Cupcakes & Coffee Breaks

Sometimes, looking for a snack leads to an impromptu recipe using whatever ingredients can be found in the refrigerator. This recipe is great for when you want a snack, but don't want (or have) chips or the "typical" snack foods. Plus, it's easy to make, gluten free , and low carb! You will need: Medium tomato, approx. one per person Ricotta cheese Pesto Shredded mozzarella Bacon (cooked) Ground basil (optional) To make, slice the tomatoes into slices approximately 1/4 inch thick. Because you will be picking them up to eat them, you don't want the tomato slices to fall apart, or the ingredients to fall through. Layer pesto, ricotta, and mozzarella on top of the slices. Top with a piece of bacon, and garnish with basil. This makes a low calorie and surprisingly filling snack, which could also serve as an appetizer! Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest !

This is a pretty straightforward "recipe", but my husband made it and it was delicious, so I'm sharing it with you. Maybe someone has never made grilled cheese before, and will appreciate it! When going gluten free, I was surprised to discover that it really was not very difficult, especially because the online grocery delivery service I use has nutrition filters which clearly mark which foods are "safe". Additionally, I don't eat very much bread anyway, so I was all set with quinoa noodles and gluten free flour for recipes that called for a tablespoon or two. But then we started talking about grilled cheese sandwiches, and, as is probably the case with all dietary restrictions, I started craving something that definitely, absolutely required the forbidden bread. Luckily, I found a "tapioca loaf" of bread, which is wheat, gluten, and dairy free. Prepared for the possibility of an unpleasant surprise, MC (Mr. Cole) used it in the grilled cheese reci...

Macaroni and cheese is quite possibly one of my favorite foods, and this recipe is one that can easily be made gluten free if needed. In fact, it's pretty easy to make overall! Ingredients: Noodles of your choice (I used one 13 oz box of regular wheat penne, and about half of an 8 oz. box of gluten free quinoa noodles) One 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 fat) 2 cups of shredded cheese of your choice (recommended that you use mostly cheddar, but feel free to mix it up!) 3 tbsp flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free) 1/2-1 tsp of ground cayenne pepper, depending on your preference 2 tbsp butter or olive oil 2 cups of milk (I used skim in the recipe) Boil and strain the noodles according to the package directions. In a medium pan add butter/olive oil and cream cheese. It is helpful to cut the cream cheese into smaller pieces before tossing it into the pan, if you are using an 8 ounce block. Cook this on medium-high heat for a few minutes to soften the cream c...

For the Raven's Superbowl, we were in search of all things purple, including purple drinks. We decided to make a party-friendly punch, and used our basic knowledge of colors to turn a traditionally pink-hued Yucca into a Ravens-spirited beverage. The Yucca recipe is fairly simple. You will need: A large punch bowl or medium sized cooler (clean or disposable) 12 lemons Carton of strawberries (size is not particularly important) Handle of vodka of your choice Carton or bottle of pink lemonade 2 cups of sugar Bag of ice Pinch of love For a purple Yucca, you will need to add: Handle of blue vodka or liquor (we used UV Blue Raspberry vodka) Because the Yucca is a fairly strong punch, and the traditional recipe calls for an entire handle of vodka, we used half of the handle of regular clear vodka to start. To make the Yucca, wash all of your fruit. Slice the lemons in half, squeeze the juice into the punch bowl and  toss the lemon in. Slice up your strawberries and add them to the recipe...