monday pick-me-up: sweet potato fries!

what better way to tackle a monday than to indulge in some fries?! the only difference is, these are baked, not fried, yay! i might have made these twice in the last week... oh wait, yes, i definitely did. this is such an easy, healthy snack, side or appetizer... especially during this time of year!! yumski.

recipe
2 sweet potatoes {washed}
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. curry blend {mine had curry, cinnamon, cumin}
1/2 tsp. parsley {plus a little more for garnish}
salt

 - preheat oven to 375 degrees. cut potatoes lengthwise into skinny wedges.
 - combine oil and spices in a large bowl, add wedges and toss until evenly coated.
 - arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. sprinkle salt over the wedges to your liking.
 - bake for 30 minutes.
 - serve immediately, garnish with parsley + salt... enjoy!

rosemary + olive oil drop biscuits

being GF has had its good days and bad days... luckily the last year has been pretty good - haven't had too many "i wish i could have..." moments... but i had to have biscuits this thanksgiving, i just had to! so i found a recipe for almond flour drop biscuits a few weeks ago and pinned it for this very occasion. and then, just a couple days ago, i remembered having some amazing rosemary + olive oil bread long before my GF days and thought 'yeah girl!!' so here's my simple recipe for just that. :)

recipe
  2 1/2 cups almond flour
  1/2 tsp. salt
  1/2 tsp. baking soda
  2 eggs
  1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  1/4 cup honey
  2 tablespoons fresh rosemary {about two sprigs - chopped}

   - preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   - whisk dry ingredients {flour, salt, baking soda, rosemary} together in one bowl, mix wet ingredients in a larger bowl then combine dry mixture to wet. blend until thoroughly combined {i used a spatula when it started to thicken up}
   - drop heaping spoonfuls {just shy of 1/4 cup} onto parchment lined baking sheet.
   - bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the biscuits look golden brown.
   - serve immediately and enjoy!! {makes about 10 biscuits}

{a snapshot of our first montana thanksgiving... it was magical.}

thanksgiving dessert: pumpkin muffins + cream cheese frosting

instead of making the traditional pumpkin pie {as delicious as it is}, i decided to make something different for t-day dessert... ok, i had no other choice as someone else was already bringing the pie. but needless to say, i'm really glad i had to get creative. so after little debate, i decided to make pumpkin muffins {changed the recipe slightly from the recently posted bouchons to something slightly sweeter} with cream cheese frosting and a little cinnamon/sugar dust. mm mmm mmmm! can't wait to have another one tomorrow :)

recipe
pumpkin muffins
  1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
  1 1/4 cups all-purpose GF flour
  1 cup almond flour
  1/2 cup agave nectar
  1/2 cup apple sauce
  2 large eggs
  1 tsp. baking soda
  1/2 tsp. baking powder
  1 tsp. cinnamon
  1/2 tsp. ginger
  1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  1/2 tsp. all spice
  1/4 tsp. salt

cream cheese frosting
  4 oz. cream cheese {i used light cream cheese}
  4 tablespoons butter
  1 tsp. vanilla
  1/2 cup powdered sugar

dust
  1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  1 tsp. cinnamon
  handful of slivered almonds, broken up

 - preheat oven to 350 degrees. cut 5" parchment paper squares for muffin pan {or use regular muffin cups}.
 - whisk together dry ingredients {flours, baking soda + powder, spices}. blend wet ingredients until combined {eggs, pumpkin, agave, apple sauce}. slowly add dry mixture to wet, blend until thoroughly combined.
 - spoon into parchment paper cups, fill nearly to the top.
 - bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. while the muffins are baking, blend ingredients for frosting in one bowl, and mix dust ingredients in another.
 - transfer cups to wire rack, let cool. frost and dust to your liking... enjoy!!

happy thanksgiving eve!!

monday pick-me-up: easy, hearty tortilla soup!

mmm... there is nothing better than homemade soup on a cold, snowy night! especially if it's an easy soup... which is what i'll be sharing with you. most soups on the internet call for cups of chicken broth, which i don't like to use because i have yet to find a chicken broth/stock at the store without msg, natural flavorings (which are not natural at all!), and high amounts of salt... all of which are so bad for you. so i've been making soup without it, just adding water instead to avoid all those unhealthy ingredients... and it tastes great!! husband was raving about this one in particular. :)

recipe
(i use all organic ingredients- they always taste best!!)
  1/2 lb. of organic ground beef
  3/4 jar of salsa
  2 celery stalks (chopped)
  1/2 onion (chopped)
  3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  3 tbsp. olive oil
  1 cup of brown rice
  1 can of black beans (strained)
  1 jalapeno (finely chopped)
  tortilla chips + cilantro for garnish
  salt + pepper to taste

   1. saute chopped garlic, onion, and jalapeno with 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large pot (over medium-high heat).
   2. once the onion looks translucent, fill pot 2/3 with water, bring to a boil.
   3. add rice, salsa, celery and black beans. set timer for 45 minutes.
   4. in a separate pan, cook ground beef in the remaining olive oil then add to the soup, reduce heat to low, so that the soup is simmering.
   5. once the timer goes off, serve and garnish with tortilla chips and cilantro! if the soup isn't as spicy as you thought it would be, just sprinkle some crushed red peppers on top {i did it and tastes great!}.
{p.s. refrigerate the remainder of the soup}

enjoy! :)

monday pick-me-up: pumpkin {bouchon} muffins

'tis the season to bake!! i don't know about you, but i've been in a baking flurry ever since the calendar read november 1st. and i have no complaints or regrets for my recent convection obsession (and i don't think the husband does either!). i found a great recipe from one of my fave bloggers - roost - for butternut squash bouchons (which, if you didn't know, are sort of like muffins but a little taller and a little skinnier) but i don't have little bouchon baking cups so i just used a good ol' fashioned muffin pan... they turned out great and i was immediately inspired to make some pumpkin bouchons (or muffins... i just like using the word bouchon as much as possible!) so i changed up the recipe a little bit and am completely happy with the results!
i feel like i should warn you fellow sweet-toothers: these are not cupcakes, they are not super sweet, nor will they leave you feeling guilty after partaking... you'll notice the recipe doesn't call for butter or oil, or cups upon cups of sugar! so, if you'd rather have something more decadent for dessert, you could save these for fall mornings paired with your morning cup of caffeine . :)

recipe
   2 1/2 cups of GF flour {i'm sure normal flour would work fine too}
   2 cups of pumpkin
   1/2 cup of applesauce
   1/4 cup of honey
   1/3 cup of brown sugar
   2 eggs
   1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
   2 tsp. cinnamon
   1/2 tsp. salt
   1/2 tsp. baking soda
   chopped walnuts + raw sugar for sprinkling {optional}

{makes 16 bouchon muffins}

• preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• whisk dry ingredients together {flour, spices, salt, baking soda}.
• add the other ingredients and stir until combined.
• drop into parchment paper lined muffin pan.
• sprinkle with chopped walnuts + raw sugar {optional... but highly recommended!}
• bake for 30-35 minutes
• enjoy!

late night snack...

aka a dessert that won't make you feel bad for eating dessert... which i've been having a lot of lately. yikes. anyways, this easy dessert will leave you feeling like you've satisfied your sweet tooth and, as a bonus, will still allow you to fit into those jeans reserved for your skinny days (don't we all have those? ha).

ingredients:
 - grapefruit
 - brown sugar
 - cinnamon

cut the grapefruit like you would if you were going to eat it plain (half then cut into it to make perfect bite-size pieces).
sprinkle the top with brown sugar and cinnamon (the amount for these is totally up to you - i chose to use about half a teaspoon of cinnamon and about half a tablespoon of brown sugar).
set in a baking dish, then broil for about 5 minutes or until it looks a little caramelized on top.
transfer to individual dishes and enjoy immediately!

bon appetit! :)

the treasure state

the husband and i are having a blast out here in whitefish, mt... it is absolutely gorgeous!! as i blog, i'm looking out at the greenest forest you can imagine backdropped by snowy mountain peaks... accompanied by the most mouthwatering scent coming from the kitchen, ah! i still can't believe we're here! i just wanted to share a couple photos of week 1 of our trip... hope you enjoy!

{on our way! the handsome husband looking out at the columbia river}

{almost there! flathead lake, montana}

{pescado blanco!! this place had the best beef tacos}

{hanging out with the horses!}

{the red caboose!! frozen yogurt + coffee = our new fave place!}

monday pick-me-up: coffee house cookies!

after slaving {or playing ;)} away in the kitchen all weekend, i finally have a yummy cookie that i'm excited to share with you guys!! i've always been a sucker for the coffee + treat pairing but being on a budget, those three dollar cookies just can't be justified on every tea/coffee outing........ {i'm sure you know where this is going} so it was with one of these cravings that i had the idea of coming up with a cookie that tastes like something you'd find at a local coffee house without the huge price tag or the gluten! oh and don't worry, these cookies have been tested on people other than myself. :)

the recipe:
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
1 cup of creamy almond butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated sugar (use about 1/4 cup more if almond butter doesn't have any sugar added)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 cups gluten free flour (or regular flour if you like gluten)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

3 cups of gluten free quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips

step 1: preheat oven to 350 degrees, line cookie sheet with parchment paper
step 2: combine butter, almond butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla, beat on low setting until smooth.
step 3: in separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, mix then add to the butter/sugar mixture. beat until smooth.
step 4: stir in oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
step 5: drop heaping spoonfuls onto parchment paper, then pat flat with spoon.

step 6: bake for 12-15 minutes depending on your desired texture.
step 7: let cool for about 3-4 minutes, then transfer to plate and enjoy with coffee, tea, or a good ol' glass of milk!

any cookie recipes you'd like to share? feel free to post in the comment section :)
happy monday everyone!

simply spaghetti

when i became gluten-free i thought my spaghetti days were over... which was a sad thing indeed because spaghetti (or biscetti as i used to call it) has long been one of my favorite dishes. luckily, i quickly discovered rice pasta and have been enjoying my favorite pasta dishes ever since. yay!
so after making myself spaghetti today, i thought i would share this super quick, easy, delish recipe with you... hope you enjoy! :)

what you'll need for 2:
   2 cups of organic rice pasta (i used spinach spaghetti to change it up) or desired amount
   1/2 jar of organic marinara sauce {tip: i looove trader joe's organic pasta sauces, i usually get the regular marinara or tomato basil sauce}
   freshly ground salt & pepper {we add kelp just to get in a little iodine}
   crushed red pepper
   parmesan cheese

what you'll do:
- boil pasta for about 7 minutes --- do not overcook rice pasta, it will inevitably fall apart and become just a pile of mush... trust me on this one. :)
- heat up sauce in medium saucepan while pasta is cooking
- drain pasta, serve on desired plates, add sauce, grind pepper/salt over pasta, add red pepper & parmesan cheese
- enjoy!!

.......and if you eat beef, here's an alternate recipe for a meaty marinara, which will also yield a few meals worth of sauce so you can refrigerate or freeze the remainder for an even quicker leftover dinner later on in the week!
what you'll need:
   1 & 1/2 jars of organic marinara sauce
   about 1 pound of organic ground beef {check your local farmers market for the fresh stuff, or just get the organic ground beef at trader's}
   2 cups of organic rice pasta
   1 clove of garlic
   1 tablespoon of olive oil

what you'll do:
- as you wait for the water to boil (for pasta), begin heating the sauce, and heat 1 tablespoon of org. olive oil in a pan then add ground beef and garlic - cook till the meat is 'medium', then add meat to sauce {tip: i always drain the meat before adding it to the sauce to get rid of excess fat}
- follow directions above for pasta
- stir sauce occasionally
- follow directions above for toppings :)
- enjoy!!
- and don't forget to save the remaining sauce in the fridge/freezer and reheat later this week. :)
 

friday finds : nekter!

didn't get a chance to hit up any estate sales this morn, but we did however find our new favorite acai bowl place:: nekter juice bar!! we had been wanting to try it out for awhile {since it's only a bike ride away} and finally had the chance today..... and let me tell you - it was amazing!! worth every dollar!!

the husband and i both ordered their "'grenie bowl" which has acai, kale, spinach, banana, blueberries, topped w/yummy granola and berries. mmm! p.s. the portions are huge, so i will be enjoying the second half of my bowl tomorrow morn. :)

oh, and they have a slew of GF treats in their pastry case - chocolate macaroons, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter pie, key lime pie, donut holes... yep, all GF! most of the stuff is vegan too, if you're into that. :)

if you're in the neighborhood, check it out... you won't regret it!!

peace.

create: easy/cheap/yummy dinner & dessert for 2

ok, i can't take all the credit for this meal - i saw a salmon dish in this month's martha stewart living mag and was inspired to create something similar with different ingredients. this meal was surprisingly quick, super inexpensive (under $10), and delish (my husband's reaction was: "can this be the new staple?")! depending on your own ingredients, the prep for this meal literally took me 10 minutes and my oven did the rest! 

here's what you'll need:

 - parchment paper

 - 2 tilapia filets (or salmon)

 - 2 sweet potatoes (your dessert!)

 - baby broccoli (or asparagus)

 - 1 lemon

 - 1 garlic clove

 - olive oil

 - spices (i used "everyday seasoning" {paprika, mustard seed, chili pepper, onion, etc.} from trader joe's)

 - salt & pepper

here's what you'll do:
 - preheat oven to 400 degrees, line baking sheet w/ foil
 - rinse fish & broccoli, pat dry, arrange on parchment paper (leave enough room on paper to cover and fold shut), drizzle with olive oil
 - cut 4 slices of lemon (more if desired) and finely chop garlic, season fish & broccoli with spices and salt & pepper, top with chopped garlic and slices of lemon
 - fold paper over then, starting from the top, fold the edges over with sharp creases to get a nice half moon packet  :)
 - arrange packets and sweet potatoes on foiled baking sheet (be sure to puncture the potatoes with your fork to get a few good holes) and stick them in the oven for 15 minutes
 - once finished, serve packets on plates as is and put the sweet potatoes back in the oven for 30 more minutes

 - open your packets and enjoy!

 the baked sweet potatoes will be done by the time you're finished with dinner so you'll be perfectly ready for this healthy dessert! cut potatoes in half and add your favorite toppings - i added a few drops of agave nectar and sprinkled cinnamon. mmmm they were so good!

i actually had fun making this meal and was not stressed one bit! plus, the cleanup was super low-maintenance too! this will definitely be a new staple for us. :)

{enjoy}