We’re not a big casserole family, but we do love (and the kids have been asking me to make) creamy spinach and chicken enchiladas. We also love Frank’s hot sauce. On buffalo chicken pizza, on buffalo chicken salads and even our homemade hot sauce – we love a good spicy kick to our food! So then, it only makes sense to take my homemade stove-top mac and cheese, douse it with Frank’s, toss it with chicken and ... Continue Reading
Winter Wedge Salad
Fact: I big fat puffy heart love salads. Panzanella (with homemade caesar dressing) is my go-to when we have bread about to go stale and in early fall I like spinach with squash and apples. Even when we go out to eat, 9 times out of 10 I order a salad (and it drives my husband nuts). This year I added a winter wedge salad to our weekly salad rotation and the whole family is raving. ... Continue Reading
Kombucha Continuous Brew: Is it Worth it?
Earlier this summer I piecemealed together a DIY kombucha kit so that I could save money by not buying kombucha from the store anymore. I had originally considered a kombucha continuous brew system, but wasn’t sure how I felt about the price tag. I mean, $300 is a lot of money! Plus I was new to brewing kombucha in the first place. How was I to know if a kombucha continuous brew system was worth it, or just a ... Continue Reading
Banana Nut Muffins with Crumb Topping
One of the very first muffin recipes I ever attempted to make "healthy" was my banana chocolate chip muffins, and the only reason those were better than a typical muffin was because they had coconut oil and oat flour. Although of all the chocolate pretty much negated any "healthy" points I may have earned. My family still loves those muffins, but when I had a bunch of bananas going brown a bit quicker than I ... Continue Reading
Our “One Day” Dream: Buy a Home with Cash
When my husband told me he wanted to buy a home with cash, I thought he was crazy. I clearly remember thinking, “No one in this house, is paying cash for a house. It’s impossible!” Yet here I am, 8 years later, eating crow because last month, we bought a house and paid cash. ... Continue Reading
Incredible Benefits of Drinking Water
When I wrote my eBook Kinda Crunchy, I included “drink more water” as a self-care baby step because the majority of us don’t drink enough. Aside from the fact that our body is 100% dependent on water, the benefits of drinking water are astounding. So incredible, that instead of being a New Year’s resolution or a means to losing weight, drinking more water on a daily basis should be an intentional act. I've ... Continue Reading
How to Heal Chapped Lips Naturally
The beauty industry had me duped for a long time, making me think I needed strong chemicals to heal acne. Those chemicals actually did more harm than good. Ever since, I'm leery when it comes to "medicated" anything, even the simple tube of medicated lip balm to heal chapped lips. ... Continue Reading
Panzanella (Bread Salad)
Before you think I'm crazy for suggesting you make a salad in the fall, let me remind you that delicata squash salad with apples and cranberries REQUIRES cool weather. And the main ingredient in panzanella bread salad is BREAD. What kind of crazy person doesn't like bread?! ... Continue Reading
How to Make Kombucha: Recipe and Tutorial
My first experience with kombucha tea was a lot like my experience with dairy kefir: unpleasant. It was too tart, too fizzy and too expensive. But I've been tinkering with brewing a kombucha recipe at home and now I look forward to drinking a glass of kombucha every day! For those who have never heard of kombucha before, here's a quick lesson. Kombucha is fermented sweet tea. It's packed with ... Continue Reading
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
Try this easy recipe for spatchcock chicken, the fastest way to cook a whole chicken. This method puts dinner on the table in under an hour & it's now our favorite! Pairs wonderfully with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies! I am notorious for waiting until the very last second to start dinner. That’s one reason why I started making slow cooker chicken in the first place – I knew the chicken would be ... Continue Reading