The end of summer really is the most amazing time. With so many varieties of produce available all at once, I tend to lose my head and buy a bit of everything! When you combine that with all the produce we have coming in out of our little personal garden, what you get is a lot of veggies. This salad is inspired by all of my end of summer favorites including fresh corn, tomatoes (several varieties if you have them), and sweet peppers....

Tuscan Steak or Bistecca alla Florentina is essentially steak with a touch of olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. It sounds fancy, but like most traditional Italian foods, it’s simple to make. We were first introduced to Tuscan Steak at an Italian restaurant, and have been loving it ever since. The first Tuscan Steak we ever had was a few inches thick and meant to serve 2 people. We were eating in a restaurant where you could watch the open kitchen as your food was cooked....

Placing decorative branches in your vases can fill in the gap in a room like nothing else. I was given the gorgeous crystal vase in the above picture as a wedding gift, and I have to admit I was a bit stumped on what to do with it at first. Because it’s so gigantic, it takes a lot of long stemmed flowers to fill it which can get pretty spendy when there aren’t free flowers blooming outside in the garden....

Driving Going to the Sun Road is a major highlight of any trip to Glacier National Park. You’ll see countless stunning vistas along the way, and may even be lucky enough to photograph wildlife right from your car. This scenic drive is very narrow at a few points with sheer drop-offs just on the other side of the guardrails. It’s definitely a challenge if you have a fear of heights, but it’s a beautiful and quite enjoyable drive for most....

This carrot cake is way too yummy. I mean it’s the kind of delicious that gets you up in the middle of the night to eat another piece straight out of the fridge! In fact, I only make this when I can share it, otherwise, I tend to eat way too many pieces. How to make this recipe step by step Step 5: Let the cake cool completely before spreading the frosting over the top....

Remaking a classic recipe is always a tall order! But after a lot of testing, I’ve finally come up with an almond flour version of the classic chocolate chip cookies I grew up with. And as you might imagine, they’re delicious dipped in milk. In the end, all the slight changes I made to this recipe were worth it because these cookies are beyond delicious. But I don’t have to tell you that, just look at the photos, and you can see their perfect texture....

Grilled veggies are more of a how-to guide rather than an actual ‘recipe’. In fact they’re something we make at least 2-3 times per week all summer long. But I’ve never written it down before because it’s barely a recipe! This guide is also great if you get a CSA or a share from a local farmer because you’ll get all sorts of veggies every week. From there you can just brush them with my garlic olive oil mixture and grill into perfection....

If there’s one thing you’ll always find in my pantry, it would be homemade granola! It’s by far and away my favorite convenience food to meal prep ahead. You can simply pour your favorite milk over it for a quick breakfast, or make my fruit and yogurt parfaits. However it is coconut and nut-based, so I wanted to make a traditional oat-based granola that can be made nut-free if needed....

I have so many hikes and adventures I want to share with you that I barely even know where to begin, so I thought I’d start with the overlooks in Bryce Canyon National Park. Not everyone wants to slog up and down a river of freezing cold water for 9 hours, (The Narrows in Zion National Park which is 100% worth it) but that doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of wonderful sights out there to see!...

When I got a request for a dairy free clam chowder recipe, my first thought was ‘I don’t know about this, that may well be beyond my abilities!’. But I shouldn’t have worried it wasn’t possible, because here we are with the tastiest clam chowder. It’s perfectly creamy, and just the right amount of thickness you’d expect from a chowder. My main concern in creating a dairy free chowder was how to make it super creamy....

These are for your deepest darkest chocolate cravings! They satisfy the need for chocolate at breakfast time like nothing else, with a tender, moist, and fudgy cake doughnut, made double chocolate with a chocolate ganache frosting. I developed these for my husband who loves chocolate cake doughnuts so much that he’s converted me from my favorite Old-Fashioned Glazed. I tried several different recipes to which I got this response – ehh… they’re ok…....

Food prepping is a real lifesaver for busy weeks, which come to think of it, seems to be every week. I always notice a distinct difference in how well the work week goes depending on whether or not I’ve prepped anything ahead. It doesn’t have to be much, but just a few things prepped ahead keeps our household running much more smoothly. It’s also great for keeping us on track with healthier eating habits....

These burgers are so good, they will haunt your thoughts… no doubt about it! As the title suggests, they’re inspired by the famous In and Out burger chain that started in California. I order mine as a lettuce wrap without the bun, so I thought I’d make an at home version the same way. According to the locals, you definitely need to order your hamburger animal style. From what I’ve worked out, this means with a lettuce bun, caramelized onions, and of course the secret sauce....

Sunshine color and vibrant flavor, Lemon Vinaigrette is a classic recipe you definitely need in your back pocket. It goes well with just about any combination of salad you can think to put together. And it’s also great drizzled over roasted veggies as well. How to make Lemon Vinaigrette step by step I really hope you enjoy this Lemon Vinaigrette! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments....

Fruit based ice creams, or ‘nice creams’ as they’re sometimes known, as are nothing short of revolutionary! They’re like a cross between actual ice cream and a sorbet. Another major bonus is they’re so fast to make, you can have ice cream in your bowl in just 10 minutes start to finish – it’s hard to beat that! I make this whenever I have a sweets craving that I just can’t seem to get rid of....

I’m broadening my horizons with this salad, and I’m loving the different flavors! I’ll be the first to admit that I’m addicted to cheese, and I find it really difficult not to include it in every recipe. But for this salad I decided to challenge myself, and make it completely dairy free. There’s so much delicious flavor going on here, you definitely don’t need cheese. But if you’re not dairy free, and you’re a fellow cheese addict, go ahead and add in some crumbled feta – you won’t be sorry!...

This granola dust is a bit of a departure from the original Jamie Oliver version because there’s no oats in sight. He originally developed his recipe as a super food replacement for sugar laden cereals. I don’t know if you’ve been caught up in the granola dust craze yet. But there’s a lot of reasons this is a fantastic idea, and you should make some immediately! I used coconut flakes, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit in my version making it completely grain free....

This recipe is one of those super simple side dishes I make all the time, but I’ve never written down an actual recipe before. But here’s the magic with these green beans – you don’t need to blanch them first! When the water is evaporated, you’ll add the butter and garlic. From there, its all high heat seared magic to create that lovely sautéed flavor. How to make this recipe step by step I really hope you enjoy these Sautéed Green Beans!...

We make fried rice fairly often because it’s a fantastic way to use up little bits of leftovers in the fridge. Sometimes I use cauliflower for a veggie packed version, but sometimes I use cold leftover cooked rice when I’m really craving carbs. Either way you make it, fried rice is both delicious and budget friendly, (and I need all the help I can get in that department). I usually don’t measure anything at all, and some of my variations come out better than others....

I’ve been on a bit of a kick adding freeze-dried fruit to my recipes lately. So it was only a matter of time before I found a way to work it into a DIY as well! I’ve always liked the idea of fruit-flavored lip balms. However, they’re usually fruit flavored strictly through natural flavors, which is one of those ingredients I’m not sure I want in a chapstick/lip balm. So I decided to try adding crushed freeze-dried strawberries into a lip balm for a completely natural strawberry flavor and color....