For the past week, the only thing that I really want is pasta. I crave giant bowls of it. I want to swim to the bottom of a vat of pasta and eat my way out of it.
Yes, that’s weird but when it comes to pasta, I don’t care. 
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pasta
Camping Pasta
I want to thank you for letting me share some of my thoughts/emotions the past few days on the blog. I know that isn’t normally what I do and I’m not looking to turn this blog into something different than what it is. But I think it’s important to speak up when we see something wrong, especially if we have a slightly larger platform to do so. So again, thank you for letting me do that.
But now let’s get to some food because it’s been just a little bit since I shared anything new with you guys! 
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Homemade Hamburger Helper
Fair warning: I can’t ever remember eating Hamburger Helper as a kid. I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but not often enough for me to have a memory of it.
Another fair warning: It is hard to take appetizing pictures of this dish. Some food is just like that. No matter how you do it, it’s going to look a little gross. I mean, if I was a professional I’m sure I could use all sorts of fancy tricks to make it look delicious. Inedible. But delicious. 
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Creamy Avocado Fettuccine
I am really into avocados lately. I buy a big bag at the beginning of the week and add them to my smoothies and soups and anywhere else I can squeeze them in. They make things creamy and delicious. Plus they are full of good for you stuff.
People sometimes shy away from avocados because of the fat content, even though I think most understand it’s good fat. Fat still scares people because it just makes sense that fat would make you fat. Don’t worry, I get it. You want to eat the best food for your body as possible and you don’t want to gain weight. Don’t fear fat. Trust me, fat is good and it will help you reach your goals all while being super tasty.
Now, don’t go hog wild on fat. Too much of anything, even a good thing like fat is a bad thing. But start including it in your diet and don’t feel guilty or worry. And if you’re looking for a new way to use avocados other than guacamole, try this creamy avocado fettuccine.
It’s a great weeknight dinner because it comes together in less than 20 minutes. And it’s good enough that no one will realize that there is no dairy in the sauce. You can even make it paleo and serve it over vegetable noodles instead of brown rice ones. It tastes good both ways, trust me, I tried it.
Creamy Avocado Fettuccine
- 2 Hass avocados
- 2 tbsp cheesy garlic spread
- juice of half a lime
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder OR 3 to 4 fresh chipotle chili’s
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 package brown rice fettuccine OR spiralized vegetable noodles (butternut squash & sweet potato work really well)
- 2 to 3 tbsp fresh cilantro
- Cook the fettuccine according to the directions on the package, drain, and set aside. Or if you’re using vegetable noodles, prepare those by cooking on a large baking sheet at 400 for 8 to 10 minutes or sauteing in a large pan with a lid until soft.
- Meanwhile, slice the avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh into a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut milk. Pulse a few times until everything is pretty mixed together.
- Add the coconut milk a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency. I ended up using about 1/3 cup for a fairly thick but still pourable sauce.
- Once your sauce is at the right consistency and the noodles are done, add them back to the pot they cooked in and pour all the sauce on top. Stir everything together until all the noodles are coated.
- Sprinkle in the cilantro and stir just to combine. Serve it up and enjoy!
This recipe is probably going to make it into the regular rotation because it’s quick, healthy, and tastes so darned good! 
Italian Pasta Bake
Mozzarella
that isn’t really mozzarella. Confusing I know, but totally awesome. There are tons of recipes out there for fake cheese as well as plenty of products that you can buy. My issue with store bought “cheese” is that it’s usually full of ingredients that I would rather not ingest.
I’ve made cheese sauce before for my Fusilli N’ Cheeze, but I wanted to make a cheese that was a little thicker. My goal? To try and recreate the mostaccioli that Adam made for me when we first started dating.
About a month or so into our relationship, Adam decided he was going to cook for me. He made me his mom’s mostaccioli and it was delicious. It was super simple, but watching him make that meal for me was one of the first times that I started to fall in love with him. When I stopped eating gluten and dairy, mostaccioli kind of went out the window. But not anymore!
Don’t be freaked out by making “cheese” that isn’t really cheese. It isn’t difficult and there really aren’t any weird ingredients unless you think tapioca starch is weird. It isn’t. It’s just a thickener and helps make this cheese stretchy. You could also use potato starch, but I like tapioca better. Once you make the cheese, this is a really fast meal and a great one to prep early and pull out for a quick weeknight meal.
Not-Mozzarella, Mozzarella 
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in warm water overnight
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp roasted garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp tapioca starch (or potato starch)
- 1 cup hot water
- Add everything to a blender and blend for 2 to 3 minutes until it is completely smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Cook while constantly stirring. After a few minutes, the mixture will start to thicken.
- Turn the heat to low and keep stirring it until it is very thick and stretchy. You can use it right away or keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Italian Pasta Bake
- 1 batch of Not-Mozzarella, Mozzarella
- 1 batch of my tomato sauce
- 1 package of gluten-free pasta, I used brown rice shells
- Preheat oven to 350. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- Get a 9 x 13 casserole dish and spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom. Next, put a layer of pasta and then top with tomato sauce. Spread some of the cheese on top of that.
- Keep layering the pasta, sauce, and cheese until it’s gone. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and take off the foil. Cook for another 5 minutes until the cheese on top is starting to brown on the edges.
- Take out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before you serve it.
Life Healthfully Lived 