07/30/15

Almond and butternut squash muffins

I was at the farmer’s market the other day and butternut squash was on sale for $.75/lb! I purchased a few and they’ve been sitting on my counter top just waiting to be used. 

I’ve had my eye on a butternut squash cheese and beer soup I saw someone make the other day that looked divine.
I’ve also been wanting to whip up a batch of my roasted garlic mashed squash that is tdf!
And I’ve been craving muffins like crazy, so…butternut squash muffins? Why not! Continue reading →

07/19/15

What I’m buying at Trader Joe’s these days

People are ALWAYS asking me what to buy at Trader Joe’s. 
I can’t image why? I’m no TJ’s expert! (could it be the excessive check-ins on social media?) 😉

Since Tampa was blessed with a TJ’s almost a year and a half ago, I have (ahem) become one of their biggest fans. 
What can I say? I’m a sucker for good prices, interesting products and kitsch!  Continue reading →

07/17/15

Sea salt and pecan chocolate chip cookies

As much as I’d like to deny it, I cannot.

I am a cookie monster. 

I don’t remember the very first cookie I ever laid tastebuds on, but I remember my childhood filled with Oreos, Fig Newtons (yes I loved them as a kid!), Dunkaroos (remember those!), and, well, the list can go on and on and on.

My favorite cookies, however, were the ones my mom and her best friend Mary baked at Christmastime. Mary would come over to our house and the three of us would stay up until the wee hours of the morning baking batches upon batches of drop cookies, bar cookies, candies and other delectable treats for co-workers, family and holiday parties. Those memories give me SUCH warm fuzzies, and definitely the inspiration behind my love of baking. <3 

As a grown-up (eek!), I don’t eat as many cookies. Especially store bought ones. And the cookies I’m making in my 30’s are definitely not the ones I was indulging in as a child. The cookies that come out of my kitchen these days are made with wholesome ingredients, a variety of gluten free and low-carb flours, nuts, dried fruits, raw honey, and lots of dark chocolate. 

And, I love them all. 
And I especially love these. 

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These sea salt and pecan chocolate chip cookies are gluten free, made without refined sugars, and are FULL of dark chocolate chips and pecans. The recipe for the gluten-free mix in the recipe below can be found here. You can find Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips at most stores (I purchase mine at Target and Publix). 

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The sea salt sprinkled on top of these cookies before the get put into the oven is divine! I love the combination of sweet and salty… and this is just the right amount to make you go YUM. 

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Sea salt and pecan chocolate chip cookies
These cookies are gluten free and made without refined sugars.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
12 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
12 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 1/4 cups gluten-free baking mix
  2. 1 tsp baking soda
  3. 1 tsp sea salt
  4. 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
  5. 3/4 cup raw honey
  6. 1/4 cup date sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
  7. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  8. 2 large eggs at room temp.
  9. 1 bag of Enjoy life chocolate chips or chunks
  10. 1 cup chopped pecans
  11. additional sea salt for garnish
Instructions
  1. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream butter, honey, date sugar and vanilla extract together until well combined. Add the flour mix into the creamed butter 1/2 cup at a time until well combined.
  3. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
  4. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, pre-heat oven to 375.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and drop walnut sized spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the sheet. Gently press down with two fingers to help these spread out a bit while cooking. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Cool on a rack and enjoy with lots and lots of ice cold glasses of almond milk!
http://orangespoken.com/
07/12/15

Herby Asian dressing

Earlier I posted my meal plan for this week. I mentioned grilled chicken thighs and an Asian salad. Both of these dishes are made with this AMAZING herby Asian dressing! I marinate the chicken thighs overnight in this dressing and grill it the next day for dinner (works well with shrimp too!). To make an scrumptious slaw, toss this dressing in a mixture of kale, broccoli slaw, almonds and dried cranberries!

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It’s super easy to whip up, lasts about 2 weeks in a sealed jar in your fridge, and can be used as a marinade or dressing. 

Which is exactly what I did. 😉

I love double duty recipes like this. A batch of this dressing is so versatile, and much healthier than anything you’d purchase in a jar at the store. You can easily make this in a food processor, but if you don’t have one, a blender will do. unnamed (1)

Herby Asian dressing
Yields 2
A delicious dressing that can be used as a marinade too!
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Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
  2. 1/2 cup raw honey
  3. the juice of 1 lime
  4. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  5. 1 tbsp. coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
  6. 1 tbsp. sesame oil
  7. 1 tbsp. fresh ginger
  8. 2 cloves garlic
  9. 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  10. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  11. 1 tsp. red pepper flake
  12. 1 tsp. sea salt
  13. 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients at the same time into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and well-combined! Use it to marinade chicken, shrimp or as a dressing to your favorite salad or slaw!
http://orangespoken.com/
06/24/15

4 years

4 years ago Brian and I went on our first date.

I didn’t know it then, but he would turn out to be my best friend, the person to kiss me goodnight, hold my hand when I’m worried and hold me tight when I’m scared. 

I didn’t know it then, but he would turn out to be my shoulder to cry on, my ear to confide to, and my voice of reassurance.  Continue reading →

06/21/15

Shrimp with chorizo and peppers

Chorizo is one of those things I never really had on my radar until just recently. Chorizo is a dried and cured sausage in a casing. It can be usually found with other ready-to-eat cured meat products like salami. But chorizo can also be fresh! I prefer the fresh kind- especially when I can make it myself and prepare it a bit more on the healthy side.  Continue reading →

06/17/15

Fox Fitness update (and benefits of working out with a trainer!)

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, today I wrapped up 3 weeks with Fox Fitness! 11407043_1103847322961941_7289741310017489761_n

We started our morning with mid-month measurements and a fitness assessment! Since my first workout session on May 27th I’ve lost inches on my hips, upper arms and thighs (<based on both gym & at home measurements)! And as I mentioned yesterday, my ankles and feet feel so much stronger from working out on the squishy martial arts mats without shoes. That’s a BIG plus for me because I’ve struggled with things like Plantar’s Fasciitis in the past and can use all the help I can get with strengthening my feet and ankles!  Continue reading →

06/8/15

Fox Fitness update (and a new recipe!)

A little over a week ago I started working out with personal trainer Becky Fox at Fox Fitness in Tampa. It’s been an AWESOME experience! Like I said in my introduction post, Becky is positive, patient and super motivating. I don’t plan on taking any of my measurements until my 21 day challenge is through, but between the workouts and Becky’s nutrition plan, I’m feeling like I have a lot of energy, and feeling stronger after each workout.  Continue reading →