Between Facebook feeds and trendy lattes, turmeric is sure you be on your radar. It's totally the spice of the moment, and you've no doubt heard about its magical healing powers (immune booster, digestive aid and pain reducer). All hail the mighty T, amiright?!

Christmas week was the greatest. We had so much fun, spent time with so many of our favorite people. Last year I was in a sleepless fog and barely registered what was going on. This year we have a toddler who decorates trees, sings Christmas songs and loves Santa. I am totally the sappy, cheesy, sentimental parent right now. But this year was just so, so awesome.

"What can I bring?" — Erin. "A salad." — Everybody, all the time.

It's most likely due to the fact that I was a vegetarian for 20 years. Or the fact that I'm pretty particular about what I eat. Or that I've got food sensitivities and no one knows what to feed me. Or maybe people really just need someone to bring a salad.

This concoction is so simple that it barely warrants a recipe, however it's such a tasty treat that I couldn't not share. I've been whipping this up every day for the past couple of weeks for the fam. Hattie is a spice junkie, so she just loves it. She really thinks she's a superstar drinking out of her own straw.

This is a pretty basic recipe—energy balls turned protein bars (with the help of some collagen powder), playing up the flavors of the season. I used canned organic pumpkin to make these, but you can absolutely use fresh pumpkin (roasted and pureed), or even sweet potato or butternut squash.

This time last year I ate pesto. Lots and lots and lots of pesto. I remember it well because it was Labor Day week. We were on vacation, but it wasn't really vacation because we had a 3 month old that never, ever, ever, ever slept.

When I lived in Santa Barbara, California, there was a cafe on the mesa where I set up shop just about every day. I did school work, I nursed hangovers, I met people. This cafe sold a special type of iced coffee that was like no iced coffee I'd ever had. They called it "Brazilian Iced Coffee" and claimed it was brewed cold. It was delicious - smooth and a little sweet. The sad thing was, back in 2005, nobody else sold this special potion, so when I headed back east it was time to part ways. Like my penchant for Gucci sunglasses, I left Brazilian iced coffee back in SB.

Are you starting your day with a bowlful of inflammation?

Your immune system recognizes foreign invaders (pathogens, bacteria) and fights them off in a process called inflammation. Immune cells produce cytokines and oxidants, which wipe out invading organisms and damaged tissue. This process is good and necessary for our recovery and health. However, problems arise when your body is constantly fighting off offending situations (chronic stress, poor diet, unregulated blood sugar, gut issues)—leading to widespread inflammation.

Do you love blueberry pie? Try this healthier version of your fave Maine staple.

Fuel Bites are also really, really great for that midday slump that typically sends you reaching for caffeine or sugar, or at nighttime when you're raiding the cupboards for snacks.

There's lots of room to play with this recipe, so I'm sharing a basic template.

Orange rinds contain fiber, B vitamins, Vitamin C (lots), minerals, and flavonoids (anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-heart disease). So aside from lending a punch of citrusy flavor to foods, they're also really, really good for you.

It's been hectic over here—snow, mom and dad got sick, snow, baby got sick, travel due to snow, more snow...you get the DRIFT (oh, puns).

Potatoes are coming up like crazy with my CSA. We've had them mashed, baked, roasted, cut into oven fries, shredded into breakfast hash, and pureed into soup.

I discovered pureed soup when I visited Ireland about 10 years ago. For a week I subsisted on potatoes, pureed soups, breads, cheeses and Guinness. I returned home 600 pounds heavier and with a real affinity for pureed soup.

Want a healthy way to start your Christmas Day? Make this apple bake for breakfast if you have holiday guests staying with you. Or even if you don't. I can't get enough of it lately!

...are you still using bottled salad dressing? Ditch them and make your own instead! It's as easy as dumping a few things in a jar and giving it a shake (hence the name of this dressing).

Many bottled dressing are laced with sugar, corn syrup, preservatives, low-quality oils and other yucky ingredients.

I suppose it’s a little cliché to talk about being grateful this week. But I’m doing it anyway.

Last week I detailed the craziness of my past few months. I got a lot of responses telling me to keep my head up, that it would get easier, that I was doing a great job. First of all, thank you for the responses. You’re awesome.

Granola is one of my all-time favorite snack foods. Unfortunately, a lot of store-bought granola is loaded with sugar and refined oils. Luckily, it's SO easy to make your own at home. Usually I use rolled oats when making granola, but since they've been giving me wicked heartburn lately, I branched out to other grains. So glad I did, because this mixture was delicious!

When the desire for a sweet treat sets in, I listen. Keep in mind, though, that pregnant or not, I'm a Real Food Junkie. So I'm not reaching for Pop Tarts or Oreos or Fig Newtons. Nope— I'm getting crafty in the kitchen, figuring out different ways to combine whole, real, nourishing foods and shape them into desserts that I feel good about eating.

The salads I construct at home are so far superior to what I can get out at restaurants that I don't even want to call them salads. They are huge bowls filled to the brim with high-quality produce, satisfying protein sources, satiating healthy fats, and a slug of super yummy homemade dressing. So really, they're more like bowls of bounty. Bounty Bowls.

Admittedly, buying fresh-made organic juice can be expensive (with good reason—it takes a lot of produce to make one glass of juice). Making your own at home is more convenient and cost-effective, but not everyone owns a juicer. Most of us, however, do have a blender. Here's an great way to make fresh juice in your blender.