Robust Recipes

Healthy, Flavorful Food

Beet and Raspberry Smoothie

By

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...]

Raw Gingerbread Cookie Bites (V + GF)

By

One of my favorite Christmas-time activities as a kid was making homemade gingerbread and sugar cookies with my mom. We would spend hours decorating cookies that we had shaped or cut into gingerbread men, Santa, reindeer, snowmen, and Christmas trees. At the end of the day we would have frosted cookies that were dazzled with sprinkles and sugar. I was a sugar-crazed kid who thoroughly enjoyed scarfing down both the sugar cookies and the gingerbread cookies. Even as a kid my favorite of the … [Read more...]

Carrot Soup

By

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...]

Orange Hot Chocolate

By

Have you ever had one of those chocolate oranges ? We used to get them in our stocking every year for several year when I was a kid. I remember the excitement of opening the box and whacking the orange-sized ball of chocolate as hard as I could on the floor. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Three good whacks usually did it. Then I would peel off the orange tinted wrapper to reveal these luscious, shiny, chocolaty pieces of orange segments. The chocolate was even textured to look like the skin of … [Read more...]

Beet and Yogurt Dip

By

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...]

Spiced Wine

By

When the weather begins to drop below 40 degrees all I want to drink are warm beverages. I begin drinking more tea than water. I enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate for dessert now and then, and I begin making batches of Spiced Wine to enjoy in the evenings. Imagine curling up underneath a blanket while sipping at a glass of warm wine laced with honey, cinnamon, anise, and spicy cloves. Every sip warms you from the inside out. Spiced wine is like winter’s version of sangria! So, if you adore a … [Read more...]

Cheesy Mexican Egg Casserole (GF)

By

    So, you have family coming to stay at your house during the holiday season? You couldn’t be more excited to have them, right? Except that you are just a little stressed out about what to serve them for breakfast. I mean you spend so much time planning the big holiday meal, as you should, that you almost forgot about the next morning. Of course, you don’t want to run around the kitchen cooking again. You just made a huge feast the evening before, and the last thing you want to … [Read more...]

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate

By

Back in the day Brussels sprouts were loathed by all. I myself thought they were absolutely grotesque and refused to touch them with a ten foot pole. Whenever I had them in the past they were bitter and mushy. No thank you! Within the past few years Brussels sprouts have become all the rage. The secret to making Brussels sprouts actually taste good: Roasting! That’s right, roasting Brussels sprouts helps to bring out their natural sugars and allow their outer leaves to crisp up and turn … [Read more...]

Pumpkin-Spiced Chia Seed Pudding Topped with Pecan Crunch

By

‘Tis the season for pumpkin pie. Who doesn’t love a nice creamy, pumpkin-y, perfectly spiced slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day? If you are not a pumpkin pie fan, I am not sure that we can be friends anymore. KIDDING! Kidding. I love pumpkin pie so much that I begin to crave it way before Thanksgiving. To make a pie that serves 8 when there are only two of us to eat it is not the best idea. Those leftover slices would be calling my name every time I walked into the kitchen. And I walk … [Read more...]

Buffalo Meatballs with Blue Cheese Sauce (GF)

By

  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...]