Sharing a quick and delicious recipe for a healthy salad dressing: honey balsamic!

Hi friends! Happy Monday! I hope you’re enjoying the day so far and that you had a great weekend! We had an amazing dinner at our friends’ house and spent the rest of the weekend doing chores and relaxing. I took a three-hour nap on Saturday which was everyyyytthing. After a couple of weeks of travel and the Pilot’s work weekend, it was our first *normal* weekend at home in a month, so it was very appreciated.

Today, I wanted to share my go-to salad dressing with ya. I can’t believe that I’ve been blogging this long and haven’t dedicated an entire post to this dressing. This is my go-to. I use it for dinner parties, make it in advance to enjoy throughout the week, and it’s always so easy and delicious. I don’t typically love the dressings that come with salad kits, so this is what I’ll often use to replace it. I like the taste and ingredients so much more!

If you don’t already make your own salad dressing, definitely give this one a try. You’ll see how simple and delightful it can be 🙂 Let me know if you decide to add it to your rotation!

Honey Balsamic Dressing Recipe

Crafting your dressing ensures transparency about the ingredients, helping you make informed choices about what you consume. The Honey Balsamic Dressing is a prime example of a flavorful yet health-conscious option. With just a handful of pantry staples, you can whip up a dressing that’s sweet, tangy, and incredibly versatile.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 minced garlic clove

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step 1: The Foundation

Begin by combining the balsamic vinegar with extra virgin olive oil in a bowl. This dynamic duo forms the foundation of your dressing, delivering a perfect balance of acidity and richness.

Step 2: Add the sweetness

Introduce 2 tablespoons of honey into the mix, providing a natural sweetness that harmonizes with the balsamic’s acidity. Adjust the quantity based on your desired level of sweetness.

Sharing the details about the Sakara January reset and what to expect. 

Hi friends! How’s the week going for you? I’m definitely feeling the pressure of the last-minute scramble. I got a lot finished early this year, but still find myself with the tiny things left on the to-do list. I’m really trying to get through everything over the next couple of days so I can lower the stress level a bit for Christmas.

If you’re feeling like me, and already looking forward to January, I thought I’d share the details of the Sakara reset if you’d like to join in.

There are a LOT of resets/detoxes/cleanses floating around this time year, and this is one of my very favorites. I’ve had a taste of their reset programs multiple times, and am really looking forward to nourishing Sakara eats, especially after the holidays and a Disneyland trip!

I’ll be sharing more in an upcoming post with my wellness/healing plan, but here’s a bit of what I’m doing as we head into the new year:

– Sakara reset, followed by a 14-day Dr. Cabral detox to open up liver pathways, straight into the CBO protocol

– I’ll do a full post on the CBO protocol, but in a nutshell, when I started to do some digging and functional testing with my eye issues and allergies, I learned that as expected, my gut health is completely out of whack. I have major candida, yeast, and bacterial overgrowth, which could be contributing to my inflammation and allergies.

With these results, for a client, I would recommend a detox to open up liver pathways (along with pre-protocol support), into the CBO protocol. This protocol is designed to kill the *bad* bacteria in the gut, rebuild the beneficial bacteria, and heal/seal the gut wall. It’s 12 weeks, and I knew there was NO way I was going to attempt it over the holidays and the avalanche of family birthdays. I figured I’d wait until January, when I could really commit to the eating plan and healing. I’ll definitely share more about the entire process.

As far as Sakara goes, this is a treat I order for myself each month. It’s packed with nourishing, organic eats that I didn’t have to cook, and the meals are always beautiful, filling, and vibrant. Of course, they’re doing a little something special for the new year!

Sakara January Reset details

Here’s how the Sakara January reset works:

– You can choose between one of two plans: Read more

Sharing my version of the amazing Whole Foods red lentil dal soup, which is one of my very favorites. It’s gluten-free, dairy free, and a plant-based source of protein and nutrients.

Hi friends! How’s the week going so far? I’m in full elf mode over here; baking cookies, wrapping gifts, and even though I feel like I was prepared, there are a lot of last-minute errands to run. To k(partially) preserve my sanity, I’m spending some time in the sauna blanket tonight and have a yoga class booked for tomorrow.

For now, how about a cozy bowl of soup?

I have a mental list of quick grab-and-go meals that I can swoop in a pinch, are healthy, and that I really enjoy. Thankfully, Tucson has a lot of amazing healthy restaurants (and we just got a True Food!!), which makes it pretty easy. If I find myself in a bind and hangry in between picking up kids and running errands, it’s nice to know I have some faves I can easily pick up.

Whole Foods Red Lentil Dal Soup (copycat recipe)

This is one of my favorite easy healthy pickup meal options. I’ve had this lentil soup so many times this fall season already, I knew I needed to try to recreate it at home. The result is a super hearty, flavorful soup, with lots of nutrients, and is great with a large salad for lunch. It also freezes beautifully.

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Ingredients:

One yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

Sharing this recipe for pumpkin banana muffins. They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, and totally delicious. 

I’ve fully embraced my basic-ness of the fall and holiday season. Give me all of the pumpkin spice, flannels, Halloween decor, holiday movies, and fun events and gatherings. I LOVE summer, but there’s something so fun and lovely about fall. I love taking the kids to all of the fall events and activities, and baking treats, making soups, and casseroles featuring seasonal squashes and gourds. 😉

Pumpkin season is heeeeeeere, and it’s time to celebrate the versatility and health benefits of this fall favorite. I know the blog world is inundated with pumpkin recipes (as it should be!) and here’s one more to add to your collection. Today, I’m sharing a delightful recipe that combines the goodness of pumpkins with the natural sweetness and texture of bananas –  pumpkin banana muffins.

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Here are the ingredients you need to make this family-favorite treat!

Ingredients:

1 cup almond meal

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.

Step 2:

In a bowl, combine almond meal and chia seeds. Add the baking powder and baking soda, stir well.

Step 3:

In another bowl, mix the mashed bananas, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, almond milk, and melted coconut oil. Ensure they are well combined.

Step 4:

Gradually fold the wet ingredients into the dry mix. The chia seeds add a delightful texture and a boost of omega-3s. Add in the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Step 5:

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. This ensures the perfect rise without overflow.

Step 7:

Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, with perhaps a little chocolatey residue.

Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy them warm with a little butter or let them cool completely – the choice is yours.

Pro Tip: These muffins freeze beautifully Pop them into a freezer bag, and you’ll have a stash of deliciousness for those busy morn

Sharing a delicious fall recipe for copycat Panera soup! This is dairy-free and SO delicious with a drizzle of olive oil and some roasted chickpeas on top. 

Hi friends! How’s the morning going so far? I hope you’re enjoying the day! I have a packed day with coaching appointments (YAY!) and excited to take a yoga class this morning. I hope you have a lovely day ahead.

Something that made me chuckle a bit recently: the Pilot said, “Ohhhh, soup season is here”

I was like… soup season is ALWAYS here.

I get what he’s saying. Some people like to enjoy warm and cozy bowls of soup during certain times of the year, like when it’s chillier outside. I’ve never fully understood because you can find me with a piping bowl of soup on a scorching summer day. Soup fan for life, no matter the weather or season.

I feel like soup is the PERFECT meal. It’s an easy way to get in a ton of nutrients, protein, it’s super satisfying, and there’s nothing like some fresh sourdough or cornbread dipped into soup or chili. I have quite a few recipes on the blog but was excited to make a version of Panera’s Autumn Soup. It’s dairy-free, the ingredients are so inexpensive, and it packs a ton of nutrients and fall flavor.

Let me know if you give it a try!

Panera Copycat Autumn Soup (dairy-free)

Ingredients:

Whole butternut squash

3-4 medium peeled, cooked sweet potatoes

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 onion

4 carrots

1 carton of veggie broth

can of coconut milk

nutmeg

cinnamon

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Step 1

Cook the butternut squash. Cut it in half, remove the seeds, and place in the Instant Pot with 2 inches of water, and cook for 12 minutes on manual. Remove the squash, drain the Instant Pot, and set aside to cool slightly.

Step 2

Next, add the broth, onion, carrots, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot. Cook for 12 minutes on manual.

Step 3

Do a quick release, and then stir in the butternut squash (if you use a spoon to scoop it out from the skin, it should come out easily), sweet potatoes, and coconut milk. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.

Step 4

Adjust seasonings as needed. Ours needed a bit more salt and cinnamon.

Step 5

Top with a