Vegan, Paleo & Gluten Free Archives

Pineapple and Orange Fluff Parfait {Skinny, Gluten Free and Vegan Options}

on August 25, 2015April 10, 2017 By Kelley 10 Comments

This beautiful layered parfait is basically an ambrosia copycat. I had no idea what ambrosia was until a few years ago when I encountered the strange concoction at a BBQ. I spotted a large glass bowl billowing with white fluffy fluff stuff, dotted with orange and yellow bits- What the heck is that I asked? “Oh that’s ambrosia- just try it,” was the reply. Which I did, as I’m usually up for trying just about anything! I was love at first bite- sweet, light, and airy, with bits of orange, pineapple, coconut and occasional marshmallow that was soft and melty. So of course I got the recipe- it was made with whip topping (I’m a big fan!), sour cream (weird, right?), canned pineapple and orange chunks, shredded sweetened coconut and marshmallow. It was so amazing but also basically a WHOLE LOTTA SUGAR!

So I went out and made my own- and it’s guilt free, made with clean ingredients, and oh so yummy! First I use fresh pineapple and oranges to avoid the sweetened canned fruit, and I used TruWhip for the whip topping (which I found at Whole Foods, but is also at most grocery stores), vanilla yogurt (you can use soy or coconut based yogurt),“clean” marshmallow (also at Whole Foods- I used Dandies brand), and all natural/unsweetened shredded coconut. The fresh oranges and pineapple are loaded with vitamin C to provide a wonderful immune boost. I have a entire post that shares all the health benefits of pineapple- click HERE to read! And HERE is another great article on the health benefits of pineapple by HealthAmbition.com.

This takes 5 minutes to put together- quick, easy and so good!

My Cuisinart Immersion blender comes with a small food processor attachment which is soooo handy for small quick jobs like this. That way I don’t have to bring out the “big gun” and have a lot more clean up. I highly recommend and you can order it via Amazon HERE (its the last item on my “Shop My Pantry Page”).

Pineapple and Orange Fluff Parfait {Skinny, Gluten Free and Vegan Options}

Pineapple and Orange Fluff Parfait- skinny, clean, gluten fee and vegan options

1 cup of pineapple and oranges (cut into small pieces)
¼ cup of vanilla yogurt of choice (greek, coconut, etc)
¾ cup of whip topping (I used TruWhip, or you can use whipped coconut creme as an alternative)
½ cup of marshmallows (I used Dandies’ Brand- gluten free and vegan)
¼ cup unsweetened coconut shreds

Use a food processor to chop up the pineapple and oranges until they are small ⅛” chunks.
In a bowl mix together the yogurt, whip topping, marshmallows, and coconut.
Layer a few tablespoons of fruit, then the whip mixtures, one on top of each other in a mason jar or other glass bowl. This make one large personal serving.

Cotton Candy Blizzard {DQ Copycat & Lightened-up!}

on August 21, 2015April 10, 2017 By Kelley 7 Comments

When my family drove cross country to relocate, we had thousands of miles on the open road to cover in 2 days. It was a big daunting task. There were many nondescript hours of nothing to exciting look at, just the arrow straight highway flowing right out to the horizon. We packed lots of healthy food for the trip to keep us fueled, but on a tight deadline and thousands of miles to cover, you can’t really avoid the fast food joints (Although we did try!).

I must confess, Dairy Queen got me through this trip. I would drive a slew of hours and reward myself with a DQ Cotton Candy Blizzard, as a “atta girl” for knocking off another 6-8 hours. Heck I deserved it, right? And it tasted SOOOOO GOOD! COLD-CREAMY-SWEET-with a distinct cotton candy flair which reminded me of the summer fair.

Like many of my other indulgent recipe inspirations, this one arose in the middle of the night when I had a craving for the Cotton Candy DQ Blizzard and there was none to be found anywhere nearby. And of course- I made made some healthy tweeks, but it’s equally as tasty!

I found a cool cotton candy online store called, Cotton Cravings. They sell all natural, organic, gluten free, preservative free cotton candy in exciting flavors such as Temping Toasted Marshmallow, Happy Happy Birthday Cake, Dulce de Leche Deluxe! The ingredient line reads: “Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Flavor, Natural Color, That’s it!” And you can order it right to your door, no needing to wait in line at the local fair!

You can make your own ice cream (coconut based, frozen yogurt, almond milk based- your choice), or just go out a buy your favorite, as I did (no ice cream maker in this house :(-yet!)

If you love this Cotton Candy Blizzard then I think you my be interested in this Birthday Cake Protein Shake:

Ok so here we go- a simple, easy peasy, and lighten-up DQ Cotton Candy Blizzard:

Cotton Candy Blizzard {DQ Copycat & Lightened-up!}

Cotton Candy Blizzard {DQ Copycat and Lightened-up} Gluten free, dairy free options

1 cup of vanilla ice cream of choice (frozen yogurt, coconut milk or almond milk ice cream all ok)
¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other milk of choice)
½ cup cotton candy (any flavor)
Optional: If you want your blizzard to extra thick so you can turn it upside down you can add ¼ cup frozen coconut creme.

Mix all the above ingredients in a high speed blender, and blend on high until smooth. Add only a small amount additional milk to blend if necessary.
Top with excess cotton candy and serve. You may need a spoon!

Sticky Garlic Noodles {An’s Famous Garlic Noodles Copycat, 15 minutes, Gluten-free}

on August 10, 2015December 22, 2020 By Kelley 82 Comments

These sticky garlic noodles taste just like the An’s Famous Garlic Noodles and can be made in under 15 minutes! And my version is gluten free! One word of caution- they are so very addictive! I strongly advise you use chopsticks to eat these tasty noodles so you don’t inhale them too quickly (as I did ;))! I just couldn’t get enough!

On a recent date night my hubby took me to a swanky Japanese joint that had an amazing menu! Some of the mouth watering options included crispy lobster dumplings and kimchi fried rice- but one menu option stood out from the rest- AN’s Famous Garlic Noodles. It was in BOLD and set aside from the other options. This really got my mind moving- just garlic noodles? Sounds soooo simple, too simple! How good could it actually be???? My curiosity got the better of me and I went ahead and ordered it!

The minimalistic white bowl arrived at the table with a fancy pair of black chopsticks. I peered into the depths of the deep white bowl and sized up the golden colored noodles. They were arranged in a perfect swirled pattern. Rising steam brought the scent of soy and garlic. I started salivating and jumped right it! They were heavenly. Divine. Perfect. And in 5 minutes they were gone!

So ever since then I’ve been dreaming of making my very own.

So back to the sticky garlicky noodles! The simple sauce is what makes this dish.

The flavors come together beautifully and have the perfect balance of

Garlicky-Salty-Buttery-Subtle Sweetness! YUM!!

This recipe can be adapted to pretty much any diet restriction as well!

For instance:

Gluten-Free: Quinoa Noodles or Brown Rice Noodles

Vegan– use a vegan butter substitute

Paleo– Sub noodles for Zoodles (zucchini noodles) and replace butter with ghee. You can order the Spiralizer (to make Zoodles) HERE.

Meat Eaters– Add chicken, pork or beef 😉

I’ve got EVERYONE covered, right!?

Now for what you have been waiting for……Here is my secret recipe:

Looking for ANOTHER AMAZING NOODLE RECIPE??? Try my RIDICULOUSLY ADDICTIVE Peanut Noodles too:

LOVE Noodles(or zoodles!)!? Get my ASIAN NOODLE BOWLS E-COOKBOOK complete with follow-along videos for every recipe!

Sticky Garlic Quinoa Noodles {An’s Famous Garlic Noodles Copycat, 15 minutes, Gluten-free}

Crazy Good Sticky Garlic Noodles, An’s Famous Garlic Noodles Copycat. Gluten Free, Paleo and Vegan recipe options too!

8 oz of gluten-free noodles (brown rice, quinoa noodles, zucchini noodles, etc)
3 tablespoons butter (or ghee, or vegan butter spread)
1/2 cup green onions (plus a few extra tablespoons for garnish, chopped)
3 garlic cloves (diced)
2 tablespoons of coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
2 tablespoons of tamari (or soy sauce)
Optional: 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce

Boil the noodles according to directions until al dente, drain, and set aside (add some butter so they don’t stick together after draining).
Meanwhile in a saucepan over medium-high heat melt the butter.
Add the green onions and garlic and stir for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the sugar and stir vigorously until it is completely dissolved.
Add tamari (or soy sauce), and mix in thoroughly.
Toss the noodles with the sauce, plate and garnish with fresh green onions.

Melt In Your Mouth Chocolate Chip Cookies {Healthy, Paleo, Gluten Free, Vegan}

on August 2, 2015April 10, 2017 By Kelley 14 Comments

Oh MY! These HEALTHY, GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN chocolate chip cookies are to die for! I’ve stumbled upon something here, that not only is good for you, but it actually rivals some of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had in my lifetime as a cookie-connoisseur.

Cricket was a big help in the development of these cookies. As she slept the day away on the couch (where she really isn’t suppose to be-shh!), she suddenly jumped up and made her way to the oven, using her beagle-keen nose to sniff out the rising goodness in the oven. I had her approval and I knew that was a good sign! Then when the hubby got home and tried them out he was absolutely smitten! These cookies are his new proclaimed favorite!

I usually go for the soft, thick and chewy kind of cookie over the crispy thin ones. Everyone has their preference- what’s yours? I wanted to let you know that this cookie actually doesn’t fit into the two common cookie categories of soft and chewy or thin and crispy, but don’t be disappointed! It has a texture all its own and it’s amazing! -Buttery, crumbly, almost like a shortbread that explodes with flavor and dissolves in your mouth, further enhanced by melted chocolate goodness.

A huge bonus- these are loaded with healthy fats and protein from the almond meal, and very very little sugar, these cookies are actually nutritious! So you can have an extra one if you wish and not think twice.

This recipe calls for palm shortening (which is trans fat free!!), a key ingredient in getting these cookies to be so plump and moist. You can most definitely find the palm shortening at Whole Foods or a health food store, or order the brand I use off of Amazon.

Click HERE to view “My PANTRY” (products I recommend, and option to order if you’d like).

If you LOVE these cookies then you MUST try all my other chocolate chip cookie recipes! Each and everyone one is delectable and delicious!

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE ENERGY CUPS

CHOCOLATE SQUARED COOKIES

Melt In Your Mouth Chocolate Chip Cookies {Healthy, Paleo, Gluten Free, Vegan}

Healthy Melt In Your Mouth Chocolate Chip Cookies- Gluten-free, no flour, dairy-free, paleo friendly and vegan option!

1 cup Almond Meal
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon of almond butter (alternative-cashew butter or peanut butter)
1 ½ tablespoons of butter (I always use grass-fed butter, like Kerrygold brand, Vegan option use 3 tablespoons of palm shortening and no butter, softened)
1 ½ tablespoons of palm shortening (see above on where to get it)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut sugar (alternative -brown sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoon chia seed (alternative- ground flax)
1/3 cup chocolate chips (vegan alternative- dairy-free chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life brand)

Preheat oven to 350 degree F
In a bowl cream the wet ingredients- butter, shortening, and almond butter. They should be soft, not melted.
Add the coconut sugar, vanilla. and chia seed to the wet ingredients and mix.
In a separate bowl combine the almond meal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and mix.
Add wet ingredient to dry, and mix until dough is uniform, then mix in chocolate chips.
Form 1 ½” balls and place on a cookie sheet
Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes, or just until they are slightly golden on top.
Let cool, then remove and enjoy! Makes about 10-12.

Cookie Dough Stuffed Pancakes {Indulgent & Healthy!} {Gluten-Free&Grain-Free Option}

on July 31, 2015April 28, 2021 By Kelley 8 Comments

Do you like eating raw cookie dough? I certainly do. In fact, I think I enjoy it more than the baked cookies! I also love sweets for breakfast, especially on a lazy weekend morning! My go to weekend breakfast is pancakes (not cookies, usually!) with sweet sticky syrup, but I often feel hungry about an hour after I finish my stack. Does that happen to you as well!? Well there is a reason for that- your everyday pancakes are make with empty white carbs leaving you with a brief carbohydrate and sugar rush, but no sustained energy. There really isn’t much in the way of nutrition in a stack of pancakes!

So I am here to save the day! I will let you have your pancakes, and eat them too, (with no guilt and sustained energy!)!!! AND I make them even better by stuffing them with cookie dough-yummy!

Light and fluffy, these grain-free and gluten-free pancakes taste just like the real deal. Then I stuff the pancakes with a nut butter-based cookie dough to give you a healthy dose of protein and healthy fats. Voila- dessert worthy, HEALTHY, WELL-BALANCED cookie dough pancakes!

Also the trick to making the “stuffing” part very easy is thanks to Nagi at RecipeTin Eats. She has a recipe for Nutella Stuffed Pancakes where she freezes the nutella to make it a much less messy endeavor!

These are my fav weekend no-guilt indulgence, and I think they will be yours too!

Why do I use coconut oil and coconut sugar in most of my recipes? Find out why HERE.

You can also purchase the brands I use and view other products I love and recommend HERE.

Here are the basic steps to stuff your pancakes:

1. Combine your dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle and add wet ingredients. Mix, but do not over mix!

2. Smear the cookie dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and stick in the freezer.

3. Once the pancake is cooked most of the way through, add your frozen cookie dough disk, cover with pancake batter, and flip!

AND if you like these you will also love my CARAMELIZED SUGAR WAFFLES! Check them out too!

Cookie Dough Stuffed Pancakes {Indulgent & Healthy!}

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed pancakes that are so indulgent you’ll never know they are healthy! Also includes a bonus gluten free recipe option!

PANCAKES:

⅔ cup almond flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 pasture-rasied eggs
¼ cup cashew milk (or almond milk)
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
dash of salt
1 teaspoon of grass-fed butter (ghee or oil of choice for pan)

COOKIE DOUGH MIDDLE:

½ cup of natural cashew butter or almond butter
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 teaspoons coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ tablespoons of dark chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Brand, chopped)

Combine the nut butter, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and chopped chocolate chips, and mix well. You may need to soften the nut butter slightly (microwave a few seconds) depending on the consistency. Or if your nut butter is particularly thick you can add a little melted coconut oil as well.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment.
Smear 1 tablespoon of cookie dough with a spoon, making a flat disk. You should have about 8.
Place in the freezer to set while you make the batter!
To make the pancakes whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
Make a well in the center and add egg, luke warm almond milk, and melted coconut oil.
Wisk all the ingredients together, it may be thick and a little clumpy, which is fine, but do not over mix the batter.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add a touch of coconut oil (or coconut oil spray).
Remove cookie dough disks from the freezer and remove them from the parchment paper.
Laddle pancake batter in the skillet (turn temp down to medium- no oil smoking!).
Allow pancake to set and you will see bubbles rising and the pancake with cook through (no wet batter). (*or for the lazy version make two pancakes and layer the cookie dough in between-it will melt between the pancakes, they just will not be officially “stuffed.”)
Check the bottom of the pancake to make sure it is not burning, if so, turn temp down.
Once there is no runny batter on the top, place a cookie dough disk on top and laddle just enough pancake batter to cover the disk, then flip pancake and finish cooking.
If you pancakes are too thick and not cooking through, dilute the batter further with additional almond milk.
Should make about 8 pancakes.

Pineapple Rise & Shine Smoothie Bowl

on July 30, 2015June 29, 2021 By Kelley 2 Comments

When I think of summertime I think of laying in the sun at the beach, windows rolled down in the car, the smell of flowers and fresh cut grass, and fresh tropical fruit- like watermelon and PINEAPPLE! I love fresh fruit- how sweet and juicy it is when it’s in season, and it’s so good for you too! Pineapple is packed with vitamin C, manganese, thiamin (vitamin b-1), and bromelain which aids in digestion of protein.

For more information on the health benefits of pineapple click HERE. HealthAmbition.com has an excellent article about pineapple’s health benefits and you can read that HERE.

I love to freeze fresh pineapple chunks to use in smoothies during the hot summer months. The result from using fresh frozen fruit to replace much of the ice is a more flavorful, less icey, more smooth, smoothie!

I made this smoothie extra thick, so you can eat it with a spoon and it feels more like a meal than a drink.

Everyone in your family, kids included with love this smoothie! It tastes much like the Pina Colada Julius from Orange Julius- creamy, smooth and sweet, but made with healthy and simple ingredients!

Pineapple Rise & Shine Smoothie Bowl

Healthy pineapple smoothie bowl- vegan, gluten free, paleo

¾ cup frozen pineapple chunks
¼ cup pineapple juice (you can reserve this much juice when cutting up your pineapple or use canned pineapple juice)
1/2 cup of almond milk
¼ cup of full fat coconut milk (the canned kind)
5 + ice cubes
a few drops of stevia or maple syrup if needed for sweetness
optional- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (whey, or soy/veggie-based, chia, hemp, coconut flakes on top)

Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender. I use my Vitamix. It has a super high powered motor that blends thick smoothies exceptionally well!

Eggplant Involtini {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free, Vegan}

on July 26, 2015December 22, 2020 By Kelley 12 Comments

Eggplant parmesan was among one of my favorite dishes growing up. The crispy breading surrounding the soft delectable eggplant, smothered in tomato sauce and melted mozzarella would be my go-to dish at the local Italian restaurant. Although the meal tasted so good going down, I never felt great in the aftermath. The heavy cheese and fried breading would leave my stomach feeling like I had swallowed a brick!

This dish that I created has all the wonderful flavors of eggplant parm but transformed in a fresh, light and healthy way.

It is easy to make- no pan frying and excessive baking!

It’s dairy free and gluten free! It’s so DELICIOUS!

For you all that avoid dairy, KITE HILL makes and amazing almond milk ricotta that is just like the real thing, maybe even better. You can find it at most Whole Foods. I highly recommend it! You can also make your own almond milk ricotta- here is a great recipe by Beard and Bonnet.

The key to getting the eggplant soft and pliable without it becoming soggy is to bake it first. I got this idea from America’s Test Kitchen. Do you watch that show? It’s one of my favorites! I occasional binge watch it on the weekends and keep a notebook nearby to scribble down ideas. Sounds exciting, eh? Well for this kitchen nerd it’s a wonderful and exciting time! 🙂

This dish is sure to be a family favorite!

Eggplant Involtini {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free, Vegan}

2 medium eggplants (peeled and sliced lengthwise ⅓” thick)
2 tablespoons olive oil
few dashes of salt and pepper
1 cup almond milk ricotta (I used Kite Hill brand, or you can make your own, see above for recipe)
½ cup panko (omit for Paleo, and increase ricotta by ¼ cup)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tablespoon chopped basil
½ tablespoon lemon juice

Tomato Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can of organic whole peeled tomatoes (chopped, save the juice)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
¼ teaspoons red pepper
salt and pepper (½ teaspoon of each)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Slice each eggplant lengthwise into ⅓ “ thick sections.
Line cookie sheet (you may need 2) with parchment paper and grease with olive oil.
Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Lay them on the lined cookie sheet, not touching.
Cook at 375 degrees F for around 25-30 min or until tender.
Remove eggplant once tender and place them on a drying rack or flip occasionally while cooling to prevent condensation making them too moist.
While eggplant is in the oven heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped garlic, red pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.
Cook for about 30 seconds and then add chopped tomatoes and the juice from the can.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken the sauce, then remove from heat.
In a bowl combine the ricotta, panko, basil, lemon juice, garlic salt, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, stir to combine.
Pour the tomato sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish (Or if you used a cast iron skillet to prepare the sauce you can lay the eggplants on to the sauce in the cast iron skillet.)
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of ricotta mixture on the wider end of the eggplant and roll them up.
Place each roll seam side down into the sauce.
Place the skillet or dish into the oven for 15-20 minutes more until hot then you can increase heat to broil and move the dish up to the top rack to brown and crisp the top of the eggplant if you wish.

{No-Bake}Chocolate Hazelnut Bars

on July 23, 2015April 10, 2017 By Kelley

This past week I set out to make a high protein, nutrient dense, and energy packed bar that tastes great, and the result was something that would pass as a dessert(that is, if you like chocolate, peanut butter and hazelnuts!- but who doesn’t really!?)!

I stored these tasty bars in the fridge and they were a great grab-and-go snack that left you full and satisfied, while addressing that “I-need- chocolate-NOW” craving at the same time, a bonus! Better yet, they are NO BAKE, super easy to make, and loaded with quality ingredients such as chia seeds, hemp seeds, hazelnuts, almonds, coconut oil and honey. I did use chocolate chips in my version, but you can choose to use cocoa powder (mixed with the coconut oil) if you wish!

Also, I just joined Yummly and will begin posting my recipes there as well to share! If you haven’t checked it out definitely take a look! (click here to go to Yummly)

“Yummly was launched in 2010 by foodies on a mission to invent the ultimate kitchen tool. Whether it’s finding a recipe or going to the store, Yummly wants to make it easier for foodies to do what they love – cook, eat, and share!

Yummly’s mission is to be the largest, most powerful, and most helpful food site in the world.”

You can find pretty much any recipe you are looking for on Yummly and “YUM’ them (aka save them) to your recipe box, and/or add them to a collection so you can refer back to them when your ready to cook up something great!

Please hit the “YUM” button for my recipes to add them to your collections!!!!

{No-Bake}Chocolate Hazelnut Bars

1 ½ cups chopped hazelnuts
1 ½ cups chopped almonds
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup of hemp seeds
½ cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup coconut oil
½ cup natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
dash of Himalayan or celtic sea salt

In a saucepan mix the coconut oil, peanut butter and honey over low-medium heat until melted and smooth.
In a bowl combine the nuts, chia, hemp seeds, chocolate chips,and dash of salt and mix.
Pour the oil mixtures over the dry ingredients and mix to coat evenly.
Spread in a greased 8”x8” in pan, and press the mixture down firmly.
Cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, then remove and cut into bars.
Store in the refrigerator (or freezer).

Frosted Grapes with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

on July 21, 2015April 10, 2017 By Kelley 9 Comments

When you want something LIGHT, SWEET, and COLD on a hot summer day, frozen grapes are a super healthy snack to pop poolside while soaking up the sun! Sure you can just throw some grapes in the freezer, but why not dress them up a little, right? A little coconut sugar and chocolate drizzle turns a healthy snack into a no-guilt dessert and you feel fancy eating something so delicate and beautiful!

Red grapes also contain resveratrol, which you make have heard about before! Resveratrol in the phytonutrient present in wine, and it also is in the skins of red grapes! Resveratrol supports heart health and promotes longevity! Grapes also contain antioxidants called polyphenols that aid in preventing cancer, and the flavonoid quercetin that decreases inflammation. In addition, grapes are low calorie at only 104 calories per cup, and high in water content to help keep you hydrated while you’re sweating it out in the sun!

Frosted Grapes with Chocolate Drizzle

Frozen red grapes sprinkled with coconut sugar and drizzled in dark chocolate.

1 bunch of red grapes (rinsed)
1-2 tablespoons of coconut sugar (or granular sugar alternative)
2 tablespoons of melted dark chocolate (you can also melt some coconut oil, mix with cocoa powder and sweeten with stevia for a lower sugar option)

Rinse the grapes, place on a paper towel and dry partially. (leave some moisture for the sugar to stick)
Place the grapes in a large freezer ziplock bag and pour in the sugar and give it a shake to coat the grapes.
Put the bag of grapes in the freezer for a few hours or overnight. (They can stay in the freezer for several days and still taste great.)
When you are ready to eat them, remove from them from freezer, melt chocolate, and drizzle it on top of the sugared grapes. Enjoy immediately!

(Sources: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=40, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271156.php)

Get more info on the healthy benefits of grapes here!

Mac&Cheese {Lightened-up/Gluten-free}

on July 13, 2015January 27, 2021 By Kelley

When I’m not in a sweets and chocolate mood and want something savory it is often CHEESE that I am craving! Yep those are my two weaknesses! Melting cheese on almost anything makes me very happy. I love grilled cheese, mexican dishes with, yes, cheese, cheese dips, cheese plates (yes please!), and my fav mac and cheese. Yes I am cheese obsessed!

Cricket loves cheese as well, her favorite is provolone. Mine, is well, too many to comment! I appreciate them all for their unique qualities and tastes 🙂

When I say I like mac and cheese I do not mean the kind that comes in a box, all watered down and runny! If I’m going indulge, I want my mac and cheese extra cheesy with stringy, gooey cheese- the real deal. This recipe is designed specifically to have that thick cheesy sauce, but I was able to lighten it up considerably by diluting the cheese sauce with pureed butternut squash and spices. I also decided to use gluten-free pasta (brown-rice based), and you would never know it wasn’t the real thing. If you’re looking to fulfill a desire for cheesy goodness over pasta you must give this a try!

Mac&Cheese {Lightened-up/Gluten-free}

A lighter and healthier creamy Mac and Cheese

3 cups pasta (I used gluten free)
2 cups butternut squash (cubed)
¼ cup almond milk (regular milk is fine as well)
1 tablespoon butter (or oil of choice)
½ cup onions (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (optional if using shredded cheese)
optional: ½ cup of shredded gruyere-cheddar blend cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Boil pasta until al-dente texture is reached, drain. (drizzle some olive oil to keep pasta from clumping)
Boil cubed butternut squash until fork tender, drain and set aside.
Saute the butter, along with the onions and garlic, spices and salt and pepper in a pan until they are translucent and beginning to brown.
In a high speed blender combine the butternut squash, onion/garlic/spice mixture, almond milk, and nutritional yeast.
Blend on high until a smooth, thick consistency is reached.
In a bowl pour the sauce over the pasta, coat evenly, mix in shredded cheese, and put into a casserole dish or pan (I used a cast iron skillet)
Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees F or warm on the stovetop (medium-low) until hot and bubbly.