bites of yumminess and, dare I say, a perfect way for everyone, no matter what their age, to ring in the New Year!

Stuffed Mushrooms (Makes 20 Mushrooms)

1 8 oz Package White or Cremini Mushrooms, cleaned
1 10 oz Box Chopped Frozen Spinach, defrosted and drained well
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp Olive Oil, plus more for brushing onto mushrooms if desired
1 Tsp Dried Italian Herbs
1/4 Cup Plain Bread Crumbs
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Small Garlic Clove, minced
Olive Oil, for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove and discard stems from mushrooms and clean caps with a damp towel to remove any dirt.
3. Add the drained spinach to a bowl along with the parmesan, olive oil, Italian herbs, salt, garlic, and bread crumbs.
4. Mix to combine the ingredients.
5. Spoon filling evenly into mushroom caps, lightly brush each mushroom cap with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until mushrooms are tender.
7. Serve.

Tired of making and eating the same breakfast day after day? Want something easy, beautiful and delicious. Bell Pepper Egg Flowers will put big smiles on your families face!

Cereal, pancakes, oatmeal and omelets.…breakfast can feel like one big “same old, same old” after a while. If you’re sick of making your normal breakfast rotation I bet your family feels the same way about eating it. Whenever I whip up these Bell Pepper Egg Flowers in the morning to my kids it’s like I bought a brand new car. It’s such a welcome novelty that my little guys go nuts with excitement! They both adore bell peppers and by adding a perfectly cooked egg and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top, this breakfast treat is an easy way to get protein and even a bit of veggies into my family’s bodies first thing in the morning.

Remember that FTD Mother’s Day slogan, “say it with flowers”? Well, after watching your kids make all gone with this recipe I think you’ll agree that roses and tulips aren’t the only flowers that can make a mom happy!

Bell Pepper Egg Flowers (Serves 4)

1 Large Bell Pepper
4 Medium Eggs
1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese or any other cheese
2 Tsp Olive Oil

Accompaniments: Toast

1. Take 1 large bell pepper, slice into four 1/2″-thick rounds (or “flowers”) and remove the inner membranes (or white part).
2. Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the flowers for 2 minutes on one side.
3. Flip the flowers over and crack an egg into the middle of each flower.
4. Cover skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes for runny eggs or for 5 minutes for firm eggs.
5. Sprinkle each flower with Parmesan a few seconds before you are ready to remove it from the pan.
6. Serve.

When I hear the most frequent dinnertime complaints weelicious moms’ have, one of their biggest issues is lack of time. I totally get it. It’s tough trying to get a balanced, nutritious meal on the dinner table when you only have a limited amount of time in which to make it. That is why whenever I need an easy-to-prepare meal I can be sure the whole family will love, I get out my crock pot. From prep to clean up, it is the biggest time saving appliance I own. I’d actually marry it if my husband wasn’t already in the picture.

This Veggie Lasagna is one of my biggest recent crock pot success stories and it only took me a few minutes to put the whole thing together. No sautéing or stove-watching required. Just chop your veggies, mix the cheeses and layer everything into the pot. By the time you get home from picking up the kids at school and an afternoon of errands, this delicious dinner will be waiting for you — just take the lid off and serve.

You may not want to marry your crock pot, but you might consider it after tasting this lasagna.

Crock Pot Veggie Lasagna (Serves 6-8)

2 Cups Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Mushrooms and/or Spinach
1 15 oz Container Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Tbsp Dried Italian Herbs
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Large Egg
1 25 oz Jar Pasta Sauce
1 Box Lasagna Noodles (uncooked)
2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, grated

1. Place the vegetables in a food processor and pulse to roughly chop.
2. Place the ricotta, parmesan cheese, herbs, garlic powder, salt and egg in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Pour half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a crock pot.
4. Place a layer of noodles on top of the sauce, covering the entire surface, breaking the noodles to fit the pot.
5. Layer half of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, followed by 1 cup of the chopped vegetables and then one cup of mozzarella cheese.
6. Repeat with another layer of noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture and the chopped vegetables.
7. Pour the remaining pasta sauce on top of the lasagna and top with the remaining cup of the grated cheese.
8. Cook on low for 4 hours.
9. Serve.

One of the best parts about working (mostly) from home is that it rarely feels like work. So much of the fun of weelicious for me is not only being close to my kids but that I can actually let them participate in helping me create some of the recipes (whether you feel confident making a recipe that a 4 year old helped me to create is entirely up to you)!

I had been working on a recipe for zucchini cakes last week when Kenya came into the kitchen with his grandmother and asked me, “whatcha got” (translation: what are you making for me to eat)? I don’t know why I always feel a little hesitant whenever I offer my kids something I made that contains a green vegetable. Even though I am beyond blessed with two great eaters, I somehow am still guilty of believing that all kids are pre-programmed to not like green veggies. Anyway, Kenya always tends to ask me what’s in whatever it is I am offering him, and so I told him: parmesan (I always list the cheese first for him, no matter how little is in the recipe!), breadcrumbs, eggs and finally, under my breath I added “zucchini”, to which he literally screamed, “I love zucchini”.

Kenya took a taste and when I asked him what he thought it needed he said most matter of factly, “it needs some cheese on top”. I guess it is worth trusting a 4 year old because just that extra sprinkle of cheese took these Zucchini Cakes from good to great. So great, in fact, that I didn’t even get to serve them as I planned to at dinner that night because Kenya and his dad finished the entire recipe right then and there.

What’s the lesson for me here? Giving your kids input into what you’re making isn’t such a bad idea. On the contrary, allowing them to feel like they contributed something to the dish can be a great way to let them feel some pride of ownership and inspire them to eat things you might have thought they would never be into!

Zucchini Parmesan Cakes (Serves 4)

2 Medium Zucchini, grated
2 Large Eggs, whisked
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
Olive Oil

1. Grate 2 medium zucchini and place in a towel and blot to remove excess liquid.
2. Place the grated zucchini in a bowl along with the whisked eggs, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, parmesan and salt and combine.
3. Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
4. Drop about 2 tbsp of batter into the skillet and flatten with the back of a spoon to form a cake. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.*
5. Continue to making the remaining cakes and sprinkle with parmesan cheese on top.
6. Serve.

* You can use a small cookie scooper to portion the batter into the pan