• Kelly Davis
• Turkey Pumpkin Chili

I am not a mom. But it seems like every mom I talk to nowadays is looking for ways to sneak vegetables in their kid's diet. And then you have my family, where about 75 percent of them won't go near a vegetable unless it's deep fried or doused in ranch dressing.

I like to think that my future offspring won't turn out this way. They'll eat vegetables and like them. Or else they'll sit at the table until they've tasted everything, like my mom used to make us do. I tasted my vegetables, and usually first, so I could get it over with. My younger brother, on the other hand, would fall asleep in his plate well after the rest of us had left the table.

But just in case my kids takes after some of my pickier relatives when it comes to their palate, I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and one of them just happens to be this chili.

• Kelly Davis
• Crockpot Chili

• Kelly Davis
• Roasted Squash and Maple Tofu Spinach Salad

Salads get a bad rep during this time of year. I don't know about you, but when the cooler weather starts to set in, I'm all about chili, soups and stews — none of this cold salad mess!

But I've found a way to continue enjoying salads during the colder months. I just need to dress them up with seasonal produce and some warm toppings to take my salad aversions to salad cravings.

Yes, it is actually possible to have cravings for salads, especially when they're this yummy.

• Kelly Davis
• Parmesan Beet Chips

Beets are one of those vegetables that used to make me go "Blech!" I had only tried them boiled and let's face it, unless you're making mashed potatoes, you should never boil a vegetable. Boiling does nothing for food that doesn't have the most delicious reputation in picky circles. Boiling just adds insult to injury.

• Kelly Davis
• A healthier chip alternative

Beets and I have come a long way though. She went from a stranger that I avoided like the plague to a careful acquaintance I spoke to occasionally. And since discovering the deliciousness of baking or roasting beets, we're becoming good friends. Especially when she's sliced thinly and baked, all dressed up in parmesan cheese.

Yes, beets and I are getting along quite nicely.

• Kelly Davis
• Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

This time of year, people are crazy for pumpkin. And I have to admit that I'm one of those people.

But while the rest of the pumpkin heads are clamoring for their pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes and pumpkin scented candles, I'm getting a little more creative. I like the sweet spicy smell of all these pumpkin treats, but one cannot live on pumpkin bread alone.

Enter pumpkin black bean soup. It's hearty and super filling, with a subtle spice. If you're looking for more bite to your spice, toss some of my toasted spicy pumpkin seeds for crunch and another layer of delicious flavor.

This soup is perfect for those of you who can't get enough pumpkin in your life, but it's also great for those of you who just can't get on the pumpkin bandwagon. It's a completely unique take on the most loved squash of the season.

• Kelly Davis
• Spicy Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

I'm a die-hard tomato soup fan. But it wasn't until I had tomato bisque in a restaurant that I started making my own. After tasting a thick and hearty bisque with complex flavors from additional vegetables and spices, Campbell's Soup just wasn't going to cut it.

I whipped this soup up for a fancier take on tomato soup for lunch with a friend. It was surprising how such a delicious soup, that you might find in a high-end restaurant, could be whipped up in a little over 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes of cooking time. And let's be honest: Letting the soup simmer requires absolutely no effort. You can kick your heels up and rest while lunch practically makes itself.

This soup is as easy as it is elegant.

Feel that, Charlotte? There's a cool breeze in the air and the promise that fall will be here soon. Nine days, in fact.

But for me, the first day of fall is just another day on the calendar, and fall is so much more than that. My favorite part of this new season is the return of comfort food to my kitchen. When I say comfort food, I immediately think of soup. Soup is about to make a comeback in my kitchen and in a big way.

• Kelly Davis
• Potato, Leek, & Cauliflower Soup

You can make enough to feed an army with very little effort and freeze it to be enjoyed whenever you like. Not that that ever happens in my house. My soup goes pretty fast. I am not the Soup Nazi, but I am the Soup Inhaler. When I find a soup I like, I eat it at every meal, so excess soup is rarely a problem. My husband has also been known to eat my soup for breakfast. I don't like to brag, but the fact that he'll eat my soup for breakfast ... well, that's saying something.

• Kelly Davis
• Potato, Leeks, Cauliflower, and Shallot

While the rest of you are fighting the traffic and the crowds of the DNC, I escaped the drama to relax on the rural North Eastern coast of North Carolina at my in-laws house. One of the things I like best about coming out here is my husband's family always have a lot of seasonal produce, especially fruit.

• Kelly Davis
• Fresh Ripe Figs

This time of year, figs and pears are abundant. As soon as I arrived, they invited me to taste their huge juicy figs. I cut one open and marveled at the magenta jeweled center. One bite of a fresh fig and the difference between them and grocery-store-bought figs is obvious. These were no different. They were at the peak of their ripeness.

I have big plans to make fig jam later today, but first I wanted to share with them (and you) one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh figs.

I can't take credit for this recipe. Two years ago, I complained that figs weren't sweet enough to my liking on my own personal blog and a friend and reader reached out to me to tell me her favorite way to enjoy the fruit. I only made one small adaptation to the recipe, choosing to broil the figs to bring out their succulent juices, as opposed to leaving them raw. Other than that, this recipe is completely Claire's.

It would make a lot more sense if I called this recipe Figs du Claire, but Figs à la Claire just has a better ring to it?

Making sense is the least of my worries.

• Kelly Davis
• Before and After

• Kelly Davis

Without protein, smoothies are just fruit and liquid. Protein makes a smoothie a meal. It makes a smoothie more filling and aids in muscle recovery if enjoyed soon after a tough workout. You can add protein to your smoothie by including dairy milk, yogurt or even cottage cheese.

However, my favorite way to get some extra protein in my diet and improve its flavor is to use protein powder — whey protein to be exact. Most whey protein has anywhere from 18-22 grams of protein!

I've heard a lot of complaints about the taste of protein powder, so I recommend trying a few different brands to find the kind that you like best and finding a few smoothie recipes that you enjoy (more on that later).

Here are a few whey protein brands that I've tried and really liked:

- Biochem Whey Protein(lactose free)
- Jay Robb Whey Protein
- Designer Whey
- MetRX Whey Protein
- Click Espresso Protein (contains caffeine)

Whey isn't for everyone. Some people are lactose-sensitive and have trouble digesting whey protein. However, if your stomach can't handle dairy, there are several brands that are lactose-free, like Biochem. Another great one to try is Blendtopia's smoothies. 

Whey is made from the whey isolate of cow's milk — a byproduct of making cheese, so it is not vegan-friendly. But there are a lot of options out there for those of you who still want to amp up the protein in your animal-free smoothie.

• Kelly Davis
• Vegan Protein Powder

• Kelly Davis

Even though the weather in Charlotte has cooled down to a bearable 80-something degrees, I'm still loving smoothies for breakfast. They're especially wonderful those days that I do not have time to sit down and eat a proper breakfast at the kitchen table. They're so easy to sip in the car. I'm typically a sweet breakfast kind of girl. Even if I have eggs, I like to have some fruit alongside them. It would be great if I could get some vegetables into my breakfast. But how do I do that, when I wake up craving something cold and sweet every morning?

Green smoothies to the rescue!

A lot of people don't believe me when I say that you can add leafy green vegetables to your smoothie and can't taste a difference. I swear, it's like they're not even there. I don't have to tell you about the benefits of leafy greens, but here goes: They have a significant concentration of vitamins and minerals, are low in calories, and as my mama would say, "They make you pretty."

But let me assure you, one more time, because it bears repeating — if you add a cup of less of greens to your smoothie, you will not be able to taste them at all. Plus you'll reap all the benefits of eating a salad for breakfast.

And just to get you started, I'm giving you a two for one deal today — two recipes for the price of one blog post.

Check them out. They're incredibly delicious!

• Kelly Davis
• Pumpkin Pie Smoothie