Recipes
Healthy, delicious recipes that I've created through trial-and-error. In addition, these recipes have substitution ideas, fit special diets, and kitchen gear recos. 😃
Ring in the New Year with Spicy Peanut Stew
Whether you believe in “good luck” foods or not, you’ll love to ring in the new year with Spicy Peanut Stew. It’s full of “lucky” legumes – black beans, garbanzo beans, and peanuts. (Feel free to throw in some black-eyed peas, if you’re a purist.) According to popular folklore in the United States and elsewhere, eating certain foods on New Year’s Day will guarantee good luck in the new year. Legumes – especially beans, black-eyed peas, and lentils – are traditionally “lucky” foods because they symbolize money or wealth. Other so-called lucky foods (and recipes) are: Pork – Juiciest Pork Chops Cabbage – Pan-Asian Chicken with Cabbage Greens – Salad…
30-Minute Creamy Broccoli Soup for Kids and Special Diets
Have you tried to offer creamy broccoli soup to a kid? I have. The reaction is a combination of bewilderment and disgust. Once I tricked my kids into actually tasting this (gluten-free, dairy-free, & vegan) soup, they were hooked (yesss!). This kid- and special diet-friendly creamy broccoli soup is ready in 30 minutes and now in heavy winter rotation at our house. Creamy Broccoli Soup Without Cream How to make a soup creamy without the cow? First, the non-dairy milk alternative (NDMA) adds the right amount of white/creamy color and enhances the texture. Note that “creamiest” NDMAs I’ve tried are oat milk and soymilk. Second, nutritional yeast gives the soup…
How to Handle Party Snacking Like a Boss
Don’t you love to hate a good snack or appetizer tray? I know I’ve struggled with how to handle a couple hours of heavy, buffet-style snacking, immediately followed by a mouth-watering celebration meal. You show up already hungry, and the snacks spread out before you like the poppy field in the Wizard of Oz. What to do? Three Approaches to Appetizers & Snacks Delectable bites of sweet or salty goodness are a hit with our taste buds and, like a can of Pringles, once you “pop” (on into your mouth), you can’t stop. Or, it’s really hard to stop! There are three ways to handle the “Snackmeal” before the actual…
Don’t Like Turkey? Here Are 6 Alternatives For Thanksgiving
What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Maybe it’s pumpkin pie, Grandma’s stuffing, or Aunt Paula’s Cherry Cheesecake. I’m willing to bet it’s not the turkey. In fact, I know people who don’t even like turkey, but most of us eat it every Thanksgiving (and Christmas!) anyway. Since 2020 is a dumpster fire already, why not take control (of something) and try some alternatives to turkey for Thanksgiving this year? Why Find Alternatives to Turkey on Thanksgiving? In a recent survey, over half of Americans said that the worst part about preparing Thanksgiving dinner is messing up the turkey. Some common mishaps: the bird gets dried out, takes an hour longer…
One Pan – Double Duty! Pan-Asian Chicken Thighs
What dinner can be made using only one pan and contains elements of both Korean and Thai cuisines? One-Pan-Asian Chicken Thighs … with roasted vegetables! Add a chopped salad, and dinner is served. Why One-Pan Asian Chicken? I found a great-looking recipe for Korean chicken thighs, but was missing a few of the key ingredients – honey and gochujang, to name a few. I used the ingredients I had, including raisins, applesauce, and Thai chili paste. The result was something probably a lot different than the recipe I found online, but the family raved! So, I’m going to share it with you.
No Beans About It – Killer Slow Cooker Chili
Warm up with a slow cooker chili that takes 20 minutes to prep, has no beans, and is super nutritious and delicious.
Fall in Love With Pumpkin Breakfast Bowls
Wondering what to do with extra canned pumpkin? Eat it! Fall in love with a Pumpkin Breakfast (or snack, or dessert) Bowl.
Pumpkin Power! Easy Gluten-Free Muffins to Energize Your Fall
Have you seen the Pumpkin Spice ads yet? Lattes, coffee creamers, nail polish (not kidding). While some new pumpkin spice products are questionable, I know Pumpkin Muffins are a winner. It’s not quite fall, but I’m already seeing Pumpkin Spice everything. Advertised in coffee shops and stores, pumpkin spice is like a retail cue of the fall season. Honestly, I think Pumpkin Spice Lattes (or “PSLs” if you’re a cool kid) are kind of disgusting-tasting, even though I love pumpkin. 😝 And, if you’re trying to reduce sugar intake, PSLs are something you might not want to drink. Pumpkin itself, spiced or not, is an amazing vegetable packed with nutrition…
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No-Bake Cookies – The Easy Way
Amazing Chicken Salad in Under 30 Minutes
Remember the chicken salad of your youth – or, the chicken salad found in the pre-packaged deli section of your local convenience store? I’ll bet it’s a mash-up of pulverized chicken bits, eggs, and mayonnaise … maybe some salt, too. Is it tasty? Maybe. Inspiring? Not really. Visually appealing? No way – it looks like vomit. The Case For Chicken Salad If you like the idea of chicken salad but are looking for something a little more interesting than the chicken-egg-mayo combination, this post is for you! We – meaning I’ve prepared and my family has suffered, er, “tested” – have tried many chicken salad recipes. Curried chicken salad, chicken…
No-Bake Cookies – The Easy Way
Want delicious, chocolatey, gluten and refined sugar-free no-bake cookies in 30 minutes? Me, too. Problem: Hot Day at Home & No Ice Cream It was 100’F outside yesterday afternoon, and my kids had a hankering for a cold treat. They were horrified to find out that we were totally out of any kind of ice cream, ice cream bars, popsicles – even our fresh fruit was room temperature! Solution: 30-Minute No-Bake Cookies Yes, you can have super chocolatey, peanut buttery cookies without using the oven or stovetop. What makes this recipe work The fat is solid at room temperature. You can use any fat – coconut oil, butter, lard –…
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Pumpkin Power! Easy Gluten-Free Muffins to Energize Your Fall
