Lauren Tate

Did you know it’s a fact that pasta salad recipes will fix any boring party? I’m only 50% Italian, but I’ve always only identified myself as such. This sounds awful, but I couldn’t even tell you what the other 50% is. My mom calls herself a mutt 🙂 That said, I’m a disappointing Italian – …

More and more people in my life have had to eliminate gluten from their diets recently, for one reason or another. This includes my husband, so this hits very close to home for me. Whether it’s just our own family dinner, hosting a BBQ, or attending a cookout at someone else’s house, I’ve been spending …

There’s a lot of buzz words floating around about nutrition lately, it seems. Gluten free, dairy free, whole 30, 21 day fix approved, paleo, clean, and the list goes on! My family has recently gone gluten free  for health reasons (you can read about that here) and I’ve had to adapt how I cook to …

As a parent, I find it so important to document every milestone my son hits. The easiest way to do this is through photographs! In the age of Pinterest, it can be overwhelming to come up with just one way of documenting something as important as your child’s first day of school photo. Have no …

Nothing says “summer” quite like slicing into fresh plump watermelon! Watermelon’s got it all– vibrant colors, robust flavors, and a refreshing crunch. Most fans of the fruit are used to simply carving it into handheld wedges and serving them cold. But did you know there’s a variety of creative ways to serve this summer favorite? Let’s check …

If your family is anything like mine, we like to gather for a super-sized brunch of delicious and indulgent breakfast foods. While the star of our brunch- an Italian sausage (one spicy, one sweet) omelet is a family secret recipe (I don’t even know it!) I wanted to share several recipes that I love or …

Sing it with me: It’s the mo-ost, wonderful time of the ye-e-e-e-ar. That’s right. It’s prime cookie time. Did you know holiday cookies don’t have calories? That’s right. I just made up that fact. But hey, indulge a little! Baking Christmas cookies is a really special tradition to me. I spent many long nights assisting …

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, and it’s time to start planning that holiday menu. Perhaps you’re like me and realize that it is much easier to host a holiday meal than to bring your kids somewhere else. Last year, my daughter was only two months old and the idea of traveling to a family member’s house, …

Gear up, gang. Halloween is THIS WEEK! Life happens quickly, though, and sometimes we aren’t as prepared as we want to be. Or, maybe your child hasn’t given much thought to their Halloween costume? Or worse – they keep changing their mind! Maybe they’re dressing up with friends and you need to coordinate with the …

Babywearers, please raise your hands! I am such a sucker for babywearing Halloween costumes. Baby (or toddler, let’s be honest) is snug and warm on your chest or back, and your hands are free to help your older kids – or eat that Kit Kat you snagged from their treat bag. Your child gets to …

Kids eat at school, right? Then why do they come home like they haven’t seen a speck of food in days?! Something must happen on that bus ride home. For your sake and theirs, an after school snack needs to be three things (in my opinion, anyway) – fast, simple, and healthy. Sure, scarfing down …

I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it is already back to school season! Why does summer fly by, year after year? Why can’t winter fly by and summer drag? Ah, I digress. It’s big, exciting times in our household – my son, my first born is starting school for …