Eat. Drink. Love.

Copycat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

February 25, 2013 by Stephanie

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Who watched the Oscars last night? I have to admit that they usually bore me. I didn’t really tune in until it was towards the end. Here are some of my thoughts:

- Anne Hathaway, I adore you, but please grow you hair back out. Your mouth is entirely too big for short hair. Also, that dress was no good.
- Kristen Stewart, how many drugs were you on last night?
- Jennifer Lawrence, you tripped walking up the stairs and it made me love you even more.
- Daniel Day Lewis, you are the man. The lipstick stain on your cheek from your wife while you were giving your speech was adorbs.

Who were your favorites last night?

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ok, ok, enough Oscar talk. Let’s get to the food. Copycat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Let’s do this.

These lettuce wraps are probably one of the most popular dishes at P.F. Chang’s and it is certainly my favorite. I’ve been wanting to re-create them at home for some time and finally got around to it. I love the flavor of the chicken mixture and eating it with lettuce instead of rice is much healthier! The water chestnuts add a nice crunch. These wraps are just refreshing to me.

I had this dish ready to go in about 20 minutes. P.F. Chang’s serves these as an appetizer, but they are definitely filling enough for lunch or even dinner!

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Copycat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 lb. ground chicken breast
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs. minced garlic
1 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tbs. rice wine vinegar
3 tsp. sriracha (can adjust if you don't like spicy)
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions sliced
2 tsp. sesame oil
salt to taste
Iceberg, Bibb or butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and drained
cilantro (for garnish, optional)
soy sauce, hoisin, spicy mustard sauce (for dipping, if desired)

Instructions

Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.
Pour in the onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and the sriracha. Toss the mixture to coat all of the chicken. Continue cooking until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (about 1-2 minutes).
Stir in the water chestnuts and the green onions. Pour in the sesame oil, and add salt to taste.
Transfer the chicken to a bowl or a large plate. Scoop the chicken mixture onto the lettuce leaves. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve!

Notes

Slightly adapted from this recipe

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/copycat-p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps/

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Filed Under: Appetizers, Chicken, Entrees, Low-Carb, Low-Fat · Tagged With: chicken, chinese, lettuce wraps, low carb, low-fat, p.f. changs 25 Comments

Cobb Salad Pizza

February 22, 2013 by Stephanie

Cobb Salad Pizza

Last spring, I made Greek Salad Grilled Pizza and I am not kidding when I tell you it is still one of my most favorite pizzas ever. I love the thinner crust and all that fresh Greek Salad on top. It’s so light and flavorful. It truly is the perfect pizza for spring and summer.

Cobb Salad Pizza

I’ve been wanting to try another salad pizza so I turned to one of my other favorite salads…the Cobb salad. I love a good Cobb salad loaded with great toppings! It’s all about the toppings! Thus, the Cobb Salad pizza was born!

Cobb Salad Pizza

You really can’t go wrong with this recipe. You basically just grill or bake your crust and then toss some salad on top with your favorite toppings! For the meat, I used some deli chicken we had in the fridge, but I think some grilled chicken, turkey, or even ham would be great as well. How you make the crust is also flexible. I like to use my grill pan to grill mine. First, it gives the crust a nice crisp, and secondly, it is done in a jiff! If you don’t want to grill it, you can always just bake it in the oven.

Cobb Salad Pizza

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 lb. fresh pizza dough
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups fresh hearts of romaine (or lettuce of your choice)
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
2 tbs. chopped red onion
1 cup meat of your choice (grilled chicken, turkey, ham, etc.)
1/4 cup cooked bacon, chopped into small pieces
1/2 of an avocado, diced
Low-Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (or the dressing of your choice)
extra cheddar cheese or blue cheese crumbles (optional)

Instructions

Preheat a grill or grill pan on medium heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough until it is about 1/4" thick. Brush half of the olive oil on one side of the dough and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the oiled side down on the heated grill/pan and grill for about 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. While the first side is face down on the grill. Brush the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper on the other side. Turn the dough over and grill for an additional 3-4 minutes until browned.*(see note)
Remove the dough off the grill/pan. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the cheddar cheese evenly over the top. It will melt as the dough is still warm.
In a bowl, add the lettuce, onion, meat, tomatoes, bacon, and the avocado. Toss to mix.
Distribute the salad evenly over the pizza. Drizzle as much of the ranch dressing (or dressing of your choice) over the pizza as you'd like. If desired, sprinkle additional cheddar cheese or blue cheese on top.

Notes

You do not have to grill the pizza dough if you do not want to. Feel free to bake it in the oven as you would other pizzas.

Traditional Cobb salads contain eggs. I chose to omit egg from this pizza as I felt it was just too much with the crust, but feel free to add some if you want!

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/cobb-salad-pizza/

Cobb Salad Pizza

Filed Under: Entrees, Low-Fat, Pizzas, Salads · Tagged With: Cobb Salad Pizza, healthy, low-fat, ranch dressing, salad, thin crust 15 Comments

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

February 20, 2013 by Stephanie

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

It is my boss’s birthday this week and I wanted to bring in something to celebrate. I mean, you kind of have to, right?!! I wasn’t exactly sure what time we would want to break into the cupcakes, so I didn’t want to make something that was too over-the-top in case we would be eating these earlier in the day (And it was good idea too because we ate them before having lunch). I opted for vanilla cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, not if you are not the best baker, like myself. These cupcakes were a labor of love for me. First, I tried to make the cupcakes from scratch and for whatever reason, they tasted like cornbread, so I threw them out and had to start again. Except, I didn’t have much time so I went for Plan B…my doctored up cake mix recipe which is still totally delicious, by the way.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Then came the frosting. Oh, the frosting. I wanted to do a strawberry meringue buttercream, but after adding my puree to the mixture, the frosting just did not come together. Luckily I had powdered sugar on hand so that I was able to to just make some simple buttercream.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Despite my difficulties with these cupcakes, I was pretty happy with how these turned out. The cake is light and is perfectly moist. The fresh strawberry buttercream is definitely my favorite part though. It’s just magical and bursts with fresh strawberry flavor.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Yield: 18-24 cupcakes (see note)

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1 box vanilla cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the strawberry buttercream frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4-5 cups confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup fresh strawberry puree (about 1 1/2 cups hulled strawberries)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
milk (to thin out if needed)

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and lightly spray with non-stick spray.
Add the cake mix to a large bowl. Stir in the flour. Make a well in the center and add in the eggs, oil, milk, sour cream, pudding, and the vanilla extract. Mix everything together until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly amongst each baking cup. I prefer for my cupcakes to be larger, so I fill mine to just over 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow for the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and confectioner's sugar.
Pour in the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract and mix until the frosting is well-combined. If the frosting seems to thick, add some milk, one tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Spread or pipe the frosting on cooled cupcakes. If you are going to pipe the frosting, I recommend putting the frosting in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes first as this will make the piping easier.

Notes

Because I like my cupcakes to be larger, I get about 18 out of this recipe instead of the usual 24 that a box of cake mix typically yields.

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/vanilla-cupcakes-with-strawberry-buttercream-frosting/

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Looking for a doctored chocolate cake mix recipe? Go here!

Filed Under: Cupcakes, Desserts, Kid-Friendly · Tagged With: box mix, cake mix, doctored, homemade, strawberry buttercream frosting, vanilla cupcakes 44 Comments

Low-Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

February 18, 2013 by Stephanie

Low-Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Oh, ranch dressing, how I love thee! Perfect for salad, dipping veggies, pizza crust. So good, you could bathe in it. Ok, wait…no, that’s gross. Maybe chocolate, but I’m not sure I love ranch dressing that much…

ANYWAY…As much as I love ranch dressing, I have found that I hate pretty much all bottled ranch dressings. I feel like I have tried every brand in existence and I just can’t find one that I like enough to finish or buy again. And don’t even get me started on low-fat ranch dressings. Most of them are just horrid and have a weird chemically taste to me. Blech!

Low-Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

If I would have known earlier that it was so easy to make my own ranch dressing AND that it would actually taste good, I would have saved myself a lot of money! And best of all, it’s also low in fat! This recipe makes a good amount of dressing too so you can keep a bottle stashed in your fridge to have your own low-fat buttermilk ranch dressing whenever you want!

Low-Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: About 1/4 cup

Calories per serving: 55

Fat per serving: 3 g

Ingredients

2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
2/3 cup fat-free, plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper (or to taste)
1 tbs. white balsamic vinegar
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (see note)

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the sour cream, yogurt, mayo, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, dill, pepper, and the salt.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar, followed by the buttermilk.

Notes

If the dressing seems to watery, you can add in more sour cream, Greek yogurt, or the mayo to thicken it a bit. If you like for the dressing to be thicker, start by pouring half of the buttermilk in and then add more in until the dressing reaches your desired thickness.

If you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding about 1 tsp. of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and let stand for about 5 minutes.

Adapted from Skinnytaste

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/low-fat-buttermilk-ranch-dressing-2/

Low-Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Filed Under: Dips/Sauces, Low-Fat, Salads · Tagged With: buttermilk, dip, dressing, low-fat, ranch dressing, salad 17 Comments

Nibblies

February 15, 2013 by Stephanie

1. Valentine’s Day (actually we prefer to call it ValentiMe’s Day). We don’t like to go all crazy about it, but we had fondue…all three courses…the cheese, meatses, and the chocolate. If you have been reading my blog, you may have noticed that we eat fondue for like every special holiday. You have to have a good excuse to stuff yourself with ridiculous amounts of bread and cheese. I’m so full right now, I might die.

2. Let’s talk about Downton Abbey for a sec. Actually, I really just want to talk about Lady Edith. On last week’s episode, we saw that Edith went to London to meet with her editor for the newspaper she is now working for. As soon as she gets there, her much older editor hits on her and you just know she got all warm and fuzzy over it. Seriously? This is now the third, much older, and totally inappropriate man she has gone for. First, there was the married farmer. Then the nice, but really old guy, and now, her boss who is still married to some lady who is in a mental institution. Somebody needs to help a sister out because homegirl just doesn’t get it. Patti Stanger needs to get in there and give her an intervention. Or maybe we can get her on Match.com. Oh, and this might be one of the best things I have ever seen.

3. Oh, and have you noticed on how the show, the married ladies get to eat breakfast in bed? I’d like to get this going in my house (Husband, are you listening?!).

4. You are probably going to notice a pattern in these Nibblies posts. Lots of TV talk. This is because I have no life.

5. Speaking of TV, let’s also talk about Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I am finally caught up. Taylor is a little pot stirrer this season. She is also a drunk. I think it’s time for her to go.

6. I’m having a major contact lens issue. I don’t know if it is because my body is trying to adjust to living in a drier climate or what, but I have been back and forth to my eye doctor about 10 times now and have tried about 20 different contacts and I can’t wear any of them. The best so far is a pair that I can wear until about 2pm and then I need to rip them out. The contacts I have been wearing for years are still the best, but they get very dry when I am on the computer for a long time. And well, between my job and blogging, I am on the computer all day long. My doctor says I just might not be able to wear contacts anymore and that I need to get Lasik. I have really wanted to get Lasik for a while, but there’s that whole money thing!

7. As I am getting closer to the big 3-0, I have noticed I am getting horrible dark circles. Part of it is lack of sleep, but what do I do?!! I need product recommendations.

8. I haven’t been loving my Birchboxes lately. I still haven’t gotten my box for February, but if they don’t get it right this time, I might be done. I’ve been thinking about joining Glossybox instead. I know it’s more expensive, but if the products are better, then it is worth it. Do you have it? Tell me your thoughts!

9. OH, and YOU MUST see this video! Seriously, I die.

Filed Under: Life, Nibblies · Tagged With: Downton Abbey, Edith, Nibblies, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 18 Comments

{Giveaway} Herbed Veggie Dip

February 13, 2013 by Stephanie

Herbed Veggie Dip

When I was a child, my grandpa used to have a huge garden in his backyard. He grew tons of fresh veggies. His garden was his pride and joy. My brother and I used to get in a lot of trouble if went back into the garden. And God forbid if you accidentally stepped on anything. There is something about being a kid that makes them want to do the exact opposite of what an adult tells them not to do! When you are young, you don’t really appreciate fresh vegetables or herbs, but now that I am an adult, I have been wishing for a garden like my grandparents had in their backyard. We have a decent sized patio in our new house and I have been wanting to start planting some fresh herbs, but well, I’ve just been really lazy.

I really hate buying herbs at the grocery store. I usually only need a small handful, but you end up having to buy a large bunch or package that has way more than you need. Then, of course, within a week, those herbs are dunzo! It always seems like such a waste and I cringe every time I have to throw a bunch of herbs in the garbage.

Herbed Veggie Dip

Enter Gourmet Garden. Gourmet Garden makes cooking with herbs so insanely simple. Fresh, organically grown herbs that are then packed into a tube that keeps them fresh for 3 whole months. 3 MONTHS, people! Not only does Gourmet Garden’s herbs last for 3 months, but they also eliminate all of that chopping! Just squeeze out as much as you need and you are set! No matter how busy you are, you can still include fresh and delicious herbs in your meals!

Herbed Veggie Dip

The folks over at Gourmet Garden were so kind to send me 11 tubes of their herbs and spices in a convenient little cooler! I couldn’t wait to break into them and my mind was reeling with ideas of how I could use them all up! This past weekend, I got a craving for veggies and dip. I had the veggies, but no dip! With some cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and some of Gourmet Garden’s herbs, I had this herbed veggie dip ready to go in about 5 minutes! I chose to use the Chunky Garlic, Dill, Italian Herbs, and some of the Cilantro. It may sound like a weird combo, but it was pretty tasty!

And great news! Gourmet Garden is also going to send one of you the same package that I received! After you get the recipe, scroll down and enter for your chance to win!!

Herbed Veggie Dip

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Yield: about 6 servings

Ingredients

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt (or use sour cream)
1 tbs. Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic Blend (or 2 cloves)
1 tbs. Gourmet Garden Dill Blend (or 1 tbs. fresh dill)
1/2 tbs. Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs Blend
1/2 tbs. Gourmet Garden Cilantro Blend (or 1/2 tbs. fresh cilantro)

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until everything is well-combined.

Notes

If you don't own a food processor, you can also use a blender, or you can also mix everything up by hand.

If you want to make this dip and don't have access to Gourmet Garden products, note the measurements written in parentheses next to each ingredient. For the Italian Herb Blend, it includes basil and oregano.

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/herbed-veggie-dip/

Herbed Veggie Dip

Now you can enter for your own chance to win a package filled with Gourmet Garden’s herbs and spices!

Please use the Rafflecopter below to place your entries for the giveaway. Entries left in the comment section will not be counted in the drawing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Gourmet Garden sent me a package of some of their products to try. As always, all opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dips/Sauces, Low-Carb, Low-Fat · Tagged With: appetizer, Gourmet Garden, herbed veggie dip, low-fat, snack, vegetables 43 Comments

Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats

February 11, 2013 by Stephanie

Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats

Yes, more red velvet. Red Velvet Pancakes were just not enough. Valentine’s Day gets me all in the red velvet mood, what can I say?

Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats

Valentine’s Day always makes me miss being a kid. I used to love going to the store to pick out cards to hand out in class. I usually went for ones that had a Disney princess or the girliest ones I could find. I remember giving the “coolest” cards to my closest friends. Valentine’s Day at school was always kind of a waste of a school day. Decorating bags or boxes to hold all of the cards, and then of course came all the treats and candy. And then of course, it was always fun to go through cards. It always sucked when someone else gave out the same cards as you did.

Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats

These red velvet rice krispie treats are perfect to bring to a school party, but also perfect to enjoy with a glass of champagne! I love the look of the pink candy melts drizzled on top, but you can also use white chocolate (but, you guys know how I feel about that…). Oh, and then sprinkles. Sprinkles are a must.

Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: about 18 treats

Ingredients

3 tbs. unsalted butter
1 (10 oz.) bag mini mashmallows
1 cup red velvet cake mix
6 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal
pink candy melts or white chocolate (for drizzling on top)
sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Pour in the marshmallows and stir constantly until the marshmallows are melted. Mix in the red velvet cake mix.
Pour in the cereal and mix until it is well-coated with the marshmallow mixture.
Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Using greased hands, spread and press down with your hands.
Melt some pink candy melts or white chocolate in the microwave and drizzle on top. Add sprinkles if desired.
Let the treats dry for about 2 hours before cutting.

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/red-velvet-rice-krispie-treats/

Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats

Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts, Holidays, Kid-Friendly · Tagged With: cocoa krispies, dessert, red velvet, rice krispie treats, valentine's day 17 Comments

Pomegranate-Pear Champagne Punch

February 8, 2013 by Stephanie

Pomegranate Pear Champagne Punch

The typical beverage of choice for most people during the Super Bowl is beer. But, not for me. While watching the game last week, I was sipping on some of this pomegranate-pear champagne punch. I guess I just like to be fancy. And also, it was Sunday, which is my day for cooking and photographing everything for the blog, but whatever. Oh, and like always, I don’t want to drinks to go to waste, so I end up drinking both of them in the middle of the afternoon. I have no tolerance anymore and so then I fell asleep. I am so lame.

Pomegranate Pear Champagne Punch

We don’t have any big plans for Valentine’s Day. I think since we have been together, we have only attempted to go out on Valentine’s Day like maybe once. We hate crowds so we are going to do what we always do for special days: Sit at home in PJ’s, eat a lot of fondue, and probably watch more Bones on Netflix. We are out of control!

I love pom juice, but I think my favorite part about this drink is the pear nectar and of course, the pretty pink color! This punch fruity and addicting! I think I will fancy things up this V-Day by mixing up more of this punch! Nothing says Valentine’s Day and romance like a glass of champagne, am I right?!

Pomegranate Pear Champagne Punch

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pomegranate juice
1 cup pear nectar
1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur (like triple sec)
1 bottle (750 ml) champagne

Instructions

In a pitcher add in the pomegranate juice, pear nectar, and the orange liqueur and stir together. Slowly pour in the champagne. Chill before serving or serve over ice.

Notes

Recipe from Martha Stewart

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/pomegranate-pear-champagne-punch/

Pomegranate Pear Champagne Punch

Filed Under: Cocktails, Drinks, Holidays · Tagged With: champagne, drink, holiday, pear, pomegranate, punch, valentine's day 24 Comments

Nibblies

February 7, 2013 by Stephanie

Yes, Nibblies, not Nibbles. Why, you ask? Well, because I like Nibblies better.

So I am totally going to copy other bloggers. Today I bring you…well…a bunch of crap that is in my head at the moment. I’m not sure if I will do this every week, but we’ll see how it goes.

1. Hubs and I started watching Bones on Netflix a few weeks ago. We just started season 4. We are really enjoying it, but something is really bugging me. Let’s talk about Ph.D’s. The people on this show have a lot of them and it doesn’t make any sense. Like Hodgins, he has 3. Bones has 3. If you have never watched this show, you might be thinking that Hodgins and Bones are at least 40 years old. But, no, they are in their early 30′s and they have three Ph.D.’s. The one that really bugs me though is the 22-year old psychologist. As someone who actually just received a Ph.D. in psychology, I am kind of offended. This kid is 22 years old. He has two Ph.D.’s. He is already practicing on his own, working with the FBI, AND he is writing a book. Listen people, unless this kid started college when he was 7 years old, THIS DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE!

So the lesson here is that if you watch Bones, you should not feel insufficient for not having 3 Ph.D.’s.

2. Since we moved into our new place in October, I have been searching for the perfect turquoise pillows for our new couch. This sounds like a relatively easy thing to find, but it is not, okay? I refuse to settle. People don’t seem to understand the difference between turquoise, teal, and aqua. I don’t want just plain turquoise pillows, I want fun graphic prints and they don’t have to be only turquoise, they can have other colors like green, yellow, maybe some orange. I’ve been stalking sites like Joss and Main everyday to see what pops up. Oh, and I’m not spending $100 per pillow. Yeah, that’s not happening. Am I crazy?

3. I’m in a lunch rut. I need good ideas for things to bring to work for lunch. Please give me ideas.

4. The Walking Dead starts back up this Sunday. My life will be complete again and when I go to bed on Sunday nights, I will be scared that a zombie is going to appear from the darkness and eat my leg off.

5. I finally tried the new Vanilla Spice Latte from Starbucks. I’m not impressed. It sounded so lovely and I had such high hopes. Have you tried it yet?

6. I finally moved into an office at work that I will be staying put in. I’ve been bouncing all over the place since we got into our new lab space. I am feeling a serious need to decorate. Problem is there is no window, so I need lots and lots of color. My favorite color is pink. I’m worried that my office is going to look like a 5 year-old decorated it and nobody will take me seriously. I think I am going to be doing some serious damage at The Container Store this weekend.

Filed Under: Life · Tagged With: life, Nibblies, rambling 9 Comments

Strawberry Banana Muffins (Dairy-Free)

February 5, 2013 by Stephanie

Strawberry Banana Muffins

It’s Tuesday and I made you some strawberry banana muffins. And guess what? They are dairy-free and vegan!

Today you can find me over on my friend, Joleen’s blog, Love, Joleen. Joleen and I use to go to high school together when I lived in California so we go way back! Joleen is not a food blogger, but she is an amazing photographer and crafter. I’m super jealous of her artistic abilities! Joleen is a new mommy and is moving across the country this week so she asked me to post for her while she is in transit.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Joleen had one request for me: Whatever I made had to be dairy-free. I don’t usually bake without dairy, but I was up for the challenge! I was very pleased with how these muffins turned out. I was worried they would be dry, but they were very moist from the coconut oil. Coconut is seriously amazing (in case you didn’t already know that!). I didn’t use very much sugar in these muffins so they are great for breakfast or a snack and are also great for kids!

So, please hop on over to Joleen’s blog for the recipe!

Strawberry Banana Muffins