Grain-Free Sweet Potato Waffle Breakfast BLT With Garlic Basil Aioli {Gluten-Free & Paleo}

It’s been three weeks since my oven broke. It’s still broken. There’s this whole commotion about a broken computer piece and if they make the replacements for my particular oven model anymore. It’s resulted in a very confused elderly land lady, and a slightly frustrated food blogging tenant (that’s me).

It’s not like I can’t cook ANYTHING. I have a working stove top, a couple of crock pots, a pressure cooker, a deep fryer, and a dehydrator. But, since I know my oven is broken it only makes me want to use it more. Go figure, right?  I’ve found myself lamenting over whole roasted chicken with crispy chicken skin, crispy Brussels sprouts, cookies and scones. I feel slightly incapacitated. How can the girl who makes food for a living not have a functioning oven? I was trying to make analogies and all I could come up with was it feels like I am a concert pianist with lobster claws instead of hands.  This metaphor might lean towards the dramatic.  […]

Arugula & Citrus Salad With Quinoa, Pistachios & Feta

Do you ever surprise yourself?
For instance, today I woke up and decided to take a shower and blow dry my bangs, and all before 10 am. You might think, “Wow, Gina…what exactly are you doing with your life?” I get it. Most people blow dry their bangs and put on slacks and go to an office with their coffee and their awesomely clean hair. My office is my kitchen. I wake up and bake cookies and write words. It’s casual Friday all week. Baking cookies is easiest to do when you’re wearing sweatpants and sporting a suspiciously high pony tail. Don’t be jealous. It’s a slippery slope. […]

Kale Salad With Apricots & Pecorino

I’m back. I missed you (like WOAH). And yes, Monday is about to get real delicious.

Kale. We like it around here. I’ve been known to put it in a thing or two  twenty. We have juiced it. We have topped our Shepherds Pie with it. We most definitely sauteed it up in a quiche. Oh, and let’s not forget the time we put it in some dip! We’ve also been down the kale salad path a time or two before. Should we talk about this Kale Caesar? How about this salad with Creamy Almond Dressing?

Clearly, I can’t help myself. I see those leafy greens and my mind starts turning. I crave this stuff.

I suppose I could make much worse decisions…

Do you sense a weekend montage coming up? Of course you do. It’s like we’ve met before.

I spent my Saturday drinking margaritas with new friends followed by a bottle of red wine with dessert (Ooomph–who do I think I am?). It was one of those decisions you could see unfolding poorly, yet are just too wrapped up in merriment and the happy buzzing of new friendship, that you find your mouth moving and forming the words “SURE, I would LOVE another glass of red!” Good times. The next morning was rough. I found myself at Whole Foods cruising the aisles looking for something, anything, with the words “probiotics” and “ginger” in them. I also found myself cruising the aisles of Trader Joes only to find a box of gluten-free Oreos. Let’s just say, decisions were made. I paid a price. The end. Lessons were learned and unlearned over a sleeve of cookies. No one is perfect. […]

Greek Tacos With Lamb & Tzatziki Sauce

Things that I have learned this week:
1) Blow drying your hair while it’s 90 degrees outside is not ideal. You will sweat. A lot. Put on your mascara AFTER you are done if you do not want to look like one of those sad ceramic clown masks from the 80’s. Or heck, let your locks air-dry. You can call your semi-curly mullet “beachy”. It’s totally the season for that. Ugh. It’s a hot mess. Literally.
2) Going to the gym at two in the afternoon is the best. No one is there. Except that one guy, with his button down shirt tucked into his jean shorts. He is looking at your butt. You can see him doing it. There are mirrors everywhere. Okay. Maybe it’s time to change machines. Definitely.
3) I would like to hang out with a Capybara. I imagine us dressing up in matching outfits, walking the streets and dancing to this song. My brain lives in these places. It can get kinda weird in there. […]