Blog

Chopped Asian Salad with Edamame + Sweet Chili Glazed Shrimp

May 16, 2016 • 28 Comments

Forget the traditional mandarin orange salad — this Chopped Asian Salad is bursting with flavor in every bite and protein-packed with edamame and sweet chili glazed shrimp.

Before we get to today’s recipe, can we talk about how crazy the weather was this weekend? I don’t know about you, but when I woke up Saturday morning to 38-degree weather I thought I had taken a time machine back to March. Dear Mother Nature, you can stop being a pain in the butt at any time now. Sincerely, Lauren.

Luckily the weather didn’t keep Mr. MLS and I from having fun with our old neighbor from Minnesota and her little boy. The two of them were kind enough to drive down and see us this weekend, and we had a blast cooking, baking, playing and going to the farmers market together. Warmer weather would have been nice, but I’ll take friends over warmer temperatures every day if I have to.

What did you do this weekend? Any exploring? Any kitchen adventures? I love knowing what you guys have been up to! Aside from hanging out with our friends, I was also busy making this amazingly delicious Chopped Asian Salad with Sweet Chili Glazed Shrimp. Read More

Vegan Mac and Cheese

May 9, 2016 • 23 Comments

This Vegan Mac and Cheese is not only healthy and allergy friendly, it’s also going to be your new best friend. Get ready to experience a deeper love for macaroni and cheese.

This recipe started with a dare. I have a friend who LOVES mac and cheese (who doesn’t?!) and one day, she was telling me how sorry she was that I couldn’t have it. “I would just die if I couldn’t eat mac and cheese anymore,” she said. I just laughed and told her it really wasn’t that big of a deal. But then I got to thinking … Since my health caused me to go gluten and dairy free last year, I haven’t tried to make mac and cheese. I don’t know about you, but that’s just crazy to me! One year without mac and cheese? I couldn’t reconcile that fact in my mind. I had to do something about it.

That same day my friend dared me to make a vegan version of mac and cheese that was just as addicting as the classic kind. You’re staring at my answer to the dare — the meal I now eat for several days straight, several times a month. It’s. That. Good.

Is it creamy? Yes. Is it comforting? Yes. Is it satisfying? Yes. Is it delicious? You betcha. This vegan mac and cheese has the same creamy, thick texture you’d expect, but without even a hint of dairy! I know all of the mac and cheese purists who are reading this right now are shaking there heads or rolling there eyes. There’s no way. If that’s what you’re thinking right now, I dare you to make this. I dare you to eat it without wishing you had more once the bowl is gone.
Read More

Roasted Peach and Tomato Gazpacho

May 5, 2016 • 16 Comments

This Spanish-style Roasted Peach and Tomato Gazpacho is made from tomatoes and other vegetables and traditionally served cold. Ole!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, friends! May the fourth be with you has come and gone, and it’s time to celebrate tacos, guacamole, chips, salsa, this gazpacho and all of the other wonderful things that the Spanish culture brings this world.

I hope you don’t mind me for keeping today’s post short. I am currently prepping for our work’s Cinco de Mayo party (I volunteered to put it on … don’t know what I was thinking!) and between stuffing the piñata and making the sangria I have so much to do!

Morning Glory Breakfast Cookies

May 2, 2016 • 32 Comments

These Morning Glory Breakfast Cookies are naturally sweetened with honey and packed with tons of feel-good ingredients like almond butter, rolled oats, bananas, raisins and more!

Happy Monday, friends! You’re going to love me today because I’m bringing you COOKIES for breakfast. Yes. And they are healthy, too! But first, let’s talk about some life stuff.

It’s not unusual for me to get to Sunday night and wish for another day in the weekend. I think we all can relate to that. But this weekend, I especially did not want to end. Mr. MLS’ birthday is today (happy birthday, love!) and we celebrated on Saturday. First on the day’s agenda was a homemade bowl of strawberry banana coconut oatmeal … Sorry, I don’t have the recipe for this on my blog yet, but I will soon … Next, I surprised him with a trip to the local go kart track. The two of us have a literal need for speed — he likes to watch Nascar and I like to pretend I’m a Nascar driver in real life — and so it seemed like the perfect way to celebrate his big day. Finally, I took him to the best steakhouse in town.

If you combined our love for racing, hockey and swimming, you would get our love for steak. We. love. cows. I don’t say this to offend any of the vegans or vegetarians out there, and I hope I’m not hurting anyone’s feelings, but the fact is although we love plants, we are a family that craves and cherishes steak. I was particularly excited about this trip to the steakhouse not just because it was Alex’s birthday celebration, but because we hadn’t been on a “fancy” date since Valentine’s Day. I know … totally overdue on that.

Our dinner reminded me of two things. One, I need to start having more filet in my life. And two, date night is so, so, so important and should be a mandatory, once-a-week thing for married couples. I truly think it has the power to transform a relationship from ordinary to extraordinary.Read More

The Best Gluten Free Cornbread

April 28, 2016 • 18 Comments

This Gluten Free Cornbread is made perfectly fluffy, savory and sweet with almond flour, cornmeal, honey, almond milk and real sweet corn!

As a woman who grew up on Jiffy I’m not going to lie, when I had to go gluten free I was nervous to make cornbread from scratch. What if it’s tasteless? What if it’s too crumbly? What if it caves in on itself in the oven? These questions haunted me as I thought about developing a gluten free cornbread recipe. Because let’s. be. real. Gluten free baking can be HARD. Am I right?!

I’ve messed up more gluten-free baking recipe than I’d like to admit — cupcakes, cake, baguettes, pretzels, etc. — but I’m proud to say this cornbread was a first-time success. And I owe it all to the discovery of Bob’s Red Mill’s Almond Flour.

Another unique thing about this cornbread is the fact that it contains real corn. When I was in college, a roommate came home one weekend with a bunch of cornbread from her mom. The cornbread had whole corn kernels in it, which was something I had never seen before. I was immediately hooked and ever since that day, I have always put corn in my cornbread recipes. It adds so much texture and flavor, and I think it brings the true meaning of “corn” bread to life.Read More

Triple Berry Lemon Agua Fresca

April 25, 2016 • 18 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NewWayToSparkle #CollectiveBias

It’s funny how, with the changing of the seasons, my preference for water changes. In the winter, I hardly put ice in my water and I stick to drinking mostly warm beverages — anything that will help keep the bitter cold at bay. On the other hand, once spring rolls around I’m all about the ice and sparkling water. It just doesn’t get more refreshing than that!

I remember the first time I had a can of sparkling water. Growing up, I wasn’t much of a soda girl, but I always liked the sound of a pop can opening, and the bubbly sensation of carbonation. When I discovered I could have all of the things I liked about pop in a healthier form, I was hooked.