The month of September is ROUGH. The kids are back in school which means: back to packing lunches, back to being their personal uber driver to and from activities, back to school nights, back to homework, back to life. Back to reality. So when I had the opportunity to partake in a Parents Night Out at one of the hottest restaurants in Boston, I was like that mom of 6 leaving her kids with her husband for the weekend.

We're in our first full week of hurried mornings, afternoon schlepping, and scrambling evening dinners. So I'm determined to get back to meal planning to keep my sanity and make sure the boys are getting a home cooked dinner at the end of a long day. One of the things I try to stick to is making a meatless dish one night a week. The kids have embraced #meatlessmondays (and they're always up for Taco Tuesday). Plus I always feel better when I can get more veggies in their diet.

Looking for some easy and satisfying Meatless Monday meals? Here are links to 3 of our favorites that are in regular rotation at our house.

Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe, Toasted Garlic and Bread Crumbs (by Mark Bittman) - this dish whips up in less than 30 minutes from start to finish. I love the simplicity of this dish. And the kids don't even mind the bitterness of Broccoli Rabe. Sometimes I switch it up and use broccolini instead (call me crazy!).

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry (by ChopChop Magazine) - I'm slowly converting my kids to fans of Indian cuisine all thanks to this dish. I love it as it is mostly made from pantry staples. They love it because it's not too spicy. And it's served over rice.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai (by The Kitchn) - I've tried getting my kids on the zoodles train and anything spiralized, but no luck. They're on to me. But then I came across this recipe from The Kitchn marrying Spaghetti Squash and Pad Thai and it was a slam dunk.

Have a great week!

Exhale. View from Welch Mountain, NH.

Like so many of us, I am going through the end-of-summer blues. It's been an amazing summer packed with new adventures and tried and true traditions. To help me and the boys make the transition into Fall, we started a new tradition of going through photos taken this summer and sharing what we're looking forward to this Fall. It's a little bit of closure we all need.

What I discovered in this mini celebration is just how lucky we are. A new home. Good friends. Happy and healthy kids. Trips to the beach. Delicious meals. Loving family. Not to get too sappy on y'all, but yeah, life is pretty sweet.

We soaked up the last carefree summer weekend with a family hike and Labor Day cookout with friends. As a reward for completing the hike and to share a sweet treat with friends, we tried a flight of handcrafted, honey-infused Gather Chocolates from Harbor Sweets. OMG were these good. Even our chocolate aficionado friends were impressed. Equally as impressive is the fact that a percentage of Gather sales will be donated to the Pollinator Partnership to aid in their efforts to protect honeybees and other pollinators.

Gather Chocolates was conceived out of a love for nature and the outdoors. And as its name implies, it's a celebration of the gathering of friends and family. I can't think of a sweeter way to celebrate the end of summer.

Disclosure: Thanks Harbor Sweets for giving me the opportunity to try some Gather Chocolates. As always, all opinions are my own.