Sharing a super easy and delicious buddha bowl dressing recipe.

Hi friends! How’s the week going?? It’s been a good one over here. I have a few appointments today and looking forward to a low-key night at home. I’ve been finishing up a round of the EquiLife detox and have been enjoying all of the fresh and colorful foods I’ve been eating.

Today, I wanted to chat a little bit about Buddha bowls and one of my go-to recipes for salad dressings. I make this almost weekly and love having it on hand.

(Sakara is what made me fall in love with Buddha bowls for lunch! Their salads always include a mix of  gluten-free grains, tons of veggies, crunchy toppings, and amazing sauces)

Buddha bowl dressing recipe

Buddha bowls are one of the most versatile and delicious meals you can make. They typically feature a balanced mix of grains, protein, vegetables, and a flavorful sauce to tie everything together. What makes them unique is their vibrant combination of colors, textures, and nutrients. These macro bowls are packed with fiber, healthy fats, and protein, making them a great plant-based option for any meal.

The key to taking your Buddha bowl recipe to the next level is the dressing. A great Buddha bowl dressing enhances the natural flavors of the ingredients, bringing them together into a perfectly balanced bite. Here’s my favorite dressing that will complement pretty much any Buhha bowl combo!

How To Make Buddha Bowls Interesting

Buddha bowls are already packed with variety, but there are a few ways to make them even more exciting! One of the best ways to elevate your grain bowls is by using a delicious Buddha bowl dressing. The right sauce can transform simple ingredients like brown rice, sweet potatoes, and black beans into a next-level meal.

Other ways to make your Buddha bowl interesting include:

Adding a crunchy topping like toasted seeds or nuts.

Using a mix of cooked and raw veggies for varied textures.

Experimenting with different grain bases, such as quinoa, farro, or brown rice.

Including a flavorful protein source like marinated tofu cooked in the air fr

Sharing a quick and easy homemade recipe for dog treats that your pup will love! All you have to do is make the dough, cut out in a shape of your choice, and bake.

Hi friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We’re back in the school grind this week and I started beta testing for nutrition coaching. I’ll be releasing more details about this next week, so stay tuned!

For today, let’s talk about dog treats. I know – kinda random for a fitness blog – but my top posts ever are about guinea pigs, baby food, and potty training, so here we are haha.

Also, Maisey loves these so much and insisted that I share the word for those of you with furry friends out there.

Homemade dog treats (quick and healthy!)

I made these dog treats on a whim, using some ingredients we always have on hand. Maisey loves bits of healthy human food, and let’s just say, she’s INTO IT. She loves plain chicken, egg, bell peppers, natural peanut butter, and watermelon. She’s also a huge fan of the bully sticks from Thrive Market. She was also a huge fan of these homemade dog treats! They’re way better than boxed dog biscuits. Let me know if your pets give them a try and as always, check with your veterinarian before changing their diet.

Ingredients for homemade dog treat recipe:

Here are the ingredients to have on hand for these peanut butter dog treats:

Natural peanut butter (make sure the only ingredients are peanuts and salt; no weird oils or sweeteners), which gives them a little protein and nutty flavor

Pumpkin puree (or even sweet potato puree) – this is a great source of fiber

Garbanzo bean flour (you could also use whole wheat flour)

Eggs

Instant oatmeal (I would use instant instead of rolled oats)

and all-purpose flour for rolling the dough

and that’s it!!

You can also cut them out with a bone shaped cookie cutter 🙂

Healthy Holiday Potluck Ideas

‘Tis the season:

to deck the halls,

spend time with those you love,

don your ugliest Christmas sweater,

(my own Dick van Dyke!)

shop it up

and enjoy festive feasts 🙂

I’m not sure about you, but our schedule is jam-packed until after New Year’s with holiday events! Many of them: bring a side dish or dessert.

Anyone else experiencing a pot-lucking overload?

What to bring?!

I always debate what I should bring to a holiday party. I’d like to make something semi-healthy, since I know I’ll be indulging in the treats and libations at the party, something festive/seasonal, and something that guests will enjoy and remember.

So, as I pick my brain, I thought I’d share a list of my favorite crowd-pleasing healthy potluck recipes and those I have yet to try, but have been scoping out.

Most of these healthy holiday recipes tend to be on the savory side since parties this time of year are heavy on the sweets.

Healthy Vegan Artichoke Dip

I often think about this dip during conversations about the best comfort foods. It’s gluten free and dairy free, and one of our favorite vegan recipes to bring to parties.

Bring it in the slow cooker with tortilla chips or a crudités platter.

My Favorite Fall Salad

My favorite fall salad comes together in just minutes, and it’s loaded with flavorful and nutritious ingredients.

All you to make this crowd pleaser is greens, goat cheese, dried cranberries, candied pecans, and balsamic dressing. If you actually do need to feed a crowd, make a bunch, because it always disappears fast!

Red And Green Quinoa Lentil Salad

Cheezy Quinoa Bake

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Greek Layered Dip

Buffalo chicken dip and Tuscan white bean dip (both dairy-free)

Read more

Sharing some ideas for healthy Christmas side dishes if you’re planning for the festivities!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We had our Fighter Group Christmas party, I taught a barre class, and saw Wicked for the third time. I will probably see it at least once more in theaters – I think the Pilot needs to see it! The girls and I also started the holiday baking party and made peppermint bark and peanut butter blossoms.

I’m starting to plan our our holiday menus and was trying to brainstorm side dish ideas. Of course, my favorite part of the holidays is being with family, but the delicious food comes in 2nd 😉 The main dishes always take center stage, along with the desserts, but the side dishes are an easy way to add some color and nourishment. I like side dishes that are simple to prepare or can be made in advance, and these options check all the boxes!

Here’s our holiday menu for this year:

Brunch:

Nana’s egg casserole

Cinnamon rolls

Breakfast potatoes

Fruit salad

Coffee, mimosas, desserts

Dinner:

Giant cheese board

Caviar tray

Beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce

Mashed sweet potatoes

Green salad

Roasted balsamic veggies

Smoked turkey

Mulled wine and champagne

Dessert tray – Christmas cookies, yule log

*Worth noting here that we get our meat from ButcherBox (<— this link gets you free ground beef for life!) and I order the yule log from a local gf bakery

Sharing a review of Caraway’s nontoxic bakeware and why I love it so much! You can check out their early Black Friday sale using this link. 

Hi friends! I hope that you’re having an amazing day! I’m here in between client calls and going to take Maisey for a walk before I pick up the cream. I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week! Bring on the holidays, family time, and all of the delicious food 😉

I LOVE cooking, but I have to say that having the right cookware makes it even more enjoyable. We swapped out our pots and pans for nontoxic options years ago, but didn’t replace our bakeware until recently. I’ve been using parchment to avoid aluminum leaching into the food, but our old and sad aluminum pans needed.to.go. I’ve been doing a ton of research, and decided on Caraway – I’ve been blown away by the quality and the materials.

The best nontoxic bakeware

Why Choosing Nontoxic Bakeware Matters

Swapping traditional bakeware for nontoxic options can be a solid move for health and the environment.

Conventional pots, pans, and bakeware are coated with toxic ingredients, like PTFE, PFOA, and PFAS. I’ll share more about why this is important below. PFAS are also known as “forever chemicals” — once they enter the body, they cannot naturally be broken down.

Caraways solves this problem with a safe, eco-friendly coating. It’s naturally nonstick, and you don’t have to worry about the nasty stuff leaching into your food or inhaling the chemicals as you’re cooking. 

If you love to bake but are worried about conventional bakeware, it’s a great time to switch!

What Makes Bakeware Toxic? (And Why It’s Time to Switch)

Here’s a breakdown of some of the ingredients you’ll find in conventional pots, pans, and bakeware:

PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene)

What it is: PTFE is a synthetic fluoropolymer commonly known as Teflon, used for its nonstick properties in cookware and bakeware. Teflon is everywhere, and I’m so glad I got rid of our Teflon pans years ago.

Harms: