We received a complimentary meal to facilitate this review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The new year is upon us, and like so many we are trying to make some changes to our eating habits.  In my family of five, we have two meat-eaters and three vegetarians.  You’d think that having vegetarian kids might mean that they willingly eat healthy.  Vegetables are a struggle, and the list of foods that make the kid-approved list is terribly narrow.  Add in that the kids all inherited my sweet tooth, and there’s a lot of room for improvement.

Souplantation Winter Delite Menu

So part of our 2019 plan is focusing on presenting better options, both in nutritional value and also just varied offerings.   When we were invited to visit our local Souplantation to sample the Winter Delights menu, I jumped at the chance.

My kids love Souplantation, and visiting as we dived down the path towards better choices was so perfect.

Souplanation is a salad bar and buffet, filled with farm-fresh, made-from-scratch recipes, that’s perfect for families.  Matt and I made ourselves custom salads; the kids skipped traditional salads and instead filled their plates with assorted foods like broccoli florets, raisins, and rotini rainbow pasta.

Being able to select their own food, mainly the quantity on their plate, makes my picky eaters a little more brazen in their choices. Plus, Souplantation offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-friendly foods to suit our diverse dietary restrictions.

My kids tried some new foods and cheered that there were also some of their favorites available, too.  Hello, pizza, garlic bread, and mac and cheese.  My kids adore you.  Want to know what’s best about those traditional kid favs? The sizes!

As we try to do better, reminding the kids that having their favorites is okay.  Have the pizza, but make it a small slice.  Eat the muffins, but make them mini muffins.

Sweet Orange & Cranberry Muffin Recipe

We filled up without feeling bogged down at Souplantation thanks filling up our salad plates and sampling other yummy foods.  To keep the good food vibes we were enjoying going, I decided to make a Souplantation seasonal recipe at home.  These Sweet Orange & Cranberry muffins are a sweet way to celebrate the freshest flavors.  I opted to make mini muffins, just like at Souplantation.

Trying new flavors in sizes that make sense is part of the reason we adore Souplantation.  Nibbling on our yummy Sweet Orange & Cranberry Muffins at home  makes me so excited to go back to try more from the seasonal menu!

Save the recipe for later

Ready to sample the fresh flavors of Souplantation with your family?  Find your nearest location here. 

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There are certain recipes I need each year to make it feel like the holidays.  The most delicious fudge that takes hours of stirring; my aunt Betsy’s mint chocolate brownies with their layers of chocolate, mint, and perhaps heaven.  Each year I know that I need the traditional favorites, but I also love to add in new treats to the mix.

These Holiday Thumbprint Cookies are going to be your new favorite cookie!

You may have had the peanut butter blossom cookies before.  The yummy peanut butter cookie is rolled in sugar.  Once baked, a Hershey Kiss is added to the top.  The peanut butter/chocolate combo is to die for.  Let’s mix it up this holiday season by combining these traditional blossom cookies with some hints of red velvet goodness.

One of the things I love most about these cookies is that there’s something for everyone.  My peanut butter lovers are happy; my chocolate lovers are happy.  Plus, having a job for each of my three daughters is a huge win too.  You would be surprised that they are all actively looking for jobs, but when it comes to baking they all want to get their hands dirty (literally and figuratively).

Unwrapping the Hershey Kisses is  great job for my preschooler.  She also is very good at “poison testing” to make sure the kisses are suitable.  The peppermint bark flavor is like a chocolatey cane cane.  The red and white striping of the kisses is perfectly matched to the red cookies and white sprinkles.  If you can’t find them in your local store, feel free to swap in any flavor of kiss that you adore. 

Cookie Exchange Recipes

Looking for more recipes to bring to a cookie exchange this holiday season?  Remember that it doesn’t have to be a cookie.  Any sweet treats are popular for swapping with friends and family.

Cotton Candy Fudge

Looking for a way to treat your little ballet dancer?  Make Sugar Plum Fairy-inspired fudge that’s filled with cotton candy flavored sweetness.

Maple Butterbeer Cookies

Accio cookie!  These maple butterbeer flavored cookies are downright magical!

The holidays are here, and it’s time to start baking.  What treats will you be making this holiday season?