healthy | The Pink Apron

How to Grow Healthy Kids

I have two children. One will eat anything I put in front of her. The other; not so much. We’ve tried rewards, punishments, bribes, and even lies (yes; I’m not proud of it, but it’s true). With such a picky eater, our family has become quite skilled and finding successful ways to get our kids to live healthy.

More than a Muffin Tin

Muffin tins are basically the perfect serving size. So this got me thinking; why can’t we use them for things other than muffins and have the perfect serving size of other things. It was a pivotal moment. So here are some other things we use muffin tins for in our house.

Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs

I can’t get enough of my slow cooker. It makes deliciously warm meals that make my house smell good all day long. It also means I can prep dinner in the morning and forget about it for the rest of the day. These BBQ meatballs have ground chipotle pepper, which gives them a great smoky flavor that makes me think of summer, even when there is still a foot of snow outside.

Apple Chicken Breasts

This apple chicken is a fun change from a basic grilled chicken. I read a recipe similar to this in a “healthy” cookbook. I was shocked it was considered healthy with all the sugars and hydrogenated oils. I changed up some of the ingredients and left out the processed sugars and was very pleased with the results.

10 Healthy Ways to Satisfy Sugar Cravings

Iget sugar cravings. When I just can’t ignore them anymore, I turn to these quick fixes. I am not a nutrition or fitness expert. I don’t have a degree in human anatomy and I can’t even sing the song “Dem Bones.” But I am a busy mom in her 30’s who gets stressed, tired and just wants a Snickers every now and again. I feel that does make me an expert to some extent.

5 Healthy Lifestyle changes for 2015

Too often, people set lofty goals that can’t be sustained through the year. Don’t get me wrong, I love big goals, but it’s also important to make goals you know you can achieve. It’s also a good idea to build on goals. In that spirit, here are five easy, healthy lifestyle changes anyone can make.

Six Guilt-Free Hot Chocolates

I love hot chocolate. But the idea of having creamy, sugary hot chocolate on a random afternoon fills me with guilt. Trying to be optimistic, I set out to find a hot chocolate I could have anytime without feeling guilty. Mission accomplished. Since then, I’ve come up with several variations to fit any mood or occasion.

Slimmed-Down Chocolate Cupcakes

I generally only use cake mixes to make cookies, but I saw a recipe similar to this and decided since I’m trying to keep my girlish figure, plus have my cake and eat it too, I’d give this recipe a try. I was very surprised with how moist and rich these cupcakes were.

Making Breakfast Easier

Those of you with kids in school know how hectic mornings can be. Mom and Dad are trying to get the kids dressed and fed and the kids are trying to find time to play with every toy they own, all before it’s time to leave for school. It’s pure chaos. In our home, we’ve come up with a method that helps us provide our kids with a good, nutritious breakfast without taking a lot of time.

Good-For-You Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

To keep myself from going on a sugar binge every day, I make these delicious, little, oatmeal raisin cookies and keep them in the fridge. When I get the urge to shove a snickers bar in my face, I’ll eat one of these little babies and I find myself satisfied until my next sugar craving.