Double Blueberry Greek Yogurt Waffles

These fluffy & protein-packed Double Blueberry Greek Yogurt Waffles are a tasty & filling way to start your day...

This dairy packed recipe was created in partnership with the ADA Mideast. As always, all thoughts & opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

Back to school is just around the corner, & I am sure that most of you all are in full-on prep for the new school year. I know that we are. 

We have been picking up school supplies at the store, doing a little clothes shopping, & making sure all the paperwork is in order for my daughter to start second grade. We have been checking off our back to school to-do list & then checking it twice. 

But did you know that one of the single most important things that we, as parents, can do to make sure our kiddos are ready for school each morning is to ensure that they are eating a healthy, filling breakfast? And one of the best (& easiest!) ways to do that is to make sure to include dairy in their daily breakfast.

In fact, dairy foods happen to be one of the most budget friendly ways to add more protein to your kiddo's breakfast. And more protein means your child will stay feeling fuller longer, which in turn improves their concentration during class. 

Just one serving of milk, yogurt, or cheese includes 8 grams of high quality protein & 9 essential nutrients.

One of my daughter's favorite breakfast foods happens to waffles. This girl would eat waffles every single morning if she could. 

So, I decided to take her most requested breakfast dish & give it a dairy & protein boost by using Greek yogurt instead of oil in the waffle batter. The results? Perfectly fluffy waffles bursting with fresh blueberry flavor! (And also a very happy & full second grader... )

Mixed Berry Greek Yogurt Bagels

You only need 2 ingredients & about 40 minutes to bake up a batch of these easy to make, protein-packed Mixed Berry Greek Yogurt Bagels...

This dairy packed recipe was created in partnership with the ADA Mideast. As always, all thoughts & opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

Since I have been on a kick lately to eat healthier, I have made it one of my goals to incorporate more low fat Greek yogurt into my cooking & baking. Not only it is one of my favorite ways to lighten up some of my go-to recipes, but Greek yogurt also happens to be high in protein (aka, keeps me feeling fuller for longer) & packs a nutritional punch with dairy's 9 essential nutrients. 

(CLICK HERE to check out some of the differences between Greek yogurt & regular yogurt.)

Since I love using Greek yogurt in my baking, I decided to give the latest foodie trend a go- making soft & fluffy bagels using only two ingredients, self-rising flour & protein-packed Greek yogurt! 

Yes, I was a little skeptical myself at first. But after baking up a batch of these Mixed Berry Greek Yogurt Bagels, I am definitely a believer now...

Banana Split Ice Cream Pops

These cool & creamy Banana Split Ice Cream Pops are made with just 3 simple ingredients- vanilla ice cream, cold milk, & fresh fruit. A perfect frosty treat for summertime!

This dairy packed recipe was created in partnership with the ADA Mideast. As always, all thoughts & opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

The countdown to summer break is on in this house! My youngest has less than a month left of school & then the summer fun will officially begin. 

We have road trips, lazy days at the local pool, tennis camp, and nights by the fire pit making s'mores already on our summer break agenda. I also see lots of fun homemade popsicle making in our summertime plans starting with this recipe for these layered Banana Split Ice Cream Pops. 

This cool & creamy frozen treat is made with just 3 simple ingredients: vanilla ice cream, cold milk, & fresh fruit. And they come together in no time at all with a little help from your blender. 

Not only are these ice cream pops fun & 100% kid approved, but I can also feel good about treating my kiddo to these thanks to the high standards of safety & quality being enforced by our local dairy farmers. 

In a world where we seem to be constantly hearing about contaminated foods & recalls, it is reassuring to know that dairy foods are the among the safest & most highly regulated foods out there.

Banana Split Greek Yogurt Pancakes

These tasty & filling Banana Split Greek Yogurt Pancakes are chock full of low fat Greek yogurt & milk...

This dairy packed recipe was created in partnership with the ADA Mideast. As always, all thoughts & opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

I am finding it hard to believe that it is that time of the year again- back to school! Backpacks have been picked out & purchased. The school supply list has been checked off. And we are starting to ease back into that school year routine. 

Another way I am getting ready for the start of the school year is to start compiling a rotation of healthy breakfast recipes with staying power. The easiest way to do that? Making sure that each of these recipes are packed with protein powered dairy like these Banana Split Greek Yogurt Pancakes I am sharing with you all today.

Not only are dairy foods a quick & budget friendly way to keep your kiddos fueled and ready to go throughout the day, but each serving also happens to contain 9 essential nutrients & 8 grams of high quality protein. 

Experts recommend that we get in at least 3 servings of low fat or fat-free dairy (think a glass of milk, a yogurt cup, a cheese stick, etc.) every day, but most of us need an extra serving each day to meet the daily nutritional recommendations. 

French Onion Roasted Potato Salad

Your backyard BBQ guests will love this lightened up & flavor packed French Onion Roasted Potato Salad...

This delicious recipe was created in partnership with the ADA Mideast. As always, all thoughts & opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

It always seems like Memorial Day weekend is the weekend that officially kicks off summertime. It is the start of BBQ season. The first long holiday weekend of summer. The beginning of summer break from school for many of the kiddos. The first weekend that the local pool is open for the summer season. It also marks the start of summertime entertaining season for me.

The husband & I love to have family and friends over for a cookout or to celebrate summer holidays. We fire up the grill, break out the cornhole set, and prep the fire pit for s'mores making once the sun goes down. 

My husband often grills burgers & hot dogs or smokes baby back ribs to perfection in his smoker. And I am always in charge of the side dishes for our little summertime get-togethers. ;)

We almost always serve a traditional mayo based potato salad at our BBQ's, but I decided to change it up for the cookout we hosted for my son's high school graduation over the weekend. I lightened up our usual potato salad with a little Greek yogurt, but amped up the flavor by oven roasting the potatoes instead of boiling them & mixing in a packet of onion soup mix...

Lunchbox Pizza Rollups

These quick & tasty Lunchbox Pizza Rollups are not only kid approved, but they also get the mom seal of approval for being healthy & filling too...

This delicious recipe was created in partnership with the ADA Mideast. As always, all thoughts & opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

This recipe is also appearing on the Drink-Milk site.

I know it is still July & I am in no way trying to rush summer break here, but school starts back for my son in less than a month, folks. In about 3 weeks to be exact. And my youngest? She is starting Pre-K a week after him. 

Did I mention that this coming school year will also be my son's senior year of high school? Yep. I am fully prepared to be a hot mess for most of this upcoming school year. 

I still can't quite wrap my head around the fact that my youngest will be starting school and my oldest will be embarking on his last year of school. Hold me for the next 10 months, k?





While I may not be emotionally and mentally prepared just yet to tackle the 2016/2017 school year, I am already thinking ahead to those school lunches I will be packing up for the kiddos in less than a month. 

The challenge is to come up with delicious & easy lunch ideas that are not only fun & kid approved, but that also get the mom seal of approval for being healthy & filling. These quick & tasty Lunchbox Pizza Rollups are sure to receive a double thumbs up from both the kiddos and the parents... :)

My Ohio Dairy Adventure

A big thank you to the American Dairy Association Mideast for sponsoring my Ohio Dairy Adventure. All thoughts & opinions expressed below are my own.

I have to say that one of the most rewarding perks of my blogging career so far (other than being able to pay the bills) is having the opportunity to travel, learn, and meet some pretty amazing food bloggers and people in the food industry along the way. I was afforded another one of these amazing travel experiences the week before last when I took a road trip to Cleveland, Ohio as part of the Ohio Dairy Adventure. Okay, I know what you all may be thinking right about now- just what is an Ohio Dairy Adventure? ;) Let me enlighten you all...

It started with a cheese and wine pairing at the House of Blues that was followed by a day spent exploring two local dairy farms (there was also some cheese thrown in between the two farms), then an amazing dinner in a NFL stadium, followed by a morning of learning about the American Dairy Association Mideast's initiatives in Cleveland's public schools, and the whole trip ended with even more cheese- but ooey, gooey melted cheese that time around. Notice a theme here? (Psssstttt... cheese!)

But we all know that we wouldn't have all the cheese without the dairy, right? And where does the dairy (aka, milk) come from? Cows, of course! So, it only seems fitting to start there with the story of my recent Ohio Dairy Adventure experience...