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. 😃
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Make The Ultimate Comfort Food This Winter – Chicken Vegetable Soup
Have you ever told your family that you’re making Chicken Soup, and they respond with a sad-faced sigh? I don’t know why husbands and kids think soup is boring – that’s crazy! When it’s cold outside, nothing says “warm and soothing” like an ultimate comfort food like Chicken Vegetable Soup, and this is a recipe that got rave reviews from my picky eaters. How to Make Chicken Vegetable Soup Exciting Chicken soup has a reputation for being bland. After all, it’s what you’re supposed to eat when your stomach is upset, right? With a few creative ingredients and some unexpected toppings, chicken vegetable soup is transformed from “just OK” to…
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Amazing Super Bowl Party Dips That Aren’t Guacamole
Sick of guacamole? Me either – I could eat it forever! Still, if you’re looking to change up the dips you serve this superbowl, here’s a roundup of non-guacamole options that are healthy and delicious. There are options for every dietary restriction – all are gluten-free, most are paleo, and some are vegan and dairy-free as well. I’ve included helpful labels to let you know which categories they fall into. Easiest – Homemade Ranch Dip Gluten-Free, No Sugar Added Ranch Dip – it’s a crowd-pleasing classic, not to be underestimated! Mix a cup of sour cream with 1 – 2 tablespoons of these dried herbs and spices and a few…
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How to Make Better & Cheaper Protein Bars at Home
Tired of spending money on protein bars that look (& sometimes taste) like a piece of you-know-what? With the help of my taste-testing family (and lots of failed attempts), I’ve learned how to make protein bars at home that taste better and are a lot cheaper than prepackaged ones we buy. Have you ever been in an airport or grocery store looking for a healthy and convenient snack and wandered over to the protein bar aisle? There are dozens of carefully-concocted bars that have just the right “macros”, are shelf-stable, and come in mouth-watering flavors like “chocolate chip cookie dough” and “peanut butter pie.” Follow-up question: How many times do…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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 –…
