Life has been a whirlwind to say the least and here is my reason for being away for so long. This is my daughter Kaia. She was born at the end of May…

 (then at 4 weeks)

 (now, at 16 weeks)

and needless to say, I have not had time to cook or bake much in the past couple of months. It has definitely been a challenge trying to juggle everything plus come up with quick AND healthy meals too.

So, here are a few of my favorite simple breakfast items and snacks that have come in handy these last few months….

Apples, apples, and more apples…

Apples in their natural form…

Buckwheat Apple Pancakes

Apple Peanut Butter Toast

Apples, Butter, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon to liven up a bowl of oatmeal

And there have been muffins….

Spinach Quinoa Muffins, truly one of my favorites

Quinoa Raisin Muffins with Strawberry Lime Jam

and Cherry Pecan Muffins, another favorite…

There have also been lots of eggs, like….

Baked Eggs with Polenta

and one of my favorite ways to have quinoa…

Breakfast Quinoa with Seasonal Fruit

Smoothies are always a quick and healthy breakfast if you are pressed for time….I have been having a ton of these lately…dates are a great natural way to add sweetness to these cool treats.

this one has fresh raspberries, bananas, fresh mint, frozen mango, vanilla bean yogurt and almond milk…

and this Pomegranate Blueberry Smoothie is so good for you with all those antioxidents.

Snacks have become a must for me and I’m always trying to find ways to make the not so good for you, a little better for you….

like these Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies- most recently made with a little flaxseed and oats

and Fresh Fruit Popsicles with no added sugar. Perfect for these hot summer days!!

And has it been hot lately. Whew! With baby and the warm weather, there really has been less oven time around here. Honestly, with the exception of some of the above recipes, it has been salads, fresh fruits and veggies, most definitely homemade popsicles, and lots of take out to make things easier.

But as I look ahead, things are adjusting and I definitely see some tasty baking projects and timesaving dinners coming right up. I’m looking forward to visiting your blogs and checking out all those recipes that I’ve missed! See you back here soon!

And by the way, what are some of your favorite ways to prepare healthy meals without having to spend a ton of time in the kitchen?

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