Marina Delio's Blog, page 43

Healthy Road Trip Snacks + a Food and Family Sale at Zulily!

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Last week I got an email from a reader asking for suggestions for healthy road trip snacks. She had just gotten back from a spring break trip and said that although they brought fresh fruit and veggies, all the unhealthy snacks left her family feeling gross after the trip. I loved this question because it's one we can all relate to. You know you've felt bloated and icky after snack filled trips. And let's just be honest. Road trip snacking is just as much about entertainment as it is nutrition. I am completely guilty of handing my kids treats I wouldn't allow at home just to keep them quiet. Only that plan backfired  and sugar induced toddler frenzies ensued. Many processed snacks are high in sodium and sugar, which don't leave us feeling very well. 




Here are my top picks for healthy road trip snacks:



Apples and oranges.  They're durable and delicious. You can throw them in your bag without worrying about bruising. 
Pasta Salad 
Fun sandwiches. Forget the pb&j and make a tasty sandwich on a baguette or ciabatta loaf and then cut into pieces. 
Salad wraps. Slather tortilla wraps with smashed avocado and a pinch of salt, cream cheese, or hummus and fill with your favorite veggies and/or cold cuts. 
Peanut or almond butter and dippers (carrots, celery, pretzels) 
Hummus and pitas. 
Dried veggie chips. See those green beans and carrot slices in the jar above? I got them at Whole Foods. I'm not a big fan, but the kids LOVE them. I love them because they stay fresh much longer than fresh fruit and veggies, so they will still be good on the trip home. 
Low-fat Popcorn. Popcorn is one of my favorite snack attack foods. It's low calorie and takes awhile to eat, which means high entertainment value. I make mine in a covered Dutch oven on the stove to avoid added salt and chemicals. 
Healthy gummy bears from Taralynn McNitt
5 minute almost sugar-free granola bars (to be posted tomorrow, so check back!) 





In other exciting news... 









As you all know, my new book is out in the world and one of my favorite sites,  Zulily  is featuring Yummy Mummy Kitchen in their food and family sale tomorrow. I was frist introduced to Zulily through a photographer who recommended it as the place to get cute kids clothes for photo shoots at a great price. They really have amazing deals on everything for kids, moms, and home. Check their site tomorrow (Tuesday) to freshen up your cookbook library!



You can check out the recipe I created just for Zulily here.




It's packed with sneaky greens. But your kids will never know - it's one of my girls' favorites! 
















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All about raising chickens and eggs

Our furry-footed gal, Sprinkles. 




I often get questions about raising chickens, so I thought I would create a post to point people to. We love having chickens. They are very sweet and friendly companions, and easier to care for than most other pets. Adult hens need only a few things: food, water, and shelter. Not only is raising chickens fun and rewarding, it's a kinder way of getting eggs than buying them from traditional chicken farms where you don't know how the chickens are treated. 




More about raising chickens after the break! 

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Healthy Dark Chocolate-Coconut-Macadamia Nut Banana Muffins

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I've been meaning to pop on here and say hello but have just been so so busy the past week. Will you forgive me? I made some delicious wholesome muffins for you. My cookbook came out yesterday (woo hoo!!!) and you may have had one land on your porch today. Now is the scary part of the whole book writing process. It's the part where you all get to see it. Eeek! I'm loving getting feedback email, comments, and 5-star reviews on Amazon. Thank you so much for your continued support! 




Back to the muffins. I brought these to a brunch on Easter Sunday and they went flying out of the basket. Not a single one to bring home and they got rave reviews. 



 I mixed the batter the quick and easy way - in the blender. You can do it the old fashioned way though too, just mash your bananas before adding them to the bowl. 

More after the break!!


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Easter Craft: Coffee Filter Easter Eggs

Coffee filters are so much fun for all sorts of arts and crafts projects. I am loving this coffee filter bunting I just stumbled upon on Pinterest. And these fluffy roses! We had some jumbo coffee filters in our craft supplies, but you could use regular sized ones for this project. I think they would look so cute strung into a garland. You could decorate them further by gluing on some sequins. The girls had a lot of fun making these and they're easy to make using a few grocery store supplies. 


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Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Chocolate Eggs Recipe {vegan & sugar-free)

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I have a confession. I'm a peanut butter cup addict. I would never buy them, but if they enter our home via Halloween bag or Easter goodie bag, there's no stopping me. Sorry kids. We decided to try making our own Easter candy this year. Healthy Easter candy using ingredients like unsweetened cocoa powder, stevia, coconut oil, and natural peanut butter. These homemade chocolate eggs are even better than the real thing. I would know. The only thing I would change next time is to do less chocolate and more peanut butter, so that's how I've written the recipe. These are vegan and sugar-free, but is a food still vegan if it's served in an egg? I would guess not. Oh well, you can always use plastic egg molds instead.   More after the break! 


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Easy Lemon Crepes with Blueberry Sauce for Voskos

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Light pillows of Heaven. That's what these delicate crepes taste like. They remind me of pancakes I used to get at a particular restaurant, only these are non-greasy and don't leave you with a stomach ache. They're impressive, but easy to prepare with Greek yogurt and lemon curd as the filling.



Recently my girlfriends and I were talking about how much we love lemon curd. I have always loved it the traditional (read, fattening) way - with scones. I also mix it with mascarpone cheese for creamy desserts, which is absolutely delicious. My friend Terri mentioned that she mixes it with Greek yogurt and chia seeds (having friends who eat well is awesome!). Just a little lemon curd is needed to transform plain low-fat Greek yogurt into a decadent tasting treat. I used this combination as an easy filling for crepes and they turned out to be the best crepes I've ever tasted. Seriously. I would take these over chocolate crepes any day. And that is really saying something. 




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Tea Stained Easter Eggs

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Yesterday the girls and I realized our egg basket was overflowing and it was time to dye some Easter eggs! Not feeling like dealing with carseats and grocery stores, we looked around our pantry for natural egg dye. Although neon easter eggs are fun, we liked this natural Easter egg look better. The process was fun too - we had no idea how the eggs would look with each dye we created. 



We used several teas we had. My girls' favorite herbal tea, Republic of Tea Hibiscus, which is bright pink, green tea, and black tea. We also made brew of turmeric powder. 


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matcha green tea 101 - green tea latte recipe

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For years I've noticed Green Tea Lattes on the menus of fancy coffee shops, but hadn't tried one until this week. The Republic of Tea sent me a delicious package filled with a variety of matcha green teas. Unlike dried tea in bags, Matcha tea powder is ground from fine Japanese green tea leaves and dissolves right into water or milk. I forgot about its powdery form this morning when I dumped it out into my hand and subsequently the floor expecting a tea bag - you have been warned. Matcha green tea is the star of the centuries-old Japanese tea ceremony and is loved for its taste and health benefits, and I can see why. You can use it as a tea, or in cooking. Green tea ice cream, smoothies, cookies, anyone? I played it safe with a green tea latte... Matcha does contain caffeine and should not be given to kids. This is a mama only post, and let me just tell you... sometimes mama needs a little pick-me-up in the afternoons when certain 3 year olds decide not to nap for a week. Ahem, I digress... 





I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my first green tea latte, and it was so easy to make. It will definitely be replacing my morning coffee some days. A teaspoon of matcha green tea, some steamed milk, and a little sweetener is all you need. To get my green tea latte foamy on top I used a frother. I also use this fun tool for "kid cappuccinos" which are really just foamy steamed milk. 




From March 22 to March 29, my readers will receive a free electric matcha frother
with any order of U-Matcha Tea from The Republic of Tea. Just use code #MATCHA3 at checkout.







One of the things I love most about green tea is its ability to boost metabolism and protect against some diseases*. I made this refreshing and purifying iced green tea with slices of cucumber, lemon, and strawberries for you for spring. Both lemon and cucumber help detoxify our bodies, and strawberry adds antioxidants and tastes delicious. I've been keeping a jug of this tea in the fridge and sipping it whenever I need a little boost after a workout. It's like a spa water-tea hybrid. 




Which would you prefer - the latte or the fruity detox iced tea? 




Recipes after the jump... 


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Baked Spaghetti with Burrata (Vegan & Gluten Free Options)

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Spaghetti is still one of my kids' favorite dinners. I love spaghetti too, but it gets a little, well... boring when you make it the same way over and over. Thankfully I got an email last week from a reader requesting a baked spaghetti to feed 8 people. I thought baked spaghetti was a great idea for entertaining - it's a crowd-pleaser and can be prepared well in advance. I love that I can assemble this whole recipe whenever I get a chance and pop it in the oven right before dinner for a comforting homemade meal. Wouldn't this be perfect for after a late soccer/gymnastics/etc. practice?! Toss in any veggies you have in your fridge - we loved mushrooms, bell peppers, and capers... 


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