Don't judge me but... bell peppers really aren't my favorite. I like the idea of them, and I like them on pizza or hidden in recipes with multiple ingredients, but I've never been keen on straight bell peppers. However, I had a bunch sitting around and hated to waste them so I figured what could I do to make them more to my liking? Of course, sweeten them up! This is really a pretty simple recipe, just your peppers plus sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and a couple spices. My guess is other cheeses and spice combinations would be equally delicious. Yay, now I can claim to be a pepper lover!

I had a craving for cookies the other day and I had some shredded coconut so I decided I wanted to make coconut cookies. Problem is, I'm currently not eating flour or granulated sugar, so my options were limited. I still *needed* cookies (for my sanity), so I knew my only option was to create a recipe of my own. I started with a coconut peanut butter recipe I found online and eliminated the flour. I also substituted the white and brown granulated sugars in the recipe for honey, added almonds, and changed a few more amounts since I wasn't using flour. My husband and I were somewhat skeptical that these would turn out to be stellar cookies since we had changed so much of the recipe, but we figured if nothing else the batter would hit the spot. They actually turned out really well!

Also, I'm no gluten-free expert but since these don't use flour they might qualify... but check it out first before serving to a friend who has a gluten intolerance and causing him/her some problems later.
:-)

Finally, a friend tried them and used some oats instead of part of the almonds, she said that was really good. I imagine you could make several substitutions here and get a similar effect. Ex: Almond butter instead of peanut butter; other nuts/oats instead of almonds; add a few chocolate chips. Enjoy the cookies!

If you've seen the past few blogs you might be wondering "what's with all this vegan food?" Although I'm not a big meat eater I've never been vegan, or even vegetarian before. Recently I've heard and read a lot about the benefits of a vegan diet so I figured I'd give it a try. Can't knock it till you've tried it right? For a month I tried a vegan diet. No meat, no dairy. Cheese and yogurt were the hardest for me. I find there's not really a good substitute for those and I like to use them for flavoring in my dishes.

After the month I came to a few conclusions:
1. There are many delicious vegetable dishes you can eat that conform to the vegan diet. Some of the ones I found I'd eat vegan diet or not.
2. Vegan meals that try to recreate meat are a bad idea. Fruits and vegetables are delicious and there are many ways to prepare them. Trying to make a meatloaf out of anything except for meat is going to be a letdown no matter how delicious it is.
3. I don't get such a "heavy" feeling in my body after a big vegan meal the same way I would after a full meat and dairy meal. I don't miss that feeling.
4. It's hard to eat vegan. Not because there aren't delicious vegan options, but because it's impossible to either eat out or go eat at friends houses while still eating vegan.

After my vegan month I decided to not be officially vegan because it's too difficult when eating out. Also, I miss cheese and yogurt. Most importantly, when I eat the occasional burger... I want it to taste like a nice juicy burger! However, I still limit my meat intake and love my veggie dishes. If you're vegan (or not), hope you enjoy this pea and tofu recipe.

Cookies! I'm all for eating healthy, but I'm not going to make it long without chocolate. Maybe it's a weakness I have for those dark morsels... or maybe it's the key to long life. I have read many articles talking about the health benefits of chocolate and I unquestioningly believe every word. To make sure I'm getting a healthy dose of chocolate on a regular basis I keep all the ingredients around (they won't go bad quickly) and then I can make a small batch of cookies when needed. Speaking of, I might make some right now...

A friend made a dish similar to this and I just had to recreate it - hers was delicious! This version has a good mix of veggies, plus black beans and feta cheese to give it a pretty mix of colors. I used a green apple balsamic vinegar in this salad but a red wine vinegar would also work well. This Tangy Black Bean and Feta Salad is a great dish for experimentation! 

I love fresh pesto. It's a great use for my basil plant when it's growing out of control - and then I have tons of pesto to spice up my pasta, pizza, spaghetti, and numerous other dishes. Pesto is relatively quick to make, stores well until ready to use, or freeze for later. Homemade pesto is not only tastier, it's also better for you because it doesn't need all the sodium and preservatives to keep it lasting forever on the shelf. Make tons to share with friends or freeze and enjoy pesto all winter long.

Making pizza dough yourself is healthier, more convenient (in my opinion), and cheaper than buying it from the store. I can see the argument that buying pre-made dough is quicker (if you're going to the store anyways), but this recipe only takes a 1/2 hour. So as long as you have flour and yeast at home, don't make a special trip to the store!

Make extra and freeze for later or make pizza. Yum!

I have to admit I've never actually made these burgers myself. However, it's a burger recipe my fiance uses all the time and they're delicious. There's a little bit of kick in there from the cayenne pepper, so caution if you don't like spicy.

This is an easy summer salad that can be mixed up to incorporate any of the fruits/veggies in your kitchen. For me the key difference between this summer strawberry salad and any other is that I use a flavored balsamic vinegar (green apple), combined with extra virgin olive oil, as my salad dressing. Delicious and better for you than store-bought salad dressing. Go crazy and pour extra without feeling guilty, I do!

This summer pasta is simple, with just a few key ingredients, yet flavorful. It's important to use fresh basil. The leaves have such a strong, fresh flavor, it really makes the dish. The mozzarella is a nice compliment to the basil and tomatoes - and who doesn't love cheese?

Hope you enjoy this basil, mozzarella, and tomato pasta. Let me know if you come up with any other tasty ingredients to mix in.