Marina Delio's Blog, page 26
November 9, 2015
White Bean Mash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
This is a simple dinner recipe that a few of my girlfriends make all the time. One asked the other for the recipe, which she created after trying something similar as a Trader Joe's sample, then gave it to me, and it evolved into what you see here. Recipes that have evolved through girlfriends are the best kind, if you ask me. It would be awesome for a vegetarian Thanksgiving dish. The first time I made this mash I did it without the butternut squash or (vegan) sausage and everyone in our little family loved it. Our kids are big roasted Brussels sprouts lovers, so I didn't get any complaints with this one-dish dinner. This week I added squash and loved the sweetness it added. I served our roasted veggies and bean mash with my favorite vegan sausages from Field Roast. They are non-GMO and high protein and my meat-eating guests usually have no idea they are meatless. This may be the dinner I make most frequently during fall and winter.
Try this inexpensive, easy, tasty, wholesome autumn dinner this week!
A little coconut oil and sea salt and into the oven you go! CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
November 5, 2015
Butternut Squash Curry with Pumpkin, Cauliflower, and Chickpeas
Vegetarian curry with butternut squash, pumpkin, chickpeas, and cauliflower. This curry is perfect for fall and winter. Today I'm partnering with Got Milk? to share an amazing pairing!
The seemingly never-ending summer heat finally took a break this week. We even got a bit of rain and our sweaters made an appearance. I took full advantage and made a fire and big pot of warm curry. With pumpkin and sweet butternut squash, this dish really feels like fall and winter, and is one I’ll be adding to my dinner table until spring. It is so cozy and comforting with warm spicy flavors. Got Milk? challenged me to create the perfect savory recipe to pair with California milk. I love taking on these types of jobs because they really ignite my creativity. Curry is a natural paring because it is usually a little (or a lot) spicy. Did you know that milk works better than water to cool down your mouth after a spicy bite? This recipe is on the mildly spicy side and is family friendly. You can turn up the heat with some sriracha hot sauce or turn it down with a cold glass of milk.
This would make a fabulous meatless Thanksgiving dinner!
CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
The seemingly never-ending summer heat finally took a break this week. We even got a bit of rain and our sweaters made an appearance. I took full advantage and made a fire and big pot of warm curry. With pumpkin and sweet butternut squash, this dish really feels like fall and winter, and is one I’ll be adding to my dinner table until spring. It is so cozy and comforting with warm spicy flavors. Got Milk? challenged me to create the perfect savory recipe to pair with California milk. I love taking on these types of jobs because they really ignite my creativity. Curry is a natural paring because it is usually a little (or a lot) spicy. Did you know that milk works better than water to cool down your mouth after a spicy bite? This recipe is on the mildly spicy side and is family friendly. You can turn up the heat with some sriracha hot sauce or turn it down with a cold glass of milk.
This would make a fabulous meatless Thanksgiving dinner!
CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
November 2, 2015
Running for Gwendolyn: My Running Essentials
This Saturday I will be running the Santa Barbara Half Marathon, which means I have been running all over town training like a mad woman. It hasn't been easy. It hasn't been pretty. But I've gotten through my 12 weeks of training, and can't wait to run 13.1 miles with hundreds of inspiring people this weekend. I am once again running to raise money for the wonderful Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. I wrote about Gwendolyn here a few months ago just after she had passed away at 7 years old. If you would like to support the GSF's mission of changing the future of SMA (the #1 genetic killer of babies), and supporting families dealing with this horrific disease through my run, you can do so here. I am literally moving my body, so one day children with SMA can too.
Running is hard, especially when you're just starting. But it is also powerful. I have friends who have gotten through anxiety and depression, addiction, eating disorders, and more through running. Running can bring people together for a greater good, as 120 of my friends are doing this week to support the GSF.
I get a lot of running questions when I post my running photos on Instagram, so I thought I would put together a post of my running essentials and tips and hopefully inspire you to get out there.
First, a disclaimer. I am not a professional runner or trainer. You should always check with your doctor before beginning any workout regimen. If you have any heart issues running can be very dangerous, so please, get a check-up first!
Here are my top essentials for great running. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
October 27, 2015
Spooky Fruit Cups for Halloween
Halloween week is upon us and it's sure to be a busy week. We still are uncertain about costumes - my littlest pumpkin usually changes her mind about her costume until the very minute we are leaving the house. It's a good thing that with two girls, our costume bin is pretty full. I'll be baking pumpkin muffins for both my girls' classes on Friday and getting ready for Halloween fun on Saturday, so I wanted to leave you with one last healthier Halloween treat idea. The girls loved these cute spooky jack-o-lantern and ghost fruit cups. They are incredibly simple and filled with vitamins. I topped ours with a little fresh whipped cream. 
Boo! For a ghost, I placed one gluten free gingersnap from Trader Joe's at the bottom, then topped with a dollop of whipped cream, bananas, peeled apples, and piped a whipped cream ghost. Those little candy eyes are made by Wilton. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
October 24, 2015
Mango Guacamole in Jack-o-Lantern Peppers
Also known in my house as Bat Wings and Slime. I grew up eating blue corn chips and calling them "bat wings" year round. They are more fun that way, don't you think? Halloween can be a challenge for health conscious parents who don't want their kids overdosing on sugar. I have a hard time too - all the fun fall foods are hard to resist - pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin ice cream, and don't even get me started on peanut butter cups (my weakness). So I've been brainstorming healthier Halloween foods that are just as fun and tasty as the naughty ones. I made this Mango Guacamole in a Jack-o-Lantern Pepper and served it with bat wings (blue corn chips). The girls loved this spooky after school snack and it would be perfect to bring to a Halloween party. Fill up those kiddos with good fats and fiber before they head out for the night. You really can keep kids happy during Halloween without candy. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
October 23, 2015
48hr Private PlanetBox Sale! Halloween Lunches
Trick-or-Treat! If you have followed my blog for awhile or follow me on Instagram (or know me in real life) you probably know I am a huge fan of PlanetBox. After trying many many lunch systems out there, I finally got my girls each a PlanetBox a couple of years ago. I have never looked back and only wish I had gotten these sooner. Our lunches now have so much more variety and color than before. PlanetBox lunch boxes truly make lunches and the earth healthier. These are a great eco-friendly option. The nice people at PlanetBox noticed all raving posts and are offering my readers an exclusive 48 hour sale! I paid full-price for my lunch boxes and very rarely see coupon codes so I'm thrilled to be able to offer you all a discount. These would make great holiday gifts too!
The sale lasts Friday and Saturday, October 23rd and 24th, 2015. Just order through my link and use the code YummyMummy15 to get your 15% discount on any and all PlanetBox products!
CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
October 21, 2015
Veggie Lasagna Cupcakes
Recipe for mini vegetarian lasagna cups. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ragu® . The opinions and text are all mine.
These cute little mini lasagna cupcakes were the favorite dinner last week. I thought for sure my kids would pull out the slices of eggplant and zucchini, but they didn't! Baked in tomato sauce and cheese, the kids didn't even notice the veggies. My 8 year old asked for seconds and thirds, and my 5 year old asked to have leftover lasagna cupcakes for dinner the next night. With these lasagnas I felt the magic of dinnertime, in a busy week. Our girls are now in dance, piano, ice skating, and Girl Scouts. All these activities leave little time to sit and really talk to each other about our day. Family dinner is so important because it's a time when we can all connect without distractions. This recipe uses a jar of sauce to make life easy and make family dinner magic doable for busy mamas like myself. My plan was to freeze half for a busy day, but they were all gobbled up. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
These cute little mini lasagna cupcakes were the favorite dinner last week. I thought for sure my kids would pull out the slices of eggplant and zucchini, but they didn't! Baked in tomato sauce and cheese, the kids didn't even notice the veggies. My 8 year old asked for seconds and thirds, and my 5 year old asked to have leftover lasagna cupcakes for dinner the next night. With these lasagnas I felt the magic of dinnertime, in a busy week. Our girls are now in dance, piano, ice skating, and Girl Scouts. All these activities leave little time to sit and really talk to each other about our day. Family dinner is so important because it's a time when we can all connect without distractions. This recipe uses a jar of sauce to make life easy and make family dinner magic doable for busy mamas like myself. My plan was to freeze half for a busy day, but they were all gobbled up. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
October 14, 2015
The Best Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Delicious healthy pumpkin smoothie recipe that tastes like a pumpkin pie milkshake, but is high protein and fiber, and refined sugar-free. Vegan and Gluten-free friendly.
Fall has arrived, but the weather here in southern/central California seems to have missed the memo. It's been 90 degrees at our house for the past few weeks. That means no cute boots and sweaters and definitely no pumpkin spice lattes for me. Instead, I've been enjoying this very fallish healthy pumpkin smoothie. It makes a good breakfast on the go or post-workout treat since it's high in protein and fiber. This smoothie tastes like a naughty pumpkin milkshake or pumpkin pie ice cream, but doesn't have all the sugar.
CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
Fall has arrived, but the weather here in southern/central California seems to have missed the memo. It's been 90 degrees at our house for the past few weeks. That means no cute boots and sweaters and definitely no pumpkin spice lattes for me. Instead, I've been enjoying this very fallish healthy pumpkin smoothie. It makes a good breakfast on the go or post-workout treat since it's high in protein and fiber. This smoothie tastes like a naughty pumpkin milkshake or pumpkin pie ice cream, but doesn't have all the sugar.
CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
October 12, 2015
80 Lunch Box Ideas {Printables}
A couple of weeks ago my girlie and I taught a lunch box inspiration class at the Santa Barbara Public Market. It was a huge success! The class was sold-out and I think everyone had a lot of fun and gained healthy packed lunch ideas. As a busy mama, I know how stressful mornings can be and sometimes we just can't think of what to pack. I made a couple of printables to make lunch-packing easier and wanted to share them with you. The link to download the pages is at the bottom of this post. I hope these pages give you some new ideas. They are great for kids' lunches, but are just as helpful in packing grown-up lunches. Print out these pages and keep them with your lunch-packing supplies. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
October 1, 2015
Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, CA
Sunset at Sierra Mar Restaurant at Post Ranch Inn
Last weekend was filled with a mix of work and play relaxing. On Saturday my big girl and I had a great time leading a cooking class at the SB Public Market. The next morning, my mom picked the girls up for church and Yummy Hubby and I left for our first EVER since having kids overnight. That's 9 years. We love traveling with our kids, but a mommy/daddy only trip was long overdue. We headed to the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, CA, which has been on my travel bucket list for years. The natural beauty of both the Post Ranch Inn and Big Sur is incredible. This is one trip you have to add to your bucket list too... So I am sharing lots of pictures for you to fill your wanderlust Pinterest boards with. Grab a cup of tea and join me on our adventure...
CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
