Spiced Almond Popcorn Snack Mix | #CelebrateAlmonds

I’ve partnered with California Almonds to bring you this sponsored post and all opinions stated are my own.

Almonds and popcorn and seeds—oh my! These three things may just be my ultimate snacking trifecta. They are all easy to pack in my purse or bag when I'm on-the-go, as well as for when I feel a between-meals snack attack coming on. So combining the three might just be one of the smartest things I've done lately.

Hemp-Chia-Flax Einkorn Crackers | #EinkornExperiment

It's time for another edition of The Einkorn Experiment! This month I decided that I wanted to try my hand at using einkorn to make crackers. Homemade crackers are usually pretty simple to make, and always leave me feeling a sense of accomplishment as I pull them from the oven.

Since I'm still getting comfortable with einkorn flour and its slight differences from all-purpose in a recipe like this, I chose this recipe by Cathy from Bread Experience via Einkorn.com as a starting point. So, here's the thing about einkorn flour—it absorbs liquid slower than all-purpose flour, so you have to take things a little slow, and take care not to over-mix in an effort to incorporate everything.

Craving Fall Buddha Bowls | A Piece of Sky, A Grain of Rice

Today I'm hosting a book tour stop for A Piece of Sky, A Grain of Rice: a Memoir in Four Meditations by Christine Hale. This book is a little different than my usual read, and left me a bit puzzled when it came to writing my review. So, while the review that follows may seem a bit abbreviated, that is exactly the way that I wanted to present it. I hope you'll give it a chance.

Memoir for poetry fans. At first a bit of a turn-off, but the further I got, the more I became accustomed to her writing style.

Read like angst poetry or journal entries. A way to purge and let go of guilt, shame, self-doubt, neediness, hurt, codependence, and shortfalls.

Roasted Carrot Hummus inspired by Zootopia

Every month or so, my friend Kimberly from Coffee and Casseroles and I challenge ourselves to create a recipe from a certain theme; this month she set forth the challenge of "any Disney movie". That's like, a million movies or so. I narrowed it down to a small handful of favorites that included The Aristocats, James and the Giant Peach, Bridge to Terabithia, Spirited Away, The Game Plan, and...Zootopia.

Obviously I chose to make something inspired by the latest of those releases. The kids and I went to see Zootopia on opening weekend at theaters—and I LOVED IT. I thought I'd like it, but I didn't expect to come out thinking that surely it was one of the best films of 2016. I know the year is only halfway over at this point, but I still believe that.

Forbidden Rice w/ Butternut Squash & Edamame

Welcome to week number two of the 12 Weeks of Winter Squash! With Thanksgiving this month, I've been toying with some new side dishes to add to the this year's table. Mind you, I can't take away any of the "normal" sides lest I want mutiny to break out, but nobody ever objects to more food.

Browsing my pantry shelves led me to a container of Forbidden rice ("it's forbiiiidden!"...name that movie). It's been there for months. I've been waiting for inspiration, as I didn't just want to have a bowl of plain rice—even if it was prettier than most. Forbidden rice is a beautiful deep shade of inky purple once cooked. Or is it black with deep purple highlights? Either way, it feels like it was meant to be combined with some vibrant orange winter squash and shared during an autumn meal.

The addition of edamame to this rice came about last minute. The squash was already done roasting. The rice was almost ready to be fluffed. I pulled some scallions from the crisper—they were my original plan for  green flecks amongst the black and orange—only to find them limp and faded. Hmmmm, that was not going to work. So I started rummaging through the crisper and freezer for another way to add some color.

Sesame and Chile Roasted Butternut Squash

Well, November just sort of snuck up on me. Today is already the 3rd, and the 3rd just so happens to be my birthday. I've reached that "forever age"—39. Okay, I'm not so sure if ladies still say that. You know, every year when their birthday rolls around, they're 39 again? I don't think I'll do that. I mean, even though 40 is just around the corner, these days, it doesn't seem so old anymore.

Anyhoo, besides celebrating the start of my final year in my 30's, today also kicks off another edition of the 12 Weeks of Winter Squash! If you're not familiar with it, well...it's exactly what it sounds like. For the next 12 weeks, I'll be featuring at least one winter squash recipe every week. This will be my third year joining my friend Joanne of Eats Well With Others in celebrating the versatile winter squash (though she's been doing it for even longer than that).

So, every Monday for the forseeable future, you can pretty much count on a recipe featuring some sort of winter squash. I'm starting today with what I like to call a gateway variety of winter squash—Butternut. I mean, a Butternut squash isn't too scary, right? I mean, you can even eat the peel (though I only recommend it if it's roasted). It's fairly simple to cut when compared to some other varieties—pumpkin, I'm talking to you!

Peanut Butter Apple Raisin Waffles w/ Chia Seeds

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of National Peanut Board. All opinions are 100% mine.

In celebration of Better Breakfast Month, I'm bringing something both nutritious and delicious to the table today. Packed with protein, fiber, and fruit, these waffles are inspired by one of my family's favorite snacks - crisp apples slices with a shmear of peanut butter and a smattering of plump raisins, or as we like to call them—ants on a raft. They're crisp on the outside and moist on the inside, plus they aren't too sweet (which makes them the perfect vehicle for a drizzle of pure maple syrup).

I'm excited to be partnering with the National Peanut Board today to highlight Peanut Butter for Breakfast! Now, I grew up with the old adage "breakfast is the most important meal of the day", a belief that I've passed on to my own children. Many people may think that's just something parents say to get their kids to eat breakfast, but it's based on good fact—especially if your breakfast includes a high amount of protein. Studies show that people who enjoyed a breakfast that included at least 35 grams of protein felt fuller, had fewer cravings, and even ate fewer high-calorie snacks later in the day. Starting the day by eating breakfast is also associated with weight loss and maintenance.

Adding peanut butter to your breakfast is a fantastic (and easy) way to get that protein into your morning meal. Even if you're in a hurry (and I know this from experience), it's simple to toast a slice of bread, and then spread it with peanut butter. Another quick and easy idea is to swirl it into some yogurt, with a palmful of chopped peanuts and some banana slices (even a few mini chocolate chips).

Pull-Apart Bread w/ Cheese, Herbs, & Seeds

There's something so irresistible about bread that is pieced together like a patchwork quilt, beckoning you to pick off a hunk of golden bread and pop it into your mouth. Whether you call it pull-apart bread or monkey bread, the theory is the same. Dunking bread in a fat of some sort, and then rolling it in any sort of toppings.

In my house, we all love a sticky-sweet ring of monkey bread. We probably like it far too much. The bread that my youngest son requests the most is cinnamon-sugar pull-apart bread. One has dough balls that you can pluck off one by one, the other has dough sheets that can be peeled and enjoyed. Both are entirely irresistible.

Occasionally I'll make a savory pull-apart like I did today to fit this month's #TwelveLoaves theme, HERBS. But to make it even more fun, I wanted to use more than just herbs, so I added seeds and a couple of different kinds of cheese for interest.

Superfood Pancakes

Whether it's an early breakfast, a leisurely brunch, or breakfast for dinner, our family loves pancakes. The kind we eat most often are what most people would consider diner-style, aka Malted Pancakes. It's not often that all five of us agree on a single favorite rendition of a certain dish, but this is one such dish.

That said, pancakes in general are hard to turn down. If I have a jar of sourdough hanging out if the fridge, I'll add some to the batter. I also like to stud them with fun things like sausage and cheese or bacon, blueberries, and brown butter. Cardamom and strawberry...a handful of wheat germ...cornmeal and blackberries...or the all-out decadence of banana pancakes scented with ginger and cinnamon and smothered in a Butter Rum Banana Maple Syrup. Sigh. I could go for a plate of pancakes right now.

So really, what better vehicle is there than a family favorite for experimenting with healthier choices? I can't think of one.