I’m deciding on what kind of “healthy” crust I want to make for my quiche. Do I go with an oat, quinoa, or millet crust? I’m cooking more organic these days, but I have yet to venture in using Xanthan Gum (needed with oat, quinoa, and millet). So, I settle for a more old fashion crust,…
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banana + strawberry acai bowl
This banana + strawberry acai bowl is one of my family’s favorite breakfast. My hubby and daughters love to eat this for breakfast after returning from a morning surf. What family wouldn’t love having sorbet for breakfast? If you have not tried an acai bowl, you’re probably asking, “So, what is an acai bowl?” To understand…
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umami turkey burger + caramelized onions and roasted mushrooms
It is a turkey burger that has been infused with a savory sauce, called umami. The burger is then topped with onions that have been carmalized, roasted mushrooms, and more umami sauce. Thus creating the perfect twist to the average turkey burger. One bite, and you are going to be hooked. What? You are still…
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spinach salad with caramelized onions, dates, and feta + balsamic vinaigrette
You are going to love the melody of flavors that this salad delivers from the caramelized onions, feta, and dates. This is my perfect springtime salad. Every spring, my hubby takes me to Palm Desert, and every time we stay at the same hotel and order the oasis spa salad while laying out by the…
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roasted red pepper hummus with garlicky pita chips
This hummus dip requires only a slight bit of chopping and a food processor. The pita chips are quickly tossed in a garlicky olive oil mixture and bakes in less than 15 minutes. Not only is this a delicious dip, but healthy too! Chickpeas are legumes that are also called garbanzo beans and are an…
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roasted balsamic strawberry sundae
The aroma of hot strawberry pie consumed the house as the strawberries roasted in the oven. My family quickly wanted to know what it was that was cooking. As I pulled the roasted strawberries out of the oven, everyone wanted to taste one. Yes, the roasted strawberries are amazing on their own, but so much…
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cheesy penne with spinach (meatless monday)
I made this super fast, Cheesy Penne with Spinach, since it is a light and creamy cheese with pasta, and I’m trying to incorporate more dark green vegetables into their meals. Lately, my daughters have started eating spinach. They ate up the sautéed spinach with pine nuts which I made the other night, so I figured this…
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simply divine chicken lettuce cups
Villa Blanca is owned by Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, star Lisa Vanderpump. Lisa also owns SUR in West Hollywood. Speaking of SUR, like me, did you happen to get sucked into watching Vanderpump Rules? It is another reality show that focuses on Lisa’s waitresses and bartenders from SUR. Loved that show! Anyway, back to Villa…
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mini spinach and feta frittatas [clean-eating]
On occasion, in the early mornings on my way to work, I like to stop at Starbucks and pick up their Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap for breakfast. In case you have never tried one, it is a wheat wrap tortilla filled with egg white, spinach, feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes. I really enjoy…
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healthy turkey and kale soup
Sometimes, I want only a bowl of soup along with warm crusty bread for dinner. This happened to be one of those nights. So tonight, I decided to cook this turkey and kale soup, which I adapted from Giada Delaurentiis’ Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup. Instead of using wild rice, I tried multigrain pasta…
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tomato basil soup with grilled cheese croutons
It was a cold and rainy day, so I stayed in and made an amazingly delicious tomato basil soup for lunch. This soup, a standard for comfort food, topped with grilled cheese croutons, provided a warm and satisfying meal. Once you try this soup, you will be spoiled for life, you’ll never be able to…
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nutty maple granola
This granola is so simple and quick to make, and tastes so much better than any store bought granola. I love that this granola does not contain refined sugar, oil, or butter, which most granola is made with. Nutty maple granola is very healthy and delicious. As I write this blog, my family [Husband…
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orecchiette with turkey sausage and arugula
I’m already anxious about decorating for next Christmas. This year’s theme was ‘gilver’, a combination of gold and silver. I really loved the glitter and sparkle. For lunch, I made myself a nice bowl of orecchiette pasta with a creamy turkey sauce. A light and low calorie pasta dish. The sauce had the right touch…
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