Sausage Gravy over homemade biscuits was a typical weekend or holiday breakfast growing up. Long before I started limiting my wheat intake, I stopped eating this deliciousness because I would always get a stomachache. Now, it’s back with a makeover for healthier Sausage Gravy over Roasted Sweet Potatoes. There are definitely some things that you just can’t replace, but lucky for me, I like the new sweet potato version even better!...
It’s no secret around here we love the cranberry-orange combination. So I guess it was only a matter of time before I put it together into a kombucha mocktail. This customizable drink is so festive looking it’s perfect for the whole holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas and all the way into the New Year. You could even make a large batch of this for a large pitcher, or the most stunning punch bowl you’ve ever seen....
Well… as you know, I’m completely head over heals for zucchini noodles because they’re so delicious. And of course I have a spiralizer which barely ever gets put away because we’re always using it! Then there was the avocado baked eggs trend where I finally caved, tried them out, and made this Mexican Avocado Baked Eggs with Salsa version, which is still a brunch favorite. So please tell me I’m not the only one who hasn’t jumped aboard the golden milk train!...
When it comes to side dishes, I like to keep my recipes quick and easy with maximum flavor! We mostly lean towards bowl food types of dishes for an ‘all in one’ approach. But sometimes it’s nice to make a side dish or two to go with a simple entrée. With loads of green beans at the Farmer’s Markets right now, I knew I had to do something with them soon....
We’ve been wanting to go sea kayaking for a while, so it seemed like the natural thing to do when we finally made it to the ocean on our road trip. We decided to just take our iPhones along on our Meares Island Sea Kayaking Adventure because we wanted to enjoy the day without spending every single second freaking out about drowning my big camera! (So every photo today is from my phone....
I love getting requests for recipes because more often than not, it takes me outside my comfort zone and into ideas I would’ve never had myself. This peanut butter banana cream pie is just such a recipe request. I often make my No-Bake Banana Cream Pie or these Deep Dish Peanut Butter Cheesecakes Brownies, (which are a spin off peanut butter pie). But I really would’ve never thought to combine the two flavors on my own....
Sugar scrubs are one of my favorite remedies to rough/dry winter skin. I always have the best of intentions going into winter that I’m actually going to moisturize everyday. But life gets busy, and it ends up being more like once a month instead of everyday. After a few months of this negligence, the cold weather really takes it’s toll, and my skin starts to have some permanent dry patches....
I’m going to be honest with you… I stopped roasting turkey for Thanksgiving a few years back. It just took too many hours out of the day and cut into fun time on the holidays. Instead I would roast a chicken to go with all the side dishes I made ahead. That way, we could go skiing, or for a winter hike and still come home to enjoy dinner. So I’ve been roasting turkey pretty much around the clock lately, and there have been a couple of key tips that I’ve come up with....
Today we’re pairing decadence with no-bake convenience in this Nutella inspired tart. It looks impressive, yet it’s quite easy to make. Although I won’t deceive you, peeling the hazelnuts takes a little time, that will more than rewarded when you take your first bite! The ultimate dessert for me is one that can be made ahead, and kept in the refrigerator so there’s no work to do when you’re actually in the middle of entertaining....
The West Rim Trail in Zion National Park shares a section called Walter’s Wiggles (a steep set of switchbacks – see 2 photos below) with the famous Angels Landing. A lot of people do this 15-16 mile hike as a backpacking trip, but since we were short on time, we decided to just hike what we could of the trail. To do the whole trail, you’ll need to arrange for shuttle services because the main trailhead starts in Virgin, UT, and you will be dropped off at Lava Point....
Don’t be fooled by the double coconut in the title, because it doesn’t really taste like coconut, just a deep caramel flavor. The coconut part of this recipe comes from the coconut sugar and coconut cream, which is what makes this recipe healthier than a traditional caramel sauce. It’s dairy free but it doesn’t loose any of it’s richness, and coconut sugar is a great alternative to regular sugar. It’s not that I’m saying alternative sweeteners are healthy – they’re ‘healthier’ which is good enough for me!...
I’ve been making variations of this Vietnamese Noodle Salad for over a decade now. We never get tired of these vibrant flavors, and it doesn’t hurt it’s so easy to make as well. It features some of the best early summer produce, and you’ll find it on our table most weeks. This salad is packed with produce, so it really is best to make during the summer when things are plentiful....
Apple crisp has always been a homey and comforting favorite. It’s the perfect fall dessert. And in my experience, even people who don’t care for sweets much, still love a good apple crisp! Orange juice also adds a touch of natural sweetness to the apple filling. And I’ve found I don’t even add any extra sweetener if I’m using McIntosh apples. They have the perfect balance of tart to sweetness paired with a bit of orange juice....
This recipe is one of those ‘best of summer’ kind of flavor combinations. Not only is salmon in season right now. But what better way to cook it than a cedar plank on the grill? It’s nice and simple, with no real cleanup. After the salmon is done, it’s topped with a homemade Greek Salad. And from there you don’t really need much else to complete dinner! In fact it’s hard to eat anything else once you taste this combo....
And I know I’m not alone in this, because everyone I know loves butter chicken once they’ve first tried it. So of course that means we all need an easy and healthy version to make at home. This one is made in the Instant Pot for ultimate ‘hands off’ approach. But I’ve also included stove top instructions as well below. You can serve this butter chicken with any side you’d like....
I started out with my Salsa Chicken, then there was these Chicken Tinga Tacos, and this Beef Barbacoa. And now today we’re moving on to carnitas! While I love every single one of these recipes, these carnitas have my heart since it’s nigh impossible to beat shredded/pulled pork. This recipe makes a large quantity, so it’s perfect for entertaining, or as part of meal prepping. It’s not really a good option to make a small batch of carnitas since pork shoulders already come in large quantities....
This sauce is going to come into your life and envelop you in its incredibly creamy embrace. It’s quite simply the #1 recipe we make at family holidays, birthdays, and pretty much all occasions. We’ve been making it for almost 20 years now, and yet everyone in my family still requests it! I know that seems like a little over the top, but I do save the truly outrageous claims for my family’s all-time favorite recipes....
We started this second to last day of the Canadian Road Trip series by pulling an all nighter. (You can find all the different stops and trails hiked all linked at the end.) There was a giant record breaking storm moving into the Canadian Rockies at the end of September. And since we had almost bald summer tires on, we knew we needed to make some tracks towards home....
They’re the kind of mangos you see with yellow skin, and they taste like no mango you’ve ever had before. They’re sweeter with subtle flavors I can’t really describe, and the best part is they’re not fibrous and stringy like the usual mangos. With their superb texture, they make an awesome salsa/snack/smoothie – well… you get the idea, they’re delicious in everything! When mangos go out of season, feel free to substitute pineapple which is generally more available and doesn’t really seem to have a season....
And of course there are so many desserts to choose from as well. So I hope you’ll find these recipes bring life to your holiday table despite any dietary restrictions. For appetizers you & your guest might enjoy are my Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Dates or my Antipasto Platter. You can sub in some dairy-free cheeses to make both of these recipes paleo. Below you’ll find even more vegetables to choose from in addition to the above menu....
