Maria Peters

Teaching Your Child Math – The Early Years

This is the third installment in a series of articles about homeschooling preschool and early elementary school – sometimes referred to as the early years. I want to stop and address one thing before we move on in this series. The ideas that I share in this series are what has worked (and not worked) for…

Teaching Your Child to Read – Part II

This is the second installment in a series of articles about homeschooling preschool and early elementary school – sometimes referred to as the early years. Click here to read the first article in this series. What did we do instead? I read to my boys as much as possible. At least an hour per day….

Teaching Your Child to Read – Part I

This is the first installment in a series of articles about homeschooling preschool and early elementary school – sometimes referred to as the early years. I tried and failed to teach Matthew to read using three very well respected, systematic programs. Eventually I simply stopped trying to teach him to read. Please don’t misunderstand me here….

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back Everyone! I have been yearning to make an entrance back to this space for quite some time, but have not had the bandwidth. I find myself regularly composing articles and posts for my site in my head, but up until now haven’t made the time to sit in front of my computer undisturbed…

Strawberry Vanilla Pie on a Raw Walnut Crust

Last week we went strawberry picking at a local organic fruit farm not far from our house. My parents watched Joshua while the rest of us ventured to the farm. The last time we went strawberry picking I was 8 months pregnant with Joshua and had a 5 and 2 year old in tow. Honestly,…

Better Burgers

How are you today? I’m a bit tired from a busy weekend. On Friday night and Saturday morning I attended the MN Catholic Home Educators Conference at the University of St. Thomas. It was such a nice event and I’m so happy that I decided to go, even though we aren’t Catholic. Sarah Mackenzie was…

What’s Going On

Since we finished our official school year a few weeks ago and all of our activities have taken a spring break of sorts, we have been enjoying some much needed time outside. In addition, work has intentionally been a bit slower in the last few weeks. We have been enjoying a less rushed pace of life….

Just a Little Ditty…

It has been months since I have posted an update. Thank you so much to those of you who still check in here, stopping by to grab a recipe and thinking of me and my family. Your support is felt and very much appreciated. I have stopped and started writing over the years because I haven’t…

Uniting with Other Believers

I have been part of a women’s weekly bible study for the last two years and loved it. I loved getting to know several women who were in the same place in life as I was. We grew, connected and saw each other through life’s ups and downs. Sadly, this summer was our last summer…

Congratulations, Melissa!

I just wanted to pop in and say a HUGE Congratulations to my sister, Melissa, who competed in her first bodybuilding competition yesterday. She came in First place in Novice Class E and Second place in Open Class E. We are so very proud of the hard work and determination that she has shown over the…

Coffee Break

On Thursday Allan told me that he was thinking about not drinking coffee anymore. He told me that he felt that it was keeping him from drinking enough water. He then asked me to join him and I told him to, “have fun with that”. With a new baby in the house and all of my other…

Applesauce

I am writing one handed while holding Joshua and rocking him to sleep, so this will not be a very wordy post. One of the things that we loved about our house when we first looked at it were the abundance of trees. Two of which are apple trees – one red and another green….

A Beautiful Fall Walk

I wanted to say thank you for all of your kind words on yesterday’s post. We really appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Joshua is doing really well and our new protocol seems to be working, as his rash is getting much better every day and he is getting to be much more regular. —————————- Fall…

Feeling All the Feels

This is something that I have been avoiding posting about because I feel so defeated. It’s as though if I don’t write about it then it isn’t happening. Which is completely untrue, because I’m feeling all the feels, but just keeping them locked up inside. I have a small part of my soul that never…

Plan To Eat

One of the ways that I save our family money and keep myself sane is by planning our meals. I usually make a list of what we have to use up in the fridge and use that along with our anticipated CSA share to plan for quick trips to the grocery store. Last year I…

Crockpot Apple Pie Oatmeal

On Friday mornings Allan leaves at 5 AM to participate in a men’s group at our church. This last Friday was the first time that he has gone since Joshua was born, therefore it was my first time having to be up early to feed the hungry boys on my own. To make things even…

Grace Day

I am a regular #SheReadsTruth reader and Saturdays are typically Grace Days. A Grace Day is meant to give you a day to catch up on weekly readings and spend time in reflection and prayer. They offer a short passage for mediation and guidance, but they encourage you to spend time just you and God. Today…

Love First

I didn’t start this writing challenge with a list of topics or a plan. I simply felt that I could generate enough material in my own daily walk that I could easily fill 31 days with examples of God’s grace. This spring my ladies’ bible study read 1 John together. 1 John 4:19 says that…

31 Days of Grace

For the last several months I have desired to begin writing again. My soul isn’t full when I don’t have a creative outlet to express myself. I’ve been downright lost in this season of not writing. I have spent much of the last year pregnant, sick and fatigued or postnatal, sick and exhausted that I didn’t make time to write…

Advent + Christmas Traditions

Every year I look forward to celebrating Advent with my boys. Since Matthew was born, we have had some sort of Advent calendar. The first year I picked up an organic, fair-trade chocolate advent calendar at the natural food co-op while shopping for our Thanksgiving meal. Allan and Matthew tore open the doors each day and Allan…

Brave Mom: Building Community

I have been a MOPS mom for 2 1/2 years. I found MOPS when I was in a very lonely, fragile place emotionally, spiritually and paternally. Luke was 6 months old, he was feeling healthier after figuring out his health problems and was finally sleeping for more than 40 minutes at a time. After spending so…

Baked Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Casserole

Yesterday we talked about this pie. Unfortunately, I can’t share the recipe with you, because it is from The Balanced Plate cookbook. Although, I did alter the recipe quite a bit (to use gelatin and coconut flour), however, it needs additional testing before sharing with anyone beyond my family. For some reason the other night when…

Pumpkin Pie Porridge

Happy Veteran’s Day! Thank you to all of the men and women who have diligently served our country and risked their lives for us. We are all so very grateful for your service. God bless you! ——— It snowed yesterday! http://instagram.com/p/vOzowso-mR/?modal=true The boys enjoyed playing in the snow while I attempted to shovel the snow…

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Since the air grew colder and fresh produce has become more expensive in our neck of the woods, most mornings the boys and I enjoy a smoothie for our mid-morning snack. This time of the year I find that frozen fruit from Target and Costco is less expensive than fresh produce, and just as (or more)…

Pumpkin French Toast

A few weeks ago while Allan was traveling, Matthew asked if we could have something other than eggs for breakfast. See Matthew is a very smart boy. On the week days Allan makes breakfast for the family while I workout and get dressed for the day. Matthew knows that when daddy is making breakfast it…

Shopping With Kids

Happy Tuesday, friends! I hope that you had a productive and restful weekend. Since Thursday we have been going nonstop from sun up to sunset! It all started two Thursdays ago with an email from an incredible blog, who happens to be a fan of my husband’s design work. But, let me start at the beginning of…

Storyteller

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a calling on my life to tell stories through the written word, art and music. Since becoming an adult I have pretty much pretended that these callings didn’t exist. I have found other interests to take their place and have honed my skills in other areas….

Into the Tumbler

Oh friends, for the last year I have felt like a caterpillar awaiting transformation. Knowing full-well that God had something more in store for my life – cocoons and wings, not simply milkweed. I have felt God working closely to shape and form me. To smooth out my rough edges, like an agate waiting in line…

Visions from God

Do you ever experience visions from God? I do. I guess I never really thought about it as being that unique or special until last weekend at MOMcon when Jennie Allen spoke of the vision she had when praying about her keynote speech. It felt a little odd to hear that she had a vision about us…

Pumpkin Spice Latte

A friend of mine posted the following quote on Facebook today and I felt it was appropriate given the theme of this post: pumpkin. “No matter how urban our life, our bodies live by farming; we come from the earth and return to it, and so we live in agriculture as we live in flesh.”…

Loving Lately

Good afternoon! It’s a glorious, sunny fall day here. I hope that the sun is shinning wherever you are, as well! Here are a few things that I have been loving lately. I hope that something here blesses your heart and reminds you to go out and enjoy something that you love this week! 1….

September Stitch Fix

Help me decide which items I should keep from my latest Stitch Fix. 1. Navy Sweater 2. Navy Maxi Dress 3. Green and Grey Striped Top 4. Distressed Jeans 5. Burgundy Sweater Thanks! Leave comment below, post to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Simple DIY Spa Day and Ulta Giveaway

Head over to the MOPS International Blog, Hello Darling today to check out an article that I wrote about treating yourself to a Simply DIY Spa Day in the comfort of your home using products that you probably already have on hand. The article includes instructions for making 7 simple at-home spa treatments using real food…

Eagan Art House Preschool Program

Good morning! As you probably already noticed, over the last few days Maria Makes Muffins got a facelift! Allan and I have been hard at work implementing and customizing the Genesis Framework and Foodie Pro child theme. Please click around and leave a comment about the new experience. As you may have gathered from my Instagram…

Toasted Coconut Chips

Back in March when we began our grain-free journey with a Whole30, I found myself doing a ton of research on paleo eating, specifically related to paleo snacks that my children and husband would enjoy. I knew that their normal snacks of granola bars and muffins were easily paleo-itized. But those snacks used pound after pound…

Snacktime

Good afternoon! I wanted to stop by and let you know that I have been busy over on Instagram sharing the snacks that my kids have been enjoying this week. Check out all of the posts by searching the hashtag #cleaneatingsnacks and #cleaneatinglunch. If you’d like more ideas for fabulous clean eating and whole foods…

Are green coffee beans a weight loss miracle pill?

As I am sure you have noticed, the internet has been all abuzz lately about Dr. Oz’s recent run in with the Senate’s Consumer Protection panel. If you have no clue what I am talking about, then count your lucky stars. And if I’ve piqued your interest, head over to CNN for a concise article that details the…

An Albion Fit Gift Card Giveaway!

As many of you know, we took our family to Walt Disney World this Spring. The nice folks at Disney and AIGA Orlando hosted our family in their wonderful city for two weeks while we enjoyed all that Disney had to offer along with visiting both of the Florida coastlines. It truly was a magical…

Minted

As I sit here on a snowy, beginning of winter day perusing the beautiful family photos we had taken in early November, I am thankful that we planned ahead. Trying to wrangle two small children in front of a misshapen Christmas tree armed with a tripod, self-timer and lighting kit seems like an accident waiting…

Homemade Baby Food

When L began eating solids back in March we loosely followed the Baby-Led Weaning approach. I was surprised at how well he did feeding himself cute pieces of super soft foods. So, honestly we haven’t had a huge need for homemade baby food purees, like we did when M was a baby. I am really loving…

Rhubarb Raspberry Pie

Holy buckets, friends. Guess what happened today? Besides the craziness that lead me to send my husband a novel of a text message outlining the intense psychosis that is staying at home with a 10 month old boy, 3 year old boy and 10 year old cat and the emotional and physical trauma that can…

Hidden Sources of Gluten

A few months ago I noticed a small blurb hidden in one of my issues of Clean Eating magazine that had a comprehensive list of common sources of gluten found in packaged foods. Honestly, I was a bit shocked that such an important nugget of information was tucked away in a corner of the magazine….

Semi-Homemade Rhubarb Peach Ginger Cake

As the temperature and humidity rise, rhubarb is taking its final bow. However, if you’re like me, your plants are still hanging on. Go out and pick your last harvest and enjoy this amazing semi-homemade Ginger Rhubarb Peach Cake. Can’t get your hands on rhubarb anymore? No worries! This cake would be amazing using blueberries,…

Pics From the Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend filled with tons of family time. It was the first weekend this summer that we didn’t have anything planned in advance, so we were able to make our own schedule and take our time at home (and away). One a week Allan watches the boys after he gets home so…

CSA Week 7

This week’s fruit box was overflowing with goodness, per usual. However, the star of the show from this week’s CSA box was the yellow squash and cucumbers. I plan to combine the cucumbers with the red onion we received to make refrigerator cucumbers ASAP! (note: the brown paper bag contained baby red potatoes) The…

Garden Update

I figured that it was about time that I give you an update on our backyard happenings! As you know, I absolutely LOVE gardening and growing my own food. Some day I hope to have a few raised beds to grow many of our own fruits and vegetables. Our garden is in full boom! In…

Lately

I blinked and the summer is already half over. In a few short weeks the air will be crisp, football season will kick off and my sweet pea will turn one. Either our cold and wet Spring has me off or I am still sleep deprived from 8+ months of waking every few hours. Whatever…

Lately

It’s been a while since I’ve checked on MMM and just noticed this post that was supposed to publish on June 26th never made it live. Ooops. —— It’s been a long time since I’ve checked in, so I decided to stop by and let you in on our comings and goings over the last…

In Season

Summer has finally arrived! It’s hard to believe that eight short weeks ago I was blogging about this… Yikes! And today it was a sunny, mid-80 degree day. A couple weeks ago we started receiving boxes from our CSA, Treasured Haven Farm. This is our second year with this farm and so far have had…

Post Partum Fitness Routine

I am 8 months post partum and the sleep deprivation of the first months of L’s life is starting to wane. It’s amazing what a little sleep can do for your energy levels! Our routine is starting to develop and I feel that I can finally put some real focus and determination into my workouts, which…

Last Weekend

Yes, I know it’s late in the day on Friday and a new weekend is upon us, but, I DO want to talk about LAST weekend. Please indulge me for a moment… we are still playing catch up from Allan’s trip to St. Louis last week, where he judged the AIGA St. Louis design show….

Lately

Here are a few of the things we have been enjoying lately. 1. Lots of restful, bliss-filled naps. 2. Interest in crawling. 3. Freshly sun dried diapers. 4. Sun-filled trips to the Zoo. 5. Picnics in our front yard. 6. Nature walks along the creek. 7. Local playgrounds. …

Quinoa Protein Cereal

I posted this picture last week and got lots of requests for the recipe, so I thought I would pop in while the kids finish up their naps to share this very simple recipe that has become one of my go-to snacks. I love to top my Quinoa Protein Cereal with either fresh berries, banana…

Toddler Vitamins and Supplements

As you already know, I am a big fan of acquiring proper nutrition by eating a plant-based clean diet filled with lots of fruits, veggies, healthy fats, gluten-free whole grains and lean meat. However, the unfortunate state of our land, sea and air has made it very difficult to (safely) acquire necessary nutrition from food alone….

Happy Earth Day!

Warning: this is a completely random post induced by my sneezy/stuffy state of being. Happy Earth Day! We celebrated by reading one of our favorite books. We are hunkering down for yet another snow storm that is forecast to hit tonight. We could get up to 10″ of snow! When will Spring finally arrive? Well,…

Seventh Heaven

Things have turned a delightful corner. I almost didn’t want to blog about life with a seventh month old and 2 (going on 3) year old because I didn’t want to jinx it! However, keeping with my promise to be honest with you, my beloved friends, coupled with the fear that I may have talked…

Crockpot Coconut Vegetable Curry

I apologize for the blurry, unflattering photos below. Our new camera should arrive next week, so I will be using my iPhone less for food pics. Even if I did have the DSLR at my disposal, it’s difficult to take an appetizing photo of curry – the reddish pink sauce makes most veggies look brown,…

Strawberry Mango Kale Salad

This is what it looks like outside right now. Yep. That’s a bunch of snow. God has quite a sense of humor, doesn’t he? The last time MN had snow in April was 2002, the year I graduated from high school. Prior to that, you have to go back to the 1980’s. Hmmm… something just…

Hitting the Barre

How was your weekend, friends? We’ve been a little under the weather over here. Luke has been teething up a storm with SIX new teeth coming in. Two of them finally popped through last week, giving him some relief. But seriously, that boy wants to ensure that he has at least one tooth for every…

MMM Updates

I have been hard at work updating some of the MMM Pages that were VERY outdated. The following pages are brand-spanking new and improved! About Maria. My story, ‘nough said. 🙂 What is Clean Eating? Clean eating as defined by the Peters family. How to Start Eating Clean Three steps to cleaning up your diet. Clean…

Snapshots from Orange Beach

http://instagram.com/p/XCzVNFo-qq/ We spent last week on vacation in Orange Beach, Alabama with my mother and father-in-law, who are snowbirds and spend the three coldest, most wintery months on the much warmer beaches of Alabama. http://instagram.com/p/XqAf2EI-qu/ The week started out a little rough. Traveling with two small children is kind of crazy. Although, we refuse to…

Slow Cooker Mahi Mahi Tacos

Two weeks ago when I posted a photo on Instagram of my Mahi Mahi taco crockpot experiment I had several requests for the recipe. I hesitate to share new recipes with you guys until I have actually tried the dish myself. I would hate to post a recipe and have it turn out to be…

Honesty is the Best Policy

Thank you for your words of support and encouragement yesterday. It’s nice to hear that I am not alone. However, yesterday’s post was not intended to be a woe, is me plea. Honestly, it was a raw look into my day with two young children. I strive to keep from writing with rose colored glasses. I feel that…

A Day In the Life with Two Under 3

I love when fellow mommy bloggers share Day In the Life posts, so I thought that I would do a quick run down of a day in the life of the Peters family! I am following the The Eat-Clean Diet Stripped plan as our beach vacation approaches, so all of the eats that you see…

Living Without

I realize it has been months since I first posted about Luke’s health and I have not updated you on how things are going. I am so sorry. To say that life is a hectic, crazy mess with two kids under 3 would be an understatement! Somedays I honestly have no idea what I’ve done all…

Carob Raspberry Amazeballs

I was first introduced to amazeballs when I participated in the Fitnessista’s Winter Shape Up. I immediately fell in love with the ease of preparation, portability and fun flavor combinations. We are hooked! Every other week I make a batch (or two) as snacks for the whole family – with protein powder for Allan and…

I’m Still Here… somewhere

Thank you so much for your kind words on Facebook, Twitter and in the comments of my Birth Story posts. Your continued love and support means the world to me! i hope that by telling my story I can inspire someone else to let go and trust her intuition and her body’s ability to birth…

Luke’s Birth Story: Part 3, The Birth

This post is the final installation of a three part series of Luke’s Birth Story that ran this week. Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 1, The Road to Homebirth Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 2, In Denial — At 1:00 AM sharp I awoke from a deep sleep. I…

Luke’s Birth Story: Part 2, In Denial

This post is the second installation of a three part series of Luke’s Birth Story that ran this week. Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 1, The Road to Homebirth Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 3, The Birth — Fast-forward several weeks to Friday, September 7th, the night before Luke’s guess date. I…

Luke’s Birth Story: Part 1, The Road to Homebirth

This post is the first installation of a three part series of Luke’s Birth Story that ran this week. Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 2, In Denial Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 3, The Birth Luke’s birth story begins when I was seven months pregnant with Matthew. At that time we were taking…

At the Co-Op

This morning Matthew, Luke and I ventured to our Co-Op, Valley Natural Foods, for the first time since Luke was born. In the last few months I’ve shopped at Valley a couple times either with Allan or solo, but this was our first time there just the three of us. I was prepared for an…

Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

Hello, lovely! Words cannot express how much I have missed you. http://instagram.com/p/VukvCYo-rJ/ http://instagram.com/p/VuV837o-k9/ The following are ten things that I am loving right now that I couldn’t help but share with you! http://instagram.com/p/Vt0NZ_o-qU/ 1. Making art. Matt and I have been embracing our inner artists. This was our first time using our gluten-free organic/edible finger paint….

Merry and Bright

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours. Once again, Allan did an fabulous job scouring through hundreds of family videos to put together our 2012 family video. It’s amazing how quickly life changes and our children grow. We hope that their joy warms your hearts this holiday season! Peters Christmas 2012…

Beef and Broccoli in the Crockpot

With the holidays quickly approaching and a new baby in the house, I am finding it more and more difficult to get dinner on the table every night. Some evenings are so rough that it seems to take me over an hour (or two!) to get a simple meal on the table for everyone. Then…

Thanksgiving Recap

Yep. I’m a week late and a dollar short; but if you’ll excuse me, I’d still like to share a little Thanksgiving Recap. We had the most delightful time with our family enjoying good food, adult beverages and, of course, each other’s company. We certainly do have a lot to be thankful for. Our beautiful…

Thanksgiving on a Budget

As promised yesterday, I am going to give you a peak at our Thanksgiving meal budget. This year, I decided to dial back our Thanksgiving budget, as I tend to go a little overboard during the Holidays. Trust me, it is not necessary to serve a plethora of side dishes along with your Thanksgiving meal….

Thanksgiving Favorites

If you have been following my blog for some time, you’ve heard me talk about hosting Thanksgiving for both of our immediate families every year. This year, I am aiming to do Thanksgiving on a Budget, as we definitely splurged last year. Even though, I am trying to keep our spending to a minimum, it…

Crockpot Meal: Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Sauce

Since Luke’s birth, I have struggled to get nutritious meals on the table by 6:15 PM every day. Simply adding one other person’s (unpredictable) needs to the mix has thrown me for a loop. Some weeks I am very diligent about shopping and meal planning, while others are haphazard at best. I have found that…

Green Apple Pie Smoothies

Between our regular grocery trips, my in-laws trees and our CSA fruit share, we have an overabundance of apples. Of course I have been busy making crockpot applesauce any chance that I can get; however, our new favorite way to enjoy the fall harvest has been Green Apple Pie Smoothies. Matthew has been teething since…

Operation Christmas Child

Every year my Mom organizes the Operation Christmas Child event at our church. On Sunday morning we got together as a congregation to wrap and fill 40+ shoe boxes to send to children around the world. This is just one way that we can help to spread the joy of Christmas to others who may…

Sunday Snapshot: Daydreaming

The night got away from me and I wasn’t able to get back to my computer to hit publish on this post yesterday. —– For more information on Sunday Snapshot, visit Peas and Thank You.

Postnatal Fitness

If you have been reading my blog for some time, you have heard me talk about my struggle to lose weight and keep it off pre-baby. Just as I reached my goal weight, I got pregnant with Matthew. I gained 40 lbs during my pregnancy with Matthew and it took me about a year to…

Happy to be back!

Luke is 8 weeks old today! I have missed blogging and am so happy to be back from my extended maternity leave. Sorry for dropping off the face of the planet these last couple months, but it was necessary for my own mental health as I juggle life with a newborn and a toddler. I have…

Luke Allan Peters

Luke Allan Peters was peacefully born in our living room into Allan’s loving arms on September 10, 2012 at 3:03 AM. Mom and baby are both happy, healthy and resting at home. Our sweet baby Luke weighs 9 pounds 8 ounces and is 22.5 inches long. Thank you for your support and love throughout our…

Summer Kale Salad

There was a big head of lacinato kale that I purchased at the farmer’s market two weeks ago sitting in my crisper drawer taking up much needed space. I had intended to create simple massaged kale salads for lunch every day last week, but instead opted for salads using CSA greens. This week the beautiful…

Maple Strawberry Summer Salad

This was honestly one of the BEST sumer salads we have enjoyed in quite a while! Honestly, it was a completely impromptu, clean out the fridge kind of meal that took all of us by surprise. I love how unplanned meals can sometimes be the most delicious and rewarding. When planning dinner, I knew that…

What’s in the box? CSA Week 1

I feel like I have been waiting for our CSA share forever! This week the season officially began and as we walked the couple blocks to our pick up site I couldn’t wait to check out what was waiting for us. A couple years ago we split a CSA box with my parents and did…

Gluten-Free Summer Strawberry Cornbread

Can you believe that we are in the midst of strawberry season already?!? I adore sweet, local berries and am so excited that the season is arriving early and with a vengeance this year. Usually the local MN strawberries are bright red, extremely sweet and very fragile. They can be difficult to handle and bake…

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 24-25

Every week passes by quicker than the last. I can’t believe that in a few short months I will be holding our little one in my arms! Baby Peters is grown like a weed, which is exciting, but a bit concerning, as well. Today I met with my midwife for my routine 26-28 week appointment…

The Peters Urban Farm Project

I wanted to stop by and give you an update on the garden. Between the squirrels and baby bunnies, I’ve had my work cut out for me. I have managed to keep many of the plants alive and seeds going; however, will have to pick up a few extra plants at the farmer’s market this…

Grain Free Banana Muffins

Yikes! It is hot and humid. Seriously, last week it was rainy and the mercury barely rose above 60˚. Gotta love MN weather! I wasn’t quite sure how my pregnant body would tolerate the heat and humidity of Minnesota summers, but so far, so good. Matthew and I are both warm blooded and like to…

Watermelon Protein Slushie

It’s starting to feel like summer in MN. I am excited for the fun family events we have penciled in this summer, including a few trips to the cabin and a couple camping adventures. One way that we like to beat the heat is to share a cold, refreshing smoothie. Some days I serve Matthew’s…

Matthew’s 2nd Birthday Party

Sorry for the delay in posting photos from Matthew’s party. We’ve been a little out of sorts over here, so I had a delay in getting the photos pulled together. Last Sunday we celebrated Matthew’s 2nd birthday with family and friends. The following are some highlights from the party, including the party menu. We started…

Birthday Boy Blueberry Pancakes

As I mentioned earlier this afternoon, we enjoyed an amazing stack of blueberry pancakes this morning to celebrate this little guy’s birthday. Matthew, like his mama, loves breakfast! I knew that I wanted to make something special for him this morning to celebrate the big T-W-O and instantly thought of pancakes. A couple months ago,…

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

Today Matthew turned two years old. On Sunday afternoon we hosted an intimate party to celebrate with family and friends. We had an amazing time and Matthew did not want the day to end! Stay tuned for a post with photos and the party menu tomorrow. On this special day, I look back on the…

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 19-23

Yikes! It has been way too long since I officially posted an update on the little munchkin steadily growing inside of me. The most exciting thing that has happened in the last few weeks, pregnancy related or not, was having our second ultrasound. I know that it is becoming quite popular to hold off on…

Catching My Breath

Hello my friends. I have missed you so much! Have you missed me? Originally I planned for today’s post to be about the last few weeks of pregnancy, but decided that it would be more fun to catch you up the fun things that have been keeping me up until midnight and waking at 6:30…

Gardening: The Florida Weave

As the Minnesota last frost date nears (May 15) and all forecasts point to a very warm week ahead (highs near 80˚!) I have been hard at work in our garden. While picking up a superior and northblue blueberry bush (which do not have homes in our garden… yet) and a josta gooseberry bush at…

Fun in the Sun

Have you been wondering to yourself, where in the world has that Maria Makes Muffins been?!? She hasn’t posted in weeks! Today I am here to answer that question… With the second trimester in full swing, Matthew and I have had quite a bit to catch up on. It felt like the first trimester moved…

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 17 & 18

I have fallen behind on posting my pregnancy updates and decided to combine weeks 17 and 18 into one post, as today is the last day of week 18! Remember when I mentioned in my week 16 post that I was having vivid dreams about feeling the baby kick on the outside of my belly?…

Whole Wheat Maple Donuts

I had to stop in briefly this afternoon to tell you about the most amazing treat that I whipped up for bible study tomorrow morning. When I signed up for fellowship at bible study I immediately knew that I wanted to bring a healthy baked good. There were a few reasons for my decision: 1….

Pregnancy update: 16 weeks

I appologize in advance for the pics in this post, I completely forgot to have Allan take an official week 16 belly pic. What you see are the best photos that I have from dyeing Easter eggs on Friday. I caught a little cold this week. I believe I had the same virus that caused…

Mango Breakfast Bake

My love for baking was rekindled during my 14th week of pregnancy . I can’t believe that I went over 2 months without baking anything in our kitchen… it so isn’t like me. Fortunately for Allan and Matthew, I have been making up for lost time. One of the things that I whipped up was this…

Pregnancy update: 15 weeks

Welcome to week 15, my little one! When I look in the mirror I feel like I look very pregnant. Although, having been through this before, I know that this is nothing compared to how I will look and feel come August! My maternity clothes are starting to fit properly, or at least not completely…

What’s for Dinner?

I was honored to find out that my recipe for BBQ Quesadillas was featured on Yummly yesterday in a line up of Cheesy Quesadillas. There are several deliciously tempting quesadilla recipes highlighted that you should definitely try! What on the menu tonight? We are having a quick veggie-filled frittata with freshly baked bread. Pregnancy cravings…

Pregnancy update: 14 weeks

The weeks are flying by! Every day I can feel the bond with my baby increasing in strength. During my first trimester there were times when it was easy to forget for a moment (or a couple hours) that I was pregnant. However, now it has become more of a full-time job. When I look in…

Prenatal Fitness

During my first trimester I experienced quiet a bit of fatigue and nausea which significantly impacted my energy level. I was determined to keep working out, so I decided to pick up a few prenatal fitness DVDs to keep myself motivated and my workouts first trimester appropriate. I know that many people are able to…

Adventures in Baking

Today Matthew and I spent a busy and enjoyable morning in the kitchen. Matthew played with legos, sat on a stool to watch closely and used his kitchen gadgets to help. I maintained my sourdough starter (currently on day 2). We attempted to make a whole wheat angel food cake from The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook 2….

Natural Easter Egg Dyeing

Can you believe Easter is only a little over two weeks away? I know that some of you are busily planning your Easter brunch menus, children’s activities and household tasks to be completed before the big day while others haven’t given Easter a second thought. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to share…

13 Weeks

Welcome to the last week of the first trimester! I would like to put together an update of my first trimester soon, I just need to find the time to sort through all of our pics and find good belly shots to share, as I didn’t start taking purposeful pics of my belly until this…

Letting the Cat Outta The Bag

I have to be honest with you, for the last three months I have been keeping a secret from you. It’s a teeny-tiny secret that I have been dying to share, but haven’t quite found the exact words to tell you until now. I honestly have been ready to tell you for a couple weeks,…

A Pancake A Day…

… may not keep the doctor away, but will definitely put a smile on your face. A few weeks ago while pinning, I saw a gorgeous photo of a german (aka puff) pancake. I immediately wanted one. However, I knew that if I was going to indulge in such a decadent breakfast everyone in our…

Twenty One

Things have been getting increasingly exciting around here. Every day we experience Matthew growing up and learning by leaps and bounds. He is now 21 months old and has definite opinions about everything. His confidence in his body and movement is amazing. He believes that he is invincible! Matthew and I have been focusing on…

Zero Waste

Happy Valentine’s Day! Back in September I did a series of blog posts on how we strive to reduce waste in our home. We even hosted a party for our friends and family with the goal of producing as little waste as possible. I started composting and found a renewed passion for preserving the world…

A Spot of Sun

We have had the most glorious weather here in Minnesota! I know that many of you have also been blessed with a mild January. I feel like with Matthew’s afternoon nap and our busy schedule that we have not been able to fully enjoy the weather. However, knowing that the blessing could be over at…

The Bible Study Cupcake Caper

This morning Matthew and I went to Bible Study, like we do every Tuesday morning. When we entered the nursery Matthew took one look at the blonde girl that was already in the nursery and immediately began crying. The last few weeks, Matthew has been having a difficult time with me leaving him in the…

Birthday Boy

It’s a glorious 43˚ outside and I have a couple windows open! I made a delicious, gourmet dinner last night of slow cooked maple baked beans, braised red cabbage and homestyle mashed potatoes. The entire house smelled glorious last night, but this morning the smell of dinner still lingered in the air and it was…

Special Delivery

This afternoon we received a special delivery courtesy of Allan’s friend, Jason. A very friendly man delivered two boxes of warm, freshly baked Tank Goodness Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies to our doorstep. Since Allan is gluten-sensitive, these babies were all mine! Which is actually a very bad thing, because I ate two of them for lunch…

American Gothic

Life is absolutely crazy sometimes, isn’t it? I love the ups and downs, the hustle and calm, the glee and sorrow. It’s what makes us human, right? I live my days for this boy. I adore him. I simply cannot imagine life without him. I know that God intends for me to be doing exactly…

Forgiven

On Tuesday mornings, Matthew and I attend a bible study at a nearby South Minneapolis church. This is time that I commune with my sisters in Christ, who are soon becoming close friends, and Matthew can socialize with other little ones his age. It is an invaluable time for both of us to learn and…

Land O Lakes Coupon Winners!

Good afternoon my friends. I bet that you were wondering when I was going to announce the winners of last week’s Land O Lakes coupon giveaway. Unfortunately there never seems to be enough time in the day for everything that I would like to accomplish… Do you ever feel that way, too? The winners of…

Banana Split

A couple months ago Kath made split pea soup in a crock pot using a ham shank. It got me thinking… I had a ham bone and leftover diced ham vacuum sealed and frozen in our deep freeze for FAR too long. I had the intention of either using it in a smoky lentil soup…

Gluten-Free Pizza

We had a bit of an unusual weekend and decided that instead of kicking off the weekend with pizza night, we would end the weekend with the family’s favorite meal. As you know, I have a recipe for an amazing whole wheat pizza crust that I raved about for months. Unfortunately, we are now gluten-free…

Easy Weeknight Meal: BBQ Shrimp Wraps

I know that life can get crazy. But I know that you still want to eat healthy even though you may only have 15 minutes to get dinner on the table. This is an easy weeknight meal that can double as a simple weekday lunch that your whole family is sure to love. This simple…

Forks Over Knives

With the start of the new year and the popularity of get healthy resolutions, Whole Foods hosted a screening of the movie, Forks Over Knives at a local library. I have been wanting to see this movie for some time, but unfortunately were unable to make any of the Minneapolis showings in 2011. We called…

Four Things Friday + Giveaway

1. A couple weeks ago, I was sent a sample of Morrocco Method Styling Dragon Pomade. As you know, I tried the complete line of Morrocco Method shampoos and conditioners this summer, as I tried to go ‘poo-free. I was very saddened when their products didn’t work out for me at that time; however, I…

Weeknight Supper Tips

Good afternoon, Pinners! I would like to offer a warm welcome to all of the new readers that have found my blog via Pinterest. Over the last couple days that my recipe for Overnight Oats has gone viral on Pinterest. To all of the new readers, feel free pull up a chair, sip on some…

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Bars

This would be the post that I would share my New Year’s resolutions, if I were the type to make resolutions. However, honestly, I’m not a big believer in resolutions. I don’t need a new year in order to get me in the mood to set goals and reach them. I’m just the type of…

Top 10 Recipes of 2011

The following are the top 10 MMM recipes of 2011, according to you! Clean Candy Bars Carob Banana Blueberry Surprise Breakfast Bake Blueberry Banana Tofu Muffins Microwave Protein Cake Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake Pumpkin Donuts Soaked Sweet Potato Waffles Pumpkin Pie Protein Bars Apple Cider Donuts MMM-Style Overnight Oats

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by daily and offering your encouragement and support. I greatly appreciate each and every one of you. I hope that you have a truly blessed new year. Even though I haven’t been posting this…

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies Two Ways

Every year my mom and I bake Christmas cookies together. We always make sugar cookies, which happen to be Allan’s favorite. My mom’s favorite cookie is the gingersnap, so we usually make gingerbread men as well; however, we are bursting at the seams with cookies this year and settled on simply making roll out cookies, as…

Gluten-Free Cookies: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk

The magical whirlwind that is the Christmas season is almost over. The waiting of the Advent season will soon break through to the awe and wonder that is Christmas… snow or no snow – as it is here in Minneapolis. It seems that yesterday’s snow shower was more of a blip than the light white…

Gluten-Free Cookie: Double Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

I don’t have much time before I have to leave for choir practice, so I won’t be too chatty. It’s currently snowing outside. I am not sure how much snow they are forecasting, but I hope that we get a decent amount of snow so that we can have a white Christmas! It was in…

Gluten-Free Cookies: Winter Spiced Biscotti

Let’s talk cookies. Specifically, clean, low-sugar, low-fat, gluten-free cookies. It’s the week of Christmas and I can’t believe that I haven’t brought up cookies yet. I love sweets… but they do not love me back. So, I choose to enjoy them in moderation and to modify recipes to reduce sugar, cut fat and increase whole…

Merry Christmas, my friends!

We have been very busy with Christmas preparations (baking, gifting and celebrating) as we await the birth of our Lord and Savior. So busy that this morning I was finally able to stop at Kowalski’s to grab a few books of stamps to mail out our Christmas Card. Our family photo was taken by a…

Ten Things Thursday

1. My mother-in-law treated my mom and me to a girls night making evergreen centerpieces to adorn our homes for Christmas. We had a wonderful time and came home with beautiful centerpieces. 2. When I arrived home from indoor playgroup this morning I found one of my spruce top pots had fallen over either by…

Banana Chai Muffins

I am still in love with Ashley’s chai spice blend. Yum! Every week I make a batch of clean and healthy snack muffins or cookies for Matthew to enjoy throughout the week. It’s an easy way for me to ensure that he is getting enough healthy fat, whole grains and fruits/veggies. Plus, I can pop…

Chai Spiced

Last week Ashley from the edible perspective posted a recipe for chai spice mix. I love chai spices and immediately ran to my spice rack and mixed up the spice blend. Upon first sniff, I immediately knew that it was a winning combination. I then got to work using it. We were running low on…

A Day In the Life…

Happy Monday! I have 3 loads of of laundry waiting to be folded and Matthew will be up from his nap very soon… yikes! folding laundry + Matthew = laundry all over the house I wanted to give you a taste of what my clean menu looks like on a daily basis. I try to…

Gingerbread Two Ways

Matthew and I have been enjoying our Advent Calendar activities. Matthew looks forward to opening the Advent Calendar door and unfolding the little piece of paper every day. I found little clip art photos to represent each activity so that he can recognize what we are doing without the need for me to read the…

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas…

“…yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 As Christmas nears I find myself getting more and more strapped for personal time. There are so many things that I would like to do, people I would like to visit and experiences I would like to enjoy with Matthew. However, it seems that there…

Work It

It’s been a while since I have talked about my fitness routine. Two months ago I decided to take some time off from heavy weightlifting and The Female Body Breakthrough. I have primarily been lifting heavy since I had Matthew and was feeling bored with my heavy lifting routine. Aside from yoga videos, I had…

Five Things Monday + Recipe

Since we last spoke… 1. We now have a decorated Christmas Tree in our living room. I love visiting our local Bachman’s to pick out a Christmas tree. Last year we bought an overpriced Fraser Fir at Whole Foods. It was a near fiasco where Allan had to secure the tree to our car on…

Thanksgiving Recap

Thanksgiving has come and gone. With its passing we are left with several new and wonderful memories of delicious food, amazing company and midnight Black Friday shopping. Allan’s family with Matthew and Piggie: Mark (FIL), Annie (SIL), Mollie (Niece), Jakob (Nephew), Matthew, Ryan (BIL), Piggie Rubbed and ready for the oven! Sprouted Whole Wheat and Gluten-Free…

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Good Afternoon. I am hoping to have a Thanksgiving recap post up with updated photos and recipes early this week – hopefully no later than Wednesday. My goal was to get it up for you today, but we have a showing tonight that I must get the house ready for and Matthew just went down…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello my friends. I just wanted to stop in to wish all of my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving filled with good food, close friends and family and lasting memories. Try to make good choices, don’t come to the Thanksgiving table starving and allow yourself a treat or two. Remember the you will be back…

And so it begins…

I hope that you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving week. Matthew and I have been hard at work prepping for the Thanksgiving Feast we are hosting on Thursday. Yesterday I did the grocery shopping – I lugged home 8 bags full of goodies for both Thanksgiving and Christmas cookies. All of the organic baking stuff was on…

Thanksgiving Survival Guide

Hello my friends. If you follow me on Twitter, are friends with me on Facebook or like MMM on Facebook, you know that I have been hard at work creating Thanksgiving printables to streamline your Thanksgiving shopping, prep and cooking. I have a lot to share, so let’s get right into it! For the last week,…

Thanksgiving: Green Bean, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Green Bean, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine A delicious departure from traditional green bean salad. The citrusy tang of the dressing is the perfect compliment to cool chèvre and earthy beets. This salad will leave you energized, not dragging. Gluten-free, dairy-free. Print this recipe. Serves 12 2 bunches golden or…

Thanksgiving: Souffléd Sweet Potato Bake

These sweet potatoes were wonderful! They can be enjoyed sweet, as shown above, or savory, as shown below. To make the sweet version omit the roasted garlic and rosemary from the recipe below and add 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice. During the last few minutes of cooking top with marshmallows…

Monday Afternoon Encouragement

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be…

Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Brownie Pie

Pumpkin Brownie Pie Adapted from Oh She Glows This is one of the most decadent desserts I have ever made. The brownie is perfectly chocolatey and gooey while the pumpkin pie filling is better than traditional pumpkin pie. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan. Print this recipe. Serves 8 Pumpkin Pie Filling 1 cup canned pumpkin 2 tbsp…

Thanksgiving: Rosted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans Inspired by Clean Eating Magazine and Ina Garten These are to your grandmother’s brussels sprouts! Even the pickiest of eaters will gobble these up. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan. Print this recipe. Serves 12 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and loose leaves removed 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted 2 tbsp apple…

Thanksgiving: Spiced Cranberry and Apple Sauce

Spiced Cranberry and Apple Sauce Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine Perfect for dipping! Matthew dipped his entire dinner into this sauce. A healthy twist on cranberry sauce featuring apples and ginger. The perfect pairing to your Holiday meal. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan. Print this recipe. Serves 12 12 oz cranberries, fresh or frozen and defrosted 1…

Thankful in the Waiting Room

I just read this wonderful post on being being Thankful in the Waiting Room by Passionate Homemaking monthly contributor, Natalie Didlake. This is a must-read for anyone who is feeling discouraged by playing the waiting game with God. Sometimes it’s difficult to feel thankful and positive while you are waiting for God to show you…

Thanksgiving: Cherry, Apple and Mushroom Stuffing

Cherry, Apple and Mushroom Stuffing Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine A savory experience for your mouth. I amped up my traditional stuffing recipe by adding dried fruit and apples and the result is delightful! Can be gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan dependent upon your bread selection. Print this recipe. Serves 12 1 (24 oz or 680g)…

Thanksgiving: Roast Turkey with Herby Gravy

Roast Turkey with Herby Gravy Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine and Alton Brown Over the years I have perfected the roasted turkey. Below I share with you my secrets to the timeless Thanksgiving favorite. Gluten-free and dairy-free. Print this recipe. Serves 12 4 organic carrots, scrubbed, cut crosswise and then into thirds 4 ribs celery…

Thanksgiving: Spicy and Smoky Turkey Spice Rub

Spicy and Smoky Turkey Spice Rub Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine A nontraditional approach to a turkey spice rub that is mildly smoky and lightly spicy. Print this recipe. Serves 12 2 tbsp chile powder 2 tbsp ground cumin 1 ½ tbsp paprika 2 tsp dried minced garlic 2 tsp dried thyme 2 tsp sea…

Thanksgiving Menu Planning

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! I am so excited! Allan compares my Thanksgiving meal to the Super Bowl. We look forward to it each year. This year is no exception because Allan’s sister and her family will be joining us from South Dakota. It is going to so much fun hosting…

Three Things Tuesday

I am thankful for… 1. A roof over my head, food in my belly, a supporting husband and a crying baby who just woke up from his nap. 🙂 2. A job that I love. 3. Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I have been testing recipes left and right. I have a couple winners…

Operation Christmas Child

Every year, my Mom organizes a shoe box packing party for the Sunday School children at our church. Yesterday we wrapped and packed 58 shoe boxes full of toys, books, office supplies and hygiene items to bless children around the world. Every year we have an amazing time gathering as a congregation in fellowship while…

Slow Roasted

A couple days ago my mother-in-law made a big batch of spaghetti sauce with her remaining garden tomatoes. I had several pounds of ripe big beef, cherry and roma tomatoes in my basement waiting to be used. This afternoon I decided to roast all of my ripe tomatoes along with minced garlic, quartered onions, baby…

Lord, I Want to Know You

What did you have for breakfast this morning? We had Kefir French Toast with homemade gluten-free bread. It was so delicious and simple! Why don’t I make this recipe more often? — My best friend, Melissa, and I are reading and discussing Lord, I Want to Know You by Kay Arthur, a devotional study on the…

Pastries for Breakfast

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 Happy {day after} Halloween from one dragon to another! Life has been busy! We are thinking about putting our house back on the market and have spent the last several days preparing. There…

Uh-Oh

Yep. I messed up. I accidentally fed my family gluten this week. We were only supposed to add soy back in this week, not gluten. Here’s what happened… I usually buy the Trader Joe’s tempeh and completely forgot that it contains barley, which has gluten. Guess what we had on Monday night – tempeh spaghetti….

Ten Things Thankful Thursday

Yes, my hair looks short in the above picture. No, I did not cut it – it’s just the way it is laying on my shoulders. It’s still long. However, it looks really cute like this… should I cut it? Allan, that question is not directed at you. 😉 1. God is doing amazing work…

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bars

I am feeling a bit under the weather today and decided to skip my scheduled yoga session this morning in favor of additional sleep. Depending on how long I take to get this post up, I might be able to sneak in a quick 20 minute yoga stretch session before Matthew wakes from his nap….

Spooky Summer Throw Back

I bet I am not the only one who has a hundred pounds of shredded zucchini in my freezer. Well, maybe I am the only one… No matter how much of summer’s bounty you have preserved in your freezer, I bet that you would love to enjoy a dark chocolate brownie that is delicious and…

Inspire Me

I get a lot of inspiration for projects in and out of the kitchen from blogs, cookbooks, magazines and pinterest. I thought that it might be fun for you to see the things that are inspiring me this week. Enjoy! Gluten-Free Almond & Buckwheat Flour Pizza Crust from Oh She Glows I am making this crust…

Gluten-Free Teff Porridge

After having such great success making steel cut oats in my slow cooker, I wondered if the same things could be done with teff, which is our second favorite breakfast grain. Guess what? It worked! Since I suspect that Allan’s digestive issues are caused by gluten, teff has become our go-to breakfast porridge. We usually…

crock pot <3

A couple weeks ago I bought a new programmable crock pot to replace our old crockpot that was routinely burning foods. I am in love! I use the crock pot at least three times per week to prepare breakfast, supper and side dishes. One of my favorite ways to use my slow cooker is to…

Circuit Training Punishment

Hello my friends! Just stopping by after a hardcore circuit workout from BodyRock.tv. I am dripping with sweat and loving it! photo source At some point last week I got bored with my weight lifting routine. I lost motivation to do my routine. After completing The New Rules of Lifting for Women in June and…

Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts

A few things… 1. We spent the morning playing with our friends Renea and Dakota. 2.The house is clean. 3. Matthew only took an hour long nap. Needless to say, it’s been a productive day. However, due to #3, this is going to be a quick post. Yes, these are the Gluten Free Apple Cider…

The Best Thing I Ever Ate

Have you ever watched the show, The Best Thing I Ever Are? When we had cable, I would tune in to Food Network when I was doing chores… folding laundry, stuffing cloth diapers, etc. Inevitably, the show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, would be on. I much prefer cooking shows like Giada At Home…

Gingerbread Waffles

With the celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving last weekend, I have been getting into the holiday mood. Now I know that it isn’t even Halloween yet, but I absolutely love the Holiday Season! Is it sad that I even listened to a few Christmas Songs on my iPhone last week? Yep. It happened. With the new…

Apple Cider Donuts

Hello my friends! Things are starting to settle down around here. I am loving not having the urge to check email every five seconds to ensure that everything at work is ok. Rachel Cosgrove (via The Female Body Breakthrough) is still kicking my butt at 5:30 AM. I added in a little Yoga is Yummy…

Apple Cider Breakfast Bake

A couple weeks ago while at the Mill City Farmer’s Market, I picked up a half-gallon of freshly pressed, unpasturized apple cider from Sweetland Orchard. I knew right away that I wanted to use it in my baking. The next day I made a pot of crock pot steel cut oats and subbed in 1…

Tides of Change

Becoming a Mom has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It has caused me to reevaluate my life from top to bottom. I have learned to quietly listen to God’s commands, acting on them in obedience. Today was a paramount day in my life. I quit my job. Stop questioning with…

Sun Drenched

We are in the middle of full fledged Indian Summer and I am loving it. To think I turned on the heat a couple weeks ago and now they are forecasting highs near 90 tomorrow. Bring on the sunshine! Maybe the dozens of tomatoes that I still have on the vine will magically ripen overnight….

Family Favorites: Oatalicious

Detox Day 1 went really well. Allan and I both felt significantly more energized yesterday afternoon after dragging a bit in the morning. I even had enough energy to wake up early this morning (5:30 AM!!!) and workout. It is so nice to have that taken care of already and be able to spend my…

Going Without

Today is the first day of a new season of eating for our family. For the last two years Allan has experienced severe digestive issues. His primary care doctor believes that Allan’s digestive upset is primarily due to the trauma that he sustained as a result of being shot two years ago. Since then he…

Family Favorites: Soaked Sweet Potato Waffles

I know that it’s still September, but the Holidays are fast approaching. Before we know it there will be snow on the ground, chestnuts roasting on an open fire and jingle bells playing on your iPhone. If you are like me and host your family’s Holiday get-togethers there is always the age old question proceeding…

Wordless Wednesday: Weekend Recap

Mill City Farmer’s Market Quick Lunch Sweetland Orchard (A visit to our very favorite farmer’s market vendor!)

Video: Composting 101

We love composting. We love it so much that I made a short little video all about how much we love it. 🙂 Here are a few links that I found to be extremely helpful when I started backyard composting: Reduce.org has a great section dedicated to composting. This was super helpful at dispelling composting…

Wordless Wednesday: Family Favorites: Pumpkin Donuts

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 Pumpkin Donuts Serve these pumpkin donuts with a side of scrambled eggs for a special weekend breakfast or with a slice of string cheese as a quick grab and go snack during the week. Print this…

Family Favorites: Fruit + Nut Snack Bars

Today has been a crazy day that included trips to both Target and Whole Foods. I think I need a nap. It’s days like today that I need a healthy portable snack for both Matthew and I that does not require refrigeration and can be enjoyed while strolling the grocery store aisles. In the past…

Family Favorites: Snack Muffins

A dear friend of mine, Natalie, has a son who is three weeks younger than Matthew. Prior to becoming a mom, she relied on simple meals to feed herself and her husband; however now that she is feeding a youngling, she has been revamping their diets to focus more on sustainable, organic fare that is…

Party People

You may recall that a couple weeks ago we hosted an ecofriendly, clean living party with the goal of only producing one bag of landfill-bound trash. If you are catching up, you can read about the party here and here. We were extremely successful in our mission and I thought that today I would share…

Pumpkin Time

It has been quite the eventful week around here and it’s only Tuesday! Matthew and I have been checking things off our list left and right… including cleaning the house {finally!}, laundry {very exciting}, food prep {coconut butter, sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, larabars, pumpkin oatmeal protein bars, zucchini breakfast bakes, pumpkin pudding} and finally…

New Content to Help You Eat Clean

Check out the new pages that I added to the MMM section. How to start eating clean? Three steps to cleaning up your diet. Clean eating grocery list. The food that we enjoy every day. Decoding nutrition labels. A guide to navigating the grocery store and deciphering ingredients lists.

Autumn in a Bowl

The air is crisp. The sun is lower. The sumac is red. Autumn is approaching. There is a grin on my face. Last week’s lows in the 50’s (!) had me craving pumpkin. I will confess that early last week I used our last can of reserved pumpkin; horrified, I immediately went to Target and…

Spicy Cumpleaños ::: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake Recipe

We had an amazing four day weekend together! I can’t wait to tell you all about it. On Friday, Allan took a day of vacation and we went to the MN State Fair. Look for a recap on this escapade tomorrow. Today, I want to tell you about our One Bag Mexican Fiesta that I…

Back to the Start – Chipotle Video

Good evening, friends! We spent the day at the Great Minnesota Get Together – expect a full recap, including all of the food that we consumed later this weekend. If you can’t wait, Allan is working on a post of his own that should be up shortly. Tonight, I wanted to stop in quickly and…

¡Olé!

Last week I was challenged by Foodbuzz and GLAD to host an event that generated only ONE BAG of landfill-bound trash. Participant received a trash management kit, a consultation with a waste management expert and a stipend to cover the expenses of their One Bag event. Allan and I racked our brains on the type…

Diggin’

Good Morning! My posting has been sporadic lately because Matthew and I have been super busy! Matthew is constantly on the go and we are always doing something. One of his new favorite games is tag – we take turns chasing each other around the house. It is so much fun and quite a good…

Workout Like an Athlete at Home + Winner

A lot of people believe the misconception that you need a gym membership to workout like an athlete. However, I am here to tell you that is not the case! With minimal equipment you can get you ripped in no time! The following is a look into our home gym that allows us the comfort…

Cha Cha Chia for You (Chia Seed Giveaway)!

As you know, I love chia seeds! They are an amazing superfood that can make or break a bowl of overnight oats, oatmeal or pudding. Chia seeds are a wonderful whole foods supplement that boosts your fiber intake, adds essential Omega-3s to your diet and provides plant-based protein. Plus, they are just so much fun…

Morrocco Method

A few months ago, I was sent a sampler kit of shampoos and conditioners from Morrocco Method. I was extremely excited to try Morrocco Method because I was in search of a new line of natural hair care products after years of using quasi-natural Aveda products. All of Morrocco Method’s products are wild-crafted, raw,…

Gardens of Eagan Open House

On Saturday afternoon we visited the Gardens of Eagan open house. Garden’s of Eagan is a 100 acre, urban-edge, organic vegetable farm that provides produce to several area co-ops and businesses. They also frequent a few farmer’s markets, including the Fulton Farmer’s Market. Sunday afternoon was spent dicing and freezing lots of peppers,…

Eat Your Peas

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you already know about my Mama Pea lady love. While I do not know her personally, her witty sense of humor and lovely stories about her daily adventures are heartwarming and inviting. In a way, her family reminds me of my own, minus…

Kefir French Toast

According to our monthly meal plan for August, on Saturday morning we were supposed to have cinnamon rolls from Mama Pea’s new book. However, for the last week I had been craving french toast. So, our plans changed. Instead I thawed the last loaf of homemade cinnamon swirl bread overnight and we had french toast….

Making Our Way Home + Coffee Winners

We arrived home late last night, just in time for a big thunderstorm. Allan unloaded the car between downpours while I unpacked and put away the cooler with Matthew’s help. After several hours in the car, we stopped in the cute town of Menomonie, WI to pick up supper. After doing some research on my…

A Day at the Lake

Late this morning, we spent a couple hours walking the Lake Michigan sandy beach outside of Menominee, MI. We had a beautiful time and for a moment we were able to take our minds off of why we are here. For lunch we stopped at the Blue Bicycle in Marinette, MN. Allan, Mark and Lois…

Hello from Marinette

Yesterday morning we received news that Allan’s Great Aunt Anna Mae passed away, so we quickly packed up the Rav4 to accompany Allan’s parents to Peshtigo, Wisconsin. We are staying at the lovely Country Inn in Marinette, which is a bit outdated, yet surprisingly very clean. Also, they have a huge fridge in the room…

Make it Last

Lately I have been on a preservation kick. This week I picked up 3 lbs of organic cherries at Target for a little over $3 per pound! On Tuesday night, I hand pitted and froze all 7+ cups of them! I am so excited to have organic frozen cherries in the house, because I love…

Vegan Mocha Ice Cream

It feels like fall outside. The air is crisp and the sun is warm. I LOVE the fall! When the Godiva Coffee that I was sent as a part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted to make with it – ice cream. My favorite hot weather, summertime treat is…

Fugget About It

Our breakfasts this week have been a collection of simple favorites that can be preprepped the night before and quickly assembled and/or cooked in the morning. eggs over easy rolled oats topped with bananas apple cider vinegar + water to detoxify and help to cure the small head cold that matthew shared with allan and…

Chocolate Cherry Truffle + Giveaway

Today is supposed to be the last day of the oppressive heat and humidity that we have been experiencing here in the upper midwest (and across the rest of the country!). I cannot wait for the storms to roll in and for the cooler, fall-like low-humidity seventies to arrive tomorrow. Matthew and I plan to…

Simple Supper

It’s late and Allan and I would like to rent a movie from iTunes before bed. So I am going to make this short and sweet. 🙂 We have been enjoying our time as a family this week and are sad to see the week nearing its end. It will be very weird to be back…

Vibrating Toes

Look what I picked up today… photo source I am super excited to begin wearing my new Vibram Five Fingers Komodosport LS shoes. I have always been a little balanced challenged and hope that wearing these during my lifting and HIIT sessions will improve my stability and balance while strengthening my toes. Diagram source Does…

Hugh Jass Salad

This morning while cutting carrots for Matthew’s lunch, I sliced my thumb on my mandolin while talking to Allan instead of focusing on the job at hand. This is following trying to grate off the knuckle on my middle finger using a micro plane… I really need to be more careful. Today Allan and I…

Sudz Up

We had such a wonderful weekend as a family! I love Minnesota summers – even if we are still in the midst of a heat wave. Come mid-January we are all going to be longing for 90°+ days. So, we had better enjoy them while they last. Although, I have to admit that it’s at…

Gluten Galore

We are officially on vacastaycation. Every summer we take a week to enjoy everything the things we love about living in Minneapolis. Last night we went to the Minnesota Zoo. Every year Dakota Electric sponsors a free night at the zoo and every year we try to be in attendance. I love to hear about…

It’s Greek to Me

One of my very favorite summer recipes is this simple, yet elegant greek salad. I usually make a big batch of this salad on Monday morning and enjoy it for lunch all week long. I actually think that the salad gets better the longer it sits in the fridge – the mint flavor is more…

Facon Takedown

I first saw facon (aka tempeh bacon) on Peas and Thank You a couple months ago. At the time I didn’t think much of it; however, as I was making our meal plan for the month of July I decided to make baked eggs that usually include turkey bacon. However, I’m not a big fan…

Soak It Up

Over the weekend I finished Rachel Cosgrove’s The Female Body Breakthrough and was so excited to pick back up the heavy weights yesterday! I felt super energized after my workout and as the day grew to night I began to feel DOMS set in. I still don’t have a foam roller, but ordered this one this morning….

Dolce Vita

We had another glorious weekend filled with sunshine, family and amazing food! On Friday night Allan and I went on a date to Doolittle’s Woodfire Grill where we dined alfresco on amazing food including a cosmo for her and a mojito for him (my first vodka since having Matthew). We shared the mediterranean flatbread, mediterranean…

Hashbrowns or Pizza?

Last Friday morning before work, Allan asked me if we were having Friday night pizza and I told him, “of course, it’s Friday, isn’t it?” He then asked me what kind of pizza we were having and I told him “you’ll see”. When he arrived home to see me shredding potatoes he was very suspicious….

Cap’n Crunch Berry Oats

Last night Allan grilled up the most delicious supper that we have enjoyed in quite some time. Pork chops marinated in balsamic vinaigrette, grilled potatoes, grilled zucchini and grilled peaches all drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. The star of the show was the grilled peach. They were so sweet and juicy! My in-laws have a ton…

Scrumdiddlyumptious

It’s not a secret that I love a good farmer’s market. Sometimes the highlight of my week is enjoying a cup of coffee while perusing the market with my boys. Can’t get much better than that! It probably doesn’t need to be mentioned (but I will anyways) that I love to cook with fresh, local,…

Oldie But Goodie: Little Darlin’ Stir It Up

I had this post ready to publish last night and we lost power. Darn heat wave. Sorry for the delay. — The other day while I was perusing the new Clean Eats and Exercise forum, I got to thinking about my Simply Clean blog. It’s such a shame that I left so much relevant and…

Hotter than the Dickens!

We arrived home late from Albert Lea and I knew that Matthew would be up early, so I prepped overnight oats. Allan’s has whole milk yogurt and 2% milk. Mine had homemade low-fat kefir and 2% milk. Served with a side of fresh farmer’s market musk melon. So refreshing on a HOT day! Starting Saturday,…

Sheets to the Wind

On Saturday, after we visited the farmer’s market, we went to my aunt and uncle’s house in Albert Lea to celebrate my aunt’s birthday and go on the boat. My aunt and uncle are lucky enough to own a house right on the lake and when we visit, we always spend a good amount of…

Fulton Farmer’s Market

On a hot, slightly rainy Saturday, we stopped at the (new to us) Fulton farmer’s market. The Fulton farmer’s market is a newly formed market and is the sister market to our fave Sunday market. This was our very first visit and I was very impressed by the selection at such a small market. We…

Oatty Friday

As you know, Friday is breakfast bake day around here. Originally I had planned to make this Blueberry Stuffed Breakfast Bake. However, after scouring the cupboards I found week and a half old strawberries that needed to be eaten, no buckwheat flour to be found and very little milk. So the following is a breakfast…

Peanut Perfection

For a the last couple months, I have been making the most creamy, dreamy, decadent peanut butter for Allan’s lunches. You would not believe how unbelievably delicious and sweet this fresh peanut butter is compared to the pre-packaged varieties. And even better yet – it’s cheaper than Skippy! So, here’s how it goes down in…

Beer, Tofu and Guacamole… Need I say more?

Today was a beautiful, mellow day. Perfect for a long walk to, around and back from Lake Nokomis, which, according to Google Maps, is 4.0 miles on the dot. It took us about an hour to complete our walk, as we made an extended pit stop at the swings along the water. Matthew and I…

Road Rash and Breakfast Bakes

For those of you who follow me on Twitter or are friends with me on Facebook, you most likely saw me live tweeting Allan’s 7 hour long visit to the HCMC ER last night. Allan was on his way home from work on a road that was repaved and graveled earlier that day. He took…

Boys in Blue

Since I began clean eating, I searched high and low for a scone recipe that was whole grain, low sugar and low fat while still keeping the thick, crunchy, cakey texture of my beloved coffee house baked goods. About year ago, Dani Spies posted a recipe for blueberry scones and I immediately made the recipe….

Try A New Recipe

Just a quick post to let you know that I updated the Recipes tab with all of the recipes that I have posted here on MMM along with all of my recipes from Simply Clean. The following are a few of my favorites that you should definitely try tomorrow. 🙂 Overnight Oats Purple Pride Smoothie…

Cuppa Joe

Allan is usually caffeine-free. This post is not. Lately we have had several late nights and early mornings in a row coupled with the intoxicating smell of freshly ground organic Caribou coffee, so, for good reason, Allan has been enjoying a single cup o’ joe with breakfast. When I did our monthly meal plan, I…

Let Freedom Ring

As promised, I finally got around to unloading, sorting and editing the photos that we took during our cabin retreat. The Fourth of July festivities included Matthew’s first parade, chicken gyros from a sidewalk vendor, swimming in Leech Lake, catching a Muskie and a potluck supper with friends who are like family. Here is a photo…

Two Spoons Are Better Than One

Lately Mister Matthew has been on a utensil kick. If he sees a fork or a spoon he must have it and use it to consume whatever masterpiece that I make for him. The other day he insisted upon feeding himself leek soup with a spork and a spoon. This was the resulting mess. Not…

Deadman Lake

Welcome to the Peters Pagoda on Deadman Lake. Where cats are strung from the rafters… It is considered an insult to wear make-up… Cooking is a bold adventure… Air conditioning and running water are lavish luxuries… And lounging on the lanai is considered a day’s work. The following is a photo tour around our family’s…

Back to the Grind

We arrived back in Minneapolis last night and I have been nonstop sorting, organizing, laundering, working and shopping since we arrived. It’s amazing the amount of things that need to be done when you are away for 6 days! I plan to make a more detailed post about our time at the cabin; however, I…

Fishing for Sun

Today was another beautiful day. It is rare for it to get very hot at the cabin, but this week has been an exception… Thursday was 90+ and yesterday was in the high 80s. Today it cooled down a bit and was in the mid 80s. Since the sun was shining Allan, my father-in-law, Mark,…

North Woods Adventures

Good afternoon from the North Woods! This is the second draft of this post, I am still figuring out the quirks of the Word Press app on my iPad while being offline. Hmph! Late last night we arrived at the Peters family cabin in the Brainerd lakes area. As I said in my post on…

Greens Galore

Today was a most beautiful day. Matthew and I enjoyed a mid-morning walk along the creek and then ventured back home to work on packing for our weekend away at the Peters family rustic cabin. And by rustic I mean no running water, no oven and an outhouse. 🙂 So, this morning we had laundry…

Glazed Over

Doesn’t that look amazing?!? Definitely worth a double take! Usually we top our breakfast bakes with plain yogurt, peanut butter, coconut butter or fresh organic berries and bananas. A couple months ago when I made a pumpkin breakfast bake I started to think about other creative toppings. So, I whipped up the following super simple, clean…

Azure Standard

I recently read on Passionate Homemaking about the inexpensive prices on organic bulk and natural food items that are offered by Azure Standard. I immediately signed up as a New Customer and began adding items to my Favorites. After checking the prices against my local co-op, Target and Trader Joe’s I found that Azure is…

Wise Acre

Last night Matthew, Allan and I dined at the Wise Acre Eatery, a newly opened farm to table restaurant near our house owned by Tangletown Gardens. The vibe was sheik, eclectic and sophisticated… right up our alley. They had a beautiful outdoor seating area; however, it was a bit humid for Matthew, so we sat inside. Wise…

Confessions of a Totaholic

Hi my name is Maria and I love reusable bags. There I said it. Are you happy? I have been in search of the perfect grocery-getting, toy-toting, food-fetching bags for years and have accumulated quite a collection of cheap, branded bags from grocery stores to co-ops t0 farmer’s markets to retail shops. However, am not…

Between the Sheets

Hello Pinners! I am so happy that you clicked through and found MMM. The following recipe for Overnight Oats is one of my favorite Spring and Summer breakfasts. Don’t want to add protein powder to your overnight oats or want to make a batch for your kids? I have an updated recipe here that is…

Worth The Wait

I have always wanted to try my hand at making homemade yogurt, but after reading and hearing about other people’s sour results I was apprehensive… until I read this post on Passionate Homemaking. I consider myself to be a bit of a yogurt snob. I love plain, creamy strained low-fat yogurt that is not sour…

For the Love of Leftovers

Allan and I have never been big fans of leftovers. Over the years I have learned to creatively use up leftovers in a gracious manner, but most of the time leftovers are presented at our table in the same state that they were originally created. Don’t get me wrong, leftovers make wonderful quick lunches and…

A Father’s Love

We spent another incredible weekend with our families! My father-in-law was away for the weekend fishing with his nephews, so my mother-in-law offered to watch Matthew on Saturday night. Allan and I spent our date night with movie and dinner. We usually do dinner first and then the movie, but this time we decided to…

Target Practice

As you already know, we shop at Target a lot – and not just for general household items, we also purchase most of our food there. We were Target go-ers long before Mister Peters started working as a Senior Art Director in their corporate InHouse agency. Not only do we prefer the in-store experience, we…

Make A Wish

Today was a lovely day. The day started with Blueberry Almond Breakfast Bakes using this recipe as a base. To keep things interesting, I tried my hand at a little experiment… I subbed almond pulp, leftover from making homemade almond milk, for buckwheat flour, omitted coconut oil and traded out cherries for 1 cup frozen…

Chocolate Heaven

We have been on the run lately, so it was essential that I take half an hour and whip up a couple batches of various protein bars and snacks for grab-and-go snacks while in the car, running errands, or going to play dates. During the week , Matthew and I have been enjoying quality time…

Somebody Call 911!

Listen up! Put down your remote and head to the kitchen immediately (after reading this post) to prep this breakfast for tomorrow morning. You’re welcome ahead of time. Trust me, you will love me in the morning. We had a handful of extra organic cherries that needed to be used up and after seeing the…

Whirlwind POMinty Watermelon

Today was a crazy productive day. I ended up working a full day yesterday because my boss’ son was in a severe motocross accident over the weekend. He will make a full recovery, but has a long road ahead of him. Please say a prayer for Coleman. Usually Mondays are either a prep day or…

Open Streets and a Bran Breakfast Bake

Saturday afternoon I had a major craving for a bran muffin. Not just any bran muffin, but a Breadsmith bran muffin… my absolute favorite! So, I decided to conjure up a recipe for a healthy and lovely bran breakfast bake. Folks, you need to drop what you are doing and immediately throw one of these in…

Rhubarb Strawberry Sauce

Today was an amazing day filled with laughter, sunshine and family. I love afternoons spent talking, munching and playing in the sunshine with those that mean the most to me. It was glorious! Last night I was so excited to enjoy a Cooler 2 breakfast that I threw together this simple Rhubarb Strawberry sauce that…

Cooler 1: Day 5… Last day

Good evening. Happy Friday! I just love Fridays. All day Matthew and I look forward to Allan’s arrival and (usually) pizza night follows. Tonight we did not enjoy Friday Night Pizza night; however, we did have something that was completely amazing! Remember the spaghetti that I blogged about yesterday? It was amazing!!! Both Matthew and…

Cooler 1: Day 4

How many of you are hanging in there on Cooler 1? Does anyone plan to join me when I start Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet Stripped plan next week? I promise it’s much more lenient that Cooler 1. 😉 The following is my food journal so far today along with my planned eats for the rest…

Cooler 1: Day 3

Today has been a LONG day! At least it’s starting to cool off a little outside. Those super hot and humid days were very difficult. I hate turning on the air conditioning and we’ve had it on since last Friday. *yuck* While Matthew napped this afternoon I got to working on some food prep for…

Cooler 1: Day 2

I am still rockin’ and rollin’ on Cooler 1 today. I plan to keep strong until Friday. Then I may have a small cheat meal on Saturday afternoon, as we will be attending my sister’s graduation party. My cheat meal will be clean, just not in accordance with Cooler 1 guidelines. Then I will be…

Cooler 1: Day 1

How was your weekend? We had an amazing time in Sioux Falls, SD celebrating the 3rd birthday of our niece, Mollie. However, today it’s back to the grind. It is HOT here in MN, 90°+ today and tomorrow, so Matthew and I are going to make a Target run this afternoon to stock back up…

Don’t Sneeze!

Did you know that if you say “watermelon” before you sneeze that it will most likely prevent you from sneezing? I don’t know if I believe this wives tale, but it’s worth a shot! Allan took the following pictures while I was cutting up the watermelon for Matthew’s birthday and they were so beautiful that…

June Goals

As I have mentioned in other posts, I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight and have been for about two months. Actually, I weigh 3.5 pounds less than I did prior to becoming pregnant. However, I would still like to loose a few more pounds… 7.5 to be exact. Unfortunately, in the last month I…

Frosting on the Cake

Prior to Matthew’s birthday party last weekend I had no clue how to correctly frost a cake. I wanted Matthew’s first birthday cake to not only be a nutritious whole food delight, I also wanted it to be as beautiful as a store bought cake. So, after scouring the internet, reading demos and watching how-to…

Coconut Cornbread Bake

This is my first week working 10 hours from home and I am loving it. Matthew and I have been able to spend quite a bit of quality time together between meals and naps. 😉 The weather has been beautiful, so we are taking at least one walk per day. Matthew loves going to the…

Matthew’s Birthday Party: Food Edition

As you know, Sunday was Matthew’s first birthday and we threw a small party for him. The following is the food that we served to our family that came from near and far to celebrate with us. Prepping the salad I used the following simple dressing on this salad. The recipe makes enough dressing for…

Matthew’s Birth Story

In honor of Matthew’s first birthday, which was Sunday, I am reposting his birth story. I feel that when you are pregnant there is so much emphasis placed on the things that could go wrong rather than the joy and love of birth that I could do no harm by reposting the story of Matthew’…

For Matthew…

To my dearest Matthew for your first birthday. He (Jesus) called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2 Before you were born I thought that I…

Mill City Farmer’s Market

Yesterday morning, we arose at the crack of dawn to make it to my favorite farmer’s market, the Mill City Farmer’s Market before Matthew’s morning nap. Enjoy these gorgeous photos courtesy of Mister Peters.

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

I just wanted to stop by and say hello. In exactly 26 minutes, Mister Matt will turn 1 year old… (actually he was born at 11:30 AM, so to be exact, in 11 hours and 56 minutes he will be 1 year old). Logistics aside, I am so excited to spend the day tomorrow with…

Pizza Night + Dough Ball Winner

Thanks again for all of your feedback! As you know, Friday night is pizza night around here and tonight was no exception. I usually use my KitchenAid Pro Mixer to make pizza dough, but since we are selling our house, my large mixer lost its spot on the counter and now resides in a closet…

Burger up!

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments that you left yesterday. I am so excited to take your feedback and use it to improve MMM. If you have not already, be sure to stop by yesterday’s post and enter to win a batch of my dough balls -trust me, they are amazing!…

Dough Balls for All!

One afternoon day per week Matthew and I spend quality time together in the kitchen prepping food for the week. I hate washing dished, but I love to cook and bake. So, to indulge my creative side and to minimize clean up I cook in large batches of similar items all in one afternoon. That way…

I need YOU!

Maria Makes Muffins is almost a month old! Prior to starting MMM, I was casually blogging over at Simply Clean; however, after Allan’s injury, I lost my blogging mojo. Deep down I knew that I was happier when I was blogging, sharing my ideas and getting inspiration from others. So, I knew that when I…

Congratulations, Melissa!

On Saturday, my younger sister, Melissa, graduated with honors from St. Thomas University. She was awarded a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. We are all very proud of her and wish her much luck in her future career with the IRS. Following Melissa’s commencement, we met Allan and Matthew at Cossetta’s. Cossetta’s is a small,…

Food Journal: Monday, May 23

As promised in yesterday’s post, a couple days per week I would like to post everything that Matthew and I eat. Here is what we ate today: Breakfast Matthew ate rolled oats + ground flax + wheat germ + mango and breastmilk I had Water 2 Tb apple cider vinegar + water Rolled oats +…

Dandelion Food Truck

Friday, on our anniversary, Allan invited Matthew and me on an impromptu lunch date to the Dandelion Kitchen food truck. So, Matthew and I took the light rail downtown. Matthew and I have heard a lot about the Dandelion Kitchen and were very excited to enjoy their lunch. From their website, Dandelion Kitchen is a Minneapolis-based gourmet…

Kingfield Farmer’s Market

This morning we awoke bright and early to the joyful sound of a hungry cat. We decided to get up, shower, eat breakfast and visit opening day at the Kingfield Farmer’s Market. The morning was clear, with a chance of rain. However, on our way to the garage it started to sprinkle. By the time…

What does it mean to eat clean?

Yesterday I posted about our reasons for living clean. Today I would like to explain what I mean when I say that we are clean eaters. Eating clean is a diet (definition: food and drink regularly provided or consumed, source) that focuses on eating as close to nature as possible. We strive to consume foods that…

Why Live Clean?

As I was writing this post, sitting on the floor with Matthew. He stood up, using my shoulder and then he let go and stood up on his own for 10 seconds, then sat down. So exciting! Now he and Allan laughing and playing with blocks. The following is a post that I created for…

Happy Anniversary to the Love of my Life

Five years ago today I married the love of my life. Allan has loved me unconditionally through thick… and thin. We have been there for each other through the good and the bad. Every day that we are together is genuinely a gift from God. Having Allan in my life has brought me the most joy…

Rhubarb Breakfast Bake

Our garden is overflowing with sweet and sour, ripe rhubarb. And from what I hear, that is the case across the Midwest. So, what should you do with your rhubarb bounty? Why make muffins, of course! My good friend, Laura, wrote to me asking for a rhubarb muffin recipe that was high in protein, but…

BBQ Quesadillas

Yesterday was a crazy, hectic day! I hate running errands alone and feel like I spend so much of my time getting ready to get things done that I never get anything done! So, I am trying to pack all of my errands into one afternoon trip per week. That way I save time getting…

Asparagus Frittata

Lately we have been enjoying fresh, local asparagus by the bushel. Asparagus is hands down one of my favorite veggies and I look forward to its arrival each Spring. We picked up two pounds of asparagus at the Sunday Farmer’s Market and we spared no time to enjoy it. Matthew likes to nibble the small, tender…

In Season

As you know, Allan and I visited the restaurant, In Season for the first time on Friday night. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend this restaurant (reservations strongly recommended). I forgot the DSLR at home and contemplated not showing you these less than stellar iPhone photos; however, we had such an amazing…

Mpls Farmer’s Market

This morning, Allan, Matthew and I went to the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market. This was our first trip to the Farmer’s Market this year. It was so much fun! Here a bunch of photos of our morning. First thing’s first. It was super windy, so I ordered an organic 2% cappuccino. Unfortunately, I burnt my tongue…

Egg Salad

Hard boiled eggs are a staple in any clean eating kitchen. Eggs are an excellent source of easily digestible protein and essential fat (especially Omega 3 eggs). Some days I simply grab a couple eggs and am on my way out the door. Other days I crave creamy egg salad. Now, I am not talking…

Feta Hummus

I love easy, nutritious and delicious recipes that my entire family will enjoy. Hummus is a food that has a fabulous, complex flavor for Allan and I along with a smear-able fun factor for Matthew. While I was shopping at the co-op, I sampled a chunky feta hummus and was instantly intrigued. However, I did…

Pizza Night

Today Matthew and I spent the afternoon cleaning for the two open houses and showing that are taking place this weekend. Since the weather warmed up, we have had a huge increase in showings and hope that coupled with this week’s price reduction will bring in the offers. Know anyone who is house shopping? Send…

Pumpkin Breakfast Bake

Hello there! It is another grey, rainy day here. However, it sounds like next week is going to be magnificent… sunny and mid-60s all week! Back to this week. After seeing Ashley’s Pumpkin Buckwheat Bake a couple weeks ago, I knew that I would have to try my hand at making one. So, on a…

Microwave Protein Cake

I feel like I have been so busy that I can’t keep my head on straight. Sometimes I don’t know if I am coming or going. Juggling Matthew (naps, feeding, playtime), workouts (4-5 times per week), clean eating prep (quick start ingredient prep), selling the house (cleaning for showings), work (super busy!) and the blog…

Purple Pride Smoothie

Today was one of the first nice days that we have had yet this year. It is hot and steamy! This week I cut back to 20 hours and will stay there until Memorial Day, when I have my final cut back to 10 hours per week. I am so excited to spend more time…

Blueberry Banana Tofu Muffins

I am excited to share my very first muffin recipe with you. This recipe for Banana Blueberry Tofu muffins was originally created for Matthew; they taste amazing, are nutrient dense, unsweetened, low in fat and are very moist. Matthew loves baked goods – muffins, bread, pancakes. He gobbles them up in a heart beat. Usually…

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s day to all of the mothers, soon-to-be mothers, new mothers and grandmothers! I hope that you are enjoying your day. Even though this is my first Mother’s Day with Matthew, I am finding it difficult to think of Mother’s Day as a special day for me. I would much rather focus on the…

Mother’s Day Frittata

If you haven’t picked up on it yet, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love waking up, showering and preparing breakfast for my family. Saturday mornings are always fair game… blueberry pancakes, sweet potato pancakes, baked oatmeal, french toast, waffles, eggs over easy, etc. However, for the last several years, our weekday…

Pizza Night

Allan’s favorite food is pizza. If I agreed, we would eat pizza every day for every meal. To satisfy Allan’s cravings, Friday night is pizza night. Every couple months I make a big batch of whole wheat pizza crust and freeze it in single serving dough balls. Then on Friday mornings I simply pull a…

Summer Sunshine

Yesterday I finished Stage 5 of New Rules of Lifting for Women. I cannot wait to start Stage 6, it is hands down my favorite stage of the series and I have been looking forward to it since I re-started NROL4W back in September. NROL4W recommends that for optimal muscle recovery, you take a week…

Skin a melon

Every Friday Matthew keeps me company while I grocery shop. In exchange for his witty banter, jokes and inquisitive glances he gets to pick out one fun item to bring home and enjoy. This item is usually a new-to-Matthew piece of produce that is visually appealing and baby-friendly. Matthew then gets to hold the item through the…

Bitten by the Baking Bug

This Sunday I was bitten by the baking bug. I must have dreamt about food, because I awoke with a gazzilion ideas for new recipes… blueberry zucchini tofu muffins, egg salad, chocolate strawberry breakfast bakes, blueberry buckwheat protein pancakes, the list goes on… Enter new recipe #1: Blueberry Buckwheat Protein Pancakes We were all pleasantly…

Hard Hat Required

Sorry for the downtime today. Mmm is now self-hosted. YAY! I am still working on my theme, so over the next few days you may notice several changes as I get everything situated and just right. I have more recipes and food photos than I have time to blog; however, that will all be changing…

Chili and Cornbread for a Crowd

Sunday is our family day. We wake up early and attend church as a family. Spending the morning worshiping God with Grandma and Grandpa Malcolm is always a lot of fun. Sunday is also the day that I make something fancy for dinner. Some weeks I make pork tenderloin with roasted veggies and apples, other…

Spring has Sprung

Spring has finally arrived in Minneapolis! This year Spring has been taking its dear sweet time to arrive. We have had cold, wet weather for the last several weeks. We even experienced accumulating snow a few times in the last two weeks. Good grief! However, I think that yesterday we finally turned the corner. So, to…

Breakfast Bake Experiments

The first time that I saw Ashley’s buckwheat bakes I knew that I needed to make one! Who doesn’t want to eat a giant muffin for breakfast? The next day I ground raw buckwheat groats into buckwheat flour and started contemplating which breakfast bake to make. I decided on a baked unsweetened BaNilla Bake with…

Out of this Stratasphere!

Yesterday I blogged about the glorious spread that we enjoyed on Easter. In that post, I mentioned that I would be highlighting different dishes that I made in their own dedicated posts. Today I will share the recipe for the delectable Strata that I made. This recipe is loosely based on a recipe in Tosca…

Brunch Easter Style

Happy belated Easter! We hosted Easter festivities for both of our families. My parents, Allan’s parents and my sister were in attendance. There was so much AMAZING (and clean) food that the fridge was so packed it was difficult to find anything! Lois, Allan’s mom, made this beautiful watermelon fruit bowl! This bad boy was…

Welcome to Maria Makes Muffins (aka mmm)

Welcome to Maria Makes Muffins! For those of you who have been following my Simply Clean Eating blog, please be sure to change your blog reader settings to follow mmm, as I would hate for you to miss a post! I decided that I would make the switch from Blogger to WordPress and am working…

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