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Name: Lemonade Mint Julep
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup water; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; bourbon or other GF alternative; 1 cup fresh lemon juice, (about 4 medium lemons); sparkling water; handful of fresh mint leaves; lemon slices and more mint leaves for garnish

Lemonade Mint Julep

Mar 8, 2017 · Leave a Comment

This lemonade mint julep recipe blends summer's most refreshing fresh squeezed lemonade and stirs it up into spring's hottest mint julep cocktail! Lemon, bourbon, mint, and sweet that's perfect for an outdoor party, watching the Kentucky Derby, or just a relaxing time outside on your back porch!

I was definitely one of those little girls who was obsessed with horses and ponies growing up.

Unfortunately for my husband, I never got over that.

When I was in vet school I spent my summers working on the nearby horse race track.

I spent many summers in Kentucky showing my horses and visiting race tracks.

Every spring Atlanta has its annual Atlanta Steeplechase and Alex and I are sure to host a party while cheering from the crowd.

So to say that spring time surrounding the Kentucky Derby is a big deal for us would be an understatement.

To also say that I am a mint julep connoisseur would be ~~fairly~~ extremely accurate.

Attending all of these horse related races and events comes with drinking a fair share of mint juleps.

When I decided to go out on a limb and combine two of my favorite sipping drinks for warm and sunny spring afternoon's watching horses go by, I decided it was time to introduce lemonade to the julep.

So that's when I tried my hand at squeezing some juicy fresh lemons into some hand-squeezed lemonade just like Cotter Crunch did in their Turmeric Ginger Lemonade.

Then combined the lemonade with the crispest mint julep ingredients, mint, bourbon, and a quick simple syrup.

The end product is nothing but deliciously refreshing, sweet with a pinch of lemony tart, a bit boozy, and minty and fresh.

Now does that sound nothing but completely delicious?

There's three ways to make this lemonade mint julep work:

ONE: If you like the muddled mint in your glass I would recommend muddling the mint and simple syrup in each glass individually and then adding in the lemon juice, ice, bourbon, and sparkling water to each glass separately.
TWO: If you don't like little bits of green floating in your cup, then as the simple syrup is cooling, muddle all the mint leaves for all 4 servings in with the simple syrup during the cooling process.
Once the simple syrup has cooled, then separate the muddled mint leaves from the syrup by running the mixture through a spaghetti strainer.
After it's been strained then you can add all your ingredients to your glasses without any little bits of mint floating around.
THREE: If you are needing a mocktail of this lemonade mint julep then simply take out the bourbon.

Lemonade Mint Julep

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Simple Syrup

½ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar

Drink Ingredients

bourbon or other GF alternative
1 cup fresh lemon juice, (about 4 medium lemons)
sparkling water
handful of fresh mint leaves
lemon slices and more mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium heat until the water starts to simmer. Allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes while the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the mint leaves and one shot of bourbon in the bottom of each glass. Muddle the mint leaves. Once the simple syrup has cooled enough pour the syrup in equal amounts into each glass and muddle the mint again.
Top each glass with ice. Pour ¼ cup fresh lemon juice into each cup. Top with sparkling water, add a straw, lemon slice and more mint leaves, stir, and enjoy!

Notes

This lemonade mint julep recipe is intended for a 21+ audience. See other recipe notes in the "tips" section.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 people
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225

Items used to make these lemonade mint juleps:

Muddler
Mason jar mugs (or try these very sophisticated mint julep cups!)
Cutting Board
Knife
Striped straws

Thanks for stopping in friends and please remember to drink responsibly and readers under 21 should make the mocktail option! Thanks!

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Healthy Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce Chicken

Feb 25, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Healthy Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce Chicken combines fresh cilantro and avocado with healthy greek yogurt and lime in a food processor for a creamy flavorful sauce that can be drizzled over any grilled meat or salad and takes just minutes to make!

I know that summer seems like a far stretch for many of you right now but here in Atlanta it's 80* degrees today.

So basically spring is here and so my mind goes straight to spring and summer recipes that can enjoyed outside.

In our house we are big fans of grilling meats and then putting our own spin on sauces and dips in little competitions to see who can make the better sauce.

When I decided that I wanted to make a light and creamy sauce to drizzle over my chicken I immediately thought that avocado needed to be in the mix somewhere.

Avocado sauces have never let me down. I absolutely love the sauces in my garlic avocado pasta and the baha avocado pasta doesn't ever disappoint either.

So I mixed it up a little bit and went with a creamy mixture of avocado, greek yogurt, lime, sea salt, and massive handfuls of fresh chopped cilantro for a thick and creamy avocado sauce that has all the best flavors of summer.

Table of Contents

Avocado Cream Sauce Ingredients:

For full detailed instructions on avocado crema sauce, scroll down to the recipe card below.

1 small avocado
¾ cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
⅓ cup fresh cilantro
2.5 tablespoon lime juice
4-6 tablespoon water
¼ teaspoon sea salt

How to make Healthy Avocado Cream Sauce for Chicken:

Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor and process until thick and smooth.
Add in the water a little at a time and process until the desired sauce thickness is achieved. Enjoy!

Healthy cilantro avocado cream sauce chicken tips:

I would highly recommend using a blender or better yet a food processor to mix up this cilantro avocado sauce. That way the cilantro will blend up into very fine (and non-chunky) consistency.
You can drizzle this skinny sauce over any meat and it's delicious. My preference is grilled chicken but pork, beef, or over a salad is so simple and tasty too.
Store any extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. The color may change slightly to a more brown color the longer the avocado sauce sits in the fridge.

How to store leftover avocado cream sauce:

You can store any leftover avocado cream sauce in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Because of the avocado in the creamy sauce, I have heard from readers that sometimes this sauce turns a slight brown (just like guacamole does in the fridge!) when refrigerated without the avocado seed stored in with the leftovers.

This post may contain affiliate links to items I use in my recipes. Please read my disclosure.

Items used to make this avocado cream sauce:

A nifty food processor. A food processor will chop up that cilantro into really fine bits making your creamy sauce very smooth.
A high-quality nonfat plain greek yogurt.
Legit sea salt that's delicious.

Need some other saucy chicken recipes to try. Try these:

Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce Chicken

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 small avocado
¾ cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
⅓ cup fresh cilantro
2.5 tablespoon lime juice
4-6 tablespoon water
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor and process until thick and smooth.
Add in the water a little at a time and process until the desired sauce thickness is achieved. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 people
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250

Sweet Potato Stir Fry + Chicken Sausage (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Low Carb)

Feb 10, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Sweet potato stir fry with chicken sausage slices are combined with fresh vegetables and a simple sweet and savory paleo stir fry sauce for one epically healthy 30 minute meal your family will ask for time and time again. It's gluten free, paleo, and low carb too!

Ummm..... Excuse me? How is it Friday already? Where did the week go? Holy crap it's Friday. Okay, so now that I know what day it is let me go on and tell y'all about this dish that's perfect for crazy weeks like this week has been.

I can't stress this enough... Use up your spare veggies in your fridge with this recipe. They will not disappoint you here. When I made this sweet potato stir fry this last time you can see I had fresh broccoli, zucchini, a few carrot slices (don't tell our horses that I took one of their carrots!) and green beans on hand but I have used bell peppers, mushrooms, and corn in the past with stellar results. Mmmmmmm.

Obvi one could not create sweet potato stir fry without sweet potatoes, but get creative with your other veggies y'all. And now I have to be honest.... I've got something against sweet potatoes. I'm not sure why but I hate sweet potatoes when they taste sweet. Not my thing. Like a little kid who's not crazy about peas kind of thing. Not gonna happen. Not going in my mouth. But then there's something magical that happens when you mix sweet potatoes with savory ingredients. .... it turns into something so delicious and tasty and addicting. And that is exactly what happens in this stir fry recipe y'all.

The sweet potatoes and chicken sausages are cooked in a skillet with garlic and a bit of sesame oil. Then the rest of the vegetables are added in and cooked in an asian-inspired stir fry sauce. The sauce brings out hints of sweet from the honey and coconut sugar, a splash of refreshing lime, and of course a touch of earthy ginger. The vegetables are sizzled in the sauce until they start to soak it up. That's when you know it's go-time.

Sweet Potato Stir Fry + Chicken Sausage

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Sweet potato stir fry with chicken sausage slices are combined with fresh vegetables and a simple sweet and savory paleo stir fry sauce for one epically healthy meal your family will ask for time and time again.

Ingredients

3-4 chicken sausages, sliced
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoon sesame oil
½ tablespoon minced garlic
pinch of black pepper
1 medium zucchini, sliced
½ medium onion, sliced
1 cup green beans
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped

Stir Fry Sauce

2 tablespoon coconut sugar, can use brown sugar
2 tablespoon liquid aminos, can use GF soy sauce
1.5 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1.5 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon lime juice
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

Place the sausage, sweet potato, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and black pepper in a large skillet over medium heat.
Stir and cook until the sausage is fully cooked and the sweet potato is starting to soften, approximately 10-12 minutes. While cooking the sweet potatoes, mix together the sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Add in the zucchini, green beans, onion, and broccoli pieces to the skillet. Drizzle the sauce over the sweet potato and veggies and continue to cook until the vegetables become slightly tender and begin to soak up the sauce, approximately 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 people
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 215

Sweet Potato Stir Fry tips:

If you don't have liquid aminos you can substitute it with GF soy sauce but the recipe will no longer be paleo.
And if you don't have coconut sugar you can substitute it with brown sugar, but again, the recipe will no longer be paleo.
If you need to substitute the sesame oil, I would recommend using coconut oil.
Substitute rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar if needed.
Other vegetables that go great with this recipe are bell peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, carrots, and sugar snap peas.
Sesame seeds, almond slices, and chopped green onion pieces are great garnishes!

Thanks for stopping in friends!

Spicy Garlic Sweet Potato Chips

Feb 9, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Easy spicy garlic sweet potato chips are a crunchy dippable snack that's both a touch sweet, a bit spicy, and completely addicting.

I dipped them into a Mexican Quinoa Dip that I made for a recent tailgating party... and I was forced to post this recipe ASAP according to friends at the party 🙂

Because they're sweet potatoes, they obviously have some sweet to them which cuts some of the spice that the cayenne pepper brings out.

Then the cumin, garlic, and sea salt are sprinkled in there somewhere too and it's a big party of flavors.

I love these sweet potato chips because they are crispy and crunchy and baked, not fried. You control the amount of oil and salt. Noice!

They're the perfect crunchy complement to a gooey Southern Seaside Crab Dip, Skinny Summer Corn Dip, or Holy Guacamole!

Spicy Garlic Sweet Potato Chips

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy spicy garlic sweet potato chips are a crunchy dippable snack that's both a touch sweet, a bit spicy, and completely addicting.

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes
¼ cup olive oil
garlic powder
cumin
cayenne pepper
coarse sea salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 385*F. Grab 2-3 sweet potatoes and give them a good cleaning.
Cut the potatoes into thin slices (I used my spiralizer but you can use whatever veggie chopper method works best for you). The thinner the slices, the easier it will be to get perfectly crispy chips.
Place the chips in a large bowl and drizzle ¼ cup olive oil over them and coat evenly. Place the chips on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer.
Sprinkle the chips with garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and coarse sea salt. Bake the chips for 21-25 minutes, flipping them over with a spatula every 7-8 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 people
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 100

So the quick rundown on the spicy garlic sweet potato chips goes a little like this:

If your chips are still slightly soft bake for a few additional minutes but be careful not to overcook them. They can become charcoal very easily if overcooked.
Ovens differ so play with your time and heat settings to see what works best for you.
Store these chips in an airtight container (if you even have any leftovers!) or zippie bag to lock in freshness and keep them crisp.

Thanks for stopping in friends!

One-Pan Baked Gluten-Free General Tso's Chicken

Feb 8, 2017 · 4 Comments

This one-pan baked gluten-free General Tso's chicken recipe is 100% gluten-free and not fried in a frying pan for even a second! Tender pieces of chicken are lightly breaded in a homemade spiced coating and then drizzled in coconut oil and a sweet and spicy sticky sauce and then baked to golden perfection.

Table of Contents

Best Baked General Tso's Chicken!

One of the top 5 all time most popular recipes on the blog is the One-Pan Baked Gluten-Free Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.

It tastes much fresher than take out and is completely gluten free. We make it in our home all the time.

Like once a week. NOT kidding.

When I started noticing all the eyes that were reading the recipe I figured that another recipe inspired by the sweet and sour recipe would be a popular move.

So I immediately started thinking up ways to make the ever-popular General Tso's Chicken into a gluten free 100% baked masterpiece.

After a couple of attempts I am proud to say that I've nailed this much healthier version of it.

When I stick to this recipe, the goodness that follows is always sticky and spicy and sweet every time.

It tastes nothing like a gluten free, lightened up, skinny version of General Tso's chicken should.

It tastes everything like you just order Chinese takeout and you're grabbing your chopsticks and are ready to pounce.

Is General Tso gluten free?

Nope.

Not the kind you order from your local chinese resturant. Not at all.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

Yes, all the way baby.

What makes it not gluten-free?

Well, it's usually a combination of things from the oil mixture used for frying up the chicken pieces, to the breading on the chicken, to the delicious delicious sauce, gluten likes to hide out in all of it. 🙁

This one-pan baked gluten-free sweet and sour chicken recipe is 100% gluten-free and not fried in a frying pan for even a second. Tender pieces of chicken are lightly breaded in a homemade spiced coating and then drizzled in coconut oil and a sweet and tangy sticky sauce and then baked to perfection.

Gluten Free General Tso's Chicken Ingredients:

coconut oil, melted
2 eggs, beaten
cornstarch
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
black pepper
brown or white rice flour
1.5 # chicken breasts, cubed

Gluten Free General Tso Sauce Ingredients:

honey
1 cup sugar, can use coconut sugar
rice vinegar
yellow onion, finely diced (can use dried chopped onion flakes)
gluten-free soy sauce, or liquid aminos
minced garlic
sriracha
crushed red pepper flakes, optional
cayene pepper, optional
ground ginger

Ingredient Alternatives:

You can swap granulated sugar for coconut sugar.

You can use dried chopped onion flakes if you don't have a yellow or white onion on hand.

You can use gluten-free soy sauce or liquid aminos, either option is delicious and you won't notice a difference in the taste os this dish.

Both the cayenne pepper and the red pepper flakes are optional for those who want a touch of spice to the dish. You can remove one or both depending on your perferred heat-rating number.

How to make gluten-free General Tso:

For the full detailed recipe card, scroll down.

The juicy chicken pieces are coated in rice flour and cornstarch and then baked in coconut oil.

Then the chicken is drizzled in a sweet and spicy Tso sauce and then baked again until the drizzle turns into the most amazing sweet and spicy glaze.

I like to serve my one-pan baked gluten-free General Tso's chicken with fluffy brown rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, or quinoa that I have in my pantry and some fresh cooked bell peppers.

Preheat your oven to 375*F. Place the coconut oil in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish and evenly distribute the oil over the bottom of the dish.
In a medium bowl, add the beaten eggs. Set aside. In a large ziploc bag, combine the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and mix well. In another large ziploc bag, pour in the rice flour. Set these two bags aside.
Dip the cubed chicken pieces into the egg and allow the excess to drip off. Then place the chicken pieces into the bag with the rice flour, zip the bag up tightly, shake the contents until evenly covered in the flour and then remove and place the pieces inside the bag with the cornstarch mixture and do the same shaking technique as before.
Place the coated chicken pieces into the baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to allow the chicken to cook and crisp evenly.
While the chicken is baking, combine the honey, sugar, vinegar, onion, soy sauce, minced garlic, sriracha, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and ginger together in a medium bowl.
Once the 45 minutes is up, pour the sauce overtop the chicken and stir to make sure that the chicken pieces are entirely covered in the sauce.
Cook for another 10-20 minutes (stir after 10 minutes) or until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce starts to thicken and turn into a glaze.
Remove from oven and serve while still warm. The sauce will thicken slightly more while cooling.

How to store leftover General Tso's Chicken:

You can store leftover cooked and cooled General Tso's in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze General Tso's Chicken?

Yes! You can!

Make sure that the chicken has cooled to room temperature before wrapping it in tin foil and then placing the chicken in a freezer-safe storage bag.

General Tso's chicken can be kept in the freezer for up to 3-4 months!

How to reheat leftover General Tso's:

To reheat your leftover chicken, place the amoung you want reheated in a microwave-safe dish with it's cover loosely fitted on top so that it can alllow hot air to escape.

Microwave your leftover chicken on high power for 1-2 minutes, depending on how much chicken you are reheating and how warm you like to eat your leftovers.

Thanks so much for stopping in friends!

One-Pan Baked Gluten-Free General Tso's Chicken

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This one-pan baked gluten-free General Tso's chicken recipe is 100% gluten-free and not fried in a frying pan for even a second! Tender pieces of chicken are lightly breaded in a homemade spiced coating and then drizzled in coconut oil and a sweet and spicy sticky sauce and then baked to golden perfection.

Ingredients

Breaded Chicken

⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1.5 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1.5 cups brown or white rice flour
1.5 # chicken breasts, cubed

Sauce

7 tablespoon honey
1 cup sugar, can use coconut sugar
⅓ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup yellow onion, finely diced (can use dried chopped onion flakes)
3 tablespoon GF soy sauce, or liquid aminos
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon sriracha
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375*F. Place the coconut oil in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish and evenly distribute the oil over the bottom of the dish.
In a medium bowl, add the beaten eggs. Set aside. In a large ziploc bag, combine the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and mix well. In another large ziploc bag, pour in the rice flour. Set these two bags aside.
Dip the cubed chicken pieces into the egg and allow the excess to drip off. Then place the chicken pieces into the bag with the rice flour, zip the bag up tightly, shake the contents until evenly covered in the flour and then remove and place the pieces inside the bag with the cornstarch mixture and do the same shaking technique as before.
Place the coated chicken pieces into the baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to allow the chicken to cook and crisp evenly.
While the chicken is baking, combine the honey, sugar, vinegar, onion, soy sauce, minced garlic, sriracha, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and ginger together in a medium bowl.
Once the 45 minutes is up, pour the sauce overtop the chicken and stir to make sure that the chicken pieces are entirely covered in the sauce.
Cook for another 10-20 minutes (stir after 10 minutes) or until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce starts to thicken and turn into a glaze.
Remove from oven and serve while still warm. The sauce will thicken slightly more while cooling.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 people
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400

Healthy Caesar Salad Parmesan Cups | Gluten Free + Low Carb

Feb 4, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Popular healthy caesar salad parmesan cups are both gluten free and low carb. They are the perfect fancy appetizer for any dinner party, barbecue, or tailgating party and couldn't be any easier to make!

Healthy Caesar Salad Parmesan Cups | Gluten Free + Low Carb

Here in Atlanta we are soooooo excited about the Super Bowl this year! It's hard to believe that our home team is actually playing in the big game. So tomorrow is a big day for Atlanta and the Dirty Birds.

I've already planned out what I will be making for the big day and planned so far ahead that I even made a Facebook Live video on BHHY's most popular recipe that would be perfect for a Super Bowl party. 3 ingredients and 5 minutes is all that stands between you and Garlic Basil Parmesan Crisps.

At the last minute I decided to show how I make these healthy caesar salad parmesan cups from the parmesan crisps on the Facebook Live video too. I wrapped up the video and hit "publish". Then I realized that I had posted the entire video on my personal Facebook page and not the blog's page. No wonder I wasn't getting the feedback that I thought I would! Bahaha! So I tried to scoot around the blonde moment and share it to the Bless Her Heart Y'all's Facebook page but somehow I completely deleted it but was able to save it to my phone. I don't do technology well y'all!

So I do have a video to help show you how I get these cups all thrown together. I'm also putting my Facebook Live skills on hold for a while while I party it up this weekend.

These healthy caesar salad parmesan cups come together really quickly. After pulling the garlic basil parmesan crisps out of the oven, you'll place the slightly cooled crisps onto the back of a muffin tin and form them into the shape of cups. The healthy homemade caesar salad dressing is made with plain nonfat greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and pepper. No creams and no extra cheese necessary. The cups are topped with bacon crumbles and tomato pieces to make you look like the fanciest person at the party.

Healthy Caesar Salad Parmesan Cups | Gluten Free & Low Carb

Yield: 8 people

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cheese Cups

shredded parmesan cheese
dried chopped basil
garlic powder

For the Healthy Caesar Dressing

½ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 teaspoon GF worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon GF dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
black pepper, to taste
romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
cherry tomatoes, halved
bacon crumbles

Instructions

Make the cheese crisps according to the garlic basil parmesan crisps recipe. When the cheese crisps are taken out of the oven, allow to cool until warm and pliable to the touch. Move the cheese crisps onto the back of a muffin tin and form into cups. Allow to cool fully.
To make the caesar dressing, mix all of the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and drizzle over a bowl of chopped romaine lettuce.
Fill each cooled cheese cup with caesar salad and top with a pinch of bacon crumbles or tomato slices.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 8 people
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 150

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Super Bowl Sunday! Go Falcons!

Thanks for stopping in friends!

Simple Caprese Risotto (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)

Feb 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HuntsHasHeart #CollectiveBias

Simple caprese risotto uses fresh, gluten free, heart healthy ingredients to create a warm creamy dish with all the best of a caprese salad melted right in!

I am loving that February is declared Heart Health Month by the American Heart Association, so what better time to start celebrating than on Feb 1st?!?

Eating a heart-healthy diet became a huge deal to my family after my dad a massive heart attack and a fancy quadruple bypass surgery a few years ago.

I remember visiting him in the hospital after his surgery. He was wrapped in bandages, plastic tubes, and beeping machines and yet asked to see a menu because he was hungry.

When his nurse handed him a menu and told him he could order anything off the menu that was heart-healthy with a red heart on it, he gave everyone a sad look.

In his medicated state, he immediately asked for a red Sharpie and made his own red hearts around the fried chicken and chocolate cake on the menu.

After the nurse stopped laughing and caught her breath she had a real deep conversation with my woozie father.

That talk didn't stick. I partly blame the drugs... partly.

Once Dad left the hospital there was a big move to making more heart-healthy choices.

We looked more closely at ingredient labels and nutrition information. Why is salt added to everything?

Okay, so back to today's recipe....

I don't think I need to explain this situation very much. This dish is a soft melty risotto that combined forces with the freshness and flavor of a caprese salad.

I keep it really simple and take out all the ingredients and steps that aren't extremely necessary and replace some ingredients with heart-healthy choices and fresh produce.

I feel that a lot of people are scared to make risotto for fear of those rumors that it's hard to make.

It's not hard to make y'all, but it is a dish that you have to have patience with. No high heat!

Repeat with me.... "low and slow"..... "low and slow".....

Here are some of the healthy changes I made to your basic risotto recipe:

This recipe uses some fresh ingredients
Heart-healthy Hunt's Diced Tomatoes (no salt added) make this recipe a breeze. No chopping required!
No salt added
No white wine
Low sodium vegetable broth is used instead of chicken broth for a vegetarian twist!
It's gluten free deliciousness

I feel like all of these simple caprese risotto pictures deserve a scribbled red Sharpie heart on them 🙂

Simple caprese risotto tips:

I can't stress this enough! Cook it low and slow. Patience is a virtue! If you cook the rice over anything higher than med-low heat your rice won't cook properly.
Stir the risotto frequently, every minute or so. Don't get caught up in Facebook or Instagram or you will be sorry.
Make sure your vegetable stock is added in warm.
If you are short on time or want to make this recipe uber convenient, use Hunt's Diced Tomatoes (no salt added). The recipe calls for ½ a can, but tossing in the whole can will only lead to more deliciousness. Mmmmmk?

Simple Caprese Risotto

Yield: 4 people

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Simple caprese risotto uses fresh and heart healthy ingredients to create a warm creamy dish with all the best of a caprese salad melted right in!

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoon dried chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup arborio rice
½ 14.5 oz can Hunt's Diced Tomatoes, drained
⅓ cup torn basil leaves
½ cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
pepper to taste

Instructions

In a small saucepan heat the broth over medium-low heat and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and minced garlic and allow to become brown and fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
Turn the skillet down to medium-low and add the rice to the browned garlic and stir to coat the rice in the oil. Add in ½ cup of warmed broth at a time to the rice, stirring every minute or so. Once the broth has almost completely evaporated add in the next ½ cup of broth.
When the last ½ cup of broth is being added to the rice, add in all other ingredients. Stir frequently until the cheese is completely melted. Serve while still warm!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 people
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 600

Grab your Hunt's Tomatoes at Walmart this February and help Hunt's support the American Heart Foundation which they are donating $50,000 to!

Go ahead and grab this Ibotta offer promoting a Buy 4 Get $1 Off Hunt's rebate while you're at it too!

Thanks for stopping in friends!

I partnered with Hunt's, a brand I personally recommend to friends and family for this post. Thank you for continuing to support me, BHHY, and the brands that help make this site possible.

Mini Peanut Butter + Jelly Banana Bread Loaves (Gluten Free)

Jan 31, 2017 · Leave a Comment

This Mini Peanut Butter + Jelly Banana Bread Loaves post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Welchs #WelchsChia #CollectiveBias

Moist gluten free mini peanut butter + jelly banana bread loaves are generously drizzled with Welch's Chia Strawberry Fruit Spread and all natural peanut butter for the perfect individualized breakfast!

Good morning friends! I have got the best recipe for y'all this morning.

This banana bread recipe is requested by my family ever since I started making Gluten Free Banana Bread Donuts for them.

When I made it Christmas morning at my brother's request, he once again said "I can't believe how moist and soft this banana bread is".

When I can win my own brother over with a gluten free recipe I know that I've struck gold.

Then when I feel like upping my game and drizzle on peanut butter and jelly to individualized mini loaves... well then I feel like I've won the lottery....twice.

These individual mini loaves of moist banana bread can be customized with as much Welch's Chia Strawberry Fruit Spread and peanut butter as you want!

The Chia Fruit Spread that's drizzled on top of these loaves has a definite "wow" factor! They're perfect for brunches or served at showers when you want to impress.

I'm no snitch, I won't tell your friends that this recipe is ridic easy.

But who am I kidding... in my house we eat these suckers for dessert too.... in our pj's.... being our not-fancy selves.

After you eat your first bite you'll think the dessert idea is a fab idea too.

Gluten-Free Banana Bread Donuts + Honey Cream Cheese Drizzle

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

These gluten-free banana bread donuts are a great reason to wake up in the morning! Soft and moist banana bread is baked into fluffy donuts and then drizzled with an easy and quick honey cream cheese drizzle.

Ingredients

⅔ cup brown rice flour
⅔ cup tapioca flour
⅓ cup coconut flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
⅓ cup water
⅓ cup butter, melted
2.5 very ripe bananas, mashed

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350*F. Place your mini loaf tins on a baking sheet and set aside.
Combine the flours, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs, water, butter, and bananas in a large mixing bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Add the batter to the mini loaf cups, filling each ⅔ full. Bake for 21-23 minutes (it's 21 minutes in my oven) or until the edges of the loaves turn a nice golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 12 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250

Mini peanut butter + jelly banana bread loaves tips:

You can find the Welch's Chia Strawberry Fruit Spread at Kroger (where you can also get the concord grape flavor too)
It's a natural strawberry spread with added chia seeds (more than 700 chia seeds in each serving) and is a delicious way to incorporate chia seeds into your diet.
There is no high fructose corn syrup, non-GMO, no artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors or preservatives!

Look for a coupon for $2 off on jars in store before grabbing your own and check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more info!

Thanks for stopping in friends!

Garlic Honey Pork Loin + Sweet Bell Pepper Salsa

Jan 30, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Garlic Honey Pork Loin + Sweet Bell Pepper Salsa roasts a juicy pork loin in a honey and garlic glaze and tops it off with an easy sweet bell pepper salsa!

I have a love-hate relationship with this sweet and garlicky pork dish.

I LOVE it because it's crazy easy to make. It's so stinking juicy. It's got that slightly sweet pork vibe going on. It's got major perks.

I hate it because when I'm clumsy, my clumsiness takes it out on the glorious sweet bell pepper salsa.

My clumsiness decides to drop the salsa all over my kitchen floor....TWICE.... in one day.

Third time's a charm because as you can see, the sweet bell pepper salsa finally made it's debut.

Which is good because the topping takes this dish over the top y'all.

Garlic Honey Pork Loin + Sweet Bell Pepper Salsa

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Garlic Honey Pork Loin + Sweet Bell Pepper Salsa roasts a juicy pork loin in a honey and garlic glaze and tops it off with an easy sweet bell pepper salsa!

Ingredients

1.5 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 pork loin, 1.5 - 2 #
½ cup honey
1.5 teaspoon minced garlic
1.5 teaspoon garlic powder
½ medium onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon coconut sugar, or brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400*F. Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a oven safe baking dish and place the pork loin in the middle of the dish.
In a small bowl combine the honey, minced garlic, and garlic powder and pour over the pork loin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the oven to cook (cook according to package instructions).
In a medium bowl combine the bell pepper, onion, coconut sugar and ½ tablespoon olive oil together. Set aside.
Five minutes before taking the pork loin out of the oven place the glazed bell pepper salsa over top the pork and allow to cook all together in the oven for the last 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before carving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 people
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400

So do what I say and not as I do because you are gonna want to have this sweet bell pepper salsa to top off this honey and garlic masterpiece. Try your hardest not to spill the salsa - mmmmk?

National Green Juice Day

Jan 26, 2017 · Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Evolution Fresh®. All opinions are 100% mine.

January 26th is National Green Juice Day. Celebrate responsibly by knowing which green juices are the best to keep your healthy lifestyle in check!

Happy National Green Juice Day y’all!

What???

You didn’t know that there was a National Green Juice Day?

Well… there is and it’s today.

So now that you're all caught up, let’s celebrate why today is such a great day.

There’s been almost a whole month of everyone on the planet focusing and obsessing over bettered health and nutrition, me being one of them. So guilty.

I know how hard it can be to either A. fall off the healthy eating / fitness bandwagon, or B. go the entire opposite route and become obsessive with healthy eating and exercise. Both scenarios can become unhealthy very quickly.

What if there was an option to continue your journey of a healthier you but with a simple and easy way to make it happen?

So here’s what I’m getting at. Green juice.

Green juice has been a staple in my life for a while now.

Many mornings my belly is filled with a green juice or smoothie. It fuels my body with nutrients it needs in a healthy way, one sip at a time.

There’s just some vegetables that I HATE eating with a passion, but with a simple green juice or smoothie, they go down the hatch with ease.

And how easy is it to get your hands on a green juice of choice?

Many mornings (or afternoons for a power snack) I wake up that blender and start tossing leafy greens and seasonal sweet fruits in. I keep the palate happy by changing up the produce selection so I don’t get bored.

If I’m strapped for time or just don’t feel like making a green juice for myself, there are many green juice options at your local grocery store for you to gulp.

BUT, if you go the route of store-bought green juice, just be forewarned… there are healthy imposters out there everywhere!

Many are loaded with sugar for taste or chemicals with big long names. Yuck!

Then there’s the juicing process.

Many green juice companies use heat to make their product, compromising the nutrients coming out of the fruits and vegetables or changing flavors.

Not cool, so not cool.

Then there’s green juice companies like Evolution Fresh® who are changing the way with cold-pressed juices...

Evolution Fresh cold-presses their delicious juices using high-pressure processing to help protect the taste and nutrients of the fruits and vegetables they bring into the juicery. No artificial colors or flavors. Just your favorite produce, sourced to taste as close to fresh picked as possible.

Their juices are sold at your local grocery store and at select Starbucks stores available near you and each bottle of green juice contains over a serving of veggies (except the Super Green and Protein Power Greens varieties). My favorite three options are their Smooth Greens & Kale, Green Devotion, and Essential Greens flavors.

Evolution Fresh wants to help everyone "sip in a brighter direction" by inspiring people to thrive through small steps that can make a big impact on your health and happiness, focusing in on:

Nutrition: Small choices can make a big impact. Balanced meals and healthy food swaps can help give you the energy you need to power through the day. Consider swapping out a higher-fat salad dressing with a homemade vinaigrette version made with fresh juice.
Hydration: Fatigue is often a common symptom of dehydration or other deficits. Maintain your energy levels and beat the afternoon slump by hydrating regularly.
Sleep: Getting a good night’s rest can lead to better thinking and healthier choices the next day and allow your body to heal. Aim for 8 hours to kick-start your day with more energy!
Exercise: Working out will help you make smarter food choices throughout the day and help you maintain an overall healthier lifestyle.
Mindfulness: Spending five minutes each morning being present (praying, meditating, breathing, etc.) can help you start your day on a positive note. Set aside some time for yourself!

The new year is a time to renew our health and wellness goals. Learn more about green juice and Evolution Fresh and help celebrate National Green Juice Day. #MySmallSip Cheers to yummy green juices y'all!

Red Wine Pasta + Garlic Basil Goat Cheese Sauce (Gluten Free)

Jan 17, 2017 · Leave a Comment

This gluten free red wine pasta + garlic basil goat cheese sauce is the perfect quick and fancy date night recipe that's ready in under 20 minutes! The pasta is cooked and stained in red wine and then tossed in a creamy garlic basil goat cheese sauce.

What better way to have a date night-in then to make a meal in 20 minutes with just a few simple ingredients.

It doesn't hurt that you combine red wine, pasta, and goat cheese.

All three are great on their own, but together.... they pretty much win at life.

I used Barilla® Gluten Free spaghetti pasta from Kroger and partially cooked it in a boiling bath of red wine and water.

The pasta will have a red tint at this point.

Then the pasta is transferred to a skillet with warm garlic, oil, and red pepper flakes. It's topped with more red wine 🙂

You will then cook the pasta until it's completely done and then top with goat cheese and basil, mix it all together to create a creamy sauce, and then devour it while it's warm.

If you want to try this red pasta with a different cheese, I'd highly recommend it with parmesan. The pictures with the rigatoni noodles is made with parmesan and is incredibly delicious too!

This red wine pasta dish is perfect for a quick last minute date night.

It's also perfect for Valentine's Day which is coming up (that was your reminder 😉 ) with it's red pasta and enough red wine leftover to fill a glass or two at your dinner table.

Red Wine Pasta + Garlic Basil Goat Cheese Sauce (Gluten Free)

Yield: 4 people

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This gluten free red wine pasta + garlic basil goat cheese sauce is the perfect quick and fancy date night recipe that's ready in under 20 minutes! The gluten free pasta is cooked and stained in red wine and then tossed in a creamy garlic basil goat cheese sauce.

Ingredients

2 cups red wine, divided
6 cups water
12 ounces Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup goat cheese crumbles
2 tablespoon chopped basil
pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large skillet over med-low heat, heat the oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes until the garlic is fragrant and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
While the garlic is heating, bring the water and 1 cup red wine to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, toss in the pasta and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the pasta (keep ½ cup of the cooking liquids) and place it in the skillet with the sauteed garlic along with another 1 cup red wine.
Turn the heat up to medium and allow the red wine to reduce and the pasta to fully cook and turn a purple shade of red (about 6-8 minutes). When the pasta has 1 minute left to cook, add in the goat cheese, basil, salt, and the ½ cup reserved cooking liquids.
Stir all together and allow the cheese to melt and form a creamy sauce. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 people
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 500

Red wine pasta + garlic basil goat cheese sauce tips:

I would recommend using your favorite type of red wine for the recipe. Every type of wine will give off different hints of flavor so use your favorite! (I use a cabernet)
All gluten free pastas are different so cooking times may vary from the cooking times posted in the recipe card if you aren't using Barilla Gluten Free spaghetti. I like to use this brand because it is high quality and certified gluten free and is great tasting without compromising it's texture. It cooks up quickly and doesn't clump into one big sticky brick like so many GF pastas do. My date doesn't even know that the red wine pasta that I make for date nights is gluten free, it's that good.
I grab both my Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti and Fettuccine pastas from the pasta aisle in Kroger. You should be looking for a dark blue box with a light blue ribbon on the front.
Do not burn the garlic when heating it in the oil or the flavor will be a bit bitter. Heat it on med-low heat and stir occasionally until it becomes golden in color. Your kitchen will smell amazing!

Thanks for stopping in friends!

I partnered with Barilla Gluten Free, a brand I personally recommend to friends and family for this post. Thank you for continuing to support me, BHHY, and the brands that help make this site possible.

Sheet Pan Balsamic Parmesan Chicken Sausage

Jan 10, 2017 · Leave a Comment

This sheet pan balsamic parmesan chicken sausage dinner is as easy to prepare as it is warm and savory. Healthy vegetables and gluten free chicken sausages are drizzled in a sweet and garlicky balsamic parmesan sauce then roasted to juicy perfection. The fanciest sausages you'll ever eat are easier than you think to make!

If you're in need of a quick and easy weeknight meal then this dinner idea has you covered.

And this recipe is likely going to make the fanciest looking sausages you've ever made in your kitchen in 30 minutes.

So grab your sheet pan, turn on that oven of yours and let's get down to business.... we've got 30 minutes to make this happen!

First off I would highly recommend using parchment paper to help cut down on your cleanup time. Because the balsamic vinegar tends to stick to my baking sheet when I roast things, I like to help prevent heavy scrubbing and soaking after my meal by using a piece of parchment paper to help collect drippings from touching my baking sheet.

Secondly, cut up your favorite veggies that are in season right now. As I write up this recipe it's currently January so you can see which veggies I keep stocked in my fridge mid-winter.

You better believe that I will still be making this savory dish come summertime but will more likely pair my chicken sausages with corn or asparagus instead of sweet potato.

And let's take a sec to talk about the saucy drizzle! Think about what balsamic vinegar and parmesan taste like together and then add garlic, thyme, and basil.... drooling yet? Drizzle and coat the sweet and savory sauce over your meat and veggies and then let 'er roast.

So simple right?!?

Sheet Pan Balsamic Parmesan Chicken Sausage

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This sheet pan balsamic parmesan chicken sausage dinner is as easy to prepare as it is warm and savory. Healthy vegetables and gluten free chicken sausages are drizzled in a sweet and savory balsamic parmesan sauce then roasted to juicy perfection. The fanciest sausages you'll ever eat are easier than you think to make!

Ingredients

4-5 GF chicken sausages
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium sweet potato, thinly sliced
3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon dried basil

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375*F. Line a baking sheet (with sides) with parchment paper and place the prepared veggies on the sheet in an even layer. Top with the chicken sausages.
In a small mixing bowl combine all other ingredients and mix well. Drizzle the sauce over the veggies and sausages and use a basting brush to coat evenly.
Add a sprinkle more of parmesan cheese if desired and place on the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, flip and stir the baking sheet's ingredients, and bake for another 15 minutes or until the chicken sausages are cooked thoroughly. Enjoy!

Notes

If your GF chicken sausages come already cooked, place them in the oven to warm with the vegetables the last few minutes of roasting.

Thanks for stopping in friends!

One-Pot Garlic Mushroom Chicken Skillet

Dec 14, 2016 · Leave a Comment

This one-pot garlic mushroom chicken skillet cooks juicy chicken breasts and uses the drippings to make a quick creamy garlic mushroom gravy. The thick savory sauce brings out a cozy warm flavor to this comfort food, perfect for when you only have 20 minutes to spare!

With all of the sweets and snacks I have been talking about these past few weeks, my head (and waistline) felt like it would be a good idea to change it up a bit... and slow down.

I was needing a break from the crazy with so much going on during this fast-paced holiday season.

No shopping malls, no holiday parties, no wrapping presents.

Just a home cooked meal that had all the slow-cooked comfort food feels but gave me enough time to put my feet up and have a night on the couch with family.

This one-pot garlic mushroom chicken skillet uses one single skillet which is usually the exact amount of dishes that I feel like cleaning after a meal.

The chicken sautes quite quickly in the skillet and the drippings are kept in the skillet after the chicken breasts are fully cooked.

Then garlic buttered mushroom slices are cooked in the juices while chicken stock, parsley, and a bit of flour are added later on to complete the gravy.

The gravy is drizzled over the chicken and is amazing served with brown rice, fluffy seasoned quinoa, or your favorite green vegetables.

One-Pot Garlic Mushroom Chicken Skillet

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts, split (or 4 small breasts)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1.5 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup GF chicken stock
2 tablespoon brown rice flour
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.
Place the chicken (and salt and pepper to taste) in the hot skillet and brown on each side for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate, keeping any drippings in the hot pan.
Turn down the heat to medium and add the butter.
Once the butter is melted add the mushrooms and minced garlic and allow to cook until brown and fragrant (about 4-6 minutes).
Add the chicken stock, parsley,salt, pepper, and flour. Stir and cook until the sauce thickens. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and enjoy!

Homemade Gluten-Free Marshmallow Recipe - Easier Than You Think!

Dec 1, 2016 · 8 Comments

These gluten-free vanilla marshmallows are easy and simple to make and are sweet and fluffy. This classic homemade treat is great inside of s'mores or fantastic all on its own!

These gluten-free vanilla marshmallows are easy and simple to make and are sweet and fluffy. This classic homemade treat is great inside of a s'more or fantastic all on it's own!

Table of Contents

Are Marshmallows Gluten-Free?

This is one of the questions that I get asked about the most.

Do marshmallows have gluten?

My answer is maybe.

And because my answer is a "maybe", I now have you covered by providing you with a fantastic recipe for marshmallows that is gluten-free towards the bottom of this post.

Many brands do not label their marshmallows as gluten-free even though they likely do not contain any gluten ingredients.

They do this because they cannot guarentee that ingredients are not subject to cross contamination during the manufacturing process.

Because some store-bought marshmallows may contain gluten-containing ingredients or be processed on equipment or in facitilies that also process wheat, it's important to read ingredient lists and package labels of all marshmallows if you need or must avoid gluten, such as individuals with Celiac Disease.

The safest bet - Always read the labels before purchasing marshmallows, followed up by asking the brand or company altogether.

Some brands do have trace amounts of gluten from their gluten-containing starch ingredients or from other common ingredients that may contain gluten.

It's really important you read all labels in their entirety and avoid those containing:

Glucose syrup
Wheat starch
Modified food starch
Artificial and natural flavorings may also contain gluten. Proceed with major caution when playing with flavored store-bought marshmallows!

Why this is the best recipe for GF Marshmallows:

Our family had never had a homemade marshmallow before and I felt that that was not acceptable.

The fam was sold right after their first bite.

Of course they were!

Look at how soft, springy, and fluffy the insides are! One bite and you'll be hooked!

Homemade marshmallows are so much better than store bought in every way.

Their smooth vanilla flavor and their fluffy gooey texture with a thin outer crust.... oh my yum.

How to use gluten-free marshmallows?

Now we stick these gluten-free vanilla marshmallows inside campfire s'mores (don't worry, I've got ya covered with these homemade paleo gluten-free graham crackers too!), chop them into smaller pieces for cookies, brownies, and other desserts like No-Bake Smores Cake, or sprinkle them with powdered sugar for an easy holiday treat at parties.

What you need to make Gluten Free Marshmallows:

unflavored gelatin
cold water
granulated sugar
lukewarm water
vanilla extract
almond extract
cornstarch
confectioners sugar

How to make easy homemade gluten free marshmallows:

For a detailed list of directions, scroll down to find the full recipe card.

Soak the gelatin in the ⅓ cup cold water in a mixing bowl and allow to swell for about 10 minutes. It is now considered "bloomed" gelatin.
While the gelatin is soaking, dissolve the sugar in the 1 ½ cups lukewarm water over low heat in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly.
Add the swollen "bloomed" gelatin and dissolve, then bring it all to a boil for 13-15 minutes without stirring.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool until lukewarm.
Mix the powdered sugar and corn starch in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Then pour the sugar mixture into your mixing bowl that now has the lukewarm dissolved gelatin mix in it. Beat the mixture until very thick with a stand mixer or handmixer. Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat for another 60 seconds.
Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray and pour in the mixture into an even layer.
Allow to cool and firm, cut into squares, and sprinkle with powdered sugar if wanted. Enjoy!

How to store leftover marshmallows:

You can store your leftover marshmallows in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1-2 weeks.

Can Marshmallows be frozen?

Marshmallows can definitely be frozen, and it’s a great way to keep enjoying them for a longer time!

Wrap the marshmallows in tinfoil, place them in a sealable zippie bag, removing as much air as possible, and place them in the freezer, making sure nothing smooshes them while they are freezing into little brick squares.

They’ll last in the freezer for 3-4 months.

How to defrost frozen marshmallows?

Simply place your frozen marshmallows on a room temperature countertop until thawed.

They will be ready to eat in no time!

How to fix sticky marshmallows:

There's a simple and quick fix!

If you find that your marshmallows are stickier than you'd prefer, place your marshmallows in a plastic bag along with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar, close up the zippie bag, and shake the bag until marshmallows are coated and no longer sticking together.

It's kind of like Shake and Bake!

Marshmallow Flavor Varieties:

Chocolate Marshmallows: add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the powdered sugar and corn starch mixture. Exclude the vanilla and almond extracts from the original recipe.
Peppermint Marshmallows: Substitute the vanilla extract with peppermint extract and exclude the almond extract altogether.
Expresso Marshmallows: Add 1.5 tablespoon instant expresso powder to the powdered sugar and corn starch mixture and exclude the vanilla and almond extracs altogether.
Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows: add 1.5 tablespoon pumpkin spice to the powdered sugar and corn starch mixture. Exclude the vanilla and almond extracts from the original recipe.
Strawberry Marshmallows:Substitute the vanilla extract with strawberry extract and exclude the almond extract altogether.
Mint Chocolate Marshmallows: Add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the powdered sugar and corn starch mixture. Substitute the vanilla extract with peppermint extract and exclude the almond extract all together.

Gluten-Free Marshmallows Recipe

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

These gluten-free marshmallows are easy and simple to make and are sweet and fluffy. This classic homemade treat is great inside of s'mores or fantastic all on it's own!

Ingredients

3 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
⅓ cup cold water
3 cups sugar
1.5 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (see the how to flavor section for other tastes)
½ teaspoon almond extract
⅓ cup cornstarch
⅓ cup confectioners sugar

Instructions

Soak the gelatin in the ⅓ cup cold water in a mixing bowl and allow to swell for about 10 minutes. It is now considered "bloomed" gelatin.
While the gelatin is soaking, dissolve the sugar in the 1 ½ cups lukewarm water over low heat in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly.
Add the swollen "bloomed" gelatin and dissolve, then bring it all to a boil for 13-15 minutes without stirring.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool until lukewarm.
Mix the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Then pour the sugar mixture into your mixing bowl that now has the lukewarm dissolved gelatin mix in it. Beat the mixture until very thick (see video) with a stand mixer or hand mixer. Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat for another 60 seconds.
Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray and pour in the mixture into an even layer.
Allow to cool and firm, cut into squares, and sprinkle with powdered sugar if wanted. Enjoy!

Fall Peach Salad + Rosemary Maple Vinaigrette

Nov 20, 2016 · Leave a Comment

A colorful fall peach salad that is packed full of nutrients and a punch of flavor in every bite. The rosemary maple vinaigrette is slightly sweet and tart and savory. This salad is quick enough to make for a busy weeknight and easy enough to impress guests at a party!

This is by far "THE showstopper" of all showstopper salads on BHHY. It's got so many beautiful fall colors.

And then there's the fall flavors. I LOVE peaches in the summer but aren't they terrific in the fall too? And there's those blackberries. And I piled on the crisp onion, crunchy almond slices, and straight-outta-the-oven hot bacon crumbles too. It adds an "Oh my yum!" factor.

Then there's the rosemary maple vinaigrette that compliments the fresh juicy ingredients with a herbal sweetness with the slightest bit of a tangy finish.

You can put this entire salad together in under 5 minutes, vinaigrette included. The messier the presentation, the prettier of an effect. Just top ingredients on top of ingredients. It'll look stellar and impress guests even before it hits their mouths!

Fall Peach Salad + Rosemary Maple Vinaigrette

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 bag chopped kale
1 peach, sliced thin
1 cup blackberries
½ small red onion, sliced
3 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ cup goat cheese crumbles, or more!
1 cup almond pieces
FOR THE DRESSING:
⅓ cup olive oil
4 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the vinaigrette, combine all the dressing ingredients together and mix well.
To make the salad, place the chopped kale in a large serving bowl.
Sprinkle on all other ingredients and then drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Fall Peach Salad + Rosemary Maple Vinaigrette Tips:

Any leftover vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It may solidify under the chilly conditions, so allowing it a few minutes to warm up to room temperature will fix the issue.
To make this dairy-free and/or paleo, omit any cheese.
To make vegan, omit any bacon.

Slow Cooker Apple Cider Meatballs

Nov 15, 2016 · 16 Comments

This easy slow cooker apple cider meatballs recipe dunks fresh meatballs and juicy apple slices in apple cider, garlic, and blue cheese crumbles and creates a creamy, sweet, and savory broth for a delicious fall twist. Bring them to your next fall party and they will be gone in seconds!

Anything and everything is pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin right now, and for good reason. It's delicious and well.... it's delicious.

But there's also this thing where I am loving Fall's crisp sweet apples and I feel like they don't get enough credit.

Pumpkin gets all the credit for fall feels and crisp apples and juicy pears get to be runners up.

Not fair pumpkin. Not fair.

So I decided to go on a little apple spree of my own.

Of course that spree also had something to do with meatballs.

It's no secret that there is a huge meatball theme that is happening here on BHHY.

There's the pumpkin sage meatball, simple oven baked paleo meatballs, slow cooker honey peach chipolte meatballs, and gluten-free cheese stuffed meatballs that have all been huge hits around these parts.

Now is as good of a time as ever to show you how to make these slow cooker apple cider meatballs. #MeatballLove

The juicy paleo meatballs are just taken right out of the freezer and dunked in the slow cooker with all the other ingredients.

By the time the meatballs are ready there is an amazing creamy broth that the meatballs are bobbing in thanks to the easy sprinkle of Blue Cheese crumbles.

There's also this steamy sweet garlicky aroma that fills the air when you take the top off of the cooker.

So here's how this slow cooker apple cider meatballs recipe works:

Grab your slow cooker and these paleo meatballs from the freezer (you can obviously use whatever meatball you want, but these are THE BEST in the business!)
Then grab some crisp juicy gala apples and some fresh apple cider.
And then there is that third grab for the blue cheese crumbles.
You simply toss all of your ingredients together, get that slow cooker cookin', and 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, sprinkle on and stir in your blue cheese crumbles (plus more for a pretty garnish!)

The blue cheese crumbles cut some of the sweetness down a notch and lets the garlic seep through so that there is a nice balance between sweet and savory.

Your taste buds will understand and give you mad respect.

Slow Cooker Apple Cider Meatballs

Yield: 30

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

This easy slow cooker apple cider meatballs recipe dunks fresh meatballs and juicy apple slices in apple cider, garlic, and blue cheese crumbles and creates a creamy, sweet, and savory broth for a delicious fall twist. Bring them to your next fall party and they will be gone in seconds!

Ingredients

30 frozen cooked paleo meatballs, or the meatball of your choice
1 ½ cups apple cider
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup blue cheese crumbles
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 apples, cubed
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
extra blue cheese crumbles and chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

Line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner and place all ingredients except the blue cheese and garnishments in the bottom of the cooker.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until meatballs are hot and tender.
Stir in the ½ cup blue cheese crumbles 30 minutes before the meatballs are done. Stir well and continue to cook the last 30 minutes.
When ready to serve, sprinkle on more blue cheese crumbles and chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

If you are using a different meatball than the suggested one, add in ¼ teaspoon more garlic and onion powders to your recipe.

Secondly, if you are using fresh meatballs or thawed meatballs the dish will be done much sooner, approximately 1 hour of cook time on low. Make sure your meatballs are cooked thoroughly before eating.

Pumpkin Sage Meatball Lettuce Wraps + Hot Bacon Vinaigrette

Nov 14, 2016 · 12 Comments

This post features pumpkin sage meatball lettuce wraps + hot bacon vinaigrette and this shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LeakProofStorage #CollectiveBias

This pumpkin sage meatball lettuce wrap + hot bacon vinaigrette recipe is juicy and savory, with fresh crisp vegetables and moist round meatballs drizzled in a warm bacon dressing with a touch of heat!

With Turkey Day a little over a week away It's thanksgiving game time y'all! And with that comes knifes clapping down on cutting boards during food prepping, that extra trip to the grocery store because you forgot star anise, and those dang roasted thanksgiving turkey jitters. But it'll all turn out just fine.

I always go with my super simple roast turkey that I walked you through and held your hand with just the other day. if you need to check it out to tame those turkey nerves of yours again, do so. I'll be here waiting for ya.

But besides all of that hustle of the holiday, there's all a whole lot of LEFTOVERS to figure out too!

Oh my goodness do I love a good holiday leftover meal (like my fav Christmas ham and cheese hot pocket leftovers!). And I did promise y'all a few days ago that I'd be sharing some of my best thanksgiving turkey leftover ideas with y'all and so today I am fulfilling that promise with one of the best leftover turkey ideas of all time.

Please welcome to the stage, the Pumpkin Sage Meatball Lettuce Wrap + Hot Bacon Vinaigrette.

Smack your lips. Smack your lips.

Not only is this meatball lettuce wrap amazingly flavor-packed with its pumpkin, sage, and bacon hints, but it's the perfect day-after-Thanksgiving meal to serve to guests.

All of the wrap's ingredients can be made ahead of time, kept in the fridge in Rubbermaid Brilliance until meal time, and then quickly created and customized for each guest in a matter of seconds when it's time to eat.

Here, let me show you how easy and fun this can be. Oh yeah, and how delicious and juicy. And warm and savory. And crisp and crunchy.

Let's get the prep work out of the way so you can spend more time with those you're entertaining.

First you'll need to make your baked pumpkin sage meatballs which should take you a total of 20-25 minutes.

Shoot... while your meatballs are baking you can make your hot bacon vinaigrette and clean and shred your veggies too.

After you've got your cooked meatballs, hot bacon vinaigrette, cleaned lettuce leaves, and shredded seasonal veggies together, simply add them to the perfect fitting Rubbermaid Brilliance container. Once the leak proof covers are sealed just stack them together in your fridge.

If your fridge is anything like mine during the holiday season (#PackedToTheBrim) then I would also consider labeling the containers so that late night munchers don't accidentally munch too much of your lettuce wrap ingredients away.

I recommend using a dry erase marker to label your containers. The dry erase marker is easy to erase away with a paper towel and won't leave a residue on your containers.

On a side note, these Rubbermaid Brilliance containers seriously help my OCD hubby Alex and I stay much more organized. The Brilliance line is 100% guaranteed leak-proof airtight seal (that you can even hear!) and is also stain and odor resistant, features 360o crystal clear visibility, enhanced durability, is space efficient and stackable, and splatter resistant with microwave vent flaps.

When you are ready to eat, simply remove the containers from the fridge, reheat the hot bacon vinaigrette in the Rubbermaid container (they're microwave safe) as well as the meatballs (microwave for 10 second intervals until they reach your desired heated temp) and place serving spoons in the dishes to help with the layers of greatness!

I layer my pumpkin sage meatball lettuce wrap greatness like so:

Lettuce wrap
Shredded veggies
Three Meatballs
Bacon bacon BACON crumbles!
Hot bacon vinaigrette

Pumpkin Sage Meatball Lettuce Wraps + Hot Bacon Vinaigrette

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE MEATBALLS:
1 in # ground leftover turkey, process a food processor for best results
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon dried chopped onion
1 teaspoon liquid aminos
1 tablespoon almond flour
FOR THE HOT BACON VINAIGRETTE:
4 slices of bacon, crumbled
¼ cup bacon grease from the bacon
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400*F. Lightly coat a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
Combine all of the meatball ingredients together with your hands and roll into 1" balls. Place each ball in one of the mini muffin tin holes.
Bake for 10 minutes, carefully flip with tongs, and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden born on the outside. Remove and let cool.
While the meatballs are baking, cook your bacon and make your vinaigrette by combining all of your vinaigrette ingredients together and mixing well.
When it's time to eat, shred the leftover seasonal vegetables from Thanksgiving dinner, and sprinkle them inside lettuce cups, followed by 3-4 pumpkin sage meatballs, sprinkle on bacon crumbles, and lastly drizzle over the hot bacon vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Notes

If using uncooked ground turkey, your cooking time will be longer. Cook until the internal temp of your meatballs is 165*F

Here is a 10% off coupon when you use your Cartwheel app at Target (10% Off Small Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container, 11/13/2016 - 11/19/2016) to purchase your Rubbermaid Brilliance containers. That should help a bit!

Have fun making and storing your pumpkin sage meatball lettuce wraps and enjoy that hot bacon vinaigrette! Mmmmmmmmm y'all!

Slow Cooker White Turkey Chili

Nov 11, 2016 · 6 Comments

This slow cooker white turkey chili combines juicy leftover Thanksgiving turkey, chunky vegetables, and garlic, oregano, paprika, and spice to make a delicious stick-to-your-ribs meal that's so simple to make and so comforting to eat! It's also gluten free and low carb!

Alright y'all. Something is going down over here on BHHY and it's all about leftovers!

That's right! Thanksgiving turkey leftovers are a big deal around here. There is sooooo much you can do with your leftover turkey meat besides the mundane turkey sandwich engulfed in grandma's buns (which I am sure are delicious no doubt).

One of my favorite things after Thanksgiving is coming up with creative tasty ways to use my leftover turkey meat and I now have a pretty large library of new recipes to share.

So get ready in the next few weeks to see some pretty amazing leftover Thanksgiving turkey recipes that are both easy to serve up to guests and give off a little bit of a wow factor!

But first I need to walk you through how to roast a turkey.

I don't know about you, but the first time I roasted a turkey I was so nervous.

Was I doing it right?

Was I going to overcook the turkey like on National Lampoon XXX and the turkey blows up?

Was I going to undercook it and get my guests sick?

Was it going to taste good? Did I over or under season it?

Well I am here to say that I was worried about nothing. The turkey turned out amazing and I have a few SIMPLE simple steps that I follow to make the perfect juicy bird every single time.

My motto: Keep it simple, REALLY SIMPLE, and you won't be able to mess it up 😉 You got this!

First thing is to pick out a quality turkey, one with no growth promoting hormones or steroids, USDA process certified, and mine must be gluten-free because of my celiac disease.

I like Honeysuckle Fresh Turkey for my Thanksgiving turkey because it has all of the qualities I just mentioned, plus the turkeys are raised by independent family farmers who have high respect for their animals and a transparency with their consumers.

Every time I have used Honeysuckle Fresh turkeys in my kitchen they turn out perfectly juicy.

And you don't want to skimp on quality turkey here. You need a high quality turkey or no turkey at all.

Really really simple way to roast a turkey:

Remove the turkey from it's packaging and rinse off well in the sink. Remove the "bag of goodies" and the neck from the inside of the bird. I discard all of these "pieces" but feel free to save them for gravy, etc.
After rinsing off the turkey, pat the bird dry with paper towels and place in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Preheat your oven to 425*F.
Grab a few simple ingredients together from your kitchen: (for a 14# turkey I use:) 2 sticks unsalted butter cut into thin slices, 1.5 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon dried chopped parsley, and 1 tablespoon dried chopped onion.
Find indiscriminate areas along the turkey's two legs and breast area to go underneath the skin and place slices of the butter and sprinklings of the spices under the skin, leaving a little bit to rub on the top and sides of the outside of the turkey.
Place the turkey in the oven for 20 minutes and then remove. Turn your oven temperature down to 325*F.
Using a turkey baster or spoon, drizzle the liquid drippings overtop the turkey and then cover the wings or anything else already getting browned with small pieces of tin foil so to not burn anything and to trap in the juices.
Bake for the recommended roasting time on the turkey's package minus the 20 minutes that the turkey just spent in the oven (my 14# turkey was cooked for an additional 3 hours and 25 minutes).
Every 30 minutes during the roasting process drizzle the liquid drippings overtop the turkey, put any tin foil back in place, and keep roasting.
The turkey is done when the breast meat cooked temperature is at least 165 degrees (use a meat thermometer).
Allow to cool a bit before carving (it helps to lock in the juices!).

So then Turkey Day happens and everything is delicious and everyone is stuffed.

And then comes the day after Thanksgiving when there are tons of leftovers and still a few lingering I-ate-too-much stomach aches.

Our family has a lazy day. We usually sit by the fire, play board games or outdoor games if it's nice out, and start to eat leftovers... later in the day.

That's when this slow cooker white turkey chili comes into play.

The original recipe comes from my mother where she uses chicken breast meat and a few different ingredients. It has now morphed into a delicious way to eat up some of that Thanksgiving turkey leftovers without very much effort at all.

Perks of this slow cooker white turkey chili:

Yes it's a dump-it-and-forget-it slow cooker recipe. Yes it smells the house up with warm wrap-me-up-in-a-cozy-blanket aromas all day long.
Yes it's customizeable. I use almond milk to add a touch of creaminess to the dish, but you can use milk or cream too.
You can make it as spicy as you want it, use whatever vegetables you have in your overly full-from-Thanksgiving refrigerator, improvise if you need too.

Slow Cooker White Turkey Chili

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 10 hours

Total Time: 10 hours 2 minutes

This slow cooker white turkey chili combines juicy leftover Thanksgiving turkey, chunky vegetables, and garlic, oregano, paprika, and spice to make a delicious stick-to-your-ribs meal that's so simple to make and so comforting to eat! It's also gluten free and low carb!

Ingredients

3-4 cups turkey meat, chopped
4 cups water
1 cup almond milk, or milk or cream
1 cup onion, chopped
1 leave can sweet corn, out for low carb option
½ cup masa flour mixed in a bowl with ½ cup water until combined
2 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
½ tablespoon salt
3 teaspoon minced garlic
3 teaspoon ground cumin
3 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 teaspoon red cracked pepper flakes, optional
12 oz . shredded cheese, monterey jack is my favorite for the recipe!

Instructions

Line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner.
Place all ingredients except for the shredded cheese in the bottom of the lined slow cooker and stir.
Cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
Stir in the shredded cheese into the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 772Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 332mgSodium: 1231mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 97g

Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta with Kale and Onion Sprouts

Nov 7, 2016 · 6 Comments

This vegan butternut squash pasta with kale and onion sprouts recipe is not only a showstopper, but it's packed full of nutrients and is also gluten-free, grain free, dairy free, and paleo friendly. Dive into this creamy savory dish in under 15 minutes!

Vegan butternut squash pasta!

Who doesn't love warm bites of smooth butternut flavor all wrapped up in a big ol' bowl?!?

Whether it's in a creamy pasta sauce like this vegan pasta dish, or in a paleo butternut squash soup like the delicious sweet and savory slow cooker recipe from Dishing Delish, you can't go wrong with butternut squash.

So you're looking at this vegan butternut squash pasta.

I mean look at it!

Okay so if you have 15 minutes, you have the time to make this recipe.

You don't need magic kitchen skills either, I believe in you.

If I can make this dish then you can too.

It's pretty obvious from the pictures that this dish is ultra creamy and slurp-able.

You're so right.

It's also a tad sweet from the butternut squash and a whole mess of savory from the garlic and cream.

I topped it with onion sprouts which I know a lot of people are opposed to since the fairly recent "sprout crisis". I was feeling daring y'all.

Just kidding, I found some amazing looking onion sprouts and couldn't resist them plus they have a lot of added nutritional benefits. I mean we're talking 20% protein and high in vitamins A, B, C, and E kind of perks. Not to mention that they contain calcium, iron, potassium, and amino acids.

No worries though, an easy solution for not having or wanting onion sprouts are subbing them out for green onion pieces since onion sprouts taste so much like them already.

I also love how sneaky I feel that this oh-so creamy dish is vegan. That's right, I didn't use cheese or cream in the pasta sauce and Alex had no idea.

Waaa? Yes! Grab yourself your fav dairy-free and vegan cream cheese alternative and there you have it.

You can either use a butternut squash puree or make your own (which obviously adds a few extra minutes to the recipe's time) and I'll walk you through how to do either option.

And to keep things going on the simple train, use whatever vegetables you have on hand to throw in the dish. I love it with sauteed kale or spinach, but I've had it with peas and carrots, broccoli rabe, and roasted brussels sprouts too.

Okay, now that I'm drooling for another bowl, let's dive into the recipe folks:

Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta with Kale and Onion Sprouts

Yield: 3

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

8-10 oz . gluten free pasta, I used Sprout's brand GF Linguini
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed + 2 tablespoon olive oil (OR 1 cup butternut squash puree)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup kale, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup unsweetened almond, cashew, or coconut milk
3 oz . vegan cream cheese spread
1 cup prepared onion sprouts or ⅓ cup green onion, diced, see notes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

If you are making your own butternut squash puree from scratch, do that first (see notes below).
Cook your noodles according to package instructions.
While the noodles are cooking, you can start to make the sauce by warming a large skillet over medium heat and saute the 1 tablespoon olive oil, chopped kale, and minced garlic together until the kale turns bright green, soft, and the garlic becomes browned and fragrant (about 5 minutes).
Add the squash puree, milk, and cream cheese spread to the skillet and heat until completely melted, stirring occasionally.
Lastly, add the prepared onion to the creamy sauce for 1-2 minutes.
Once the noodles are cooked to al dente, add them to the sauce and stir together under low heat for 1-2 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

If you would like to make your own butternut squash puree, here's how!
1. Heat your oven to 400*F.
2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place the cubed squash on it. Drizzle the cubes with 2 tablespoon olive oil and bake for 25-35 minutes or until the squash can easily be poked with a fork.
3. Remove the squash from the oven, allow to cool, and then puree in a food processor (takes only seconds in the processor)

Notes on the Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta:

Okay, so onion sprouts:
- If you are going to eat them raw, please wash them very well first.
- I recommend cooking them under heat before eating, even if just for a short period of time.
- Eat your onion sprouts at your own risk. I don't want to be responsible for someone getting sick... but these sprouts sure our tasty and add a ton of texture.
- You can easily sub out the 1 cup onion sprouts for ⅓ cup green onion.
Cream Cheese:
- Find your favorite cream cheese alternative. Mine was dairy-free as well so no stomach ache for me, yay!
- If you don't have food allergies or dietary preferences, by all means go for original cream cheese y'all. Do you.
Pasta:
- I loved using Sprout's gluten-free corn & quinoa linguini noodles for the recipe. They come highly recommended by my fam.
- If you want to make this recipe grain-free, sub the corn & quinoa noodles for a grain-free noodle or make spiralized vegetable noodles.
Ze` butternut squash puree:
- Okay so I'll stop trying to sound fancy, but you've got two options here:
- Buy already made butternut squash puree. I buy this butternut squash puree (affiliate link).
- or, easily make it yourself with a little added baking time. My preferred method for sure. I love the smell of my house after roasting squash! Mmmmmm! Gives me Thanksgiving feels. I show you how to do this step in the "notes" section of the recipe card (above).
If you are interested in making this dish into a grain-free or paleo version? Simply swap out the gluten free noodles with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash and make sure that your cream cheese alternative is paleo-friendly as well (look for one that is nut-based).

What else are y'all doing this Monday evening besides scoping out your next meal? I'm watching the first season of Shameless on Netflix. I'm a little slow to the ballgame but I'm definitely hooked now! I'll be all caught up with the show soon and will need other recommendations. Who's got binge-worthy recommendations for me? Happy Monday y'all!

Apple Cider Poppyseed Salad

Nov 3, 2016 · 5 Comments

This apple cider poppyseed salad tosses the season's best combination of juicy apples, crunchy pecans, sweet cranberries, and savory blue cheese crumbles over a bed of chopped kale and drizzles on a 2-minute apple cider poppyseed vinaigrette. It's big on nutrients and fall flavors and is gluten-free and paleo-friendly!

With everything having to do with the holidays right now, my stomach is already in peak performance for digesting all things unhealthy. I've already had tons of unhealthy but oh-so-delicious practice.

I have been in the kitchen creating holiday foods both for BHHY and for other food clients and brands.

Let's just say that you may see a recipe for a paleo sweet potato pie on BHHY real soon.... but did you know that that pie is likely the second or third sweet potato pie I made for the upcoming recipe?

Some recipes flop, sometimes pictures don't turn out, and sometimes after too much time pondering, I want one little spice tweaked before the recipe is perfect. Oh yeah... or my pie cutting skills are a bust and I mess up the whole thing. Because that JUST happened.

Then I have a panel of taste testers to test the creations.

Alex the hubby is the most influential, while Pippy and Thelma (the fur babes) have never complained about their taste testing duties nor a dish offered to them.

Sooooo... I may be a little worried about my waistline this year.... but everything in moderation right?!?

I keep telling myself that and my definition of "moderation" keeps expanding with my waistline.

I'll get it under control shortly. I just need some healthy players in my diet right now and throughout the holiday season.

That's why I decided to play around with some new fall salads in the midst of all the sugary and savory deliciousness around me.

This apple cider poppyseed salad is light and refreshing but still filling enough for a crisp fall evening.

Alex and I sat around our living room fireplace and had big bowls of this salad for dinner the other night. It was simply perfect. The apple cider vinaigrette perfectly coats the nutrient-dense kale. The pecans and apple slices add to the crisp kale's crunch and the sprinkle of goat cheese adds a savory bite at the end. Mmmmmmmm!

It's pure fall pleasantries right here y'all!

Apple Cider Poppyseed Salad

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This apple cider poppyseed salad throws the season's best combination of juicy apples, crunchy pecans, sweet cranberries, and savory blue cheese crumbles over a bed of chopped kale and drizzles on a 2-minute apple cider poppyseed vinaigrette. It's big on nutrients and fall flavors and is gluten-free and paleo-friendly!

Ingredients

1 bowl full of chopped kale
1 slices apple, cut into
¼-1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles, omit if paleo
¼-1/2 cup dried cranberries
½ cup pecans, chopped
FOR THE DRESSING:
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup dijon mustard
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
a pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Mix the salad dressing ingredients together by hand or electric mixer.
Combine all other ingredients in a large serving bowl and drizzle on the dressing. Enjoy!

Tips on the apple cider poppyseed salad:

If you would like to make it a dairy-free or paleo dish, simply omit the blue cheese crumbles.
And if you want to make even less of a mess with dishes, use a salad dressing shaker (affiliate link) to place all of your salad dressing ingredients in and then simply shake it up like I did. Now you have only ONE thing to clean, the bottle that the dressing was both mixed and stored in!
The dressing stores well in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Now all I need is some orange fall leaves crinkling underneath my feet as I walk sweater-wrapped with my apple cider poppyseed salad bowl off into the warm fall sunset. And that's when I wake up.

No more daydreaming.... back to work, traffic, and work again. BUT the salad isn't a dream (thank the lawd!).

I'm bound and determined to keep my waistline from growing as much as possible and I think this salad is going to be my go-to to keep me sane and on track.

Paleo Gluten-Free Graham Crackers

Oct 24, 2016 · 32 Comments

These paleo gluten-free graham crackers are an easy 15 minute recipe that uses simple ingredients to make moist-on-the-inside and toasted-on-the-outside squares just in time for s'more season!

Happy monday y'all!

I just wrapped up an awesome weekend with the in-laws in town. The ladies got lots of painting done inside, the men got a whole mess of stuff upgraded in the horse barn, and we all ate way too much good southern food.

When you have guests in town from Minnesota you MUST show them ALL the best foods if you are a true southerner. It's only polite, right?!? And most of that food is rich and greasy.

So tomorrow I restart my normal diet.....

But that's tomorrow.

The weekends right now are the perfect time to grab cozy blankets, roast gluten free vanilla marshmallows, and sit by bonfires. I love this time of year.

Last weekend's bonfire got me thinking about s'mores....

which lead me to think about graham crackers...

which then lead me to think about making my own since I have not found a good gluten-free alternative in any stores.

So I spent some major time in the kitchen coming up with this paleo gluten-free graham cracker recipe.

I struggled at first to get the flavor right.

Then I struggled with the texture..... a BUNCH.

Then I nailed it.

These paleo gluten-free graham crackers are perfectly crispy on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside. A pinch of cinnamon and maple flavors tie it all together.

These little happy squares are the right amount of soft so that when you make your s'more and bite down that you don't lose all of your stuffing.

They're firm enough that they support all the s'more stuffing and won't fall apart in your hands too.

NAILED IT. Nailed it y'all.

Paleo Gluten-Free Graham Crackers

Yield: 24

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

These paleo gluten-free graham crackers are an easy 15 minute recipe that uses simple ingredients to make moist-on-the-inside and toasted-on-the-outside squares just in time for s'more season!

Ingredients

2 ¼ cup almond flour
½ cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg
2 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Add in the egg, syrup, and oil and stir until well combined. Place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
Preheat your oven to 325*F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough on the paper and place a second equal-sized sheet of parchment paper overtop the dough.
Roll the dough with a rolling pin to about ⅛-1/4" thickness and cut into squares.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges turn golden but the centers are still soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and harden for a few minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.

Spicy Mexican Street Corn Nachos

Oct 17, 2016 · 12 Comments

Put your big boy pants on for these spicy mexican street corn nachos with chorizo. These cheat-day nachos bring out all the cheesy, spicy, lime flavors of mexican street corn with the hearty addition of spicy chorizo meat. Perfect for this football-themed party with a DIY playbook table runner, and a DIY football vase tutorial!

Who else lives in football country? We live right between Atlanta and Athens GA so we definitely live in college football country. That means that every week there is a game of some kind to watch.

And what better way to watch the big games than with spicy, cheesy, meaty (and a little bit messy) food and a bunch of friends???

The answer is that there's no better way.

We've been known to enjoy a healthy super bowl game day dip before. Cheeeeeeesy.

We know we can devour our Spicy Cranberry Bacon BBQ Meatballs too. Oh so spiccccccccy.

So today I wanted to share our favorite way to watch football games as of last week, the spicy mexican street corn nachos kind of way.

Naturally I was also inspired to dress up the table for friends who might stop by with a little football themed tablescape.

I thought I'd share my decor with some easy tutorials too since some of my friends were asking about how I did my table.

Ready. Set. Play.

Okay so let's start with the DIY playbook table runner....

I took a roll of kraft paper that I grabbed from the local craft supply store and cut a piece out the exact size as my yoga mat. Yes, I said yoga mat (about 6' x 2.5').
Then I went to town with a fat black marker and wrote fake "x" and "o" plays all over the paper.
Add in some cute little flags and a little saying or two in quick varsity-style letters and you have yourself a 5-minute football-themed table runner that everyone will be asking about.

Next on the play card was my paper DIY football vase insert:

Using the same kraft paper as the table runner, cut a section of paper that is a tall as your vase and long enough to wrap around the inside of the vase one time.
You will also need to cut one long piece of white paper (I used a piece of computer paper but a piece of newspaper would be cute and vintage-y too) and 4-5 shorter pieces. I put the scissors in the picture for size reference for the paper pieces.
Fit the brown paper into the vase like a cone and tape the paper closed.
Tape the white pieces to the outside of the brown kraft paper like the stitching on a football.
Place a smaller cup into the center of the vase and fill it with water.
Place flowers into the smaller water cup that's inside the vase and you're done!

But then there's the football stitches on the red solo cups, the 'party foul' banner flags for the napkins and the 'game fuel' banner for the fruit basket.

The banner flags are made out of the same kraft paper as everything else, outlined in a black marker, and stuck on with tape.

You guessed it... super easy, quick, and inexpensive. Perfect for last-minute football parties.

But that shouldn't be a shocker coming from me.

If it ain't easy, it's not happening at a party I'm hosting. NOT gonna happen.

And then there's the game day food.

Today's post is definitely a cheat-day recipe. It hits all the diet no-no's. It's incredibly cheesy, it's spicy and greasy. It's salty and crunchy.

Oh it's so good to be bad sometimes.

You can use store-bought chips but I'd recommend doing what I do and quickly making your own baked ones with some corn tortillas and some coconut oil.

Then there's the monterey jack and greek yogurt cheese sauce that tastes more than amazing.

But then there's also the buttered and browned sweet corn too.

Oh yeah... and that spicy hot chorizo.... see where this is going?

It's going straight toward a sprinkling of cotija cheese and cayenne pepper and a big squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Spicy Mexican Street Corn Nachos

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

12 small corn tortillas
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups sweet corn kernels
1 pound chorizo
1 cup greek yogurt
8 oz .monterey jack cheese, cubed
½ cup cotija cheese
cayenne pepper, cilantro, and lime juice to garnish

Instructions

preheat your oven to 325*F. Place 6 tortillas flat on a baking sheet and brush on coconut oil on both sides of each tortilla with a basting brush.
Cut each tortilla into 6 triangles with a knife or pizza cutter, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside. Bake the ther 6 tortillas this same way (or use two baking sheets and cook both pans of tortillas at the same time).
In a medium skillet heat the butter and corn over low-medium heat until the corn starts to brown.
While the corn is browning, fully cook the chorizo over medium-high heat in another skillet. Drain out the grease.
In a medium sauce pan melt the greek yogurt and monterey jack cheese while stirring continuously.
Once the cheese sauce is melted, drizzle the sauce over the cooked chips. Then top the cheese sauce with the browned corn and cooked chorizo.
Sprinkle the cotija, cayenne pepper, and fresh lime juice over the top before serving warm. Enjoy!

Taco Cheese Crisps

Oct 7, 2016 · 2 Comments

Taco cheese crisps are an easy and quick baked party recipe! These crispy cheese dippers are the perfect appetizer or snack for any gluten-free or low carb munchers and are huge hits at tailgating parties! All you need is cheddar cheese, taco seasoning, your favorite taco toppings, and a few minutes of oven time! Yes!

Y'alllllllll! Do I have a yummy tailgating recipe for y'all today. It's stupid simple and ridiculously easy plus it tastes downright glorious in all of it's cheesy, spicy, taco-ey greatness.

And can I brag a moment about how brilliant my mom is??? She's the one who helped me pull this recipe all together so basically these delicious snackables are all because of my mom.

Mom was the one who introduced me to baked cheese crisps when I was much younger.

And she was also the one who was over at my house a few weeks ago who helped me figure out the best way to crisp the jalapeno pieces that lay sprinkled on top and the right amount of taco seasoning to make this recipe into it's cheesy perfection.

She also was an avid taste-tester which is such an important job.

Like I mentioned before, these taco cheese crisps are stupid easy to make. Grab shredded cheddar cheese, diced jalapeno, taco seasoning, tomatoes and onion pieces, and your favorite taco toppings (we really liked the sour cream (or plain greek yogurt) with green onion and guacamole combo on our crisps).

They are perfect for when you're hosting your next tailgate party because:

They take just minutes to bake.
They are a crunchy finger food that's dippable. So think salsas, guacamoles, cheesy dips, etc.
They look mighty fancy with their toppings and pretty presentation. A+ hosting points there.
The taco cheese crisps are low carb and gluten free

Taco Cheese Crisps

Yield: 12

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

Taco cheese crisps are an easy and quick baked party recipe! These crispy cheese dippers are the perfect appetizer or snack for any gluten-free or low carb munchers and are huge hits at tailgating parties! All you need is cheddar cheese, taco seasoning, your favorite taco toppings, and a few minutes of oven time! Yes!

Ingredients

Extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 jalapeno, diced
⅛ teaspoon taco seasoning
⅛ teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

Turn your oven on low broil. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil and place the diced jalapenos on it. Drizzle with olive oil and then stir to coat. Broil for about 3 minutes or until the pepper's edges start to brown and crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.
Now turn the oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place 1 tablespoon full of shredded cheddar cheese in even and thin circles on the paper. Bake for 6 minutes and remove from the oven.
Sprinkle on the taco seasoning and the broiled jalapeno pieces and stick back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes or until the taco cheese crisps start to turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool and harden into crisps, top with your favorite toppings, and then enjoy!

Table of Contents

Tips on Making Taco Cheese Crisps:

I highly recommend using the hardest cheddar cheese you have available. The extra sharp cheddar cheese works great for us. Anything too soft and the taco cheese crisps won't harden completely.
Because of the fat content in the cheddar cheese, after you take the cheese crisps out of the oven to cool I recommend placing the crisps on a paper towel for a minute or two to soak up that little bit of extra grease on the bottom. It's not necessary but some people don't like shiny fingers.
You can stick the jalapeno pieces on the cheese crisps at the beginning of the baking process for more baked and charred jalapeno bits if you want them more cooked.
Alternatively, if you want a more soft jalapeno bite do not broil them beforehand and place the jalapeno pieces on for the last 2 minutes of baking. The jalapenos will just have enough time to start to become toasted and tender.

Topping Options for Taco Cheese Crisps:

1 mini sweet pepper or ¼ cup finely diced bell pepper
2 tablespoon green onion
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), salsa, or guacamole for garnish

I love this recipe because it helps make hosting fall football parties a breeze. Give your guests easy and quick food to munch on and they are happy.

Other variations to these taco cheese crisps include:

taco-cheese-crisps-hefty-arm-and-hammer-review-1-of-1 — Don't mind the puppy butt cameo

I wish everything about hosting tailgating parties was that easy. I mean I can't complain about quick no-mess slow cooker recipes and adult bevvies made just for fall sports spectating like these Bourbon Cider Sours, BUT there is still a mess to clean up in the kitchen after the party dies down.

I used to hate doing the dishes (still hate it) and taking out the stinky trash after a fun party. It was the worst part for me for sure.

But now that I discovered Hefty Ultra Strong Kitchen Trash Bags with Arm & Hammer odor neutralizer (you know that commercial with John Cena and his 'hefty hefty hefty' pecs....ladies you know which one I'm talking about!) I don't really mind taking out the trash or more so that overflowing recycle bin.

These bad boys come in a bunch of different scents (the Citrus Twist is my jam) and have active tear resistant technology and break resistant grip drawstrings so I know that I won't have tears, or even worse, leaks while getting the bags changed out.

And I should also mention their cheaper-than-Glad price tag. Yep. And on that note, I have a coupon for ya so that right now you can get your hands on these bags for even less. Go get to shopping before your next party!

I partnered with Hefty®, a brand I personally recommend to friends and family, for this post. Thank you for continuing to support me, BHHY, and the brands that help make this site possible.

Skinny Homemade Maggiano's Gluten-Free Rigatoni D

Oct 5, 2016 · 10 Comments

This skinny homemade Maggiano's Gluten-Free Rigatoni D recipe is a creamy healthy version of Maggiano's Little Italy's famous dish. A creamy coconut milk sauce infused with red wine, garlic, and mushrooms is drizzled over al dente noodles and sliced chicken breasts.

Last weekend I was invited to Maggiano's Little Italy's Gluten Free Expo at Atlanta's Ashford-Dunwoody location, where exec chef Eric Mulville introduced us to some new gluten free dishes that Maggiano's may start offering or already does at select locations. Finally an Italian restaurant with a large selection of gluten-free options! (she fist bumps an imaginary friend)

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac's almost 10 years ago there was not the selection of gluten free options like there is today. I was lucky to find anything made for a gluten-free foodie unless I had it shipped from somewhere far away like England.

Before I knew that I had celiac disease I thoroughly enjoyed going to Italian restaurants with a worry-free carb-loaded order of garlicky bread, bowl full of pasta, and decadent desserts.

After figuring out the root of my health issues that previous scenario went out the window.

Skip to today where gluten free options seem abundant. It seems like "gluten free" has taken over the diet world.

But then when you sit down at an Italian restaurant it seems that the majority of the time you still see few options beside a bowl of gluten-free noodles and your basic marinara sauce.

Too plain-jane for my liking. If I'm going to be having a cheat meal it better be damn good.

Then I was invited to Maggiano's Little Italy Gluten Free Expo. This is where y'all should start to get excited.

I was served all the options that a normal dining customer would eat but completely gluten free and with no difference in taste or texture. I repeat 'I could not tell the that these dishes were gluten-free'.

Imagine having bruschetta, or rigatoni, or decadent strawberry cheesecake at a sit down restaurant again!

Just imagine!

Okay, come back now...

While I was there Chef Eric demonstrated how he cooks up their famous Rigatoni D, adapted to their gluten free version of course, and then gave us the recipe so we could replicate it at home! NOICE!

Maggiano's Gluten-Free Rigatoni D is so creamy and hearty and savory. The wine and mushrooms and creaminess make this dish.

Or maybe it's the garlic and onion and parmesan?

Or maybe it's everything mixed together. I have the "don't knows" but I bet it's everything mixed together.

Of course I went to sleep that night dreaming of more.

Of course I woke up that next morning staring at that recipe card.

Of course I shouldn't make it and then eat it two days in a row.

....or should I?

Okay I should and I did.

Except this time I tweaked a couple of ingredients to make it a little bit healthier of a dish and also that I don't give away their prized recipe. I can't take any credit for their tasty brilliance but I can definitely eat it and share it.

Skinny Homemade Maggiano's Gluten-Free Rigatoni D

This skinny homemade Maggiano's Gluten-Free Rigatoni D recipe is a creamy healthy version of Maggiano's Little Italy's famous dish. A creamy coconut milk sauce infused with red wine, garlic, and mushrooms is drizzled over al dente noodles and sliced chicken breasts.

Ingredients

½ cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup of mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup marsala wine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
1-2 tablespoon GF flour
12 oz . GF pasta, cooked to al dente
2 cooked white chicken breasts, sliced
½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
salt and pepper to garnish

Instructions

Sautee the onions, minced garlic, and mushrooms in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar until brown and the liquids are reduced.
Add the wine and reduce until almost dry.
Add in the chicken stock and coconut milk and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. The sauce should thicken but may need the help of 1-2 tablespoon flour.
Add in the pasta and chicken slices and then the parmesan and butter.
Sprinkle on the basil and parsey and garnish with salt and pepper.

Tips on making Skinny Homemade Maggiano's Gluten-Free Rigatoni D:

If you don't care to use the coconut milk, go for good ol' heavy cream which the original and gluten-free versions of this dish call for. Swap it out in equal parts. You will not need the 1-2 tablespoon of flour if you are using the heavy cream.
If you don't have marsala wine on hand, don't freak out. I've tried this recipe with the dryest red wine I have on hand and the flavor that comes out of it has always been on point. Yes, on point. Yes marsala wine is preferable here but don't stress about it if you need to substitute. Don't cry buddy.
The hubby Alex made a good point in between huge bites of this dish and it was that this recipe would be amazing with steak served overtop of it too. Next time we are trying it with steak... like this pasta could get any better right?!?

As far as the other great gluten free foods that were at the expo.... all I can say is they are not being printed on that menu fast enough.

That bruschetta was amazing. That strawberry cheesecake was decadent, creamy, and perfection. Those little cheese ball biscuits were fab. And their sausage and peppers app put a huge smile on my face.

Thanks for stopping in friends and be sure to stop into your local Maggiano's for some GF deliciousness!

Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa Dip

Sep 28, 2016 · 18 Comments

This slow cooker mexican quinoa dip is the perfect gluten-free, vegetarian, and can easily be made dairy-free, tailgating comfort food! Use this recipe as a dip with your favorite chips, rolled up in a tortilla for a quick enchilada, or toss it over a piece of chicken or a salad to add a burst of flavor!

Table of Contents

Best Vegetarian Tailgate Food:

There are just some things that are almost too good to be true.

One of those things was this slow cooker mexican quinoa dip that I made last week when my better half was out of town. I decided to bring my slow cooker full of this hearty deliciousness to a friend's place for some comfort food while I helped her pack up her place before moving day.

I had mentioned that I was bringing "some healthy dip" over to the packing party and I am sure that he thought that that sounded boring and I know for a fact that he completely forgot about the whole convo.

Because when he came home from his boys weekend he went straight to the fridge and asked which foods he were okay to eat. He was ~~starving~~ acting like he was starving and needed a quick solution.

I suggested the little bit of leftover thick and hearty quinoa dip but he politely declined and went for something else. The next day I coerced him to bring a bit of it with his lunch and by lunchtime I was getting texts and pictures from him asking what it was and why he can't have it every day for lunch.

Silly man. We already had this conversation and you thought it sounded too healthy to be good.

Tsk tsk... never underestimate this girl's concoctions. When I suggest trying it, you should DEFINITELY try it.

Yes, it may be gluten-free, yes it may be vegetarian, yes it can easily be adapted into a dairy-free version, yes it's packed with the good kind of carbs that quinoa is known for, but it's not my jam to serve my friends or my hubby meh food just because it's healthy. You would think he would trust me by now.

But did I also mention that this slow cooker mexican quinoa dip is warm and gooey, filling and hearty, and cooks itself in the slow cooker for a quick 2-3 hours. You just dump in the ingredients, turn on your slow cooker, and allow the kitchen magic to happen.

This slow cooker mexican quinoa dip is perfect for tailgate season. I know this dish transports well (and even holds up to quick braking thanks to a sneaky yellow light) in the slow cooker so bring 'er to your fall parties.

It's also hella savoury with tex-mex flavors and you can adjust the spice to as mellow or as caliente as you would like. I just need to say CALIENTE one more time just for fun. Okay now I'm good to move on.

Mexican Quinoa Dip Ingredients:

vegetable broth
corn kernels, about 1 large can of corn
salsa
uncooked quinoa
black beans
bell pepper, chopped
chili powder
lime juice
minced garlic
oregano
crushed red pepper flakes, optional
black pepper
ground cumin
paprika
salt
1 cup shredded cheese *, optional

How to make Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa Dip:

Line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner. Place all ingredients except for the shredded cheese in the slow cooker and stir until fully combined.
Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours (depending on how thick a consistency you want your dip. See below the recipe card for more details).
During the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle on the shredded cheese and place the lid back on the slow cooker to help melt the cheese.
Serve while warm and gooey!

How to serve mexican quinoa dip:

Like I mentioned before, it's a dump and serve recipe so if you are the one hosting the tailgating partaaay then there is one less thing you need to worry about.

You can use this recipe as a dip with your fav chips or my new thing, spicy garlic sweet potato chips!

You can also serve it wrapped in tortillas for an enchilada-like experience, or over chicken or even salad. OR just spoon it in your mouth by itself with a big fork!

Tips on the slow cooker mexican quinoa dip:

If you want a little less fire I would suggest using a Mild or Medium Picante or even a chunky salsas which I love too. You can also go a little easier on the chili powder.
You can add more or less quinoa depending on the consistency you want in your dip. Do ya like a thick dip? Then add a bit more quinoa or cook for a few extra minutes. Like a more saucy dip? Add in more salsa, vegetable broth, use a little less quinoa, or cook for a few less minutes. Take your pick!

Dietary Variations:

If you need the dairy-free version you just need to take out the melted shredded cheese at the end.

Quinoa Dip Pairings:

I loved pairing my quinoa dip with these easy spicy garlic sweet potato chips (which my better half immediately packed and brought to work no questions asked. I guess he learned that he had missing out the first time around!).

More gluten free tailgate food:

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls

Spicy Pumpkin Bacon Dip

Baked Spicy Chili Lime Tortilla Chips (Gluten-Free)

Pimento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers

Grilled BBQ Bacon

Healthy Super Bowl Game Day Dip

Honey Sriracha Grilled Wings (gluten-free)

Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa Dip

Yield: 12

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours

This slow cooker mexican quinoa dip is the perfect gluten-free, vegetarian, (and can easily be made dairy-free) tailgating comfort food! Use this recipe as a dip with your favorite chips, rolled up in a tortilla for a quick enchilada, or toss it over a piece of chicken or a salad to add a burst of flavor!

Ingredients

2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups corn kernels, about 1 large can of corn
2 cups Pace® salsa
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup black beans
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1.5 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheese *, optional

Instructions

Line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner. Place all ingredients except for the shredded cheese in the slow cooker and stir until fully combined.
Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours (depending on how thick a consistency you want your dip. See below the recipe card for more details).
During the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle on the shredded cheese and place the lid back on the slow cooker to help melt the cheese.
Serve while warm and gooey!

Notes

*For the dairy-free version please omit the shredded cheese in the last step.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 12 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 165Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 559mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 8g

Healthy Fall Broccoli Salad

Sep 25, 2016 · 16 Comments

This healthy fall broccoli salad is gluten-free, grain-free, vegetarian, and is bursting with autumn flavors! Greek yogurt, honey, lime juice, fresh and dried fruits, and almonds are tossed together to create a light, sweet, and creamy drizzle that's perfect for any fall table setting!

Y'allllllllllllll! Do I have a doozy for y'all today! But can we just take a sec and ask ourselves how the heck it's Fall already? Where did summer go?

This year is going by fast! Holy moly! With time speeding by it's nice to have a salad that can take you from the end of summer right into fall and that's just what this healthy fall broccoli salad does.

This healthy fall broccoli salad cuts up fresh broccoli florets, juicy apple slices, orange pieces, and crisp onion. I then combined some sliced almond pieces for some crunch and some dried fruit nibbles for a little bit of 'chewy' next to the crispy crunch mix.

And then wait for it.... wwwwwwwait for it......

Can y'all tell that I'm a little excited over this salad? Weel, because the best part is this dressing y'allllllllll! How can something so healthy taste so good?!? The magic is in the sauce 😉

I combined plain greek yogurt with fresh lime juice, honey, white wine vinegar, and a dash of blonde coconut sugar. Drizzle that biz all over all the veggies and fruit chopped up in that big bowl of yours. And that my friends is a fannnnnn-freakin-tastic fall salad!

For an added bonus I added a few poppy seeds on top because I love the little pop of crunch it adds to the creamy, sweet, and tangy coating.

So what's next?

Y'all want the 5-minute recipe yet?

Okay okay, I give. Here it is!

Healthy Fall Broccoli Salad

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This healthy fall broccoli salad is gluten-free, grain-free, vegetarian, and is bursting with autumn flavor! Greek yogurt, honey, lime juice, fresh and dried fruits, and almonds are tossed together to create a light, sweet, and creamy drizzle that's perfect for any fall table setting!

Ingredients

3 medium broccoli heads, cut into bite-sized florets
½ red onion, sliced
½ cup almond slices
½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
1-2 clementine, mandarin, or other sweet orange, peeled
¾ cup plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoon fresh honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1.5 teaspoon white wine vinegar
poppy seeds for garnish

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, onion, almond slices, dried cranberries, and orange pieces. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the greek yogurt, honey, lime juice, sugar, and vinegar and stir until well combined.
Drizzle the sweet and tangy cream sauce over the fruit and vegetables and stir carefully until evenly coated.
Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container up to a few days.

Tips on making a successful healthy fall broccoli salad:

No dried cranberries? No prob, use raisins or any other dried fruit that you have in your pantry.
Don't have coconut sugar? You can substitute white or brown sugar in equals parts. The dressing will tend to become closer in color to the sugar in which you use.
If you don't have fresh oranges you can either use canned mandarin oranges (I would highly suggest draining and rinsing the crap out of the canned variety to rid your oranges of as much of that acidic juice as you can) or use some peach slices. Yuuuuuuuuum!
No fresh lime? You can sub it out for lemon juice too.

I know that this recipe is going to be a favorite with readers. My basic Skinny Greek Yogurt Broccoli Salad is one of my most popular post and for good reason. These broccoli salads are both healthy and more than DEEEEEElicious y'all. Go get you some.

Gluten Free Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding

Sep 14, 2016 · 2 Comments

This gluten free slow cooker pumpkin pecan bread pudding recipe is the perfect decadent dessert for those that don't want to lift a finger. This warm gooey fall pumpkin treat uses up old or dry gluten-free bread crumbs and will make anyone's day so much better.

I don't know about you but I have a list of my favorite go-to brands for my grocery basics. I have my favorite brand of cheeses, my fav brand of wine, and even a favorite brand of gluten-free bread.

Now I know that there are tons of gluten-free breads out there to buy and I am the first to admit that 99% of them are awful and will never be seen here on the blog. That being said, there are a select few that I will go out of my way to get my hands on.

Buuuuuuuut, every now and then I get the urge to try a new brand or type of gluten-free bread because ya never know if your missing out if ya don't keep trying new things. AmIRight?!? Most of the time the bread is a fail and I am stuck with ¾ of a tasteless, crumbly, crunchy mess.

I then have two choices.... wait, no three..... one I can force myself to eat it (which is not going to happen), two I can throw it out (which usually happens), and three I can turn it into something so freaking tasty that you forgot all about your purchasing fail.

So let's look into option 3 for a minute.

What if I told you that with that crappy loaf of gluten free bread you could make the most moist, ooey gooey fall-inspired pumpkin pecan bread pudding that you have ever ladled into your mouth. What if I told you that it was lazy-easy? What if I also told you that it's virtually no-clean-up? Do you believe in magic?

Because this recipe for gluten free slow cooker pumpkin pecan bread pudding is basically magic. Is it healthy? Ah nope. But in moderation, it's decadent, so there's that. It's also made in 3 hours in a slow cooker lined with a liner so it's just a toss-and-you're-done kind of clean up.

So what ya do is cube that dry loaf of bread into cubes, combine it with some pumpkin, cream, vanilla, brown sugar, and spices and then slowly bake it into a gooey sweet dreaminess that will warm your whole house with fall amazingness.

Gluten Free Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding

Yield: 10

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours

This gluten free slow cooker pumpkin pecan bread pudding recipe is the perfect decadent dessert for those that don't want to lift a finger. This warm gooey fall pumpkin treat uses up old or dry gluten-free bread crumbs and will make anyone's day so much better.

Ingredients

7-9 cups of day-old GF bread, cubed
4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup pecans, chopped
½ cup GF butterscotch chips
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
a pinch of pumpkin pie spice
ice cream and GF sauce for garnish

Instructions

Line a slow cooker with a slow cooker liner. Place the bread cubes in the bottom of the cooker. Set aside.
Combine all other ingredients except the pumpkin pie spice, ice cream and sauce in a medium mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
Pour the liquid mixture over top the bread cubes and stir until just combined. Sprinkle with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours until warm, moist, and gooey.
Serve with ice cream and your favorite GF toppings. Seriously enjoy!

Here's some tips on how to make your gluten free slow cooker pumpkin pecan bread pudding all come together:

Do you need to have gluten free bread to make this magic happen? Nope. You don't. You just need a day-old loaf of bread (ya know, kind of dried out or stale).
Check to make sure all your ingredients are GF, like your vanilla, your butterscotch chips, and your garnishes to name a few. Just remember that if you aren't using gluten-free ingredients your final product will also not be gluten-free.

Bless her heart y'all... she's going in for seconds!

Autumn Harvest Pasta Salad

Sep 5, 2016 · 2 Comments

This easy gluten-free autumn harvest pasta salad tosses pasta in a pumpkin poppy seed dressing and sprinkles on the right amount of apple, celery, red onion, and dried fruits for the perfect fall pasta salad!

I love this time of year. It's still technically summer, buuuuuuut everyone has their mind on fall. For me, it can sometimes be tricky to find seasonal dishes for parties this time of year. Do you continue to bring out those big hits of summer or do you move on to exciting fall favorites that you are just dieing to get your hands on again? How about combining summer's favorites with fall's favorites? How about combining a summer pasta salad with a seasonal fall salad. When you combine the two you get a wonderfully amazing autumn harvest pasta salad!

This fall pasta salad can be made in just minutes. I use my quick and delicious pumpkin poppy seed dressing and drizzle it over some al dente gluten-free pasta and fall's freshest seasonal goodies that you would find in many fall salads. Red onion, celery, sweet and tart apple pieces, dried fruits, and a nice crumble of gorgonzola cheese!

Autumn Harvest Pasta Salad

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

12 oz gluten-free pasta, cooked according to package instructions
½ cup red onion, sliced
½ cup celery, diced
½ apple, diced
½ cup dried cranberries, or raisins
½ gorgonzola cheese crumbles
½ cup walnuts
¼-3/4 cuppumpkin poppy seed dressing, depending on how "saucy" you like your pasta salads

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and toss carefully. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours. Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Gluten-Free Pancakes with Pumpkin Spice Frosting

Aug 29, 2016 · 16 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DelightfulMoments #CollectiveBias

These pumpkin gluten-free pancakes with easy pumpkin spice frosting make for one spectacular breakfast! Fluffy and moist pumpkin pancakes are topped with a 2-minute sweet and creamy pumpkin spiced frosting that you'll want to dollop on everything!

Fall is almost here and that the holidays are right around the corner! Therefore it's not too early to be talking about, dreaming of, and eating everything PUMPKIN like Pumpkin Pecan Truffles! So this past weekend I woke up early to try to surprise the hubby with coffee and pancakes. The surprise part didn't quite work but the coffee and pancakes part did.

I made these fluffy and moist pumpkin gluten-free pancakes and dolloped on a creamy pumpkin spice frosting (and maybe silently scarfed a spoonful or two more of the frosting before the pancakes were ready) that just slowly melted into the tops of these warm addicting pancakes. No butter or syrup needed here!

I used International Delight® Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer for both the pumpkin gluten-free pancakes and for the pumpkin spice frosting. Not only is this creamer a delicious addition to your morning cup of coffee, but now you can incorporate it into other parts of your morning, including your breakfast.

Just swap out the milk in your next baking adventure with International Delight® Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer as one delicious ingredient for any fun fall recipe! Using the Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer as an ingredient makes me feel sooooooo excited about fall and the upcoming holiday season! Because pumpkinnnnnnn!

Pumpkin Gluten-Free Pancakes with Pumpkin Spice Frosting

Yield: 8

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE PUMPKIN GLUTEN-FREE PANCAKES:
¼ pumpkin puree
5-7 tablespoon International Delight® Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
3 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
1.5 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
FOR THE PUMPKIN SPICE FROSTING:
8 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners sugar
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
3-4 tablespoon International Delight® Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer

Instructions

In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients and in a second mixing bowl combine all the wet ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well. Allow to sit for 5 minutes (so the coconut flour can expand).
While the batter is "sitting" you can make your pumpkin spice frosting (see "notes")
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat coated with nonstick cooking spray or coconut oil.
Pour ¼ cup fulls of the batter into the warmed skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the underside of the pancake is a nice golden brown. Flip the pancake and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat for the rest of the batter, top with the pumpkin spice frosting, and sprinkle on extra confectioners sugar or walnut crumbles. Enjoy!

Notes

FOR THE PUMPKIN SPICE FROSTING:
-Whisk the room temperature butter on high with a mixer until fluffy and whipped.
-Add in the sugar one cup at a time while continuing to whisk. Add in the nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
-Add in the International Delight® Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer one tablespoon at a time until the desired thickness of frosting is achieved.

I also grabbed International Delight® Chocolate Hazelnut Coffee Creamer while I was at Walmart for our morning jo and am thinking up recipes to use it in as well. It's a great way to make our morning cup of coffee holiday-perfect too.

Which one of the International Delight® coffee creamers will play a role in your home this holiday season to create new memorable moments? Find out more about all the new flavors and then let your creative side get the best of ya!

Patriotic Labor Day Party Ideas

Aug 28, 2016 · 10 Comments

Your patriotic labor day party should be easy, inexpensive, and go off without a hitch. Here are the tips and tricks to pulling off the ultimate backyard labor day party.

Labor day is right around the corner and I don't know about you but I love celebrating it. It's one last ode to summer. It's usually full of summer's grilled barbeque favorites, the last of summer's fresh fruits and vegetables, and one more excuse to bring out summer's most fun red, white, and blue party decor.

Here are the best patriotic labor day party ideas and tips:

Start up that grill. This is a no-brainer. Your guests are going to assume that there is going to be grilled foods if they are invited to a backyard labor day party. Make sure that you offer at least two choices of meat (for those picky meat eaters) and a grilled veggie option for any vegetarians. How about grilled BBQ chicken kabobs and an extra plate of grilled BBQ bell peppers and onions for your veggie option.
Anticipating kids joining in on the fun? Make sure that you have kid-friendly foods to offer them. How about throwing some hot dogs or hamburger patties in the mix?
Don't forget those healthy options. Offer your guests multiple healthy options for their plates. A large salad tossed in a bowl quickly won't set you back but maybe 30 seconds of prep time. How about some pretty grapes in a dish? Sliced watermelon is another easy and healthy finger food that's great at parties.

Make it really obvious where all servingware and eating utensils are. This includes napkins and drink cups too. Make it very easy to pour or take condiments.
Space it out. Set aside an area in front of the drink area for guests to put down their things and allow them the space to pour and manage their drinks without juggling things and therefore preventing spills.

It's all in the details. Throwing in some holiday-themed details will go noticed and pull the whole party together. Bring out all of your red, white, and blue tableware, dish towels, even ribbon to add touches to your patriotic labor day party. All of these little details I found in my home just waiting for the right time to be used. Any red details not used at this party can be used in another patriotic party theme, pasta bar, or even for a Christmas party. Any blue or white details can be reused for a fantastic winter party spread!
Head to your grocery store for any last minute decor items specifically for a patriotic labor day party about 1 week - 1 day before your party. I picked up these cute little flags at my local grocery store on super clearance for $0.50 the week before Labor Day.

Bring out those late summer florals. Don't want to pick up an expensive bouquet for your party? No worries, I didn't either. I grabbed the last few late summer backyard blooms that had survived our summer drought here in Atlanta. After putting them in vases I felt like the arrangements needed a little more umph. I grabbed some wispy weeds and some green sticks and stuck them in around the florals for a pretty and whimsical wildflower look.
Don't be matchy-matchy. Remember, you do not need to have every piece of your labor day party matchy matchy red, white, and blue. Especially towards the end of summer, I like to bring in some yellows and purples to match the late-summer vibe.

Don't forget to put out those american flags! No matter how much red, white, and blue used at your party, a flag will tie your theme together. There's nothing more American at a patriotic labor day party than a few American flags flying high!

Pumpkin Poppyseed Dressing

Aug 20, 2016 · 10 Comments

This 2-minute pumpkin poppyseed dressing combines pumpkin, honey, minced garlic, and olive oil together for the perfect sweet and tangy festive fall dressing that you should drizzle on top of everything from salads to chicken this autumn!

I know it's a bit early for pumpkin anything but deep down inside I know you are lusting over pumpkin everything just like me. I daydream of pumpkin-filled recipes (and possibly a cooler day or two) in the near future.

BUT if you do feel like it is way too early to start in on the pumpkin train, try Go Dairy Free's Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing for a refreshing spring and summer option.

A few days ago when munching on my lunchtime salad, I was once again daydreaming of everything pumpkin (like my Pumpkin Pecan Truffles) and wishing I hadn't used up all of my poppyseed dressing at the same time.

Then it hit me. Make your own dang poppyseed dressing and just put the dang pumpkin in it.

Being a great listener to the voice in my head (ah crazy much?!?), I immediately stood up, made my poppyseed dressing and tossed some pumpkin in at the last moment before blending it all together.

Much to my surprise... the 2-minute prep work for this pumpkin poppyseed dressing was well worth the short wait.

I am a huge fan of sweet salad dressings with a little bite of tanginess (if you can call garlic tangy?) in my fall salads. Heck, drizzle it on baked or grilled chicken. Smother this pumpkin poppyseed dressing over your pasta salad (now there's a great idea for another soon-to-be-on-the-blog post!) or fall fruits. Coat/dip/toss this festive light and addicting dressing over/on/with pretty much anything this fall season. Have all the feels. Go get you some dressing!

Pumpkin Poppyseed Dressing

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

⅓ cup white vinegar
¼ cup honey
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup pumpkin
1 tablespoon poppyseeds

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except for the poppyseeds in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
Stir in the poppyseeds and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

A few tips on this pumpkin poppyseed dressing:

No matter what, try and use a white/clear or light-colored vinegar if you need to substitute the vinegar for another type. If you use a dark colored vinegar, the dark color added with the orange of the pumpkin will leave you with a colored dressing that is less than desired (or appetizing!).
I used my blender to mix up the ingredients thoroughly but you can use a food processor or any other method of mixing the ingredients well (like using your hands! So analog.). Use what you have on hand (Haha! Cheeeesy! Get it?).
The pumpkin poppyseed dressing (oops, I just typed "poopyseed". Haha! Not right!) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
This recipe makes roughly 1 ⅓ cups of pumpkin poppyseed dressing.

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Pepperoni Pizza Mozzarella Chips

Aug 5, 2016 · 14 Comments

These pepperoni pizza mozzarella chips are the perfect little dippable appetizer or snack. Shredded mozzarella cheese is quickly baked with pepperoni pieces, garlic, and basil into crispy addictive bites that are easily dunkable into your favorite marinara sauce!

Table of Contents

Best Mozzarella Pizza Crisps!

Alright y'all!

You have asked about my Garlic Basil Parmesan Crisps so many times that I decided that I needed to address some of those questions.

One of the biggest questions I get is if you can make the crisps with mozzarella cheese instead of parmesan.

Well today I answer that question for you with a brand new recipe!

You can definitely make those parm crisps with mozzarella BUT you can also make these delightful pepperoni pizza mozzarella crisps with the mozzarella too!

Let me talk you through my research...

Pepperoni Pizza Crisp Ingredients:

Mozzarella cheese, shredded
pepperoni, diced
garlic powder
dried basil
marinara sauce or creamy garlic sauce for dipping! Mmmmm!

How to make mozzarella cheese chips:

Preheat your oven to 350*F and line a cookie sheet in parchment paper.
Place TBSP's full of mozzarella onto the parchment paper and slightly spread out in the form of a circle.
Sprinkle with garlic powder and basil and then top with a few chopped pieces of pepperoni.
Bake for 4-6 minutes (it's 5 minutes on the dot for my oven) or until the cheese edges are turning slightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool and remove from the parchment paper.
Dip in marinara sauce and enjoy!

Pizza Chips Pro Tips:

The mozzarella is a softer and more moist cheese than the parmesan so it melts and bakes a little bit different too.
Unlike the garlic basil parmesan crisps that are extremely crispy, these little pancakes of joy, although crispy on the edges are slightly tender and doughy in the middle.
If you want your pepperoni pizza mozzarella crisps with a bit more crunch, I suggest keeping them in the oven for a bit more time. BUT... watch them closely because a few seconds time can make a BIG difference between nicely golden and burnt (or so says all my kitchen testing skills!).

How to eat pizza crisps:

Of course these pepperoni pizza mozzarella crisps would be just amazing on their own (trust me I've done the research 😉 ) but adding a bowl of your fav marinara sauce for your dipping pleasure sure does up the pizza ante.

I have baked these pizza chips two ways:

For perfect little circles, I used the bottom of a dark non-stick jumbo muffin pan without any type of spray or parchment paper and they came out fantastic.
I also baked them just as easily on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (not wax paper) for a more rugged around the edges looking pepperoni pizza mozzarella crisp. Bakers choice!
If you don't have mozzarella cheese, try another variety of these crisps, like the garlic basil parmesan crisps, the Taco Cheese Crisps or the loaded bacon cheddar crisps!

Storing leftover pizza chips:

One other tip for these mozzarella crisps is that because they don't crisp up as much as the garlic basil parmesan crisps do, they are better eaten the day of baking and not stored overnight.

You can definitely still make them ahead of time and they store well the same day they are baked.

Trust me, you won't have any leftovers to worry about storing!

Pepperoni Pizza Mozzarella Crisps

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes

These pepperoni pizza mozzarella crisps are the perfect little dippable appetizer or snack. Shredded mozzarella cheese is quickly baked with pepperoni pieces, garlic, and basil into crispy addictive bites that are easily dunkable into your favorite marinara sauce!

Ingredients

Mozzarella cheese, shredded
pepperoni, diced
garlic powder
dried basil
marinara sauce for dipping!

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350*F and line a cookie sheet in parchment paper.
Place TBSP's full of mozzarella onto the parchment paper and slightly spread out in the form of a circle.
Sprinkle with garlic powder and basil and then top with a few chopped pieces of pepperoni.
Bake for 4-6 minutes (it's 5 minutes on the dot for my oven) or until the cheese edges are turning slightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool and remove from the parchment paper.
Dip in marinara sauce and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 12 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 12Cholesterol: 2mgSodium: 35mg

Simple Watermelon Stir-Fry

Aug 3, 2016 · 2 Comments

This simple watermelon stir-fry recipe combines the sweet refreshing flavors of juicy ripe watermelon with the savoury flavors of an asian-inspired stir-fry! The perfect-for-summer sauce has just a touch of sweet and light with it's combination of fresh lime juice and garlic. This summer dish definitely won't weigh you down in the sizzling summer heat!

Okay okay, you may be thinking ewwwwww! But please give me a second for all you skeptics. One, it's national watermelon day! So happy watermelon to you! You can NOT bash watermelon today. Secondly, I don't eat watermelon nearly as much as I should because the Hubster completely despises it. Every once in awhile I get the chance to make a frozen watermelon jalapeno bellini buuuuuut not as often as I'd like. How is he human??? I know, it just ain't right. But when hubby's away the wife will play (well with watermelon at least!). The only opportunity I get to eat this deliciously weird shaped ball of goodness is when hubby is far far away.

So one day when Hubby was off doing whatever he does all day, I decided to flip through my old school super analog cookbook binder full of cutout recipe scraps and written down chicken scratch and found a stir-fry recipe with watermelon in it and HAD to try it. To this day, I do not know where the recipe came from at all. I did adjust some of the ingredients, added in a few new ones, and took out a couple others. But that original idea I can not take credit for. Here is my rendition of a simple watermelon stir-fry:

Simple Watermelon Stir-Fry

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 in # stir-fry quality beef, cut thin slices
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoon cool water
3 teaspoon GF soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon lime juice, divided
2 tablespoon GF BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon hot water
2 tablespoon coconut oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
a handful of sugar snap peas
1-2 cups watermelon, cubed or sliced

Instructions

Make the marinade: Mix together the minced garlic, cornstarch, cool water, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and sesame oil together and in a large bowl, toss over the beef pieces. Place the bowl in the fridge to marinade for 30 minutes.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon lime juice with the BBQ sauce, honey, and hot water. Mix and set aside.
Heat the coconut oil in a wok on med high-high. Add in about ⅓ of the beef at a time and cook each side 30-60 seconds before flipping and cooking on the other side. Make sure your beef pieces are cooked to your liking here. After the beef is cooked, place in a bowl and set aside.
Fry the onion in the remaining oil (add a bit more oil if necessary) for a few minutes until they become slightly tender. Then add in the sugar snap peas, salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
Add in the beef and stir-fry sauce and cook all together for one additional minute or until everything is cooked thoroughly.
Fold in the watermelon pieces and enjoy while still warm!

Gluten-Free Chopped Stuffed Pepper Salad

Aug 1, 2016 · 14 Comments

This gluten-free chopped stuffed pepper salad combines spicy sausage with fresh diced bell peppers and sweet onion, fluffy rice, and is seasoned with a combination of sizzling creole spices for one salad that is burst with flavor spoonful after spoonful!

The first meal that the hubster ever made for me when we very first started dating was his spicy stuffed bell pepper recipe. Those peppers were more than amazing and still to this day are one of my favorite recipes of all time. One could say that after that first stuffed bell pepper meal, I knew that this guy was a keeper.

I really wish that BHHY was a scratch and sniff kind of deal (I'll work on that!) because these pictures do not do this dish justice. Oh all the smells and all the tastes!

I decided that I wanted to bring all that is delicious about my man's stuffed bell pepper recipe with me to parties but the peppers were just too hard to transport in the car. So I decided to make my own version of a travel and party-happy recipe and came up with this sizzling gluten-free chopped stuffed pepper salad. It hitches a ride in a large bowl and is easily scooped out in big spoonfuls at parties.

Gluten-Free Chopped Stuffed Pepper Salad

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

4 medium bell peppers, diced
1 pound spicy GF ground pork sausage, spicy chicken or turkey sausage works great too!
1 ½ cups chopped yellow onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked rice
¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
¼ cup green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon GF creole seasoning
3 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

Brown the sausage in a large skillet until cooked thoroughly. Add the onions and diced bell pepper just before the sausage is fully cooked and allow to cook until the veggies start to soften.
While the sausage is cooking, in another pot, cook the rice according to package instructions.
Add in the minced garlic, cracked pepper, parsley, creole seasoning, and the cooked rice to the cooked sausage and veggies and cook for 1 minute all together.
Remove from heat and add the green onion and toss. Top with the cheese and garnish with a bit of extra creole seasoning. Enjoy!

Frozen Watermelon Jalapeno Bellini

Jul 22, 2016 · 22 Comments

This frozen watermelon jalapeno bellini recipe is what any summer weekend calls for! Frozen watermelon is mixed with fresh jalapeno, lime juice and sparkling wine, and a sprinkle of coconut sugar for a cool refreshing cocktail that's the perfect amount of sweet with a spicy finish!

I don't know about you but for those of us on East Coast time, it's 4pm on Friday afternoon.

It's the middle of July.

And I am in Georgia.

It's hot out.

It's frozen cocktail time.

And just in time for you to pop by the grocery store on your way home if you don't have all of the ingredients for this recipe.

I have to admit.

I just made a pitcher of this frozen watermelon jalapeno bellini recipe, photographed it, and am now sitting at my computer typing this post up with my second glass of this refreshing drink in my hand (don't believe me... check out my Snapchat @J.Trogstad).

And i'm not apologizing about it (except if my grammar gets worse and worse as this post goes on.... sorry about that.... silly sparkling wine!)

I've never been afraid to admit that I like the easy way of doing things. Y'all, this recipe couldn't be any easier! Toss in your frozen watermelon (or if you can't wait for it to freeze, use a chilled watermelon and just know that it will be less of a frozen slush consistency when you are done), your sparkling wine (or sparkling grape juice for a tasty mocktail!), fresh jalapeno (or nix the spicy pepper all together if spiciness offends you), and a spoonful of coconut sugar.

Frozen Watermelon Jalapeno Bellini

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This frozen watermelon jalapeno bellini recipe is what any summer weekend calls for! Frozen watermelon is mixed with fresh jalapeno, lime juice, and a sprinkle of coconut sugar for a cool refreshing cocktail that's the perfect amount of sweet with a spicy finish!

Ingredients

4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed and frozen
½ in jalapeno, deseeded (unless you like it really hot, then keep 'em )
1.5 cups sparkling wine, chilled
lime juice of ½ lime
2 tablespoon coconut sugar, or the sugar of your choice

Instructions

In a blender, blend all ingredients together until smooth and delicious.
Garnish with fun summer-y things and enjoy y'all!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 2 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Fiber: 1gSugar: 29g

Bless Her Heart Y'all does not condone underage drinking. Please keep this a 21 and over beverage, k-thanks!

And check out our other watermelon recipes: Watermelon Stir Fry and Grilled Watermelon Kabob Skewers!

Slow Cooker Beef Lo Mein

Jul 13, 2016 · Leave a Comment

This slow cooker beef lo mein tosses sliced pieces of beef into an easy asian-inspired sauce and turns it into a delicious spicy garlicky noodle-y gluten-free dish that's perfect for those busy weeknights! Even the pasta is cooked in the Crock Pot!

This slow cooker beef lo mein recipes has solved a lot of problems for me throughout the years.

When I was in college and broke like no joke, I always went looking for those grocery finds that were on super sale that I could freeze for later (ahem.... "crock pot" kind of later).

So whenever I saw beef on sale I would snatch it up and either use it right away or freeze it for an awesome and affordable crockpot dish.

Sometime in my undergraduate years, I perfected this slow cooker beef lo mein with my budget-friendly beef in tow, and the sale beef that I had purchased and stored away turned into juicy, tender, melt in your mouth bites.

If you had come over to my place in college... you would have been eating well my friends (at least on lo mein days.... maybe not ramen days or cheese and cracker nights... did I mention that I was a broke college kid for far too long?)!

Today, I still shop for beef on sale at the grocery store for crock pot recipes and I still make this slow cooker beef lo mein but make it completely gluten-free now that I know about my gluten issues.

And on top of making it an affordable meal, it's stupid easy to make.

Seriously just toss in the beef and sauce in the morning, go to work or school, come home and drop in some veggies and cook some noodles before you are ready to eat, mix, and enjoy!

Easy enough for a college kid to do, and worth the very few dishes that are there for clean up!

Slow Cooker Beef Lo Mein

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

This slow cooker beef lo mein tosses budget-friendly pieces of beef into an easy asian-inspired sauce and turns it into a delicious spicy garlicky noodle-y gluten-free dish that's perfect for those busy weeknights!

Ingredients

1-2 pounds of beef chunks of your choice
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup shaved carrot and/or snow peas
1 cup bell peppers, chopped
12-16 oz . GF spaghetti pasta
For The Sauce:
3 cups GF chicken or beef broth
⅓ cup GF soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon GF chili paste
1 tablespoon GF oyster sauce
2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional

Instructions

Line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner for easy clean up.
Place the beef pieces into the bottom of the cooker.
Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a mixing bowl and then pour on top of the meat, covering all of the pieces thoroughly.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 4-5 hours) or until the beef is cooked thoroughly.
One hour before before serving, place the pasta in the bottom of the slow cooker underneath the beef, add the vegetables on top and turn your slow cooker to low (if it's not already there).
Check your noodles at 45 minutes to see if they are to your done-ness. Cook for up to 15 more minutes if need be.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 370

Slow cooker beef lo mein tips:

Make sure all ingredients are gluten free if you are looking at a fully gluten free dish.
Gluten free noodles need to be watched more carefully than regular spaghetti noodles. They are not to be overcooked as they tend to get mushy as a general rule. Start watching them after 30 minutes and every 10 minutes after that just to be on the safe side.
To make a gluten-free noodle selection even easier, try using delicious rice noodles! Rice noodles will only need to be placed in the crock pot for a very quick few minutes. Refer to the package instructions for the exact timing that the rice noodles should be cooked for.
If you'd like your beef lo mein sauce to be a bit thicker, add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the liquids and allow to simmer when you add in your veggies.

Thanks for stopping in friends!

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Bacon Goat Cheese Jalapeno Poppers

Apr 20, 2016 · 2 Comments

These bacon goat cheese jalapeno poppers are a fast and delicious little appetizer full of creamy goat cheese, crisp bacon crumbles, and sweet pepper jelly overtop quickly charred jalapenos for the perfect sweet and spicy party treat!

When my mom and I get together, we usually end up cooking new recipes. It's what we do.

And if we don't get that far, it's only because we are still trying to figure out all the ingredients and steps we would need to pull off our latest recipe idea.

We always grew up with the family ending up in the kitchen, no matter what the occasion.

And this past weekend, there was no special occasion except that we were hanging out with each other and we were hungry.

After a big day of demo-ing the upstairs of our house, we were definitely more than hungry, so my smart momma suggested jalapeno poppers.

Then the bacon goat cheese jalapeno poppers were born!

We started these bacon goat cheese jalapeno poppers with a mixture of goat cheese and cream cheese spread, sprinkled in some garlic and onion, and then broiled them until the peppers started to crisp.

Then we crumbled some crisp bacon crumbles on top and finished it all off with a sweet pepper jelly for a sweet and spicy combination that couldn't be any easier to make while hosting others who are just a bit hungry!

For the jalapeno jelly that tops this recipe, you can purchase it at most groceries stores (I find it by the fancy cheeses and meats by the deli) or easily make your own. I highly recommend I Wash You Dry's pepper jelly recipe!

Bacon Goat Cheese Jalapeno Poppers

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

These bacon goat cheese jalapeno poppers are a fast and delicious little appetizer full of creamy goat cheese, crisp bacon crumbles, and sweet pepper jelly overtop quickly charred jalapenos for the perfect sweet and spicy party treat!

Ingredients

4 fresh jalapenos, halved and deseeded
1 ounce GF cream cheese, softened
1 ounce goat cheese, softened
½ tablespoon dried chopped onion
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of coarse sea salt
2 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon pepper jelly, mixed with 1 teaspoon water and warmed in the microwave for 20-25 seconds

Instructions

Preheat your broiler to high. Place the jalapeno halves on a baking sheet with four sides.
Fill each pepper with the mixture of cream cheese, goat cheese, onion, garlic powder, and salt. Broil for 7 minutes or until the peppers start to crisp and brown around the edges.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the bacon crumbles and finish with a drizzle of the pepper jelly. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Banana Bread Donuts + Honey Cream Cheese Drizzle

Apr 11, 2016 · 12 Comments

These gluten-free banana bread donuts are a great reason to wake up in the morning! Soft and moist banana bread is baked into fluffy donuts and then drizzled with an easy and quick honey cream cheese drizzle.

Happy Monday y'all! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I had a girls weekend with my mom at my place and we did some major demo work and painting in the farm house (more on that in a later post!). We also did some recipe creating. Mom came with an idea on how to make jalapeno poppers even more amazing (coming very soon to a blog near you!) and I decided to tweak my old college roomie's banana bread recipe into a gluten-free banana bread donut version with a very out-of-the-blue honey cream cheese drizzle idea. Both ideas turned out amazing, so that means that the weekend was a busy success.

I made these gluten-free banana bread donuts on Sunday morning for breakfast and we stuffed as many as we could down. Then for lunch and dinner (and who am I kidding, and for a snack) we cashed in the rest of these simple breakfast rings. The combination of flours used along with the banana make it a fluffy and moist donut, surrounded by sweet cream cheese drizzle mixed with warm honey for a perfectly-not-too-sweet topping that complements this breakfast twist with finger-licking precision.

These are easily made before church or school, but if you need a good reason to wake up on a monday morning, make these donuts ahead of time the night before. They stay great overnight in an airtight container or zippie bag. Just drizzle the honey cream cheese icing on just before devouring. For shizzle.

Gluten-Free Banana Bread Donuts + Honey Cream Cheese Drizzle

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

Ingredients

⅔ cup brown rice flour
⅔ cup tapioca flour
⅓ cup coconut flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
⅓ cup water
⅓ cup butter, melted
2.5 very ripe bananas, mashed

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350*F. Place your mini loaf tins on a baking sheet and set aside.
Combine the flours, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs, water, butter, and bananas in a large mixing bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Add the batter to the mini loaf cups, filling each ⅔ full. Bake for 21-23 minutes (it's 21 minutes in my oven) or until the edges of the loaves turn a nice golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 12 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250

Gluten-Free German Chocolate Mini Cupcakes

Mar 29, 2016 · 8 Comments

These fluffy and soft made-from-scratch gluten-free german chocolate mini cupcakes are a decadent little sweet treat, perfect for when you need a bite of something full of coconut, chocolate, and creaminess!

German chocolate cake was my dad's favorite cake in the whole world. So to honor him and his 59th birthday, I made a batch of these gluten-free german chocolate mini cupcakes and brought them to Nashville so that my family could partake in celebrating his birthday with me over this past Easter weekend.

Easter was good to my family. With my dad recently passing away, there were moments that were hard, we missed him like crazy, but my little family was together and got to share some laughs and enjoy some delicious food. We hung outside in the warm Nashville sun, drank wine, and reminisced. Then I brought out these gluten-free german chocolate cupcakes that were a huge hit!

The chocolate cupcake is naturally sweetened with honey. The cupcakes are smooth and fluffy and decadently chocolatey. The homemade chocolate frosting is quickly mixed together for a sweet helping of creamy sweet chocolate. And all of that is topped with a "praline jam", a smooth and sweet coconut topping that takes like a praline melted in your mouth. And then of course there was fresh pecan slices as sprinkles, for a bit of crunch in all that soft and fluffiness! Decadent to the core!

If you are planning on traveling with these treats, I recommend making the chocolate cupcakes in advanced. I also make the frosting and praline jam ahead of time, sticking each of them in a ziplock bag and piping the frosting and placing the praline topping on the cupcakes after you have arrived at the cupcakes final destination. These little guys are a bit top heavy and can tip in car rides.

Gluten-Free German Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 36

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 48 minutes

These fluffy and soft made-from-scratch gluten-free german chocolate mini cupcakes are a decadent little sweet treat, perfect for when you need a bite of something full of coconut, chocolate, and creaminess!

Ingredients

½ cup GF coconut flour
¾ cup GF unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch or two extra
1 cup fresh honey
6 eggs
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
14 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened (and divided into 6 tablespoon & 8 TBSP)
2 ⅓ cup GF powdered sugar
2 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoon GF vanilla extract, divided
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
8 oz . GF evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 ¼ cup GF sweetened shredded coconut, or more if you love coconut!
1 cup GF pecans, chopped (and more for garnish!)

Instructions

CUPCAKES: Preheat your oven to 350*F. Place muffin cups in the bottoms of your muffin tin. Set aside.
Mix the coconut flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a different bowl, mix the eggs, honey, and 4 tablespoon melted butter together. With a mixer, slowly combine the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients and mix well until you get a smooth batter.
Allow the batter to expand (coconut flour expands once wet) for 5-10 minutes and then place the batter into the bottom ⅔ of each muffin cup.
Bake for 12-15 minutes (13 minutes is perfect in my oven), or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool mini cupcakes on a baking rack before applying frosting.
CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
While the cupcakes are baking, beat 6 tablespoon softened butter with the hand mixer until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix well with hand mixer until smooth.
Add ¼ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, milk, and a pinch of salt and combine over medium speed once more until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
COCONUT PRALINE JAM:
Mix 8 tablespoon butter, evaporated milk, 3 egg yolks, sugar, coconut, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat and allow to simmer until reduced by ⅓ and thick. Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and chopped pecans and mix well.
Remove from heat and allow to cool before piping the chocolate frosting and then the praline jam on top of each chocolate cupcake. Enjoy!

If making regular-sized cupcakes, you may need to adjust the baking time. The gluten-free german chocolate mini cupcakes can easily be stored in an airtight container overnight (but we really didn't have any leftovers!).

Gluten-Free Bourbon BBQ Shredded Beef

Mar 21, 2016 · 20 Comments

This gluten-free bourbon bbq shredded beef recipe is a magical combination of juicy beef in a garlic and onion barbecue sauce, placed in your slow cooker along with a dash of bourbon, and ready for your enjoyment after a busy day!

I think it is no secret that I love slow cooker meals. Between this chicken and dumplings recipe, this spicy sage turkey recipe, and this gluten-free beer cheese soup recipe, I have my favorites. That’s why it’s so surprising that it has taken me so long to get this favorite of mine up on the blog! I had actually thought that I had it up on the blog but it really wasn't and felt I was doing an injustice to society for not sharing the recipe! This bourbon BBQ shredded beef recipe has been a long time favorite of mine, not only because it is slow cooker so ya toss in the ingredients and let it go all day, but the flavors that come out of this dish are amazing!

It’s savory, it’s tangy, it’s a bit sweet. It’s amazing! It’s tender, it’s saucy, it’s juicy. Did I mention that it’s amazing?

Pair it with some state fair pickles, The Best Homemade Potato Salad from Meaningful Eats, and a cold glass of lemonade!

With spring and summer barbecue season around the corner, my “go-to’s” for supplying parties worth of hungry people are barbecue sandwiches. They are easy to serve up, are tasty with an easy salad and chips, and who doesn’t love pulled barbecue?

I like to make a ton of this bourbon bbq shredded beef, not only to have in my sandwiches, but on salads, in tacos, casseroles, and even lettuce wraps. The possibilities are endless! I have even frozen this stuff into smaller portions and frozen it for later use. Oh the possibilities!

And if you don’t want to serve this dish that has alcohol in it, no prob! This dish is still amazing tasting even without the bourbon. You will still get amazing results that are drool-worthy!

Gluten-Free Bourbon BBQ Shredded Beef

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

This gluten-free bourbon bbq shredded beef recipe is a magical combination of juicy beef in a garlic and onion barbecue sauce, placed in your slow cooker along with a dash of bourbon, and ready for your enjoyment after a busy day!

Ingredients

1.5 - 2 pounds of boneless beef of your choice, cheaper cuts are okay here as it is slow cooked all day!
1.5 -2 cups of GF barbecue sauce
¼ yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon garlic powder
1.5 tablespoon onion powder OR dried chopped onion
3 tablespoon GF soy sauce
3 tablespoon GF bourbon/whiskey, optional

Instructions

Line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner for easy clean up.
Combine all ingredients (except the beef) in the bottom of the crockpot and stir to mix well. Place the beef in the crock pot and spoon sauce all over the meat.
Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 8-10 hours (or on high for 5-6 hours), spooning sauce over the meat a couple of times if you can. (if you can't..... no biggie!)
Serve it up and enjoy!