• having fun with … food?

    March 27, 2023

    looking to have more fun with food and encourage your kids to try new things? yeah, me too. that’s why I created the food+fun challenge. each week, we plan out a week of fun themes and play with our food. read on for more information about how we do it and for a list of 35+ ideas to jump start your food+fun journey. a few weeks ago, after the eleven billionth argument with my eldest around (not) eating the dinner in front of her, i decided it was time to try a different approach to food and eating in our…

  • Homemade Protein Bars

    March 23, 2023

    These homemade protein bars are as easy as they are delicious. They are super easy to make (and customize) and feel like a decadent treat. They also happen to be dairy-free, gluten free, soy free, coconut free, and contain ZERO stevia. Huzzah! I am always on the hunt for good protein bars when I need a quick something to eat while I am running the girls back and forth between literally everything. Unfortunately, I have a hard time finding any I can enjoy because I am sensitive to dairy, coconut, AND stevia. I did manage to find a few brands…

  • DIY Dot Notecards

    February 6, 2023

    If there’s one thing we have a lot of in this house, it’s art. The kids love to paint and make collages, so we are always swimming in paper. The problem is, not everything is fridge or frame worthy so it just sits in a pile collecting dust. In the past, I have cut their creations into 3×3 squares and mounted them on little wooden canvases to create cool abstract art. This time, I wanted to try something new. Several (SEVERAL) years ago, I came across an artisan who had sewn bits of paper onto notecards to create some really…

  • Chocamole (AKA Chocolate Avocado Pudding)

    December 30, 2022

    Chocamole, otherwise known as chocolate avocado pudding, is the creamiest, dreamiest, richest, most decadent chocolate pudding there is. And it’s 100% dairy-free. I have a confession to make: I hate avocados. As in, you couldn’t pay me to eat them on toast, mashed up into guacamole, or any other way that people who like avocados would. I do, however, like them mixed up with some cocoa powder, maple syrup, a splash of almond milk, vanilla extract, and peanut butter. You read that right. I like my avocados with chocolate. And I’ve been eating it that way FOR YEARS. It’s seriously…

  • Project: 52

    December 28, 2022

    If you know me at all, you know I love a good project to dive into. Case in point: The 100 Day Project (and here). (I’ve done it for like eight years running.) Before that, I ran several iterations of something I lovingly called Project: Miracles (all about the power of gratitude journaling based on the book Make Miracles in Forty Days* by Melodie Beattie) and Project: Food Budget (tracking food spending for a specific period of time). So it came as no surprise to me, the husband, my mom, and the rest of my family when I told them…

  • Buffalo Turkey (or Chicken) Meatballs

    December 20, 2022

    These buffalo turkey meatballs are seriously heaven in meatball form. They are easy to make and insanely flavorful. They also happen to be low-carb and gluten free, so bonus points for that! I’m pretty much a sucker for any and all things buffalo sauce. My all-time favorite sandwich is buffalo chicken. My all time favorite wrap is a buffalo chicken wrap (that I’m officially still obsessed with). And my all-time favorite vegetarian dish is the buffalo falafel from Bad Manners. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve made that one over the years… Everyone in the House of Lev…

  • Cookie Bread Pudding

    November 25, 2022

    Looking for a way to use up stale or dried out and overcooked cookies? Cookie bread pudding is the answer to it all. Sometimes I leave cookies out on purpose just so I can make a batch.  Every now and then I have a batch of cookies that doesn’t quite turn out — they get overcooked or turn out super crumbly. On even rarer occasions, I’ll have too many cookies that can’t be eaten in time before going stale. The good news is, it doesn’t matter. Because cookie bread pudding is seriously the best thing since, well, the cookie.  I discovered this concept…