Welcome to Robust Recipes
This is a website devoted to healthy recipes using clean, nutritious ingredients. My recipes are mostly gluten-free, oftentimes dairy-free, and most of my desserts are healthier and refined-sugar-free. I make a mix of savory and sweet recipes. Everything from entrees, sides, salads, snacks, breakfast, and healthier desserts.
My name is Emily and I’m so glad you stopped by! Below I explain why I believe that eating good quality, unprocessed food makes a difference.
My Mission
My mission with this blog is to provide you with healthy options that you can always turn to. Eating healthy should be fun and tasty; it shouldn’t mean eating rabbit food every day all day. Eating food should be about nurturing and fueling our bodies while satisfying our taste buds.
I also have the desire to introduce new and exciting foods for you to expand your palate. Food is wonderful, it’s nourishing, healing, it’s comforting and adventurous. Eating ethnic foods can transport you on an adventure. I don’t ever want you to find food to be mundane; it should be exciting – it should be something to look forward to each day.
If you’re a foodie like me, welcome friend. If you are someone tired of eating the same old foods and want to eat a little healthier while you’re at it, then good for you! I’m here to help. Either way, I’m so glad you’re here! 🙂
Clean Eating
The type of food I share on Robust Recipes reflects what I most enjoy eating. My style of food is a variety of foods made using real, wholesome, in-season ingredients.
Food is what fuels our bodies, sustains our minds, and keeps us going. This is why I believe in creating healthy, balanced recipes without processed ingredients. I feel at my best when I eat wholesome meals that are loaded with veggies. (< I am pretty much a wanna-be vegetarian ;)).
Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes
Most of my recipes are gluten-free. Although I do eat gluten myself, I made the decision to make this a mostly gluten-free blog so that everyone can enjoy food. Why not make gluten-free when you can make it taste just as good as gluten-filled ingredients? I have several friends and family who have Celiac Disease or are gluten-sensitive. What fun is making food if you can’t share it with your loved ones?
I grew up in Wisconsin, so my love for cheese runs deep. However, I have found that I feel better when I don’t eat dairy every day. Despite my Wisconsin roots and love for cheese I have always hated cow’s milk. With all of the dairy-free milks currently available it is easier to make traditional recipes dairy-free recipes.
In the past year I have enjoyed experimenting with dairy-free ice creams, frostings, and sauces using raw soaked cashews, coconut milk, and nut milks. I still eat cheese on occasion, because CHEESE but by replacing the creams and the milks for a plant-based option that tastes just as good as the dairy version I feel more energetic and overall healthier. Plus we are getting more plant-based foods into our bodies, which is always my goal.
Refined-Sugar-Free and Healthier Desserts
I strongly believe that we should all indulge in something decadent once in a while. I really enjoy a good dessert, especially dark chocolate. I strive to make desserts that taste insanely delicious and that are healthier than your mainstream dessert by using clean ingredients. I tend to feel more balanced while still feeling satisfied when I have these types of treats.
Most of my dessert recipes are refined-sugar-free. Instead they are sweetened with honey, coconut sugar, agave nectar, dates, or maple syrup. These natural sweeteners are lower on the glycemic index than your typical white, refined sugar.
Since I have started Robust Recipes I have mostly cut refined sugar out of my life, and my energy and concentration levels have greatly improved. I also feel more balanced, and I don’t get “hangry” very much anymore. My husband will attest to this. My hope is that my dessert recipes will help you indulge in the occasional tasty treat in a slightly healthier way.
Eczema and Processed Foods
My husband Paul has suffered from eczema during and after his college years. When we were dating his staple diet was frozen pizzas, hot dogs and other processed foods. When we moved in together and he began eating the real, unprocessed food that I make, his eczema went away. When I have been gone on a trip for a week and he has returned to his old eating habits, he has noticed his eczema flair up again. We don’t know exactly what kinds of food trigger it, but the main connection we notice is that it’s gone when he avoids the processed foods and focuses on a diet filled with whole grains, unprocessed meats, fresh veggies and fruit.
I wanted to share this story, because it truly emphasizes that the food you eat makes a difference in your health. And that is why I believe so strongly in what I do here. Sharing healthy, real food recipes so that you can be at your best every day!
Balance with Food and Dieting
Yes, I truly believe in eating healthy 95% of the time. BUT I also believe in balance when it comes to food. I have spent a lot of time trying to diet or cut certain foods out. I did the low carb diet several times in high school. Every time I would go off that diet, or allow myself to eat one piece of chocolate I would go crazy and end up eating an entire tub of ice cream. I would pretty much undo any good that I did in that diet.
Aside from avoiding foods because you have an allergy or sensitivity – that is a different story – I don’t believe in restrictive dieting. However, I do believe in striving to eat healthy the MAJORITY of the time. Eating healthy shouldn’t be a diet, it should be a lifestyle over a long period of time. A healthy lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint.
I have found that having some not-so-healthy foods on occasion really helps me to stay on track on a long term basis. Eating those unhealthy foods in moderation (<- key word) makes me appreciate eating all my veggies even more. Balance and moderation when it comes to food keeps me sane.
When My Passion for Food Began
I grew up in a family of foodies where meals were the cornerstones of our day. We bonded over the simple everyday dinners and savored the occasional extravagant meals when we celebrated with family and friends. My parents always encouraged me to try new foods. I was eating very fancy and adult foods such as escargot and crab legs since before I can remember. This adventurous, curious approach to trying new foods is what sparked my interest in the foodie world.
My parents focused on health. I grew up in a household that drank La Croix (<-before it was cool) instead of pop and I had weird things in my lunch like hard boiled eggs, shrimp, veggies and dip and no Cheetos. At the time I hated being different but now I am so thankful that my mom taught me those healthy habits early on in life.
When I was first on my own in college I rebelled and ate all of the things I was never allowed to have. Soon after graduating college I quickly learned that I was at my best when I made healthy foods a priority. I resorted back to a lot of the ways I was taught to eat growing up and began to learn the eating habits that worked best for me. I found that making produce and other plants, the first priority, and high quality, lean proteins the second priority in my meals gave me better digestion and more energy.
More About Me
My husband Paul is my official taste-tester and tech adviser for the blog. We live in Iowa where we own a cute little 1910 house that keeps us in constant rotation of projects.
Some of my favorite things in life are getting lost in a good book, traveling, hiking, running, camping, yoga, meditation, tea, dark chocolate, Indian food and Thai food, seafood, and long summer days.
My second love are our fur babies. Granite was our first. He suddenly passed away. You can read more about that here. He will hold a place in our hearts forever. Luna is with us now. She is currently almost 6 months old (as of September 2017). We brought her home when she was 6 weeks old. She’s brought so much joy and laughter into our house!
Thank you for stopping by Robust Recipes. I can’t wait to see you here again!
Hugs,
Emily
If you have any questions, or would just like to say hi, email me at: robustrecipes[at]gmail[dot]com
(I have to write my email this way to avoid spam bots.)
The picture of Paul and me was one of our engagement photos. Photograph by Mentz Photography!
