Today is the birthday of the wonderful, amazing man that I'm fortunate enough to spend my life with. Birthdays are celebrations, and celebrations call for dessert, so today I'm sharing with you guys a new sweet tooth creation I've come up with. Meet my latest food obsession: chocolate drizzled salted caramel rice crispy treats. Lately, as I stand in my kitchen deciding what to make for a meal, I find myself somehow breaking off a piece of one of these rice crispy treats as a pre-meal snack. While having a conversation with my hubby the other night, I all of a sudden found myself with one of these babies in my hand. It was like I blacked out and awoke with a sticky, delicious treat in my possession. Okay, perhaps I'm being dramatic... but I just love these! The recipe ... [Read More]
snack recipes
Cinnamon Raisin Granola [Vegan & Gluten Free]
Nearly all of the billion people on the planet who have eaten it say this, but granola is seriously addicting. Despite knowing this, I got in a granola munching mood recently and couldn't resist whipping up a new homemade version: cinnamon raisin flaxseed granola. Since it's well documented on here that I'm cinnamon obsessed and eat it on nearly everything, it shouldn't be a surprise that this granola is full of cinnamon-y goodness. I decided to use a sweetener I haven't used in awhile: brown rice syrup. A few tidbits about it: Brown rice syrup is made by culturing cooked rice with enzymes to break down the starches, then straining off the liquid and reducing it by cooking until the desired consistency is reached. It's vegan and gluten-free. It has a sticky consistency ... [Read More]
Sweet ‘n Salty Roasted Chickpeas
Hi friends! Hope you had a fabulous Valentine's Day weekend. My V Day was nice and low key. I made tomato basil soup and asparagus risotto for a cozy dinner at home, and we drank a bottle of California zinfandel from Cline Cellars.... ...and we enjoyed strawberries, chocolate and port for dessert. My hubby got me gorgeous pink roses that I've been staring at all weekend, and I surprised him by booking a getaway to Lake Tahoe for this weekend. Adam has been there for work and raved about how beautiful it is, and I've never been there, so I thought it'd be an awesome spot to spend a long weekend. It's actually totally coincidental that I booked the trip right around V Day, but we're definitely looking forward to it! Other yummy highlights of my weekend were a Mexican salad.... ... [Read More]
Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Stuffed Strawberries
In honor of Valentine's Day taking place in a few days, I have a delicious dessert recipe to share with you all today. It all started when I heard about Davida's Valentine's Day Bake Off. Naturally, I wanted to participate, but there weren't any baking ideas immediately popping into my head....and then I thought of making a homemade version of Nutella. Since it's V-Day, the idea of strawberries were also on my brain. Technically there isn't any baking involved in this recipe, but I figure that there's no room to be a stickler for rules when chocolate is involved, right? ;-) I think many people would agree with me when I say that Nutella is heavenly tasting. I think it's slightly ridiculous that people see it as a "nutritious" thing to eat for breakfast, but I do not pass up the ... [Read More]
Strawberry Almond Oatmeal Bars
Hi friends! Check out the best thing I've seen all day: Photos That Only Dog Owners Will Understand It had me cracking up this morning. A lot of them are so true! Here are my favorite photos that are applicable to life with Harley girl: Okay, so Harley hasn't actually done that last one per se that I know of, but given the opportunity, I'm sure she would! The bed picture makes me laugh because Harley was terrified of her dog bed when we brought it home. For the first few nights she slept next to the bed and refused to step on it, but now she loves it. She also has a favorite blanket that has a million holes in it from her chewing it, and she literally wraps herself up in it like a person at least once a day. It's hysterical! Horrible lighting, but case in point: Food Moving onto ... [Read More]
PB Cherry Granola Apple Sandwiches
Hi friends! Today was just another manic Monday filled with the usual activities. I had a long, sweaty workout at the gym this evening, and now my body is feeling pretty tired. I think it's going to be one of those nights when laying down on the couch and watching some TV will feel great! But first, I want to share a healthy, easy snack/light meal combo that I make often... in fact, I had it for breakfast just this morning: I've seen variations of apple sandwiches around, and while I may have mentioned eating them on here before, I don't think I've ever shared my take on this yumminess. I think this combo is great for people who don't have time or energy to prep a healthy snack or late-night bite to eat. I also think this is a perfect thing to whip up for kiddos! Let's face it: A lot of ... [Read More]