Cooking with the Moms

Janice was born in New England, but two of her sisters live in the Pacific Northwest. That's why she goes out there a few times each year. Recently, Janice traveled to Olympia, WA for the wedding of her niece, Jen. On this week's show, we dish about Janice's Northwest foodie adventures and share two recipes that her sister, Lori, made while Janice was out there: Kale and Berry Health Shake and Cowboy Caviar, a vegetarian side dish made with avocado, black-eyed peas, corn, cilantro, and bell pepper. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

It's been a few weeks since we launched our new recipe app, Meal Makeovers. We hope those of you who've downloaded it—it's available on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch—are using it in good health! On this week's show, we tell you all about the app, and we share our latest app and blog recipe for Autumn Apple Quinoa Salad. The great thing about this recipe is that it's nutritious thanks to the quinoa, apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, and Cheddar cheese as well as versatile (serve it as a lunch box or dinner side dish), gluten free, and incredibly delicious. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Fish sticks are an all-time kid favorite, but many of the frozen, store-bought brands seem to have more breading than fish. To add better health to fish sticks, we make them from Asian Salmon Sticks from scratch using salmon—rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fats, and our light coating is so yummy and crispy, your kids may actually think they're eating chicken fingers! We share the recipe on this week's podcast and also dish about another new salmon-inspired recipe for Eggy Salmon Scramble (available only on our Meal Makeovers app). Getting more seafood into the family diet just got a whole lot easier. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

In our last podcast, we tackled school lunches. On this week's show, we shift our culinary focus to better-for-you lunch box snacks including a new recipe for Honey, I Love You Bars made with oats, wheat germ, dates, almonds, eggs, and honey. We also dish about our top 7 Smart Snacking Tips for Lunch Boxes and share lots of other snacking ideas from fellow moms and dietitians. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Packing lunch boxes day after day can start to feel like a chore pretty quickly, and there's just so many ways you can serve peanut butter and jelly before the kids get bored. To the rescue is dietitian, Katie Morford, author of the new cookbook, Best Lunch Box Ever. We spoke to Katie on this week's show about tips for packing kid-friendly lunches that won't get traded and ideas for everything from sandwiches, salads and pinwheels to fruit and veggie sides to goodies. On the show, we share two recipes: Sweetie Pie Quesadilla and Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Traverse City, MI is the tart cherry capital of the world! Everywhere you turn in this Northern Michigan town looks, tastes, and smells of cherries! Liz recently traveled there to learn about cherry harvest and the nutritional benefits found within each ruby red piece of fruit. On this week's show, we dish about how the fruit is harvested and processed (frozen, dried, made into juice), the many ways you can add tart cherries to your diet, and a recipe Liz baked up for Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Traverse City, MI is the tart cherry capital of the world! Everywhere you turn in this Northern Michigan town looks, tastes, and smells of cherries! Liz recently traveled there to learn about cherry harvest and the nutritional benefits found within each ruby red piece of fruit. On this week's show, we dish about how the fruit is harvested and processed (frozen, dried, made into juice), the many ways you can add tart cherries to your diet, and a recipe Liz baked up for Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Who wants some homemade strawberry jam? We made a few batches recently, and let's just say they’ve been disappearing quickly from our refrigerators. On this week's show, we share our latest recipe for Mom's Strawberry Jam, rave about our new Ball freshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker, and tell you all about our vacation adventures to Nantucket and New Hampshire so far this summer. Plus, you loved him on our Composting for Dummies podcast, so Janice's husband, Don, is back on the show this week to tell us about his childhood jelly-making memories. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Who wants some homemade strawberry jam? We made a few batches recently, and let's just say they’ve been disappearing quickly from our refrigerators. On this week's show, we share our latest recipe for Mom's Strawberry Jam, rave about our new Ball freshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker, and tell you all about our vacation adventures to Nantucket and New Hampshire so far this summer. Plus, you loved him on our Composting for Dummies podcast, so Janice's husband, Don, is back on the show this week to tell us about his childhood jelly-making memories. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

From the fourth of July to Labor Day, there's plenty of time for festive outdoor cookouts and barbecues. To add better flavor and nutrition to your summer menu, we cooked up two new recipes this week, each featuring California Avocados. The first recipe for California Avocado Beef and Black Bean Burgers is made with lean ground beef, mashed avocado and black beans, cilantro, chili, and cumin. And of course, we serve our burgers on whole grain buns. For a nutrient-rich side dish, we have a macaroni salad makeover featuring a Green Goddess dressing made with avocado, Greek yogurt, evoo, and lemon juice. Tune into this week's show to hear all about these super spectacular summer recipes. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

From the fourth of July to Labor Day, there's plenty of time for festive outdoor cookouts and barbecues. To add better flavor and nutrition to your summer menu, we cooked up two new recipes this week, each featuring California Avocados. The first recipe for California Avocado Beef and Black Bean Burgers is made with lean ground beef, mashed avocado and black beans, cilantro, chili, and cumin. And of course, we serve our burgers on whole grain buns. For a nutrient-rich side dish, we have a macaroni salad makeover featuring a Green Goddess dressing made with avocado, Greek yogurt, evoo, and lemon juice. Tune into this week's show to hear all about these super spectacular summer recipes. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

As we get older, we've been thinking more about the connection between what we eat and how we feel inside...and out. The link is quite strong. Take berries for example. They are rich in antioxidants, which protect against the daily wear and tear of our cells and cell membranes and guard against premature signs of aging. And then there are foods like green leafy vegetables that contain vitamins A and C (both powerful antioxidants), vitamin K, a strong bone builder, and a nutrient called biotin, good for the health of hair and skin. On this week's show, we outline both everyday and surprising foods that boost beauty and keep us young...and we serve up two recipes filled with life-enhancing ingredients: Apple, Rhubarb & Berry Crisp and a Rustic Red, White and Green Pizza. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

As we get older, we've been thinking more about the connection between what we eat and how we feel inside...and out. The link is quite strong. Take berries for example. They are rich in antioxidants, which protect against the daily wear and tear of our cells and cell membranes and guard against premature signs of aging. And then there are foods like green leafy vegetables that contain vitamins A and C (both powerful antioxidants), vitamin K, a strong bone builder, and a nutrient called biotin, good for the health of hair and skin. On this week's show, we outline both everyday and surprising foods that boost beauty and keep us young...and we serve up two recipes filled with life-enhancing ingredients: Apple, Rhubarb & Berry Crisp and a Rustic Red, White and Green Pizza. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Father's Day is just around the corner, and we're getting ready with some man-style, breakfast-in-bed recipes to keep dads and granddads well fed and happy. First up, we have our newest recipe for Crunchy Oat-y Granola, made with heart-healthy canola oil, oats, walnuts, and dried cranberries. You can layer this homemade, nutritious granola with low-fat Greek yogurt and sliced fruit for a beautiful and flavorful parfait. We also have a "guest" recipe from Food Network host, Ellie Krieger. Ellie shares her Whole-Grain Waffles with Strawberry Rhubarb Topping with us! Tune in for recipes you and even your kids can easily make. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Father's Day is just around the corner, and we're getting ready with some man-style, breakfast-in-bed recipes to keep dads and granddads well fed and happy. First up, we have our newest recipe for Crunchy Oat-y Granola, made with heart-healthy canola oil, oats, walnuts, and dried cranberries. You can layer this homemade, nutritious granola with low-fat Greek yogurt and sliced fruit for a beautiful and flavorful parfait. We also have a "guest" recipe from Food Network host, Ellie Krieger. Ellie shares her Whole-Grain Waffles with Strawberry Rhubarb Topping with us! Tune in for recipes you and even your kids can easily make. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.