Marina Delio's Blog, page 34
August 14, 2014
Caprese Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
August tomatoes are the absolute best. Every evening after dinner I go out to the garden and come back to the house with arms overflowing with sweet juicy tomatoes. This year we are growing four different heirloom varieties. You can never have too many tomatoes - I am loving giving them to friends and making big pots of spaghetti sauce on weekends - but using them up is definitely keeping me creative in the kitchen. This week I grabbed the quinoa out of the fridge (I always have a batch ready for salads, etc.), added some fresh mozzarella leftover from pizza night, some basil from the garden, olive oil and balsamic and stuffed it all into these gorgeous tomatoes...
This glorious bounty is coming out of our garden about twice a week. I am officially in love with August. The Sweet 100s cherry tomatoes are truly nature's candy.
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August 8, 2014
Mexican Quinoa Wrap
This is a quick post today, but I wanted to share one of my favorite mama lunches I've been enjoying lately. I often make a batch of quinoa to keep in the fridge for salads, so this wrap takes only a few minutes to make. It's light and healthy and perfect to pack for work or the beach. It's delicious warm or cold.
Yield: makes 1 wrap
Ingredients: 1 tortilla wrap1/2 small avocado, sliced pinch of salt juice of 1/4 to 1/2 lime 1/4 cup cooked quinoa 1/4 cup black or pinto beans 1 small tomato, chopped small handful salad greens a few cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions: 1. With the back of a fork, lightly smash avocado onto the tortilla. Sprinkle with salt and lime juice. 2. Top with quinoa, beans, tomato, greens, and cilantro.
Gluten free option: Use a gf tortilla and you're good to go!
August 6, 2014
The Best Kids' Lunchboxes
It's funny, when I started the Yummy Mummy Kitchen blog, I didn't actually have any little eaters. I had one exclusively breastfeeding and really only cooked for my husband and myself, and our friends - especially for mommy happy hour. Now that I have a preschooler and (almost) first grader times have changed and I feel like a bit of a lunchbox expert. I've tried many different options over the past few years since my kids started preschool, so I thought I would share some of my favorites and the pros/cons for each one. I love hearing the tips from friends, so hopefully this helps some of you get ready for a new school year! These are in no particular order, so please read my thoughts below.
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August 4, 2014
5 Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas fro Kids (or Moms!)
5 healthy lunch ideas to fill your lunch box.
It's Lunch Week on YummyMummyKitchen.com! Kicking it off with healthy lunchbox ideas, then we'll have my favorite lunchboxes and lunch packing supplies, and my current mama-lunch wrap obsession.
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It's Lunch Week on YummyMummyKitchen.com! Kicking it off with healthy lunchbox ideas, then we'll have my favorite lunchboxes and lunch packing supplies, and my current mama-lunch wrap obsession.
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July 27, 2014
How to Make a Pitaya Bowl at Home
Recipe for making a pitaya, or dragon fruit, bowl at home. A tasty way to cool off with this superfood.
After a few weeks of vacation splurging on daily ice cream and skipping yoga, I wasn't feeling quite as great as my old self. So I'm back to my normal eating and feeling great with lots of energy again. My girls love to visit Backyard Bowls here in Santa Barbara for an acai bowl or pitaya bowl (or smoothie) topped with granola. Pitaya is another name for Dragon Fruit. They think the bowls are a lot like frozen yogurt because they are so smooth, cold, and sweet. But they are actually packed with amazing antioxidant ingredients and are 100% natural. The next time you get a craving for ice cream, try one of these icy bowls instead. You'll feel much better. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
After a few weeks of vacation splurging on daily ice cream and skipping yoga, I wasn't feeling quite as great as my old self. So I'm back to my normal eating and feeling great with lots of energy again. My girls love to visit Backyard Bowls here in Santa Barbara for an acai bowl or pitaya bowl (or smoothie) topped with granola. Pitaya is another name for Dragon Fruit. They think the bowls are a lot like frozen yogurt because they are so smooth, cold, and sweet. But they are actually packed with amazing antioxidant ingredients and are 100% natural. The next time you get a craving for ice cream, try one of these icy bowls instead. You'll feel much better. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
July 24, 2014
Italian Peppers & Onions: Life's Good in the Kitchen
LG Electronics asked me to share with you a new Food Network show they are sponsoring, and I agreed because I think the show looks great! "The Kitchen" is hosted by Katie Lee and the set kitchen is fully equipped with LG Appliances from refrigerator and ovens to microwave and LG cooktop. LG's mission is to prove that "Life's Good in the Kitchen" - a mission I love. Life really is good in the kitchen - it's not just about the constant making of food for the family. This is especially true for me this summer while the kids are out of school and we have been on vacation. There's no alone cooking prep time for mama, so cooking time happens together.
Most nights my little love says, "Mama, can I help you make dinner?" and my heart melts. Older sis isn't into cooking as much these days, but this girl is! She loves doing everything from washing veggies to whisking batters to stirring veggies. It a great time for us to spend together without the TV, rushing off to school or ballet, or other distractions. Here she is making Italian peppers and onions in our little kitchen it Italy.
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July 21, 2014
Easy Bellini and Caprese Bruschetti Bites Recipes
Simple peach bellini recipe with a virgin option and Caprese Bruschetta Bites!
The Bellini is a classic Venetian drink made famous by Harry's Bar. I didn't get a chance to visit the iconic restaurant while we were in Venice, but I did get to taste a delicious Bellini at another restaurant, Ristorante San Stefano. It was perfectly fizzy, cold, slightly sweet, and refreshing. The good news is that bellinis are very easy to make at home, and can be made virgin by replacing Prosecco with sparkling water. The virgin recipe creates a fresh and healthy soda. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
The Bellini is a classic Venetian drink made famous by Harry's Bar. I didn't get a chance to visit the iconic restaurant while we were in Venice, but I did get to taste a delicious Bellini at another restaurant, Ristorante San Stefano. It was perfectly fizzy, cold, slightly sweet, and refreshing. The good news is that bellinis are very easy to make at home, and can be made virgin by replacing Prosecco with sparkling water. The virgin recipe creates a fresh and healthy soda. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
July 20, 2014
Venice, Italy Family Vacation
Part 2 of our Italian family vacation. Venice Italy.
While on our Italian family vacation we were staying in our house swap home on Lake Garda. Venice is only a 1-hour train ride away, so we just had to visit. Arriving by train is a great way to go, as the scenery is beautiful vineyards and that suddenly turn to water as the train approaches Venice. Before our trip I had major anxiety about someone falling into a canal. And then I read DesignMom's post, We Took 6 Kids to Venice and Nobody Fell in a Canal. It was just the reassurance I needed. Venice has a lot to offer families and small kids. Here are some of my favorite things to do in Venice with kids...
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While on our Italian family vacation we were staying in our house swap home on Lake Garda. Venice is only a 1-hour train ride away, so we just had to visit. Arriving by train is a great way to go, as the scenery is beautiful vineyards and that suddenly turn to water as the train approaches Venice. Before our trip I had major anxiety about someone falling into a canal. And then I read DesignMom's post, We Took 6 Kids to Venice and Nobody Fell in a Canal. It was just the reassurance I needed. Venice has a lot to offer families and small kids. Here are some of my favorite things to do in Venice with kids...
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July 17, 2014
Baked Zucchini Fries Recipe
The zucchini plant just keeps on giving. The kids and liked the Parmesan zucchini chips I posted recently, but they were lacking some crunch. So this week we coated some thick zucchini spears/fries with panko breadcrumbs and baked them. I remember as a kid loving the deep fried zucchini dipped in ranch dressing at the local fair. These are a much healthier version but have the same qualities - salty crunch with a warm center!
The girls liked these too. And Mr. Giraffe there. I added some sweet tomatoes from the garden to the plate for a tasty afternoon snack. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »
July 15, 2014
Easy Mint Chip Ice Cream Recipe
An easy no-cook mint chip ice cream recipe with vegan and low-sugar option.
While we were in Italy we ate gelato every single day. I usually avoid sugar, but hey, when in Rome Italy.
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While we were in Italy we ate gelato every single day. I usually avoid sugar, but hey, when in Rome Italy.
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