By Catherine McCord

Chocolate Tofu Pudding Pots (Serves 4)

Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients

• 1 14 oz package soft silken tofu (i like house foods soft silken or mori-nu firm silken)
• 1/3 cup pure cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup agave nectar (feel free to use a little more if you want it sweeter)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 24 chocolate wafers (i like using famous chocolate wafers) gummy worms (i know, it’s candy. if you think of a healthier “worm” substitute, go for it. or, you can leave them out altogether.)
• 4 small clay flower pots

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by Chris Brugler.

Marking the beginning of fall, this tasty dish is delicious served both at room temperature and warm. It is not only sweet and savory, but also filled with nutritious ingredients. Couscous is low in fat, filled with protein, potassium, and the antioxidant, selenium. Raisins are fat-free, cholesterol-free, low in sodium, and high in fiber. Butternut squash has fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, and is low in fat, making it a heart-friendly “power food”. (more…)

By Anni Daulter
Back to school means early hectic mornings getting everyone out the door. Preparing their lunches is another obstacle so take time to prep anything you can the night before. I like to chop vegetables for a stir fry or whip up a pasta sauce for instance the night before, so I can just quickly make it in the morning. It is also important to make sure to have all of your containers ready to go and your child’s lunch basket, bag or box all set to make sure the morning routine goes smoothly. There are some great companies that make eco-friendly containers and reusable carriers that I love and recommend. (more…)

By Catherine McCord

Red, White & Blue Pops

Kids running around in swimsuits eating popsicles. That is summer to me. And when those popsicles happen to be red, white and blue? Well, that can only mean it’s the Fourth of July! I vividly remember being a kid, playing with my friends at our local swimming pool and sucking on Bomb Pops (big, red, white and blue rocket-shaped popsicles that seemed all the rage in the 70′s) to cool down in the summer heat. I adored Bomb Pops, looking back, I can’t imagine how much food coloring and sugar I must have ingested over the years. And while those popsicle memories are great, but how can I share them with my own kids without also exposing them to all those unwanted additives and chemicals? There has to be a way to make your own version of those sinfully delicious iced treats — full of eye appealing color — but also healthy at the same time.

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Yoga helps children focus, eat healthier and gain more energy.

Owning a children’s yoga company I often hear, “I wish I had been taught yoga as a child.” Since you can feel the benefits of yoga, even after just a few classes, I understand why someone would make this comment. They are thinking how wonderful it would have been to experience those benefits all throughout life.

Here are eight benefits a child might experience from practicing yoga:

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By Catherine McCord
Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate our mothers and ourselves. Here are a few recipes that are easy for dads and kids to whip up for a special Mother’s Day treat for mom.

The following recipe may actually be one of my favorite weelicious recipes because of how versatile it is: I used the mix to make waffles this morning and the kids actually said they were the best I’d ever made!

This recipe makes a bit more mix than what you would normally find in a box of the pre-made stuff, but that’s a plus, especially if you have a house full of pancake lovers. Just keep the mix in a sealed container and anytime you want to make these, just add an egg, milk, a touch of oil and a scoop of mix for whole wheat pancakes or waffles that are sure to please! (more…)

By Anni Daulter
The mornings in my house are hectic to say the least. I have 4 kids and 3 of which need lunches made, which means I have to be organized, prepared and quick. It also doesn’t help that all of my children like different types of foods in their lunches, but preparing good healthy tasty meals for my kids while they are away at school is very important to me. I know my children, and yours too, expend a lot of energy throughout the day and therefore need to have lunches that are filled with rejuvenating foods that give them the energy they need to play and learn throughout the day.

Take time to prep anything you can the night before. I like to chop vegetables for a stir fry or whip up a pasta sauce for instance the night before, so I can just quickly make it in the morning. It is also important to make sure to have all of your containers ready to go and your child’s lunch basket, bag or box all set to make sure the morning routine goes smoothly. There are some great companies that make eco-friendly containers and reusable carriers that I love and recommend. (more…)

By Catherine McCord
In our house, we’re big on weekend cooking. My kids love helping out and I find that if I make a few recipes on Saturday or Sunday to store in the fridge or freezer, I have a lot less cooking to do during the week when life gets overwhelming. That doesn’t mean that we spend the entire weekend in the kitchen. Far from it. Our recipes have to be quick and easy so we can get out and do other things together. I treasure our weekends because they often feel like the only time we can just relax and play, enjoying our favorite activities and not being on a schedule.

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By Catherine McCord
Valentine’s Day may be all about the love, but for kids it’s all about the food! And while it’s easy to pick up a bag of candy hearts, why not make something special to really show how much you love someone. These recipes are not only naturally sweet they’re a perfect way to get in the kitchen with you kids making something simply delicious.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Heart Tarts (Makes 10-11 Heart Tarts)

• 1/2 Cup Raspberries
• 1/4 Cup Whipped Cream Cheese
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Double Pie Crust Recipe or 1 14 oz Pre-Made Pie Crust*
• Water
• 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 10 Raspberries for Icing or 2 Tbsp Juiced Raspberries
• 1 Tbsp Milk or Water

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By Laurie Searle
There’s nothing like the day after New Year’s. The holiday buzz is gone and this overwhelming feeling starts gnawing at you. Is it the dog, the kids, the husband, the muffin top compliments of your mother in law’s maple butter pie? It simply couldn’t go to waste, right? Well, it’s all of the above including the bombardment of television ads that tell you it’s time to get on your New Year’s resolution.

With the New Year come new anxieties and expectations about the year ahead. You set goals or resolutions you promise you will stick to, but when the swell of the semester is under way, so goes the promises to yourself. (more…)