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Pandora – The World of Avatar During a recent Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, we had the opportunity to get a complete tour of the gorgeous and magical Pandora – The World of Avatar. Disney Imagineers partnered with Avatar filmmakers to bring Pandora to life. The imagery and meticulous details of this land are breathtaking! If you’re planning a trip to Disney in Orlando, Florida here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect as you step into a magical, imaginative world....

I recently scanned the menu of a popular smoothie shop in my neighborhood, marveling over some of the unusual ingredients: Brown rice protein, adaptogenic mushroom mix, cold-pressed turmeric juice, and something called Blue Magik. I’m sure every single one is packed with promise, but sometimes a girl just wants what’s familiar (say a straight up Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie this like one). It’s creamy, deliciously nutty, and just so simple....

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Lately I’ve been experimenting with coconut rice, not the sweet dessert rice that accompanies mango slices, but the savory type, more like a pilaf, cooked with grated coconut and aromatic spices like cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. If you like coconut (hello dad!) this one is for you. I keep eating the rice and coming up with excuses to make more. Flexible Coconut Rice Recipe I’ve made several versions of this coconut rice recipe — with clarified butter, with plain butter, with coconut oil....

Thick and Hearty Seafood Chowder This delectable Creamy Seafood Chowder recipe is hands down, my favorite chowder recipe, and that includes seafood chowders I have had in some top seaside restaurants! The creamy broth is seasoned perfectly with garlic, onions, hot sauce, thyme and so many more flavors. Toss in tender red potatoes, savory hunks of cod, crab meat, lobster, scallops, or just about any kind of seafood you like. It’s a flavorful meal that is packed with protein, calcium, and nutrients that will wow any seafood lover....

Every time I cook Cajun or Creole I’m in awe of the balance and strength in the cooking there; it’s one of the few places in the United States with a long-standing cuisine all its own. This dish, étouffée, is one of that cuisine’s crown jewels. What Is Étouffée? Étouffée basically means “smothered,” and it is a common cooking technique in the South; a fricassee is the same deal. You make a flavorful sauce and cook a meat or fish in it, not so long as a braise or stew, and not so short as a sauté....

Shrimp Tacos This delicious shrimp taco recipe was a favorite when we lived in California. Our cousins, Cory and Kristen made these for us and we were blown away! The crunchy homemade coleslaw combined with sweet and tangy cilantro dressing and perfect pink shrimp all wrapped in soft tortillas make the best shrimp tacos I have ever had! We make them all the time during the summer, since it doesn’t require much cooking....

A Twist on Spinach Artichoke Dip Instead of making a classic spinach and artichoke dip, I doubled the spinach usually called for and added feta cheese for a saltier dip. (Be careful not to add too much salt while you cook the spinach, since feta is pretty salty on its own.) If you’re really missing the artichokes, though, go ahead and add a can. Just halve the amount of spinach....

Sweet and Spicy Crockpot Ribs Summer is winding down and football season is just beginning. It’s time to bring out the man-food. I don’t know about you, but I love pork ribs, especially when they are saucy and fall-off-the-bone from the Crockpot. The messier, the better. These Crockpot Ribs are just that. They are so good and so easy to prepare too! We like to serve these with potatoes and fresh corn, and maybe a salad if we want to feel a little less guilty....

Skinless legs and thighs are marinated in a tenderizing mixture of yogurt, lemon juice, and spices and the meat is slashed to the bone in several places helping the marinade penetrate and the chicken cook more quickly. The chicken gets its characteristic red hue from either lots of fiery chile or the addition of red food dye. We’re not that big on food dyes here, so we’ve skipped it, but if you must have your chicken bright red, feel free to add a bit of red food dye to the marinade....

That simple list of ingredients also lends itself to so many off-the-cuff variations that you could make another 20 cocktails that are somewhat brighter, boozier or even herbal tasting. Start with this template, though, and work from there—it’s hard to go wrong. History of a Tequila Sunrise For all of the fanciful “histories” of the tequila sunrise it is most likely a variation of the Singapore Sling. A “gin sling,” Ngiam Toon Boon’s Singapore classic combined gin, a cherry liqueur, Cointreau, and pineapple juice, with fresh lime juice and soda water....

The problem with many store-bought pie crusts is they have an acrid aftertaste from the preservatives and fats—like certain shortenings—used. Trader Joe’s pie crust is made with real butter, and it tastes buttery. I like its balance of flavors and shortbread-like texture. It is slightly sweet, meaning you can use it for savory—like quiche—and sweet pies. I buy it in bulk, especially during the busy holidays and summer fruit season, because there’s always stone fruit ripening on my counter....

This month we’re pleased to welcome Katie Morford as part of our January Reset Challenge! Katie is a San Francisco-based cookbook author and registered dietitian who writes the blog Mom’s Kitchen Handbook. Like most teenage girls, I embarked on more than a few diets during high school trying to skinny myself down to what I considered an acceptable size. I rarely had much success in tipping the scales, but I did manage to mess with my natural intuition around eating....

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We love any excuse to try a new chicken recipe, especially Hot Chicken! A few months ago, our friends at American Pecans hosted the #NotJustPie contest on Instagram and Twitter, asking fans to break pecans out of the pie shell and show off their best non-pie pecan recipes, and it’s clear why this Pecan-Crusted Nashville Hot Chicken came out on top. We all have Crystal Schlueter of @HomeOnTheIronRange to thank for her creative Southern recipe, featuring creamy cornbread grits and a tangy collard greens pesto....

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Traditionally a Middle Eastern meat-based food sold in shops, it’s not uncommon nowadays to find eclectic spins on the original, such as vegan “cauliflower shawarma” and “chicken shawarma hummus bowls” or “shawarma poutine.” All About Chicken Shawarma Chicken shawarma’s ingredients, method, and style vary from region to region. Usually, the chicken marinates in spices and an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice or yogurt. The chicken can marinate for as little as one hour, up to overnight....

Breakfast Quiche for the Holidays My mom always makes a big breakfast on Christmas morning. We love this quiche, but sometimes we switch it up. There are so many yummy breakfast recipes to choose from. Whether you like eggs, or pancakes and waffles, there is something for everyone. I like making this Christmas Breakfast Quiche during the holidays. It makes the house smell amazing as everyone is waking up to start the day....

Easy Blackberry Cobbler This Easy Blackberry Cobbler is easily my favorite kind of cobbler. I love the tartness of the blackberries, the juices seeping into the sweetness of the golden, crunchy cobbler topping. Add a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and you won’t be sorry. My (very picky) two-year-old licked her bowl clean and begged for more. If you haven’t had blackberry cobbler before I can almost guarantee you that it will quickly become a new favorite!...