Recipes

Crockpot Paleo Pot Roast with Mashed “Potatoes”

September 22, 2014

Pot roast is one of those nostalgic meals for me that always tastes like home. This crockpot paleo pot roast is comfort food at its finest – paired with creamy cauliflower mashed “potatoes,” you’ve got yourself a cold weather comfort meal.

Hey! Those aren’t potatoes.

Okay, you caught me. But you’ll never know the difference! If you’ve yet to try cauliflower mashed “potatoes,” run to your kitchen right now. They’re super simple to make and are creamy and as satisfying as the real thing. You can even make a big batch of these faux-tatoes ahead of time and reheat when you’re ready to eat. …

“Secret Ingredient” Protein Pumpkin Pie Bars

September 19, 2014

These pumpkin bars are packed with protein and have all the taste of pumpkin pie, but with one secret ingredient that make them grain-free … garbanzo beans! Just throw the ingredients in a blender, blend to form a batter, and bake.

AND THE PUMPKIN BEGINS! Man I love fall … the leaves, the apple orchards, and the pumpkin recipes.

This is just the first of many pumpkin recipes to come because, let’s face it, pumpkin is a magical healthy ingredient that only really comes around once a year and transforms dessert into a delightful experience.

These “Secret Ingredient” Protein Pumpkin Pie Bars have the taste and consistency of pumpkin pie, but in a grain-free dessert bar! If you’re just dying to know what the secret ingredient is … I’ll tell you. …

5-Minute Healthy Tuna Salad: 4 Ways

September 17, 2014

If you’re even borderline a fan of tuna, you have got to try these variations of healthy tuna salad. It’s a super quick and easily portable lunch option that’s healthy, filling and delicious!

The amount of tuna I have eaten this summer is borderline embarrassing. Whenever I fail to plan ahead and don’t have anything to bring to work for lunch, I always grab a can of tuna! (I buy the bulk packages from CostCo … yeah, it’s serious).

Disclaimer: your coworkers might hate you for eating smelly tuna every day, but ignore them. Delicious food to fuel your day is more important than worry about your reputation of being that girl who brings smelly lunch every day. Trust me. …

Mom’s Homemade Apple Sauce

September 16, 2014

Apple sauce is just another one of those things that’s SO much better homemade! This recipe for homemade apple sauce is one my mom makes all the time – it’s simple and so much healthier than store bought.

Yay for fall! And apples! And apple orchards! And Mom’s Homemade Apple Sauce!

Everything is better homemade, and apple sauce is no exception. My mom introduced me to this homemade apple sauce recipe that she makes all the time when apples are in season. It’s so easy you don’t even need a recipe to make it! Plus, it’s so sweet on its own that you don’t even have to add sugar. Just throw some apples in a pot and you’ll be on your way to enjoying delicious homemade apple sauce that even the picky boys will eat….

Crockpot Zucchini Chicken Parmesan

September 10, 2014

All the flavors of slow cooker chicken parmesan are combined in this crockpot recipe that uses up that extra summer squash! Just dump the ingredients in your slow cooker and let it cook itself.

Guys … this summer has been BUSY! And I know fall is busy for a lot of people, so easy crockpot meals are a must.

With two jobs and a blog to maintain (oh and a social life, gym schedule, etc), I tend to run out of time for basic things – like cooking. And showering. And wearing makeup. Oops.

That’s why I love this Crockpot Zucchini Chicken Parmesan recipe so much. I literally just threw all these ingredients in my slow cooker and let it do the cooking for me.

Sometimes I like to imagine that a tiny hot guy wearing nothing but an apron lives in my crockpot. And he’s cooking over a stove, and then POOF – the meal is cooked to perfection and ready for consumption. No? …. just me?…

Homemade Ice Cream with Fresh Peach Sauce

September 8, 2014

Homemade vanilla ice cream is topped with a fresh peach sauce that just tastes like summer. This ice cream recipe is irresistibly creamy and totally addictive – top with the fresh peach sauce for a sweet treat so good, you’ll never want it to end.

Homemade Ice Cream with Fresh Peach Sauce

Man, I get hearts in my eyes just looking back at these photos. Now I know everyone is all pumpkin this and apple that lately, but I’m still holding onto the last bit of summer! Labor Day weekend I visited my family in North Carolina – which feels a heck of a lot more like summer than Chicago! We went to the mountains to get fresh peaches from the cutest farm, and with it we made sangria AND this homemade peach sauce.

If you’ve never tasted the magic of homemade ice cream in an ice cream maker, you’re seriously missing out. Imagine that store bought stuff taken to like the thousandth degree of deliciousness. After tasting homemade vanilla ice cream, I’ve become a total ice cream snob – the kind from the grocery store just doesn’t do it for me anymore. Trust me when I say, this stuff is worth the effort. It’s creamy, smooth, full of vanilla flavor, and absolutely delicious.

Mmmmm. I like this ice cream so much I could marry it. …

Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

September 3, 2014

All the flavors of jalapeño poppers are stuffed into mushrooms and topped with a crunchy Panko topping. These Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Mushrooms are the perfect side dish or appetizer for any occasion.

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Strawberry Peach Sangria

September 3, 2014

A sweet white sangria recipe that’s easy to make and super refreshing in the summer! Strawberry Peach Sangria is the perfect way to use up fresh peaches.

If I didn’t love Chicago so much, I’d move to North Carolina in a heartbeat. During a trip to visit my family in NC, we visited a peach and apple farm in the mountains, along with a local winery that made their wine completely from local grapes! Since we returned home with an entire peck of peaches and 9 bottles of wine, we pretty much had no choice but to make a delicious Strawberry Peach Sangria.

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Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

August 28, 2014

Sugar-free brownie mix and natural peanut butter are used to make this stupidly easy dessert recipe! Peanut Butter Brownie Bites are perfect to satisfy a sweet tooth if you love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

It’s my birthday!

I’m just hoping Blink 182 was wrong when they said that thing about being 23 …

But I’m pretty confident that EVERYBODY likes you when you’re 23 … if you have Peanut Butter Brownie Bites to share.

These delicious bites of heaven are moist two-bite brownies that are stuffed with creamy peanut butter and topped off with chocolate and peanut butter chips! It really doesn’t get much better than that.

Although recipes using ingredients that come from a box aren’t really my “thing,” these Peanut Butter Brownie Bites are the exception. Plus, everyone should splurge on their birthday. And if you’re me, you celebrate the entire week … err month….

Skinny Jalapeño Popper Pita Pizzas

August 27, 2014

All the flavors of jalapeño poppers are included in this easy and healthy whole wheat pita pizza recipe! With cream cheese, turkey bacon, jalapeños, and Cheddar cheese, these Jalapeño Popper Pita Pizzas are creamy and cheesy with just the right amount of heat.

Can’t. Stop. Eating. Jalapeños.

And cheese. I forgot how good cheese is.

I don’t know what it is about those little green devils that make me want to eat them every day! When we got a whole bag full of beautiful jalapeños in our CSA last week, my first thought was to pickle them for later. Then, I bought a package of cream cheese at the grocery store and ever since I’ve been turning EVERYTHING into a jalapeño popper recipe. See: Skinny Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken.

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