Food
-
Autumn Fruit Salsa
One of my favorite past-times is visiting my grandparent’s strawberry farm/orchard in Oregon and helping eat pick strawberries, cherries, apricots and all things yummy and sweet. For a long, while I refused to eat strawberries that had been washed, I would only eat dirty strawberries right off the bush. My love of fruit has been passed along to my children, so keeping it around long enough to actually do something with it, other than consuming it, is rather rare. BUT…every once in a while, I am able to throw together what I like to call fruit salsa. My favorite is the ripe fruit around this time of year, peaches, apricots,…
-
Potluck: Chicken and Dumpling Casserole
I LOVE soup…but…BUT, I cannot consume soup or anything resembling soups when the weather outside is above 75°F. There is just something wrong with my body being hot on the outside and then eating something that causes me to feel hot on the inside. Eating soup is like eating a warm, cozy hug. AND…because I currently reside in Las Vegas, I’ve had to get a little creative in my soup consumption. Thus, the casserole carousel rotation began. Chicken noodle casserole, loaded baked potato casserole, clam chowder casserole…the list is almost endless. Recently though, I was desperately craving chicken and dumplings. I knew I had to figure out how to recreate…
-
How to: Professional Tips & Tricks to Organizing Your Fridge
I’ve been wanting to do an organizational post about my fridge and pantry for a LONG time now…but for some reason, I have been afraid. I think it is because I feel like showing my usually cluttered, dirty fridge is embarrassing…especially because I know better, being a nutritionist. I’ve taken numerous classes on proper food storage and prep for optimal and healthy use. Also, any time I watch home shows and the inside of the fridge is shown, it is immaculate and perfectly organized. At the same time, all I can think is, ‘do they really need that many Fiji waters and Redbulls?’ And ‘who really drinks Pelligrino?’ AND ‘where…
-
Copy Cat Viva Chicken Stuffed Avocado
If you are a giant foodie like I am, then you too come across some truly amazing finds that you can’t easily obtain. Viva Chicken is one of those finds for me. There is only one…yes…ONE location on this side of the Rockies. Thankfully it is located in St. George, UT which happens to be about a 90-minute drive away. While I am not completely up a creek without a paddle, it is still rather unobtainable on a daily basis. If you have had the privilege of frequenting a Viva Chicken, then you know the amazing Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken flavor they exude. If you live on the Eastcoast, then please…
-
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken fried rice is possibly one of the easiest and quickest recipes I have in a monthly rotation. It is especially useful when you’ve prepared too much rice in another meal and are not sure what to do with the leftovers. Rice is a food that doesn’t keep too long as leftovers. While proper storage of cooked rice is important, the typical refrigerated shelf life of rice, any type of white rice, is only 3 to 4 days. After the 4th day, you run the risk of the rice already beginning to grow a specific bacterium called Bacillus cereus which produces a toxin that can cause a very serious food…
-
Better-Than-Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
I’ve said it…I’ve staked my claim…my cinnamon rolls are WAY better than Cinnabon’s. The cinnamon roll craze began with my dad. At least a few Sundays each month, he and I would spend the afternoon making cinnamon rolls and binge watch the Back to the Future Trilogy. Dad’s specialty is anything involving dough. His call-sign when he was in the Air Force was Dough Boy. Although, for years I assumed that was due to his love of donuts, pastries, bread…all things sugary and yeasty. It wasn’t until much later when I realized it was also because his name is Doug H…Dough. Apparently I am not as quick witted as I…
-
GG Gladys’ Molasses Cookies
I distinctly remember the cookie jar filled to the brim every time we’d visit Grandma’s home. She loved to bake, and was damn good at it…pies, cakes, jello salads…okay, jello doesn’t involve baking. Her molasses cookies are a definite favorite among her posterity. When my genius of a brother was about 5 years old, he became rather distraught and proclaimed we shouldn’t swear and that molasses was a swear word…mole-asses (my powers of deduction was definitely not nearly that advanced at age 5). So from then on, we were to call molasses cookies gopher bottom cookies…over 20 years later, Gopher Bottom Cookies is the proper name in our household. The…
-
Hello Fresh: Is It Worth It?
As a nutritionist I am constantly meal planning and trying new foods in an attempt to create meals full of flavor, but at the same time are as nutritious as the can be. Most often, I find myself meal planning for individuals who have had bypass surgery and now need to be on a low sodium, low cholesterol diet. Or someone who was recently diagnosed with diabetes and is feeling overwhelmed with being forced into a complete lifestyle change. It is definitely one thing to make a life style change when it is a choice; it is another thing entirely when an individual feels forced because of a medical condition.…
-
Easy Homemade Smoothie Bowls
A recent food trend has been acai bowls or smoothie bowls. They are super yummy and filling. Most often they are also packed with vitamins and minerals and very heart-healthy. The place that is close to my house is one of my most favorite places to treat myself to…but, one bowl is $9 and for that much, I can make my whole family their own smoothie bowls at home. While it is super convenient to have someone else make one for you, I do enjoy creating them at home where I can control the ingredients. The key to smoothie bowls is to make sure the thickness of the puree is…
-
Quick Instapot Lasagna
My family has absolutely no Italian heritage, but my boys could eat anything pasta and/or anything with cheeses and marinara til they die. When I cook a recipe and can make it super quick in my instapot, everyone is happy. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes start-to-finish and is a definite crowd pleaser. If you want the vegetarian/vegan version or the gluten-free tips then scroll to the bottom. Enjoy! To make this dish vegetarian, instead of pork sausage, diced eggplant and zucchini are super yummy. Once the olive oil has been drizzled, add in the diced eggplant and zucchini and just saute slightly with the dried onions and red…
