I probably eat a sweet potato every. single. day. If it’s not sweet potato fries then it’s black bean and sweet potato tacos. Roasted sweet potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes…you name it, I eat it. Today it was sweet potato breakfast hash. (more…)
One thing I really miss since doing this cleanse is greek yogurt. I used to eat greek yogurt bowls for breakfast almost everyday. Granted that as in the warmer months because who wants a cold breakfast in the middle on winter in the Pacific Northwest? Today, however, I awoke with the familiar craving of yogurt and fruit. (more…)
With the holidays behind us and a new year ahead, I’m sure a lot of people have committed to some resolution or another. I’m not a huge fan of resolutions, I feel like they’re never accomplished and leave whoever made them feeling disappointed and sheepish. (more…)
The bloat and fatigue of the holidays has officially set in and in an effort to (literally) trim the fat, I’ve been trying out some lean snacks. Not gonna lie, I’ve definitely been binging on left over pie, but today I swapped out the stocking stuffed chocolate for curried sweet potatoes and I almost didn’t miss the processed sugar. (more…)
Fruitcake gets a bad rap. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, the ultimate white elephant, Aunt Barbara’s annual dessert that gets shoved into a napkin and then the nearest trash can. But fruitcake doesn’t have to be bad, in fact fruitcake can be the perfect holiday treat. 
We never had fruitcake growing up, the closest thing we got was an assortment of mixed nuts. I didn’t even know what a fruitcake was until sixth grade when Mr Teal told us how gross it was. That’s all it took for me to never want to eat fruitcake…until this year. I mean seriously, dried fruit and nuts soaked in alcohol and smothered in sugar. What’s not to like?
Fruitcake
Place the dried fruit in a medium bowl and bring the bourbon to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the hot bourbon over the dried fruit and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain the fruit, reserving the bourbon.
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Place the nuts in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are medium-small pieces.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each egg. Add in the vanilla and zest.
Mix and sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add in half of the flour mixture and half of the bourbon on low speed. Repeat. Add in the fruit and nuts and mix until just combined.
Pour into a greased 8 inch round cake pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 1/2-2 hours.
Remove the fruitcake from the oven and bring the orange juice and powdered sugar to a simmer. Poke holes in the fruitcake with a toothpick or fork and pour the hot orange juice over the fruitcake, allowing the cake to soak in all of the juice.
Cover the fruitcake and let sit for 12 hours. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
My sister used to love mashed potatoes…and I mean LOVED them. Every night for dinner growing up she would ask for mashed potatoes with a huge side of gravy. My mom only gave in about once a week, but I was happy because who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? Gravy is great too, but the best mashed potatoes are the ones that can go stark naked and still be amazing all on their own. Kind of like these ones. Okay, exactly like these ones. (more…)
Okay, I know I say this on pretty much every post, but this really is one of the easiest recipes ever. Just dump a few ingredients in a crock pot and let it cook. Dinner is served. The best part about this recipe is that you can turn on the crock pot before work in the morning and it will be ready as soon as you get home. (more…)
For those of you whose lips have never graced the mug of a hot toddy, it’s basically just an adult version of tea and honey. But don’t be fooled, you don’t have to be coming down with a cold to enjoy a piping hot cup of heaven.
A traditional hot toddy is made with whiskey, hot water and honey, but I like to spice it up by switching out the water for chamomile tea and adding in a few spices and lemon. This drink is the perfect way to kickstart your holiday season; you can make one cup for yourself or a huge batch for that dreaded holiday potluck you can’t seem to get out of.
Hot Toddy
Start by steeping the tea bag in a mug with hot water for a few minutes.
Squeeze in the lemon slice, add the whole cloves and stir in the honey using the cinnamon stick.
Add your shot of whiskey and enjoy!
For a Large Batch
In a small pot, steep the tea bags in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags.
In the bowl of a slow cooker, add in the whiskey, honey, cinnamon sticks, cloves, lemon juice and peels. Mix to combine. Turn the slow cooker onto high and heat until hot.
Add the tea to the slow cooker and turn down to warm.
Shepherd’s pie has got to be one of my favorite comfort foods. There’s just something about it that screams cozy-night-in and seeing as how cozy-nights-in are constantly topping my list of favorite pastimes, shepherd’s pie is my perfect fall dinner. (more…)
Almond milk and a tasty alternative to dairy and my personal favorite in a latte. The only thing wrong with almond milk, in my book, is that most brands are typically laced with numerous preservatives and additives. So, of course, I went the DIY route. (more…)
That L.A. Writer 