Guess who found two huge bags of reduced baby spinach while out shopping? Since they were only $0.89 each, and organic, I couldn’t pass them up! Normally, I just substitute spinach for lettuce when I stumble on a great price, but these bags are enormous and we’d have to eat gallons of my favorite Spinach & Orange Salad to use it all up. That’s obviously not going to happen, so I’m getting creative instead. Here are 20 uses for spinach:

1. Kugel/Quiches

2. Stuffing  (Chop & add to breadcrumbs. Makes a great stuffing for chicken.)

3. Creamed Spinach

4. Lasagna

5. Soup  (Works really well in Italian Wedding Soup or Minestrone.)

6. Green Smoothies

7. Pizza

8. Spring Rolls 

9. Sautéed  (I love it barely wilted with garlic, lemon, and olive oil.)

10. Spinach Dip  (Great for raw veggies.)

11. Omelets

12. Pesto  (Substitute spinach for basil.)

13. Sandwiches  (Instead of the typical lettuce leaf.)

14. Panzanella  (Bread cubes, cherry tomato, & cheese.)

15. Tortillas  (If you’re into making the homemade variety.)

16. Pasta  (Works especially well with tortellini.)

17. Meatballs  (Great with ground beef or turkey.)

18. Homemade Baby Food 

19. Stir-Fry

20. And, if you truly can use it all up, you can always freeze it for later. It’s best blanched and separated into small portions. so you don’t end up with a huge block of frozen veggie.

Do you have other creative ways to use spinach? I’d love to hear them!

Since I’m a slow starter in the morning, I love to have baked goods on hand. (For me, it’s easiest to bulk cook a bunch of things at once, freeze, and then take out as needed.) Muffins are always a big hit around my house, and I love experimenting with any kind of muffin recipe.

This one for Blueberry Banana is absolutely delicious! They are very moist and not insanely sweet like certain versions. Most of the ingredients should be in your kitchen already and interestingly enough, they require no eggs—perfect for anyone with allergies.

To make Blueberry Banana Muffins, you will need:

*  2 cups flour  (White is more cake-like but whole wheat is healthier.)

*  1 tsp. baking powder

*  1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

*  1/4 tsp. salt

*  1 cup mashed bananas

*  1/2 cup honey  (Maple syrup could also be used.)

*  6 tbs. vegetable oil

*  1 tsp. vanilla extract

*  1/4 tsp. lemon extract 

*  1/2 cup water

*  1/2 cup blueberries  (I used frozen.)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine remaining ingredients, except berries. Pour this into flour mixture and stir until combined. (Do not stir any longer, or they will be tough.) Add berries and stir to distribute them throughout the batter. Spoon the batter into greased muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Bake for about 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

A dozen muffins is a good amount to start with. If I make this recipe again—and I plan to—I would definitely double it. Not only are they good for breakfast, they make a nice snack or lunch box addition.

Have you ever eaten spaghetti squash? If not, you definitely should try it! It’s a healthy, delicious, and low-carb side dish that will compliment a variety of meals.

For a long time, I resisted cooking squash because I was scared to cut it up (I don’t like fussing with hard shells and knives; you probably don’t either). I’d heard from a friend that squash can be roasted whole and after I tried that method once, I was hooked.

The cooking directions truly could not be simpler:

Start by placing a whole squash on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. By that point, it’s much more pliable, and will easily open, allowing you to gently scrape out the seeds. Then flip the halves over, and return to the oven for an additional 45 minutes. That’s it!

After cooking, let the squash rest until cool enough to handle. With a fork, scrape out the cavity. The strands appear somewhat spaghetti like, but obviously taste nothing like pasta! Some people even claim this can be topped with tomato sauce and used as a replacement. Not true…

Spaghetti squash can be made into a sweet or savory side. For a savory version, try adding citrus juice, butter/margarine, and salt. If you want it sweet, add a little brown sugar.

I made this last with the salmon I found on sale, steamed broccoli, and baked potatoes. It was very well received!