Smoked Paprika Almonds

When I was a kiddo—the eldest of many grandchildren and naturally the leader of all things adventure and trouble—my grandfather would fire up the grill on summer days and I’m convinced it wasn’t just to char some hotdogs for us. It was to make our memories of running around barefoot in “Maud & Daud’s” yard even more […]

The Best Homemade Chocolate (Dairy-Free)

I love options in everything, especially when it comes to recipes since… 1.) I can’t follow a recipe to save my life 2.) My food mood is always changing and… 3.) I prefer to play with ingredients I have on hand. These reasons pretty much are the entire catalyst for my new book YumUniverse Pantry […]

One Part Plant’s Coconut Date Pinwheels (Cookbook Giveaway!)

This is the second time I’m writing this post. But I’d probably write it up 100x for the gal it’s about. See, I woke up this morning ready to share what I wrote up a few days ago only to discover that my hosting provider deleted the original post while trying to sort out something […]

Easy Homemade Nutella

During party-time days in Chicago, my pals and I used to make a staple food we called “peanut butter tacos.” We’d throw a few tortillas over a gas flame for a few seconds on each side and then we’d slather on some peanut butter, a bit of jelly, roll it up, scarf it down, and repeat. These days, I […]

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pretzel Bark

I’m getting ready to head to holiday festivities at my Dad’s place, complete with my super squeezable twin nephews (Gah!), but I wanted to share a simple treat that has been making life easy, festive, and tasty all week. So, along with Minimalist Baker’s 5-Ingredient Peppermint Patties, I’ve been whipping up boatloads of this simple, gluten-free Dark Chocolate Peppermint […]

Minimalist Baker’s 5-Ingredient Peppermint Patties

Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking released months ago, but I’m so excited and grateful that Dana is letting me share one of my favorite simple recipes from her gorgeous book with you just in time for the holidays (ahem, her book makes a great gift!). They’re the perfect treat to bring to parties, to pack up in a cute […]

Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Last summer, thanks to the generosity of pals and neighbors, I ended up with a bumper crop of banana peppers. At the time, I came up with a tasty, orange-y Roasted Banana Pepper Vinaigrette that I continue to use often, not only for delicious green salads, but for dressing veggies like Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts. This recipe is also delicious […]

Homemade Toasted Maple-Pecan Butter

In the YumUniverse book I share my easy recipe for homemade Toasted Almond Butter, and I now want to share with YU another delicious discovery—Toasted Maple-Pecan Butter. Use it to make a delicious non-dairy milk, spread it on some gluten-free toast, swirl it into homemade yogurt, or chia pudding (maybe a chocolate one). And yes, […]

Gluten-Free & Naturally Dyed Holiday Shortbread Cookies

Colorful cookies are just part of the holidays, and for folks who want to steer clear of the dangers of artificial dyes, this Gluten-Free & Naturally Dyed Holiday Shortbread Cookie recipe is for YU. I use cocoa powder for brown, liquid chlorophyll for green and fresh beet juice for red. You can prepare these cookies either with […]