Cupcakes & Coffee Breaks

I'm a HUGE (yuge!) fan of sheet pan recipes, so when I saw the sheet pan pancakes recipe floating around on Instagram, I knew I needed to test it out. The concept is simple: instead of cooking your pancakes one by one on the stovetop, you let your oven do the work for you. All you need is a sheet pan! You can find a similar recipe just by searching Pinterest or Instagram, but here is the version that I used based on my own dietary needs, and what I had on hand. Side note: it's a great way to use up fresh fruit that is getting juuuust a little too soft in spots. Just chop off the unwanted bits, and chop the rest to throw into the batter. Peachy Cinnamon Sheet Pan Pancakes Ingredients: 1 cup gluten free Bisquick 2 tbsp cooking oil of choice, plus a little for greasing the pan 1 egg 1 cup milk dash of cinnamon dash of nutmeg 1/4 tsp almond extract 1/2 peach, chopped 1/2 cup chopped strawberries You'll note that the first 4 ingr...

I've been all about the soups lately. Maybe it's the weather-- because fall is the best season of all-- but I think it's also because soup is essentially a low maintenance salad. Not quite sure what I mean? Let's see how soups vs. salads stack up. Packed full of veggies and your choice of proteins, it's easy to stuff a ton of nutrients into both dishes. Soups are infinitely portable (given the right containers) and can be prepped and packed for lunch, similar to a mason jar salad. You can even make mason jar instant ramen! With the great piece of modern technology known as the slow cooker, you can toss all of your chopped (or not) ingredients into the pot at the start of your day, and come back to a hearty dinner. So, if you're trying to eat healthy meals, but want something freezable, portable, and just plain easy to make, soups are a great option for you! Keep scrolling for some of the best recipes I've tried so far. Just in ...

Buffalo Chicken Chili If you love the flavor of buffalo chicken, you'll have to try this easy buffalo chicken chili! I started with a recipe I found on Pinterest, but the version below is the one I that made. You will need: 1 pound of ground chicken 1 tbsp olive oil 1 half of a diced onion 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped celery 15 oz diced tomatoes 15 oz canned white beans (drained) 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp oregano 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 to 3/4 cups of hot sauce cheese for topping (bleu cheese, feta, cheddar)(optional) sour cream (optional) To make this chili, cook the ground chicken. Add the oil to a pot, along with the onion, carrots, and celery, cooking them for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, garlic, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, tomatoes, and beans. Stir in the chicken broth and hot sauce, and let simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, until hot. Top with your choice of cheese or toppings, and enjoy! This a great twist on ch...

Sometimes, the strangest food combinations actually go together, and combine to make something amazing, like chips on sandwiches, or cupcakes with bacon. Enter one of the most deliciously strange food combinations of all, chocolate and cheese, and you have the black bottom cupcake. There are plenty of black bottom cupcake recipes to be found on the internet, but I decided to take a traditional recipe, and attempt to make it gluten free. It has been three months since I gave up gluten, and with Easter occurring in two days, it was important to me to have a recipe that would be safe to eat, without tasting "off" to the friends and family I would be sharing it with. You will need: For the cream cheese topping: 8 ounces of cream cheese 1 egg 1/3 cup of sugar Pinch of salt 1/2 to 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips For the cake bottom: 1 & 1/2 cups of gluten free all purpose baking flour (I use Bob's Red Mill ) 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum 1/3 cup olive oil 1 tsp baking soda 1 c...

This chicken bacon ranch pasta recipe is a very filling dinner dish that is great served hot, or cold leftover the next day. Note: this recipe is not gluten free as written, so be sure to substitute the flour and pasta for a gluten free variety if you are avoiding gluten! You will need: 13 ounces of pasta 12 ounces of chicken Bacon (approximately 10 strips) 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup ranch dressing 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons flour Parmesan cheese (optional) 2 tablespoons butter Cook your chicken thoroughly, and cut into bite sized pieces (or you can use precooked chicken if you wish). Cut up your bacon into smaller pieces and cook with the butter until crispy. Cook the noodles as instructed on the package. Add the chicken, flour, ranch, milk, and cheddar cheese to the pan with the bacon, and cook over medium-high heat until all ingredients are blended and the cheese has melted. Pour the sauce over the noodles and mix everything together. Serve topped with parmesan cheese if des...

These buffalo chicken tacos are extremely easy to make! Prep time is 10-15 minutes. You will need: 6 crunchy taco shells 12 ounces shredded chicken 1/4 cup hot sauce 1/4 cup ranch dressing (can use bleu cheese if desired) Shredded cheddar or other cheese of your choice Cole slaw (you can find this with the pre-packaged salad in your grocery store) Mix the chicken together with the hot sauce and ranch dressing in a small bowl. Arrange your taco shells on a baking sheet, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Fill the taco shells with shredded chicken, and top with cheddar cheese. The stand up taco shells will be much easier for this, because at least one of the regular taco shells will  fall over. However, if you have the regular taco shells, just be sure to stuff the cheese back in if they tip over. Bake the shells for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Add the cole slaw to the tacos, and enjoy! The cole slaw adds a nice crunch to the taco, and offsets the spiciness of...

This recipe was so easy. I am always looking for ways to use chicken breasts in recipes, and this was a great way to use some leftover hummus! You will need: 4 chicken breasts (frozen is fine) Approx. 4 tbsp hummus Paprika Lime or lemon juice Grated parmesan Parsley For this recipe, I used a spicy hummus. If you have a regular hummus on hand, try mixing in some cayenne pepper to taste. While it definitely had a kick, this recipe is not too  spicy, but it has a great flavor! To start, arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish or pan. While I used a baking pan (as you will see in pictures), I recommend using a smaller dish, where the chicken pieces will be closer together. This is because the hummus may melt while in the oven, and a smaller dish will help prevent it from sliding off of the chicken. Cover your chicken breasts with the hummus. Be very careful not to dip the spoon used to press the hummus on the raw chicken back into the tub of hummus. If your spoon touches the raw c...

Tortillas were definitely off the table (literally and figuratively) when I decided to try a gluten free diet. Crunchy tacos seemed to be the only option, especially when my first and only attempt at soft tacos using corn tortillas was definitely not up to standard. When I made my most recent grocery list, I casually browsed for another substitute item, prepared to risk another "sort of palatable" dinner. I found tortillas made of brown rice, which had mostly positive reviews. The only negative feedback was that they, like many other gluten free tortilla options, tended to get "crispy" or crumbly if the temperature was too cool. My reasoning for purchasing them was that I could use the brown rice tortillas for quesadillas, since the tortillas could remain flat (and not folded, which poses a problem with crumbly tortillas) and , since quesadillas are cooked on the stove, who cares if the quesadilla is a little "crispy" ?! You can use whichever tortillas you...

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 !

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...

I've been gluten free for about a month now, and it really is not as hard as I thought it would be! For this pizza, I used the " No Dough Pizza " recipe pinned to my Pinterest board (don't forget to follow me!). For the crust, the recipe calls for garlic powder, cream cheese, parmesan, and black pepper. I didn't have any black pepper, so I didn't use it, and it turned out just fine. Also, I used 1/3 fat cream cheese, and it was still great. The original author used full fat, but I can safely say that reduced fat works very well. I also used a 9 x 13 inch baking pan instead of a dish. The crust doesn't rise enough to raise an issue, so if you have a smaller baking pan, feel free to use it! Recipe: Crust: 1 package of cream cheese (8 ounces) 2 eggs 1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp black pepper (optional) Mix ingredients and pour into greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until brown at the edges. Let cool f...