Robust Recipes

Healthy, Flavorful Food

Roasted Sweet Potato Fig Soup with Crunchy Chickpeas

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As a food blogger I get inspiration and ideas for recipes from all sorts of places, but eating out at restaurants is a huge one. If I order something I really enjoy I immediately begin to think of how I can re-create it at home. It’s a blessing and a curse, because I have to resist the work-mode-trance when it’s a Saturday and we’re supposed to be relaxing. This is when my trusty phone comes in handy. I make a note of my ideas and then it’s out of my head, but the recipe idea is there on my … [Read more...]

Homemade Applesauce

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We are fortunate enough to have this little apple orchard not too far from us. Every fall since we have moved to the area I have enjoyed going to the apple orchard to stock up on apples for a few weeks. I seem to have a problem of buying way too many apples when I go to the orchard. All of the apples look so beautiful, fresh, and juicy that I get really excited. I find it hard to stop loading up my bag. I keep wanting more apples. Before I know it, I have purchased 6 pounds of apples when I … [Read more...]

Corn and Zucchini Chowder

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With Iowa’s bountiful supply of corn I have been wanting to make a corn chowder all summer long. There was one tiny problem. With the heat in my no-central-air-heat-trap of a kitchen my desire to make or eat soup was pretty much non-existent. As the temperatures have dropped slightly and the humidity isn’t as thick as butter, I knew it was the perfect time to make my Corn Zucchini Chowder. We are nearing the end of our sweet corn season here in Iowa. The time for soup making is now! Corn … [Read more...]

Gluten Free Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

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CORNBREAD MUFFINS!!! Yes, I am so excited about this recipe that I had to type it in all caps! If there is anyone out there who doesn’t like cornbread, especially in muffin form, and especially slathered with butter and honey, then I’m sorry but we can’t be friends anymore. KIDDING! But not really. In my very humble opinion corn bread should be fine in texture; use the fine ground corn flour. Cornbread should be tender; you don’t want it so dry that it gets stuck in your throat as you’re … [Read more...]

Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

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With the approach of fall just around the corner I simply had to sneak in one more summery salad recipe! If baby spinach, strawberries, cucumbers, and Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing don’t scream summer, then I’ve got it all wrong! During the summer I always have a huge container of organic, pre-trimmed, pre-washed baby spinach leaves in my fridge just waiting for me to make use of it in a salad. Being a huge fan of whisking up my own salad dressing, I have been playing around with creamy … [Read more...]

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Two Dipping Sauces (GF)

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This past week I was on my family vacation, in South Carolina. Actually, as you are reading this, I am on my way home right now. By now I have officially enjoyed the lifestyle of a beach bum for a week. I will be rested up, hopefully I will have a nice tan (and not be burnt), and I will have had plenty of time to catch up on my summer reading list. Oh, and yes, of course I will have enjoyed visiting with my family. Especially the ones that I only see once or twice a year. Isn’t it a wonderful … [Read more...]

Grilled Corn and Black Bean Guacamole

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I have a confession to make: I didn’t make my first batch of summertime guacamole until 2 weeks ago! What’s wrong with me? How did I allow so much of the warm weather to pass by without making guacamole? It’s blasphemy! Don’t worry, I have since been making up for it by whipping up at least one or two batches of guacamole per week. I think it’s impossible for me to ever get sick of eating guacamole. Usually I make my basic guacamole recipe. It is the simplest to make, with the most basic … [Read more...]

Classic Potato Salad

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Potato salad is one of my ultimate summertime comfort foods. My grandma would make this potato salad all of the time. The sauce was a thick, creamy, stick-to-the-potatoes-and-your-spoon kind of dressing with a kiss of salt and pepper and a hint of yellow mustard. Just as potato salad should be. She would bring this potato salad to almost every family gathering, especially during the summer.  It was rare that she would take any leftovers home. It was just that good. Like most of … [Read more...]

Spicy Refrigerator Pickles

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  Hey, everyone. Happy Monday, happy July! Um, how did we get to the second week of July already? Time flies when you’re busy and having fun! I love July for several reasons: It’s really, really summer! The days are long, there are books to be read, there are pools to swim in, and there are parties to go to. Best time of the year! My week-long family vacation occurs every July. Lazy beach time here I come! My birthday is at the end of the month! The 29th, just in case you … [Read more...]

Spinach Berry Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

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There are times when a girl needs a huge honkin' salad for dinner. Tons of leafy greens, some crunchy nuts, and a good homemade dressing can make the perfect side salad in a pinch. There are also times when a girl needs more; she needs a salad that is going to make her feel amazing for eating so many leafy-good-for-you greens and one that has all sorts of textures and flavors that will keep her satisfied for hours. When I am creating an entree salad I usually opt for kale or spinach because … [Read more...]