Cook your honey an aphrodisiac holiday meal with these ingredients

Holidays are a time when family seems to be at the center of mealtime, and relationships can accidentally get left on the back burner. Well, PattiKnows readers, let's make the effort to move our pots around for a night and cook our honey a special meal during the holidays. And why not super-charge the sexiness of this romantic meal by using aphrodisiacs as ingredients? While there’s no hard and fast science behind aphrodisiacs actually leading to actual increased sex drive, I say it sure can’t hurt. So here are some aphrodisiacs and some quick ideas on how to cook them up. Read more

Real Girl’s Kitchen: Jicama, melon and mango beachside skewers

Beachside skewer recipe by Haylie Duff for PattiKnows
I just got home from a week-long vacation with my mom, sister and my precious little nephew, Luca. So much has been happening in all of our lives that it had been a couple years since we took some time away together. It was pure bliss. It was Luca's (he's 4 months old now) first vacation out of the country and he was so cute in all of his sun protection gear! We swam, read books (I finally finished the third Fifty Shades of Grey book!), played dominoes, drank margaritas, laughed with each other and ate amazing, authentic Mexican food. Other than the three paparazzi boats that were permanently docked outside of our room, we couldn't have dreamed up a better getaway. Read more

Real Girl’s Kitchen: Pecorino & scrambled egg pita pockets

Scrambled egg and pecorino pita pocket recipe by Haylie Duff
I get a lot of people who write in to my blog and ask me for easy breakfast ideas. I love that so many of my readers are busy moms or on-the-go career chicks. So, in honor of all the hard working ladies who can't stand to skip breakfast, here is a breakfast recipe just for you. It's a perfect portion, doesn't require a knife, fork or even a plate and it will keep you full well in to your lunch hour. The pecorino adds a mild saltiness and I love that the cherry tomatoes add a hint of sweetness every few bites. Read more

Real Girl’s Kitchen: Shrimp and grapefruit kale salad

Haylie Duff's salad recipe
There is nothing I love more than a great kale salad. My love for kale runs so deep that I almost capitalize the 'K' every time I type the word. If you read my blog RealGirl'sKitchen.com you are already well aware of my kale obsession. I would eat it at every meal and have even found ways to incorporate it in to breakfast. This salad is just another great way to add some excitement to an already stellar green. If you aren't loading up on kale, here is why you should! Read more

Real Girl’s Kitchen: Chili lime drumsticks

Drumsticks recipe by Haylie Duff
After a few weeks of loading up on vegetarian-friendly dishes, I felt like it was time to incorporate some protein into our diets. These drumsticks are some of my favorite things to make (and eat!) because the flavor combinations are endless. I prefer them on the spicy side, but no matter how you season them, they always come out of the oven juicy and delicious. Since they aren't breaded or fried, you can chow down carefree. Read more

Real Girl’s Kitchen: Haricots verts & spicy buttermilk salad

A girl needs variety. A girl needs choices. A girl needs something new and exciting to munch on at lunchtime and still feel good about herself. Sometimes, this girl just doesn't feel like eating a salad! That's why these sexy haricots verts are the perfect solution to any lunch time salad blues. I call them sexy because they are usually referred to as the "French green bean" due to the fact that they are longer and skinnier than the American bean. They are loaded with lots of chlorophyll that helps to clean your blood and have the slightest hint of sweetness. I love these lean green machines and I think you will, too. Read more