Dairy-Free

Pomegranate Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

November 19, 2014 · 1 Comment

I’m currently writing through big giant scoops of this scrumptious fruit salad. Poms are the bomb.

I was skeptical because first of all I’ve never eaten pomegranate on my own (like not ordering it at a restaurant) and I was nervous about the de-seeding of the pomegranate and second of all I was nervous about the mix of flavors that I was combining.

But I quickly learned that apples, pears, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and a delicious dressing of lime, honey, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, and mint for freshness, makes the best tangy saucy salad on this side of the universe.

I modeled this fruit salad after my summer peach salsa recipe that is so yummy. I make that salsa/salad for any type of get together and people always love it.

I really wanted a fruit salad that I could take to holiday winter gatherings, and this has hit the jackpot. [Read more…]

Lunchbox Monday: The Festive BLT Box

November 17, 2014 · Leave a Comment

I have survived many experiences this week.

Remember that conference I was talking about in my last post? Well it was a success! Vivian did an amazing job talking about her dairy allergy and the blog. She was so nervous!

We also showed our popsicle video we made for Vita Coco this summer and everyone loved it! We got to talk with all different kinds of educators from all over the world about blogging and dairy allergies and education. We learned so much and had a blast!

The other experience I survived from was a WATER SPOUT THAT TOOK OUT MY HOUSE! Not literally, but I live on the third floor of my house and my door started shaking like crazy.

My sweet dog, Emma, just stared at me like, “this is it” and my mom and sister started screaming.

One of our neighbors came running over and when she opened the door all the other doors sucked open and banged against the house.

Our furniture is in the pool, tree branches are in my sister’s room along with some kid’s toy from down the street, our grill is flipped upside down, and all our outdoor pillows are in the garden in the backyard.

What a storm. [Read more…]

Easy Holiday Nog French Toast

November 11, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Hello easiest breakfast to make ever. I’m glad we’re friends.

Let’s talk about this french toast. Cause’ it makes me super happy.

Not only is it mixed with Silk’s dairy-free holiday nog, and some eggs, and nutmeg, and cinnamon, and a little salt, but it’s also topped with powdered sugar, maple syrup, marshmallows, and anything else that your heart desires.

The actual toast of the french toast combo is day old challah bread, and the way it soaks up all the yumminess of the french mixture is delicious.

Then you just fry it on the skillet and voila. French toast for days. [Read more…]

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Muffins

November 7, 2014 · Leave a Comment

When your loving aunt and uncle bring you fresh, sweet, juicy, apples all the way from North Carolina’s apple orchards, you have an obligation to find something to do with them that’s equally as sweet and juicy.

These apple cinnamon crumble muffins are perfection. Moist inside with the apple all softened like in a good apple pie, with a crunchy cinnamon sugar crumble top. It’s like the perfect breakfast and dessert all wrapped in to one.

Dip it in your coffee, or my personal favorite, hot chocolate. The crumbs will soak up all the liquid and will then turn into mushy little tops that you can practically drink off the muffins.

[Read more…]

Creamy Broccoli Soup

November 5, 2014 · Leave a Comment

It’s creamy! It’s broccoli! It’s soupy! Drumroll please… it’s creamy broccoli soup!

So first things first. This soup. It’s got a creamy thick base involving non-dairy milk and veggie or chicken stock layered with delicious tender broccoli and long carrot strips just like in the movies, kids. It’s topped with a fake cheesy concoction of nutritional yeast and lemon juice and it slurps its way into your heart.

This soup totally brings back my Panera love memories of their cheesy broccoli and cheese smothered cheese soup that gave me bathroom probz for days. Looking back, it wasn’t my fondest of memories. But that soup was good stuff.

I definitely wanted this soup to have that thick consistency so I searched high and low for ways to make it thicker. I also blended half of it up because nobody likes their broccoli pieces to be too big. When your broccoli is bigger than your spoon it’s not good. Ya feel me? [Read more…]

Frankenstein’s Monster Pistachio Cake

October 29, 2014 · 2 Comments

Let’s all take a minute and mourn the end of Halloween. NOT. I’m not gonna lie, I had an ahmazing time making all these cutie themed Halloween goodies and treats and delectables.

But I’m so ready to bust out in Deck The Halls you don’t even know what’s up.

Frankie Monster boy feels me. I know he does. So I’m going to put him out of his misery and gobble him right on up. Big ole piece that just ruined my 30 miles of walking I did the week before last.

Gone. Workout never. Eat this cake instead foreva.

This Frankenstein’s Monster cake is gluten-free and pistachio flavored with a lick yo mouth vegan cream cheese filling and a yumsickle butternut squash I mean buttercream frosting.

What am I even saying?

Finally, it’s topped with monster hair aka a delectable drizzle of vegan chocolate ganache. [Read more…]

Candy Corn Milkshake

October 22, 2014 · 10 Comments

Candy corn, in a milkshake, on an allergy-friendly blog, what? Yes, you’re right. It’s glorious.

Look at that creamy milky (but not) shake-y numminess seeping out of the sides of that gorgeous borderline overflowing mason jar. Come to momma.

I love simplicity in the form of a drink that will give me a great sugar kick and a happy day.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ll already know that I had the best day ever yesterday. Complete with a nice warm bath, soup, my guilty pleasure reality tv show (19 Kids and Counting, holla), barbecue for dinner, and YouTube videos galore.

#purebliss [Read more…]

Lunchbox Monday: The Creepy-Crawly Chatter Box

October 20, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Are you scared?

Halloween is getting closer! As the festivities begin and pumpkin carving starts and cobwebs are hung and graves are dug, bringing a creepy-crawly chatter lunchbox to school only makes sense.

Ant infested mandarin oranges and peaches, slimy pickles, pasta from the dead, and chatterbox apple sandwiches are the epitome of a spooky Halloween themed lunchbox! This box is perfect for the “cool” teen in your family that just wants to keep his reputation while secretly enjoying the best themed lunchbox of all time. Heyo. [Read more…]

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Turkey Sausage

October 16, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Say hello to a big ole’ bowl of comfort. Right in your face. Hi there.

Fall is my favorite time to get those skills, whatever skills I think I have, cooking and find my niche in the fall (COMFORT) food arena. Yah. I think this pasta might become a staple in my small list of approved recipes. It was even approved by one of my picky eater friends.

When he likes something I make, it feels like I’ve just ran through the finish line of the longest and hardest race of my life.

I have crossed the finish line twice this week.

I think that’s a record.

Soo. I’m avoiding talking about something not so fun that you can totally relate to. I had a run-in. With cheese. And not just any cheese. That huge stringy creamy mexican cheese. I’m trying to laugh so I don’t keep crying. For me, my allergy has a delay rate of about two days. I feel major anxiety and have panic attacks immediately following, and then the bathroom visits begin. I won’t even go into the whole story of the “incident” but it ended with me bawling my eyes out and chugging the biggest water bottle of my life.

Now I’m hoping, wishing, and praying that it’ll go through my system as quick as possible.

Fingers crossed. [Read more…]

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Meringue Ghosts

October 8, 2014 · 5 Comments

When you take a huge bite out of this brown sugar and sweet potato cupcake with the maple frosting and meringue ghost on top you will taste a peep. Like those ones you find in your Easter basket. It’s a homemade peep. I’m serious.

I’m going to straight up tell you that Halloween isn’t a super me type holiday. It’s basically a pre-cursor for Thanksgiving and Christmas, my go-to holidays, and so I never get pumped for Halloween. But it’s cool.

But now with the bloggio, and the fun halloween recipes I can put into the interwebs (pun intended), I might be into it.

Food is such a motivator.

I had this one year where I dressed up like a chicken, in a chicken suit, and my friend dressed up like a gorilla (they sell these costumes at target, get ya one) and we hid in the bushes to scare my sister and all her friends. Good times.

When I first moved to Rosemary Beach, there was no concept of Halloween. By the end of September there was no concept of a living soul either. It emptied out. So my mom decided that we were all (as in all 10 of us kids of the entire neighborhood, no joke) going to dress up and go trick or treating and hope for the best. People were so shocked when we showed up at their door that we got the most random stuff. [Read more…]