Slow Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup

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This slow cooker vegetable minestrone soup is so simple and healing and it makes for great leftovers!

The slow cooker is an awesome kitchen appliance. Sometimes, however, I shy away from it because I am just not that accomplished with it. I like my food to taste really fresh and sometimes when I use my slow cooker, I feel like the vegetables and other fresh ingredients just don’t seem as crunchy or fresh tasting as when I cook them for less time on top of the stove.

So, believe me when I tell you that this slow cooker vegetable minestrone soup recipe is perfect in the slow cooker. The vegetables keep just the right amount of crunch. And the soup tastes really fresh and healthy. And it requires almost no effort at all! If I can do it, you can do it!

Maybe my slow cooker won’t get the best …

Perfect Baked Fish Fillets

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Sometimes you just want perfect baked fish fillets… here’s how to do it.

Since we moved into our new apartment I haven’t been cooking much fish. This is a hardship for me because I truly love seafood. But the first time I made fish here, the smell lingered for days. It was so bad that I couldn’t imagine how to fix this, so I ignored the issue and just didn’t cook it here again.

This week I decided, enough is enough… I really want my fish! Not only did I make this recipe once, but I made a version of it 3 times. Not only didn’t it smell bad, but I was able to perfect the recipe.

I learned a few things about myself: One is that sometimes I can be not too bright — it turns out the reason the seafood smelled so badly the first time was that …

Chicken Potato Tomato Skillet

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This chicken potato tomato skillet is made and served right in the skillet!

There’s just something about food that’s served in a skillet that makes it look so appetizing. I’m a sucker for any menu item that is described as a “skillet”. I love a breakfast “skillet” and no matter what the ingredients, I will think about ordering it before any other menu item. Does this make me weird?

This is one of those recipes that is perfect for those nights that you just don’t know what to make. It’s versatile enough so that you can substitute whatever meat you want, whatever veggies look good, and whatever type of potatoes are lying around your kitchen.

I made this dinner even easier by using leftover tomato sauce that was in my freezer. You can make it even easier than I did by using your favorite store-bought sauce.

So, here’s a dinner …

Lentil Vegetable Soup

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This lentil vegetable soup is so healing and so comforting!

I make soup all of the time. I mean All. Of. The. Time. Unfortunately, I’m not quite as organized as I’d like to be, so oftentimes I make a great pot of soup for dinner, we eat it, we love it, and then there is not enough left for me to photograph. This means that some of my best creations never make it to the blog.

I have made a version of this soup at least 3 times already. Each one has been delicious. And, I’m proud to say, that finally, I cooked it during the day, while it was still light enough for me to take some decent pictures.  Yay… here it is!

I love a good lentil soup.

I love a great vegetable soup.

This is a great lentil vegetable soup!

And this version is filled with sliced …

Crispy Spicy Roasted Potatoes

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If you’ve been looking for the perfect potato recipe, this is it — crispy spicy roasted potatoes for the win!

It seems like such a simple thing. Crispy roasted potatoes should be a really easy thing to make. And, they are… but I didn’t get it really right until this time. And I’ve been playing with this recipe for a long, long time. But once you get the right ratio of spices and the right amount of fat and the correct baking times and temperature, you can use this formula time after time with whatever spices and herbs you like and it will never disappoint.

Oh boy, I just read that paragraph I just typed. I sound so serious and I’m talking about potatoes! OK, so it’s really not a serious topic, but these potatoes are so awesome. And so easy. I guess I just feel a little humbled by …

Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese (Grain-Free Bagel & A Schmear…)

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If you haven’t found a dairy-free spread you like yet, make this vegan cashew cream cheese!

A bagel and a schmear… really, is there a more delicious breakfast? (Do I sound too New York-ish or what…)

It’s been many years since bagels have had a place in my breakfast rotation. I feel so much better without grains in my diet, that bagels went by the wayside. But I’m trying to fix this. Really I had no choice but to fix it because I really love this recipe.

I made this cream cheese out of cashews and it was so good that I was craving a bagel. And lox. So, what I’m telling you is twofold: One — make this vegan cashew cream cheese. Two make or buy some grain-free bagels and stock up on some lox. You may be eating this several times a week. Maybe even several times a …

Healing Grapefruit Margarita

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Yup, this healing grapefruit margarita has ingredients to help with your hangover… but, hey, it’s still an awesome cocktail!

This is a first for me. This is the first time I have ever posted a cocktail recipe!

My goal with this cocktail creation was to come up with a drink recipe that would actually help “heal” a hangover. A little “hair-of-the-dog” with healing powers.

I absolutely love to go out to a bar or restaurant with a great cocktail menu. I love all of those retro drinks that are showing up now. And the descriptions of them always blow me away… they suck me right in and make me want to order many more than I need.

My problem has always been that alcohol gives me bad headaches.

I started to think about how to fix this issue. I mean, I help people with elimination diets all of the time. …

Creamy Vegan Chocolate Mousse

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This creamy vegan chocolate mousse is so delicious that nobody will miss the dairy!

Last year when I was on vacation in Carmel, California, I had the best chocolate mousse in the world. I’m not being overly dramatic. It really was The Best. Chocolate. Mousse. Ever. You know how sometimes out of the blue, for no reason at all, something just pops into your head? Well, the other night that chocolate mousse popped into my head. I really, really wanted some.

OK, so I don’t eat dairy now and I don’t eat sugar now, so what was I to do?

Also, I love eating dessert but I am not a great baker/dessert maker.

I posted a recipe for a healthy chocolate mousse a long time ago, so I looked it up. I remembered it being good, but it really wasn’t that same creamy decadent goodness as the mousse now stuck …

Tomato And Herb Salad With Roasted Lemons

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You need roasted lemons in your life! Try this tomato and herb salad with roasted lemons.

When I was in cooking school we used to roast citrus fruits a lot… lately I’ve been seeing this technique making a comeback in lots of blogs. The one that inspired me most is from Epicurious, so a big thanks to them! And, now that I tried it in this salad, I remember why it’s so good.

If I had to pick one word to describe this salad it would be: “bright”. Because it is. It’s bright in color and it’s bright in flavor.

I made it the other day to have for lunch. The day kind of got away from me (as it often does) and all of a sudden it was time for dinner. So, while I ate this as a salad, I cooked some gnocchi for Steve and tossed them …

Paleo Lemon Cake

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Paleo Lemon Cake! This is so delicious; it’s kind of like a cake grandma used to make, but way healthier!

I’m a chocolate lover. But when I tasted this cake, I thought to myself: hmmmm… I think this might be better than chocolate.

And then, I remembered that it was grain-free. Yup, I actually forgot this is a paleo cake when I tasted it… it’s that good!

If you’ve been following me at all, you may know that I don’t consider myself the best baker. I’m a great cook, but baking… not so much. I’m not much of a measurer or a perfectionist, but with baking when you just wing it or go with the flow, sometimes it’s just a hot mess.

I saw a recipe for lemon bread on a blog called Connie’s Finally Losing It. Connie calls it a bread, and I’m sure hers is perfect and …