"Oh. My. Yum. Vegan Meatballs"

There is a new adjective in Michelle's Thesaurus of a brain ... yup, that's right... the wheels were totally a-turnin' on this one: "Oh. My. Yum."
Seriously though, who literally says that out loud when they eat something so savory, so delicious, so so good?

I don't see any hands.  Well, I guess I'm crazy  {Did I hear you say you already thought that?!}.  Because I couldn't stop saying that phrase when I ate these (vegan) meatballs and soon enough you'll find yourself saying the same phrase.  They are that good.
By now my household is about 90% vegan.  No cheese.  No dairy.  No meat.  We only eat seafood once in a blue moon and organic eggs.  Honestly I feel great.  And am learning that it is SO true that your physique is 80% diet.  But that should be a post for another day.
Instead let's focus on how completely satisfying and mouth-wateringly scrumptious these meatballs are. And healthy.  Pair these with spaghetti squash and spinach tomato sauce and you will be in heaven.  
Dear "Real" Italian comfort food... move on over because you have some major competition here. 

"Oh. My. Yum. Vegan Meatballs"  adapted from the veggie nook
Ingredients 1 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds 3/4 cup nutritional yeast 3/4 cup sundried tomatoes 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp oregano (I didn't measure, just shook a whole bunch in) 1 tsp fennel seeds (same, didn't measure) red pepper flakes dash sea salt 1-2 Tbsp water Method 1.  Blend sunflower seeds in Blendtec or food processor until it resembles coarse flour 2.  Add all ingredients except for water.  Blend together. 3.  Add water to help ingredients stick together if needed. 4.  Roll into little balls and eat.  Or refrigerate for later snacking!

Linking up at these Fabulous Parties: Made It By Monday @ Baked in the South, Made from Scratch Monday @ Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease , Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling, Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday @ Crazy for Crust, Gluten Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff @ Something Swanky, Anything Goes Linky @ Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo, Sweets for A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Cashew Corn Chowder with Cilantro Cream

So as you know (or may not know) I love love love Pinterest.  Just like almost every other girl.  And just like almost every other girl, I pin mouth watering recipes... Like this recipe for Cashew Corn Chowder with Cilantro Cream.

Since my sweet hubby gave me a Blendtec a month ago (eeee I'm up to 50 uses on it already!!!), I have been itching to try this recipe.  I mean come on, creamy chowder made with cashews instead of cream?  A cream made with cashews instead of dairy?  I've been reading every where in blog land how soaked and blended cashews mimic dairy, but I had yet to try it.
Until... I discovered that Alta over at Tasty Eats at Home was hosting Adopt A Gluten Free Blogger - a  super fun party where GF bloggers "adopt" another GF blogger and recreate at least one of their recipes.
I chose Sarah from My New Roots who, of course, created the Cashew Corn Chowder.  Sarah's blog is wonderful.  It features fresh nutrient rich ingredients and drool worthy photographs.  She is also a holistic nutritionist so her recipes are chock-full of super foods that fuel your body and leave your taste buds begging for more.
This corn chowder was ridiculously easy to make and can easily be adapted to your taste preferences.  (Like... basil can easily substitute the cilantro, canned corn for fresh, etc).  It also freezes beautifully and reheats wonderfully.  
So what are you waiting for??  Check out Sarah's recipe for Cashew Corn Chowder and get cooking and blending!  :)
Linking up at these Fabulous Parties: Made It By Monday @ Baked in the South, Made from Scratch Monday @ Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease , Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling, Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday @ Crazy for Crust, Gluten Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff @ Something Swanky, Anything Goes Linky @ Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo, Sweets for A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Homemade Tortilla Chips

I love me some salt.  And with all this running, I have to make extra efforts to put more salt in my food so I stay hydrated and you won't find me face down on some trail.  Hmm, bad visual there... sorry Mom  and Dad... anyways...

Enter one of my favorite snacks: Tortilla Chips! A few weeks ago the hubby came back from grocery shopping at Costco and he bought a HUGE pack of white corn tortillas.  I rolled my eyes and said something along the lines of why did you buy that many tortillas?  You know 99% of corn is GMO.  What the heck am I going to make with all of those?  {FYI I always get grumpy when he grocery shops.  That's my job haha}

And so they went into the freezer. Until I got over my GMO issue and realized our salsa has been lonely in the fridge.  And we've been out of store bought tortilla chips for a week and a half.  What a disgrace!

pre-cooked and ready to go into the oven!

So I decided to make chips with some of those soft tortillas.   The verdict?  Pretty darn tasty!  And ridiculously easy.  Go make some.  I know you have 100+ tortillas hiding in your freezer.

crispy, crunchy, and ready to be eaten!

Ingredients: corn tortillas (white, yellow, large, small) olive oil sea salt (paprika, cumin cracked pepper, lime juice - optional) Method: 1.  Preheat oven to 350 F   2.  Brush both sides of tortillas with olive oil (or use a misto).  Make sure tortilla doesn't get too soggy. 3.  Sprinkle with sea salt and any other flavorings you'd like.  Get creative! 4.  Cut in 6 or 8 pieces and place on parchment lined baking sheets. 5.  Bake for 8 minutes, rotate baking sheets, and bake for another 8 minutes. 6.  Let cool and enjoy! Linking up at these Fabulous Parties:  Made It By Monday @ Baked in the South, Made from Scratch Monday @ Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease , Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling, Tuesday Time Out @ Reasons to Skip the Housework Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday @ Crazy for Crust, Gluten Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff @ Something Swanky, Anything Goes Linky @ Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo 

A Housewarming Party... for Us!

A few weeks ago we hosted a Housewarming Party at our new home!  We invited Beau's Coastie co-workers and friends, our neighbors, and my hometown friend Liz!  We had such a wonderful time and I {finally} made a few new friends!

I made a delicious white sangria with our good friend "2 Buck Chuck" from Trader Joe's...

This "Home Sweet Home" bunting was so much fun to make and it made quite a statement!  I love the summery warm colors.  I have two more exact buntings for sale in my Etsy Shop.  You can find it HERE if you're interested  :)

No party is ever complete without desserts!

Mini Peanut Butter Cookie "Smores" Cups... melted mini marshmallows and chocolate buttercream add extra yumminess to the flourless peanut butter cookie base.

Aren't they so cute?!

Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats.

Cake Pops... which were devoured!  I think I know now of a few Coasties who would be excellent spokespeople for my pops - like the two that ate about 5 each... yeah, I saw you sneaking back to take more!

For the savory dishes, I made Baked Chicken Sausage Penne, Bean Dip, my Mom's awesome Spinach Artichoke Dip, veggies and hummus, and these delish Vegan Cabbage Tacos.  

Fresh Quinoa with Basil, Cranberries, Lemon Juice, and lots of veggies

And homemade Almond Thyme Crackers with Sea Salt.

It was such a lovely party and Beau and I cannot wait to host another one!

Thank you to all who came!

Cannelli Bean Salad with Artichokes and Walnuts

  I have decided that every Thursday is going to be dedicated to sharing easy and healthy snacks, meals, and everything in between {like dessert!}.

  The reason you ask?

  I'd like to help my awesome coolio Dad learn how to cook.  He makes tasty scrambled eggs, and wraps, and... well, that's about it!  So here is my attempt, across the country, to teach him how to cook and prepare meals for him and my Mom.

  Enter: Cannelli Bean Salad.

  This bean salad literally took me 5 minutes to prepare this afternoon.  With all my marathon training (and Blogilates workouts feel the buuurrrn!) I needed something to tide me over before dinner.

  This appetizer/ snack/ side dish is super easy to make and so flavorful.  It's great for hot summer days or days when you just don't feel like cooking.  Just under 5 minutes of prep and you have a high protein dish with a dash of healthy fats and vegetables.

Ingredients

1  can cannelli beans aka white kidney beans (you could sub chickpeas as well)

1/2 red pepper diced (or any kind of bell pepper)

3/4 cup walnuts

1/2 can artichoke hearts cut-up

1 Tbs lemon or lime juice

2 Tbs olive oil

handful fresh basil and/ or cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Method

  Rinse and drain beans.  Chop your red pepper and artichokes and transfer to bowl.  Add beans, lemon or lime juice, olive oil, walnuts, and herbs.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking!

  Now wasn't that easy?!  This bean salad is so fresh and colorful and packed with all good stuff for your body.  Go make some and keep it always on hand.  Such a great alternative to other snacks out there!

  Good luck on your first "cooking" challenge, Dad!     ;)

Tasty Piggies in a Blanket!

   For the next few months, Sundays are going to be a day for seriousness.  Fierceness.  Competition.  And winning.  


   Hopefully.   (For my sanity's sake!)


   My hubby is a die-hard Eagles fan.  And no worries if you don't know what the Eagles are... I found out quite quickly after a few days of dating him way back when!  They're the Philadelphia Eagles football team.  Woo.    

   

   Eh, I could honestly care less!  

   BUT, since I am a fan and all now (wink wink) I've decided to make Sundays more enjoyable... for me.  So I've begun making fun game-day foods for me and the hubs to share!

  This past Sunday I made a gluten free version of pigs in a blanket.  One of my all-time favorite treats!  I used a recipe from Funny (allergen-free) Girl called Corn-free Corn Dogs.  I followed her recipe exactly and it turned out delicious!  Click here to get her recipe.

   Look how nicely they browned!  Perfect with spicy brown mustard...

   Perfect with my chicken sausages.  Or with mini hot dogs for the Holiday time!  

   Super easy to make!  Delicious for left overs the next day as well!  Enjoy!