I feel like I can’t get enough basil lately. Every time I think about what flavor I want in my food, I want basil. That’s what made me come up with this basil hummus dressing and that’s also what made me make this pesto quinoa salad. The other reason I made this salad? 
It was ridiculously hot. Continue reading
Summer and the oven don’t really go together. Even if you have air conditioning, turning on your oven heats things up and makes everyone uncomfortable. And really, do you crave a hot meal in the summer? Sure, things right off the grill are tasty but when it gets hot all I want are nice cooling meals. Continue reading
You know what’s no fun? Growing out a pixie haircut. 90% of the time you just have to deal with looking stupid. The other 10% is the two days right after you get it trimmed (because you have to get it trimmed like every other month so all your layers can catch up) when you look fairly decent. Then day three hits and you’re back to looking stupid again. And there are only so many ways you can hide your stupid-looking hair. It’s too short to really do much with and the things you can do with it require 5,498 bobby pins, half of which you lose throughout the day causing you to wonder if your body is absorbing the bobby pins and if at this point you are made up of 50% bobby pins. You could always wear hats and scarves and bandannas unless of course, you are one of those people who look stupid wearing those things so you get to pick between looking stupid in a hat or walking around with stupid-looking hair.
This is my life. Every. Day.
Can you tell I’m having some emotions about growing out my pixie? Continue reading
Since summer is (almost) officially here, I thought I would share some of my best summer recipes to get you ready for the warm months ahead!
I could eat this on repeat and never get tired of it. I love the bite of vinegar, the crunch of the cucumber, and the sweet of the tomato/basil combo. Make a huge batch of this and eat it throughout the week because it gets even better with time!
This is a great dish to bring to a BBQ or potluck because it makes a lot and doesn’t have to be served hot. Plus it’s free of gluten, dairy, eggs, and meat so it can please a lot of diets. Oh, and it’s delicious.
This is a re-do of my original BBQ sauce and it’s one of my favorite things in the summer. I use it on vegetables, in marinades, and try to put it on every dish. It comes together quick and doesn’t have any funky ingredients.
Ok, hear me out on this one. I know cold soup sounds really unappetizing and for a long time, I avoided gazpacho because gross. But when it’s really hot out and nothing sounds good because it involves heat in some way, gazpacho is really refreshing. And this one is super creamy and delicious and you can have a refreshing dinner quick.
I like making this casserole ahead of time and then serving it up cold or room-temperature. It’s best if you do all of the cooking in the morning so you don’t have the oven on during the hottest part of the day. And the tahini BBQ sauce is finger-lickin’ good. Yeah, I said it.
Have a vegetable garden and 20 lbs of vegetables that you don’t know what to do with? Send 10 lbs to me and then use the other 10 lbs to make this ratatouille!
If you like key lime pie and popsicles then boy are you in luck! These take a little bit of prep work but once they’re done you will be thankful you made them! Cool, tangy, and refreshing, they’re perfect for hot summer days!
Since I’m still on vacation, I thought that instead of a new DIY post I would share some of my favorites so you can get in on the DIY action. These are a few of the things that I constantly make so that I always have them on hand. They’re quick, easy, and most of all save me money since I don’t have to buy them at the store!
Seriously, I can’t stop making this and why should I? It’s cheap, the easiest non-dairy milk to make, and doesn’t have the additives that most store bought coconut milk contains. You also don’t need a high-speed blender and can even use an immersion blender to get awesome results. My coconut milk has been making its way into curries, my coffee, and my morning smoothie bowl. Speaking of which….
Now that it’s starting to get warm, smoothie bowls are hitting the spot. You can make them with your favorite ingredients and get your daily fruit and vegetables. Here’s a simple guide to building a smoothie bowl.
I have this every morning and I love it. Since I’m not a huge fan of plain water, this is a great way to get some water first thing in the morning without choking down a glass of plain water. Plus it’s good for your digestion and your skin!
Dairy-Free Ranch and Basil Dressing
Summer means more salads and fresh vegetables and what better way to eat them than with delicious dressing?! As much as I love my vegetables, I love my dressing even more. Don’t buy dressing at the store because not only is it more expensive but it can quickly turn your healthy salad into a calorie and chemical bomb. Whip up one of these dressings yourself and thank me later!
This is the definition of an easy recipe. Your slow cooker does most all of the work and you end up with delicious caramelized onions that you can put in everything. I freeze the onions in ice cube trays and then just pull out what I need when I’m making dinner.
These are the best snack ever. A little sweet, a little savory, and all delicious. I actually made a huge batch of these before we left for Michigan because they make a great road trip snacks. I may have even shared a few with Adam… Maybe.
I have a ton more DIY recipes over on my recipe page so if you’re feeling the DIY vibe check it out!
Life Healthfully Lived 