Roasted Chickpea "Croutons"

I know what you are thinking. There is no way that chickpeas can replace the heavenly crouton that usually tops my salad. Trust me. I get it. I was a bit skeptical as well. Anybody who knows me knows that I love bread. All things bread are my downfall, but I am here to say that although these Roasted Chickpeas are not exactly like a crouton, they do satisfy my need for something crunchy and delicious on top of my salads. I recently paired them up with an Anti-Inflammatory Caesar Salad and it was pretty amazing.
So if you are looking for a gluten free alternative, give these a try.
*To be honest, I have actually just sat down and eaten these as a snack as well, not just as a salad topper*

Anti-Inflammatory Caesar Salad

Who would have thought that the words anti-inflammatory and Caesar dressing would be in the same sentence.  Every time I go to a restaurant, I order a Caesar salad. There is just something magical about that dressing that gets me salivating.
Now I am not about to claim that this recipe for the dressing tastes exactly like a Caesar dressing, but it is pretty darn close, especially for having not really ANY of the same ingredients. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted, especially for how easy it was to make. I topped my salad with some crunchy oven roasted chickpeas, to replace the croutons, and some sliced grilled chicken.

Fantastic Waffles

Lately my mornings have been starting off with a waffle. Every morning I ask my girls what they would like for breakfast and it is almost always waffles.
Usually my husband is in charge of making waffles on Saturday mornings but we went through those ones pretty fast a few weeks ago so when she asked for some on Monday I grabbed my trusty Better Homes and Garden book and made waffles. I don't know if just made them wrong or what but I did not like them anymore. (Even though that is the recipe we have used for years).
So I quickly ran to my trusty Pinterest and found this yummy recipe from food.com.
Its great. Probably because its loaded with butter but oh baby its good. The thing I really like about these waffles is that you whip the egg whites and fold them into the batter which makes the waffles so light. You won't regret trying this recipe out! Especially with some good homemade syrup...mmm..yummy yummy! ENJOY!

Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies

To get personal for a bit, my daughter and I have both been struggling with Rheumatoid Arthritis and it seems like since my daughter started kindergarten she had been having pain every single day. This was so frustrating to me as her parent. I am used to the pain because I have dealt with it my whole life, but to see her suffer breaks my heart. Anyway, with her being in pain so often, we decided it was time to get serious and get her food triggers figured out so that we could at least keep her pain to a minimum.
So long story short, I have been trying out a bunch of new recipes to post for you guys and I will work hard to get them on here!
This recipe that I found is not only awesome, but it all cooks in one pan which makes for a less hectic clean up process. We had this recipe on DAY 1 of our journey through the diet. I liked it because it made a massive amount of food and had plenty of leftovers to have for lunches throughout the week. This recipe is super versatile because all veggies and seasonings can be swapped out for your preferences.

Italian Beef and Noodles

This is one of my "go to" meals that we have ALL the time because everybody likes it! It's great when served hot, but I also like the leftovers cold.
If your on a budget this is a great meal to make because you can limit how much meat goes into the dish. I like to cut the meat thinner, which makes it appear to have more in it (nice trick right?!) This would be good with any assortment of vegetables in it, but zucchini is generally what I use.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Let's get a little unhealthy for a bit and talk dessert. I LOVE IT!
This cupcake recipe came together so quickly! Seriously, it didn't take that much more effort then whipping out a box from the pantry, and taste way better. These cupcakes and literally the most light and airy cupcake I have every had in my life.  Not only are they airy but they are moist as well! One important detail about these cupcakes is using hot water. When the hot water reacts with the cocoa powder that is where the magic happens and you get the perfect light chocolate flavor all while keeping the batter nice and airy and moist.
Pair with your favorite frosting recipe and these babies will be gobbled up in no time!

The BEST Blueberry Muffins

I have made several different recipes for blueberry muffins and none of them were very good. Well ladies and gents...I no longer have to find a good one and neither do you! This recipe is freaking amazing!!!We make these muffins at least once a month, and they always get rave reviews from whoever eats them.
This recipe has just the right about of sweetness to help bring out the blueberry flavor and the crumble on top...oh yes...its sugary and crunchy and delicious!
This recipe is also a bit unique in the fact that you use browned butter to make them. Don't be turned off if you've never had browned butter. It's beyond simple to make and adds such a wonderful nutty flavor to your muffin.