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.

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.

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.
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Cinco de Mayo is one of the unofficial starts of summer and one of the most food-focused holidays in the US. Who would want to pass up a day where tacos, guacamole, and margaritas flow like fireworks on the Fourth of July? If you’re a calorie counter, that might be you.

Mexican food is known to be rich and heavy and full of fat and calories. A meal at On The Border could push you past 2300 calories for two margaritas, chips and salsa, the three ground beef enchilada dinner with chile con carne, rice, and refried beans, and a sopapilla to round it all out. You know that’s more than a day’s worth of calories, right? And we won’t remind you how bloated you’ll feel afterward.

We plan on celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year, and want you to do so, too! That’s why we’re sharing a few tips and recipes to do so with much less guilt.
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My daughter is turning three this week. As any mother can attest, I just can’t understand where the time has gone. She’s smart, sassy, full of song, and has been waiting for her birthday for months. With no prompting she has provided constant reminders of her wish for birthday hats, balloons (one of each color), and a cake (with fire on top) for months. I was happy to finally oblige with all three this weekend.

The cake, of course, is the centerpiece of any birthday party. But I’m also that mom and sugar is a rare treat in our house – birthdays being a reasonable exception. Still, I didn’t want to overload her, myself, or our guests with a sugar bomb topped with more fat and sugar in the frosting. So, I shared my vision for a fresh, homemade, but easier-on-the-sugar cake with our assistant editor and resident baker extradordinaire, Dana.

This Strawberry Lemonade Cake was a hit! It was rich and dense like a restaurant or bakery cake, but felt clean, light, and perfectly sweet. That’s because we didn’t use any butter and went light on the sugar, but made up for it with honey and fresh strawberries.
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“I’m solar powered,” my grandmother recently said to me in the deepest, darkest part of the Winter That Just Would Not End. I couldn’t have agreed more, I thrive on sunshine! That day, the sun had poked through for the first time in weeks and we were all in a better mood. That night, I couldn’t handle sitting cooped up at our table for dinner one more time, so we made our way to the patio of a Mexican restaurant and enjoyed what will be the first of many outdoor dinners this season.

Our complimentary chips and salsa included a tomatillo and pineapple variety that I hadn’t tried before. One bite was all I needed to try and commandeer that part of the sampler. My husband told me I could make it better. Challenge accepted.

By the way – challenge won!
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Spring sports are a great way for kids to enjoy the warmer weather and get active. What is not so great are some of the snacks that are provided after practice or a game is done.

Kids do need to refuel after practice, but healthier choices can be made than the snack cakes and soda that are usually made available. Registered dietitian Mary Hartley, our resident nutrition expert, recommends fruit, yogurt, hummus with pita and vegetables, or healthy homemade muffins as wholesome foods that make good after-practice snacks. She warns against soda, candy, chips and other processed foods that contain a lot of sugar and fat. Though eating something after practice is an important step in refueling the body, it shouldn’t take priority over hydration.

After a long practice, it is most important for kids to rehydrate. “Water is fine, but if heavy sweating is an issue, have a sports drink,” said Hartley. She also recommends chocolate milk as a good drink for refueling muscles because of its ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Chocolate milk can also be a good substitute for sugary snacks by providing kids the nutrition they need and satisfying a craving for something sweet.
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