Robust Recipes

Healthy, Flavorful Food

Beet Basil Hummus

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Beet Basil Hummus is a refreshing, slightly sweet and earthy variation of traditional hummus. It is loaded with fresh basil leaves to give it that summertime flavor! Hi, Friends. I hope you have been enjoying a wonderful summer so far. How is it July already? This week we returned from our second out of three family vacations of the summer. We spent a few short days in Minnesota on a lake with Paul's side of the family. We swam in the pool, waterskied, tubed, and jet-skied. We enjoyed … [Read more...]

Ranch Hummus

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Hummus is my go-to way to eat raw veggies. It's rare that a week goes by that I haven't whipped up a batch of hummus at home. But ever since making my Skinny Ranch Dip a few weeks ago I have been craving more ranch flavors - plus sometimes it's good to switch it up - so I thought, why not combine the two flavors? Ranch dip + hummus = the ultimate veggie dip! Remember how, when we made our Skinny Ranch Dip, we also made our own ranch seasoning mixture? Because it's so, so easy to do and saves … [Read more...]

Skinny Ranch Dip

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With Memorial Day coming up at the end of the month - you know, that three day weekend when everyone thinks they are going to have a party in their backyard or a picnic, but then it always rains (okay, at least here in the Midwest it does) - I thought it was the perfect time to share my take on Skinny Ranch Dip. Because, let's be honest, is it ever any kind of spring/summer party without a veggie platter served with creamy, dreamy ranch dip? About a year ago I shared my Cashew Ranch Dip which … [Read more...]

Pea Soup (V + GF)

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Happy spring, friends! I know that I keep mentioning spring, but it truly excites me - like little girl giddy excited. Besides doesn't the post of this title, Pea Soup, just sound like spring? And that gorgeous bright green color! I can barely handle it. As you know, I cannot survive cold weather without some warm soup. Even though it is officially spring and the sun is shining, the grass is green, the birds are chirping, we can still have some chilly days. Seriously, Mother Nature, … [Read more...]

Sriracha Honey Roasted Cashews

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Happy Monday, Friends! I have a little something for you to help kick-start your Monday: Sriracha Honey Roasted Cashews. I hope you're as excited as I am! The idea for Sriracha Honey Roasted Cashews came from an advertisement for one of those order-a-box-of-fresh-healthy-food-and-it-comes-straight-to-your-door companies. Their example of a snack item was sriracha roasted cashews. I heard that and just had to find out what that would taste like, because I love sriracha on everything - even in … [Read more...]

Gluten Free Cornbread Drop Biscuits

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  Sometimes you just want a flaky, buttery biscuit that tastes just like the ones you get in the South. There's one problem: you're allergic to wheat or you're sensitive to gluten, or you have celiac disease, or you are serving these biscuits to a loved one who has one of these issues and must avoid wheat and/or gluten. Or you're like me and run a food blog that focuses on gluten free baking, not because you have a problem with wheat or gluten, but because you have several family and … [Read more...]

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...]