Robust Recipes

Healthy, Flavorful Food

Roasted Butternut Squash and Fennel Soup

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Hi friends, how has winter been treating you?  Good, I hope. Last week we had temperatures at a high of negative 13 with wind chills of negative 20 degrees! That’s right; I said N-E-G-A-T-V-E 20 degrees! I am pretty sure that my ears got frost bite just from sticking my head out the door to grab the mail. Not fun! So, I hunkered down underneath blankets and sweatshirts for at least 3 days. I drank a cup of hot tea at least once an hour and refused to eat any food that was at room … [Read more...]

Eggplant Pizzas (GF)

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  Paul and I both love pizza, Paul especially. He worked at a local pizza place for 8 years and received free or discounted pizza almost every day that he worked. As you can imagine, Paul requests pizza quite often and most of the time I am happy to join him in enjoying a good quality Take-N-Bake pizza. It is a treat for me to not cook that evening. When I am trying to eat healthy, such as right after the holidays, I have to deny Paul his pizza requests. I know, I am such a mean … [Read more...]

Beet and Raspberry Smoothie

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Hello 2015! How did you sneak up on me like that? Last I knew it was still Christmas. Did everyone have a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s?  I sure hope so. We had a fun time visiting with family and playing with kids, and we overindulged in lots of food and yummy sweets. I come from a long line of exceptionally great cooks; it’s kind of our thing. Naturally people who love to cook delicious food love to eat delicious food, and we sure did eat. A lot. Which is what the holidays are for, am … [Read more...]

Carrot Soup

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I originally created this soup out of desperation. It was a cold fall day a couple weeks ago. My stomach began to rumble so I went to the refrigerator to look for food. It was pretty much bare bones in there. I know what you’re thinking: is it even possible for a food blogger to run out of food? The answer is a big fat YES! It happens quite often. I spend so much time planning and cooking recipes for the blog. Although they are all delicious, some are not always a meal. Some are dessert … [Read more...]

Beet and Yogurt Dip

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It’s Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year! Now that it’s officially Christmas season, it is time to break out the decorations and play Christmas music non-stop. My Christmas tree is up and my Pandora station has switched to Christmas tunes until further notice. All that’s left is some holiday cooking. What better way to spark your Christmas spirit then to make a beautiful, festive, red Beet and Yogurt Dip? As long as you have cooked beets on hand (which I recommend), you can whip … [Read more...]

Buffalo Meatballs with Blue Cheese Sauce (GF)

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  It is rearing towards the last bit of fall.  The last bit of fall means one thing here in Iowa. Colder weather! Yup, the high for today is 27 degrees. I am even watching some flurries fall from the sky as I am typing this. I have officially busted out my sweaters, winter coats, and scarves. Actually, to a lot of people the fall season means football season. Although football is not a big event in our household, I know it is a favorite pastime for many. Although football is not my … [Read more...]

Cranberry Chia Seed Jam (GF)

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  I am officially at the start of preparing and planning for the holiday season. I have begun to dream of Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts. Thanksgiving is a food blogger’s favorite holiday! It is all about feasting on a spread of delicious food. Oh, yeah, guess there is that whole giving thanks thing, and of course the spending-time-with-your family ordeal. I kid, I kid! However, everyone does gather around the table for lively conversation, catching up, and the scrumptious … [Read more...]

Two-Ingredient Homemade Almond Butter

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The first time I experienced store-bought almond butter it was very gritty. It was then and there that I decided I would stick to my smooth and creamy peanut butter. That was until I discovered that almond butter is super easy to make yourself! All you need is a little patience. Okay maybe a lot of patience. That patience is well worth it. The result is an ultra smooth and creamy, luscious butter that is bursting with sweet and nutty almond flavor. The first time I made almond butter It … [Read more...]

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup

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Most of you may know by now that I am originally a Wisconsinite who is currently residing in Iowa. That’s right, I am a cheese head, through and through. Honestly, I don’t really care about football too much (don’t hate me), so I am not talking about being a Packers’ fan kind of cheese head. I am talking about rich, salty, creamy, dreamy cheese! I love cheese. Cheddar is like gold to us Wisconsinites. Growing up, I rarely found a refrigerator that did not contain cheese of some kind. It’s … [Read more...]

Cauliflower Balls Stuffed with Cheese

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Have you heard of cauliflower pizza crust? The idea is to make a healthy, low-carb, gluten-free option for pizza crust. Sounds like an ingenious idea, especially since cauliflower is a vegetable, right? Wrong! I have tried making it about 3 times. Each time I have been disappointed in how the consistency of the crust holds up. The toppings fall right off, the crust crumbles, and you have to use a fork to eat it. I believe that you should always be able to eat pizza with your hands, … [Read more...]