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Lamb Meatballs + Roasted Eggplant Matbucha

June 4, 2015 • 4 Comments

Eighty percent of the time my husband and I go out to eat, we want Mediterranean food.

But then I start to look at menus, and as much as I love supporting local restaurants, I just can’t argue the fact that it’s cheaper for me to make some Mediterranean cuisines at home. Take lamb for example. At a restaurant you’ll pay anywhere between 25-40 depending on where you go. No doubt that lamb will be good and probably worth every penny, but the cost saving ninja inside of me still alerts me that I can make lamb dishes for a fraction of that price in my own kitchen.

I’ve been having odd cravings for meatballs lately, and after learning about matbucha from a friend the other day I felt confident that I could incorporate lamb meatballs into it without comprising the Mediterranean authenticity of the dish.

Typically matbucha is cooked over the stove, but this weekend was a “dirty as few dishes as possible” weekend at our house. (Aka I was just feeling a little lazy.) So I decided to alter the traditional recipes a little bit in order to roast the whole dish in the oven in one swoop.Read More

Strawberry Rhubarb Cashew Crumble Pie

June 1, 2015 • 9 Comments

Some say the best things in life are free.

But I also think some of the best things in life are unplanned. Of course, some of the worst things in life can be unplanned too, but I prefer to focus on the positives! This past Saturday my husband and I awoke at the crack of dawn to make it into downtown Minneapolis for a doctor’s appointment. (I’ve had some weird pain/burning/numbing sensations in my leg and foot and we wanted to get that checked out.) Unfortunately on the way there the doctor had to canceled.

Although I was frustrated at first it ended up working out because we were able to go to the St. Paul Farmers Market together — something we do maybe once a year because 1) it’s a hike and 2) my husband likes to sleep in.

This unplanned trip was just what the doctor ordered, for the soul at least. It was so wonderful to be around local vendors and learn about some of the things that they grow/make. Because we hadn’t planned on stopping at a farmers market that morning, we were short on cash. But we had just enough to get one bunch of fresh rhubarb.Read More

One-Pot Roasted Eggplant Chicken Curry Soup

May 28, 2015 • 3 Comments

Memorial Day weekend is typically a time for travel — the perfect opportunity to get a small vacation in. But this year, while many in Minnesota were road tripping it up to their family’s cabin, my husband and I opted to stay home and rest.

It’s nice to get away, but sometimes it’s even better to just stay put and rest right where you are. To sit and watch the rain and think about life. To be quiet, listen and pray at the feet of the Lord. To devote time to your passions. (For me that means to read, write, cook and bake for hours on end.)

This weekend was nothing short of simple and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. In a world where most of us pack our lives to the brim with stuff, it’s important more than ever before to schedule time to rest, reflect and recharge.Read More

Lemon Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

May 25, 2015 • 6 Comments

When life gives you lemons …

You should make lemon cupcakes! Totally a better pick me up than lemonade, right? These lemon cupcakes are my second gluten-free baking adventure on the road to improving my fibromyalgia symptoms. This is also week three of being gluten free (week two of dairy free) and I am happy to report that my headaches are not as bad as they used to be!

It’s incredible how food can impact the body. It has the power to nourish, transform and heal. How wonderful is it that our God gave us foods that can help us feel better? I feel so lucky that I am living in a day and age where food research is more active than ever and food options are more varied. It has made the transition so much easier. It has also allowed me to explain to people why I am doing what I am doing. I’m not jumping on some food trend bandwagon, I’m trying to salvage my wellbeing.Read More

Mama’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 21, 2015 • 3 Comments

In honor of Mother’s Day, I had intended on featuring one of my sweet mama’s famous recipes.

But as the holiday came and went, doctor’s appointments and other scheduled events got the best of me and I failed to post on time. Better late than never though, right?

Words cannot even begin to describe these chocolate chip cookies that I grew up making with my mom. They embody all that a cookie should be: perfectly sweet, soft and buttery smooth. Not a night goes by in my mother’s house that does not involve cookies. Every night, she takes dough out of the fridge to bake fresh cookies. It’s true — our house smelled like a cookie shoppe every single night.Read More

Chicken Enchilada Pizza {Gluten + Dairy Free}

May 12, 2015 • 2 Comments

A few weeks ago if you would have asked me if I would ever consider going gluten and dairy free, I probably would’ve laughed at you.

I have been a gluten and all-things-dairy lover from the moment I could eat solid food. But all of this changed when I found out last week that my fibromyalgia and chronic headaches could be treated with diet changes. I didn’t want to acknowledge it at first, but after considering the research and talking to fellow fibro suffers the message was clear: dietary changes have the power to help those suffering from chronic pain and illness.

All of this being said, I want you to know that this blog will continue to be devoted to inspiring others to lead happy, healthy, redeemed lives in and out of the kitchen. But for the time being, while I go through this elimination diet, my recipes will look a little different. I’m really hoping you stick with me as I go through this journey.Read More