Tag Archives: kacy meinecke

Sip a Rainbow Smoothie to Deliciously Tackle Your Daily Fruit and Vegetable Serving Needs

How many fruits and vegetables have you had today? How about the kids? If you’re like most Americans, the CDC says it’s not enough. Sure, it can feel like a challenge to get more fresh plant-based foods on to your plate, but it’s absolutely worth trying. Nothing good ever came from a beige plate of food. That’s why every plate should look like a rainbow.

rainbow smoothie ingredients

We’ve got a pretty healthy, simple, and delicious way to fix this fruit and veggie problem, at least a part of it. You and the kids are going to love our Rainbow Smoothie because it’s as tasty as it is fun.

judah rainbow smoothie

The premise is really pretty simple – select one fruit or vegetable from each color family. Combine these with yogurt in a blender, and voila, you’ve got as much as seven servings of fruits and vegetables in one cup. If your kids haven’t met Roy G. Biv, now is a great time, especially when they can relate it to food.

ROYGBIV represents the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Now, that last arc of the rainbow gets a little tricky, but plenty of options exist. You can reference this chart. Stick it to the refrigerator and let the kids familiarize themselves with each food item, or they could even use it as a Rainbow Smoothie menu. (more…)

Drink Up! These Fizzy Jalapeno Cherry Limeades are a Hot Twist on a Cool Classic

My friend Lacy (and fellow DIR contributor) started posting (bragging) about a large cherry tree in her backyard, and then, of course, came the pictures of the mini cherry pies she’d made with her son.

little cherries

I more or less publicly begged for her to share. And she did! Then two nights later she invited my family over to climb that cherry tree and pick some of our own. We took her up on the offer and left her backyard two hours later with two gallons of fresh picked cherries. Score!

Too hot to bake, and not really sure what else to do with these little ruby-like gems, thirst became my muse. An ordinary cherry limeade wouldn’t do though. I’m a “foodie” after all. I took this cherry limeade to the next level.

jalapeno cherry limeade

What this fizzy cherry limeade needed was a little heat, something to literally spice up the classic. Jalapenos were the fix. (more…)

Carrot Cake Pancakes Wake Up Summertime Breakfasts

You guys, we took two of the best things ever and put them together. We think, by definition, that makes these carrot cake pancakes we developed exclusively for Grimmway Farms the best thing ever. Even the biggest skeptics in our test kitchen were sold on the rich, decadent dessert-like breakfast we’d cooked up.

carrot cake pancakes

Breakfast is, without a doubt, our favorite meal at DietsInReview.com. It should, frankly, be everyone’s favorite meal. We think we have more fun with it than most, as we show off in our Baker’s Dozen eCookbook, featuring 13 healthier breakfast and brunch recipes. And the pancake is our pièce de résistance.

carrot cake pancake ingredients

Of course we used Grimmway Farms baby carrots to make these bad boys. Are there even other carrots out there? We grated them the easiest way there is to grate a baby carrot – running them through the food processor. We also minced a fresh pineapple to add sweetness to our pancakes because, unless you look really close, you won’t realize there isn’t any added sugar in this recipe! (more…)

Fire Up the Grill for Bayou Kabobs, Featuring Applegate Andouille Sausage

Warm up the grill and your taste buds because this new recipe is going to light a fire under your next cookout! Some are lucky enough to spend a summer along the Gulf Coast soaking up the sun, and waves, and the dynamic culture that defines the region. Some of us have to phone in a good ‘ole Cajun cookout from our backyards. Whether you’re summering in the South or in the North, these Bayou Kabobs need to be on the menu.

bayou kabobs

The big flavor on these simple-to-assemble kabobs are the Andouille sausages from Applegate. Known as the makers of the “cleaner weiner,” this company is committed to organic, hormone-free, humanely-raised animals to craft quality meats you can feel good about eating and serving.

applegate farms-andouille sausage

These Andouille sausages are made with only a few ingredients – all of which you’ll recognize, all of which are organic. Because Applegate uses turkey and chicken, the meat is leaner, meaning less fat and calories. But they don’t skimp on flavor. The package says spicy and they mean it. It’s not overwhelming, might not make you sweat, but it’s got a tasty bite. (more…)

Try These Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries for Dessert

Summer and strawberries – it’s perfection really. Whether eating straight out of the pint, chopping in salads, adding to birthday cakes, or blending in smoothies, we really can’t get enough around my house. So any excuse to eat more strawberries is welcome.

strawberries

And then when you pack them with cream cheese and chocolate? Well, you’ll likely cry uncle or mercy at some point.

stuffed strawberries

These Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries were the first little glimmer of the budding foodie in me. I stood in the break room of my first ad agency job out of college and chatted with my boss about desserts; what specifically I can’t recall. But mashing up a piece of cheesecake, crust and all, and putting it inside strawberries was the result. That much I do remember. (more…)

Dark Chocolate Quinoa Candy Bars Replace Your Crunch Bar Habit

My daughter is three and loves chocolate, or “chock-wit” as the case may be. It’s her one vice, and speaking woman to woman, can you blame her? Considering how well she eats, I let us both indulge in this little craving on occasion, especially after a business trip.

Before taking off on one of my trips last year, I promised, as most parents do, to return with a present. Days later, barely awake at the airport before dawn, I remembered my promise and grabbed the first thing I could find – a three-pack of Ghirardelli chocolates. My daughter was overjoyed at this unusual gift, and somewhere along the line decided all business trips should end in chocolate.

quinoa dark chocolate

So on a recent visit to New York City, I was hounded at each of our morning and evening calls. “Have you got my chocolate yet?” she would anxiously ask. I said no most days, until finally, I’d found the perfect chocolate. At a small grocer in Brooklyn I happened upon Alter Eco’s Dark Quinoa bars. If you have a thing for Nestle’s Crunch bars like I do, you’ll never want to look back after snacking on these.

dark chocolate quinoa bar

An organic, sustainable, undeniably addictive little chocolate treat, I’ve raved to everyone since finding them. My daughter and I have since depleted our stash. I’m left wanting more, but haven’t found it locally yet. So we turned our chocolate craving in to a play date in the kitchen and crafted our own.

Ingredient wise, it’s as simple as dark chocolate and quinoa. Preparation wise, it’s just a tad more work. (more…)

This Lighter Chicken Caesar Salad with Grilled Croutons Embodies a Local, Fresh Summer

We spent Mother’s Day a little differently this year. My family and I spent the evening at a local farm planting 150 herb seedlings. It felt good to dig in the earth, watch the warm sun set over the vast Kansas prairie, and spend some truly quality time with my husband and daughter.

grilled chicken caesar salad
We left MG Honor Farms with a promise to return and lend our hands to the tomato harvest, and with a lot of fresh greens and veggies. Clint Brauer built the farm on his late grandmother’s land as an homage to her memory. As well, to serve the people of our community, saying, “MGHonor Farms was created to help those who have realized their true priorities, have an option to purchase healthy food for themselves and their families without any herbicides and only organically certified pesticides.”

Every community deserves a resource like this.

kale and greens
The next evening we enjoyed the fresh spring greens and crisp kale in a salad that paid us well for our hard work the night before and reminded us of a promise to enjoy this summer more than any other. Escaping from the confines of winter, a big entree salad that is light and satisfying always feels so refreshing on these warmer days. That’s exactly what we made. (more…)

Jalapeno Cheddar Burger Bite Kabobs Mark the Unofficial Start to Summer

Happy Memorial Day! As we grill our way through this holiday, we (un)officially kick-off summer. The air is filled with charcoal, bug spray, sunblock, and fresh-cut grass and frankly, I’m not mad about a single one of those scents.

Americans are mostly grilling beef today. According to Purdue research, Memorial Day is the largest beef consumption day of the year. Surely none of us are surprised by that. So if you’re going to bite in to a burger this holiday, or any other day this summer, we say be as conscientious about it as possible.

burger kabobs

This year, we’re making beef our side item and letting our fresh, healthy sides be the star of the cookout. With these Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Bites, everyone gets the juicy meat they don’t think they can host a barbecue without while filling up on more of the fruit and vegetable side dishes they’re usually too full to enjoy.

We made these bite-sized burger kabobs with organic ground beef by Suzy Sirloin, a reliable source of natural beef products. Recently they made available an organic product, raised right int he US without antibiotics or growth hormones. Suzy Sirloin’s cows are fed only certified organic grass and grains, and they are USDA Organic certified. Best of all, the organic beef is juicy and full of that big flavor you expect from a burger. (more…)

Sriracha Oven Fries: The Way to a Hot Sauce Fan’s Spicy Heart

Sriracha lovers are a special breed. The hot pepper sauce is the equivalent of Asian ketchup – die-hard fans, like my friend Kenton, will put it on almost anything. And the more the better. So when Lay’s announced the finalists for its Do Us a Flavor contest this spring, and Sriracha was one of the three flavors Americans wanted most, I knew many of my friends wouldn’t be able to resist.

sriracha oven  fries text

But then, Sriracha didn’t win. The Garlic Cheesy Bread did. So what were my friends like Kenton to do when they crave that crunchy, spicy, impossible-to-pronounce condiment? Well, turn to us, of course!

Sriracha oven fries rack

Snack or side, these Sriracha Oven Fries are super simple, exceptionally crisp, and as spicy as your tender taste buds can handle. (more…)

Red Beans and Rice with Shrimp and Sausage Will Jazz Up Weeknight Dinners

red-beans-rice

Now that the weather is turning cooler, I can’t stop thinking about big hearty dinners. You know, the kind that feel like they stick to your bones and make you feel satisfied from head to toe. I’m talking big pots of stew and chili – my favorite winter foods.

This year, I decided to kick off fall with something just as bold, but a little more fun. Why shouldn’t red beans and rice be part of this list of robust meals? It’s as big and bad as they are, and maybe even more delicious.

red-beans-rice-ingredients

I, as usual, make a few adjustments to a traditional recipe to boost the nutrition, save the calories, and let myself enjoy a piping-hot bowl guilt free.

Cooking from scratch is a thrill for me; I don’t mind the extra steps. So I start with dry kidney beans and soak them overnight. I’m old school like that. (more…)