A healthy pumpkin dip recipe that’s perfect to serve at a party with apples, celery, graham crackers, or whatever you wish!

Every time fall rolls around, I dust off my boots and sweaters, beg my friends to go to the apple orchard with me, and (most of all) buy multiple cans of pumpkin puree to make it into delicious and healthy treats. I can give or take apple desserts, but PUMPKIN I can’t resist. I get pumpkin wasted. I love pumpkin so much I could marry it. Okay you get the point.

So I’ve seen a version of this cookie dough dip that uses chickpeas, oats and chocolate chips to make an edible healthy cookie dough! I thought to myself … what would make that delicious treat even more delicious? But of course – adding pumpkin!…

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Once you discover the magic on Naan Pizza, you might never go back to making crust again. This Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Naan Pizza couldn’t be easier, yet it’s packed with amazing flavor.

I’ve discovered the magic of caramelized onions. Well … actually I’ve always been aware of the magic, but for some reason I could never seem to perfect them. I’d always either try to cook them too fast and burn them, or get impatient and eat them before they had a chance to fully caramelize.

Well, I’m here to tell you that caramelized onions are Mother Nature’s gift to this Earth and you should probably make a batch every week. I scramble them into eggs, use them to top pizzas, toss them into roasted veggies, and the list goes on and on. Simply cook a few chopped onions in a little butter until they get all nice and caramel-colored, and they turn out wonderfully sweet and full of flavor. They instantly take any dish from blah to YUM!…

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This Turkey Spinach Artichoke Panini has all the flavors of the delicious dip, in an easy-to-make panini recipe. This is a great healthy lunch idea that’s so much better than a boring turkey sandwich.

Well, my blog is called Smile Sandwich and I think this is the first sandwich I’ve ever posted. To be honest, I’m not a huge sandwich person. I was one of those children who would eat everything in my lunch and come home with my sandwich still in its bag. Unless I drank too much the night before, sandwiches still don’t really do it for me …

PANINIS though!? Oh man, do I love a good panini. I fell in love with paninis in college – they’re all I ate when I realized I had gained the freshman 20. (Yes, paninis were my idea of the healthiest food I could stomach)….

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Make these Apple Pie Overnight Oats at the beginning of the week and eat them for the next couple of days! It’s a protein-filled healthy breakfast recipe that tastes amazing – cold or hot. 

Overnight oats and I go way back. All the way back to college. I opened the fridge one day and saw a mason jar, much like this one, filled with a strange goopy substance and I immediately set out to investigate. When my roommate tried to explain to me that refrigerating oats until they are soft, then eating them cold, was a thing … I looked at her like she had completely gone off the vegetarian deep end. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more weird than falafel. …

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A lightened up version of an Indian food classic that includes potatoes. This Lightened Up Crockpot Potato and Chicken Tikka Masala is as easy as dumping the ingredients in your slow cooker … it practically cooks itself!

Can you believe that in my 23 years of life, I had never tried Indian food until last month?! I had no idea what I was missing. It’s possibly some of the most flavorful, comforting food I’ve had … and it’s so easy to make a lighter version at home.

This Crockpot Potato and Chicken Tikka Masala is like your classic recipe, but with potatoes mixed in with the chicken. I had some extra potatoes to use up and only two chicken breasts thawed, so I decided to cook the two in this delicious Tikka Masala sauce. Hello, budget-friendliness! Since the potatoes are included in the dish, I ate this plain without any rice.

Plus, this makes a LOT of food and it doesn’t take very much to fill you up since it’s so rich and spicy. I’d even recommend freezing half for later if you’re only feeding a couple people. Since I cook for one, I ate this leftover for lunches all week – still good!

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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. …

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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. …

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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. …

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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. 

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….

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