Author Archives: Laura

Collagen In Your Coffee

January, 2018

I first heard of this whole collagen craze when I attended the Health Expo East this past fall.  A company was there promoting their collagen supplement and was giving away samples of it by mixing it into coffee!  (And they also gave pancakes along with it which I thought was a nice touch.)

The coffee tasted just like coffee – not weird like I thought the collagen might make it taste.

So upon coming home I decided to do my due diligence to see if collagen was something I wanted to include in my everyday routine, and was quite pleased to find out it potentially had a lot to offer. Continue reading

Vegetable Tacos

November, 2017

Fact:  When I cook a new, healthy dish for my family, the percentage of family members who like it looks something like this:

I like it 99% of the time (obv).  My husband likes it 90% of the time (probably less but he knows better).  My 12 year old daughter likes it 50% of the time and my 9 year old son about 70%.  

So as you can see, it is quite easy to please me and my husband, but not necessarily my kids.  

Fact:  I don’t take a strong stance for or against any certain way of eating.  In my opinion, the key to health is tons of veggie consumption.  

Fact:  VEGETABLE TACOS RULE Continue reading

Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

November, 2017

Tired of making the same old vegetable side dishes?

If so, here is a delicious, simple cauliflower recipe you can add to your rotation!

I love how versatile cauliflower is.  In my opinion it has a milder flavor which really allows it to soak in the flavor of its seasoning.

I got this roasted cauliflower recipe from a friend a few years ago and it has become a keeper.  The combination of sweet and savory is just perfect.

Enjoy! Continue reading

Tempeh Bolognese

November, 2017

Have you ever cooked with tempeh?  If you haven’t, it may seem intimidating. I mean just the name – tempeh??

So what exactly IS tempeh?

According to Dictionary.com, tempeh is a traditional soy product originating from Indonesia.  It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form.

I know that the benefits of soy is a frequently debated topic.  Here is my take on soy, and why I believe that tempeh is a healthy source of soy.

Tempeh is a great source of plant based protein and is so versatile.  It has a nutty flavor, but when I cook with it I use some type of sauce that the tempeh easily soaks up.

This tempeh bolognese can be used on top of pasta, zoodles, or even roasted broccoli!  My husband, who is a meat guy, actually loved it!  (Full disclosure – he would have loved it even more if I made it with red meat, but that’s not the point, right?) Continue reading

Carrot Apple Muffins

August, 2017

One of my favorite things to do is to go to the local farmers market in town. 

This past week amongst a bunch of other delicious treats, I bought fresh carrots. My  normal routine is to roast them with a touch of butter, but this week I wanted to shake things up and decided to make carrot apple muffins.

They were amazing!  Perfectly moist with just the right amount of sweetness.  I added crushed walnuts and raisins for added depth, and used a paleo flour mix to keep them gluten free. (You can make them dairy free, too, by substituting the butter with coconut oil.)  

But best of all?  They are healthy AND got an A+ from the kiddos!  They have been having them for breakfast all week (I made some without nuts since they are allergic) and it feels great knowing they are starting their days eating food prepared with fresh, wholesome ingredients. Continue reading