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As a food blogger testing and retesting a recipe is very important before sharing, and sometimes there are leftovers, lots of leftovers. So after making the Vegan Dressing with Barley, I had some leftover bread and herbs, so I turned that bread into these tasty croutons.

The aroma of the herbs permeated the house drawing my daughter the taste-tester to the kitchen, before I knew it half the pan was gone. "These make a great snack", were her words.

What's so great about this recipe is, it's super easy and quick!

If you don't have any old bread around, go buy a loaf of french bread, wait a day or two and give this recipe a try. You might just give up boxed croutons forever.

Impress your family and friends, heck, impress yourself. Give it a try!

Happy cooking!

Shared with:

Toasted Harvest Sandwich

Celeste 5 Comments

What a wonderful Thanksgiving week, I'm truly thankful for a shortened work week that allows me a chance to spend time with friends and family. I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with activities and people that make you happy.

Something else I'm thankful for, bargains! Oh boy, there were plenty and I've just about completed my holiday gift giving list and becauce some of the people on my list maybe reading, I can't show you what I purchased.

After a full morning of shopping I was sooo ready for something good to eat. Craving some leftover Cranberry Pear Chutney, this stuff gets better with time, if you haven't made it yet you have to give it a try. Inspired also by a photo of a Harvest Grilled Cheese sandwich I saw in Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving guide, I searched the site for the recipe, but couldn't fine one, so I put together my own version.

I used ingredients I had on hand, romaine instead of arugula what do you know, I used the last of my arugula in my morning smoothie. Cranberry Pear Chutney replaced the cranberry sauce and I used both apples and pears.

I wanted to leave out all of the oil, so I didn't prepare as you would a traditional grilled cheese, instead I used a toaster oven to melt the cheese, once the cheese was all melted, I assembled the sandwich and dove into its goodness!

It may get a little sloppy, but in my opinion, the sloppier, the better.

Crispy, tart, sweet and creamy~ they all come together in this sandwich beautifully.

If you make this, be sure to tag it #thewholeserving on Instagram or Twitter, I'd love to see!

Shared with Tuesday Link Party: Pint Sized Baker-Two Cup Tuesday #100 - Cornerstone Confessions -Titus 2 Tuesday Link Party #132

Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party#35 New Mrs. Adventures-tasty Tuesday Link Party Little Miss Celebration-Best of the Weekend Link Party

Gingerly Made-Show Me Saturday Link Party Simply Gloria-Show Stopper Saturday Link Party #69 Our Three Peas

Petite Allergy Treats- Saturday Night Fever #64

Vegan Dressing with Barley

Celeste 6 Comments

Three days left till Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving for us is always at my brother's house. he and my sister-in-law prepare the main and a few sides, everyone else shows up with a side or two.

If you're like me and you're still trying to decide what to make to please the crowd, especially if you have vegetarians or vegans in the crowd, you may want to put this recipe on your list. You'll please the vegetarians, vegans and maybe a few turkey eaters as well.

In our crowd, I'm the vegetarian who doesn't eat meat. I have to pass on eating dressing, because it's usually prepared with chicken stock and sometimes it has chicken parts added.

This year I'm bring this vegan dressing or is it stuffing? Oh I don't know. I'm from the south, so I'll call it dressing. Stuffing is what I'll be doing, stuffing this wonderful hearty goodness into my mouth.

What's makes it hearty?

A mix of multigrain and ciabatta baguette and hearty barley.

I think barley is the forgotten grain, most people tend to think of soup when it's mentioned. But you can use if for so much more than a pot of soup. The addition of barley adds fiber and protein and makes this dressing much more filling.

Moist on the inside, crisp on the outside, hearty, wholesome and so satisfying!

Serve it with my Cranberry Pear Chutney and you may not have any leftovers for Black Friday or maybe Black Thursday Night.

Yummy and perfect for any gathering.

Shared with the following:

Lou Lou Girls-Fabulous Link Party#34 Cornerstone Confessions-Titus Tuesday Link Party#131 The Dedicated House-Make It Pretty Monday

Klienworth & Co.-Create Link Inspire Link Party Food Faith and Fitness-Show Stopper Saturday Link Party

Cranberry Pear Chutney

Celeste 12 Comments

Chutney!
What is chutney anyway?
Merriam Webster's definition-
chut-ney
noun
:a thick sauce if Indian origin that contains fruits, vinegar, sugar, and spices and is used as a condiment.

My definition of this recipe-
Cranberry Pear Chutney
noun
:simple to make condiment that's out of this world delicious and nutritious.

Cranberries - a good source of vitamin C, fiber, vitamin E, K, manganese and some naturally occurring phytonutrients .
There's research that shows cranberries can be beneficial in fighting liver, breast, ovarian and colon cancers.

Source

Pears - a good source of fiber, vitamin B2, C, E, copper and potassium.
Pears are helpful in preventing high blood pressure, cancer, high cholesterol and pear juice can help relieve fever.

Source

This super delicious condiment can be served with just about anything
toast
pancakes
ice cream
sandwiches
salads
hot breakfast cereal

alongside appetizers

This stuff is OMG good with cheese and sliced ciabatta bread!

Give this a try and let me know how you serve yours.

And go ahead, replace your plain ordinary cranberry sauce this holiday season with this super delicious Cranberry Pear Chutney.

It also makes a great hostess gift.

Happy Holiday Cooking!

Shared with House on theWay, Inside Bru Crew Life-Time To Sparkle Link Party, What'd You Do This Weekend Link Party#98, Pint Sized Baker, Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Link Party #33, New Mrs. Adventures-Tasty Tuesdays, The NY Melrose Family-Whimsy Wednesday, Ducks 'N A Row-Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop #100, Our Three Peas-Wine'd Down Wednesdays, The Best Blog Recipe-Weekend Re-Treat Link Party, Domestic Superhero-Pinworthy Link Party, Dear Creatives Inspiration Spotlight Friday, Show Stopper Saturday Link Party, Petite Allergy Treats-Saturday Night Fever Link Party Kleinworth & Co.-Create Link Inspire Link Party

Rosemary and Thyme Creamy Carrots

I'm so looking forward to the holidays!

I'm a Georgia girl living in Texas, and because of my work schedule I rarely get to be with my Georgia family on Thanksgiving, but lucky for me I have a brother who lives in the area, and his house is where everyone gathers.

We all bring a side dish, I haven't yet confirmed my side, but this carrot side might just be the one.

Such a simple and easy recipe, but the flavor is far from simple. The rosemary and thyme add complexity to the smooth and creamy texture.

The aroma, oh my the aroma that fill the house, takes me back to my childhood days in Georgia. My mother used herbs during the holidays more than any other time of the year, so now when I smell rosemary, thyme and sage it takes me back to childhood holidays.

When guest see this dish they may think sweet potatoes, so give them fair warning before their first bite.

If you're making this dish for a large group, it can easily be doubled, as well as made ahead a day or two.

Happy Holiday Cooking!

Shared with Our Three Peas-Wined Down Wednesday, Lou Lou Girls-Fabulous Link Party, New Mrs. Adventures-Tasty Tuesdays, Pint Sized Baker, Inside Bru Crew Life, Yesterfood-Treasure Box Tuesday, The Best Blog Recipes-Weekend Re-Treat Link Party#93, Joyful Healthy Eats-Show Stopper Saturday Link Party, Be Different Act Normal-Show & Tell Saturday Link Party

Vegan Banana Pumpkin Pancakes

Celeste 7 Comments

I woke up with a craving for pumpkin pancakes Sunday, pulled out all the ingredients, only to realize I didn't have any almond milk. How could that happen, I always have almond milk. It was decision time, do I go to the store to get more milk or change the breakfast menu, then it hit me, I'll make banana milk.

What's banana milk? Well, you mix one banana with one cup of filtered water and blend until smooth, add more water if you want a thin milk. Simple and easy, it fixed my problem and made some super tasty pancakes.

The banana milk gives these pancakes a subtle banana flavor and it's OMG good with pumpkin. Give them a try, and let me know what you think.

These are perfect for a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning and for the upcoming holiday get-togethers.

I did it again, another GIF. What can I say, I like pouring syrup.

Shared with New Mrs Adventures-Tasty Tuesday, Lou Lou Girls-Fabulous Party, Pint Sized Baker, Inside Bru Crew Life, Little Miss Celebration- Best of The Weekend Party, Food Faith Fitness-Show Stopper Saturday Link Party, Belle of the Kitchen-Saturday Night Fever Link Party

Apple Cinnamon Sticky Buns

Celeste 39 Comments

Sweet juicy apple tossed in cinnamon, brown sugar, rolled up in soft tender bread. It’s like eating a cinnamon apple pie.

Many many years ago in the late 80's, when I lived in Atlanta, I entered an amateur recipe contest, US Open Cook-Off.

I submitted several recipes, but it was my Apple Cinnamon Sticky Buns that won me the entry into the bread division competition. On the day of the competition, my parents drove up from my home town of Augusta, for support.

When the judges approached my table, I tried to read their faces for a clues, but nothing, and then the waiting for the announcement of the winners. We waited and waited and waited, finally I decided to go grab a bit to eat with my parents, there was no way I would win. I left something inside, went back to get it and, what do ya know, my name was being called for third place winner, WOW, so this is my award-winning Sticky Bun recipe.

Over the years I've only made this bread once or twice since then. When my daughter found out about this, she insisted I make it again, so here it is my Award Winning Apple Cinnamon Sticky Buns.

This will turn into yummy goodness. See that empty spot, someone couldn't wait for the invert.

A lot has changed over the years, one of them being my eating habits, so I made a few changes to the original recipe. I omitted the eggs, Earth Balance replaced butter, coconut sugar for white sugar and I added whole wheat pasty flour for softness. Still an amazingly delicious bread.

That's some sticky goodness! Get your napkins ready.

Sweet juicy apple tossed in cinnamon, brown sugar, rolled up in soft tender bread. It’s like eating a cinnamon apple pie.

Shared with Great Idea Thursday's Link Party, What's On The List, Joyful Healthy Eats-Show Stopper Saturday, Little Miss Celebration, House of Yumm-Saturday Night Fever, New Mrs Adventures-Tasty Tuesday, Lou Lou Girls-Fabulous Party, Pint Sized Baker, Inside Bru Crew Life

House on the Way

Mushroom Bul Go Gi Lettuce Wraps

Celeste 4 Comments

You've had a long day and all you want is something good to eat fast. This is a good food fast recipe to keep you out of the fast food lane.

A few years ago I found Ani Phyo, Health and Wellness Expert, on You Tube, after trying some of her recipes I purchased several of her cookbooks and subscribed to her channel. The information she shares is valuable to anyone who wants to go fully raw or just reduce processed foods and add more fresh living foods to their diet for optimum health.

There are many advantages of eating raw whole foods, but these are the top ones for me.

Higher nutrient values, because they haven't been cooked.
Gentler on the digestive system, the body can process raw foods faster, which makes it a great way to detox without starving yourself.
Can help reduce the risk of cancer. There is more oxygen in fresh fruits and vegetables, eating them puts your body in a higher oxygenated alkaline state, and cancer cells can't survive in that kind of environment.
Best of all, energy. When I am eating more fresh raw meals, I find I have much more energy to get through my days and it gives me natural energy for my runs.

This recipe is an adaptation form one of her recipes I found on her You Tube channel.

Instead of using soy sauce I used raw coconut aminos, it's soy free and has 65% less sodium. The brand is Coconut Secret, I found mine at Whole Foods, if you can't find it, you can use reduced sodium soy or tamari sauce. I didn't have a pear, so I just omitted it, but the recipe still worked out fine.

I used a mix of shiitake and baby bella mushrooms and since I had a sweet pepper I wanted to use, I added it to the mushrooms.

While the mushrooms are marinating, make the sauce.

After only 15 minutes the mushrooms were ready to serve, with that hearty meaty feel.

Assemble, spoon on sauce and enjoy!

This post was shared on Huckleberrylove.com, Mad Skills and New Mrs. Adventures, Titus 2 Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Our Three Peas-THE Pin-it Party

Strawberry Cherry Coconut Ice Bar

Celeste 8 Comments

Labor Day, the holiday that marks the end of summer and the start of Fall has come and gone and they're fall decorations in all the stores, but the heat is still on here in Texas.

If you're still dealing with the heat like I am, this is a beautiful, delicious frozen treat that's sure to help cool you down.

I've been craving a frozen treat that's not plain old almond or coconut ice cream, popsicles, or anything dairy. And then it happened, I cleaned out my fridge and freezer.

Whenever I have fresh foods that are approaching the use me or loose me phase, I freeze for later use. After the ~~fun~~ of cleaning my fridge and freezer, I had all I needed to put together a sweet, delicious frozen treat.

Almonds, dates, coconut milk, strawberries and cherries, put them together and freeze-- you get crunchy, smooth, creamy and tart delicious goodness.

You can use whatever fruit you have on hand, got blueberries, make it blueberry- blackberries, raspberries, pineapples, go for it!

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

This post was shared with Mad Skills and New Mrs. Adventures, Titus 2 Tuesday

Roasted Mini Sweet Pepper Dip or Sauce

Summer is over,

well not technically, but it's over for me.

At work we're back to dropping children off to school in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon. (My day job is a Center Director at an Early Learning Center).

Back-to-School is always a busy time of the year, it gets a bit hectic and I become a super multitasker and before I know it, it's late afternoon. Lately I've been satisfying my late afternoon hunger with this simple, quick and easy mini sweet pepper dip served up with fresh veggies, crackers or crusty whole wheat toast. It also makes a great spread for sandwiches.

This is a versatile recipe, add in some vegetable broth and you have got yourself a tasty soup that can be eaten as is, add in some steamed veggies, zucchini noodles or meat if you're a meat eater.

To keep it vegan I used nutritional yeast instead of cheese. I'm trying to reduce the amount of cheese I consume and nutritional yeast is becoming my best food friend. No, it's not cheese, but it adds a nutty, cheesy flavor.

Or toss on pasta for a quick dinner after a busy day. Get creative, add in what you like, cheese lovers can sprinkle on cheese.

This is so yum, yum!

This post was shared with Mad Skills and New Mrs. Adventures. Titus 2 Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Joyful Healthy Eats-Show Stopper Saturday Link Party, Cooking On the Front Burner- Best of the Weekend Link Party

Asian Sweet Potato Salad

Celeste 2 Comments

Simple and easy!

Yes, this is a simple, easy, not your everyday ordinary salad.

The out of ordinary in the salad is Asian sweet potato, yummy roasted Asian sweet potato. There are many varieties of sweet potatoes, with skin colors from white, yellow, red, purple and brown, and the flesh range from white, orange, reddish-orange and yellow. Sweet potatoes are classified as either soft or firm and this Asian sweet potato is firm, which makes it perfect for tossing in salads. I tossed with seasoning and light olive oil and roasted in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. I like crispy potatoes so I roasted just a bit longer.

I love all varieties of sweet potatoes, firm or soft, they are simply good for you. Here are a few facts about this nutrient dense vegetable.

Good source of protein
Good source of fiber and carbohydrate for energy
Low in fat
Has vitamin c, B6, thiamine, and pantothenic acid
Contains potassium, copper and manganese

It's a good thing when taste good is also good for you!

It could not be easier, I just tossed the potatoes on a bed of greens, sprinkled on a few sliced almonds and drizzled with balsamic glaze. I had to make myself a second salad, cause the first one just wasn't big enough. Smooth creamy potato, crisp salad greens and sweet and tart glaze, oh so good, you have got to give this one a try.

Watermelon Wedges with Vegan Balsamic Glaze

Celeste 4 Comments

I've been so loving watermelon lately!

I wanted more than just plain sliced melon, and I've had this recipe in my head for a few weeks, so I finally put it on a plate.

Quick and simple, take plain sliced watermelon slices,

Toasted coconut chips, I took mine off before every chip was brown, I didn't want it to burn.

Sweet balsamic glaze,

and end up with this beautiful, delicious dish.

The sweetness of the watermelon, mixed with the tart flavor of the glaze, satisfies that salty-sweet craving I get sometimes. I normally use purchased glaze, but this time I made my own. Most glaze recipes use brown or white sugar, but I used maple syrup to keep it vegan.

Add these watermelon wedges on top of a bed of greens and it makes a nice salad, serve after dinner for a healthy dessert or eat anytime you need a tasty snack.

This post was shared on Tasty Tuesday's at New Mrs Adventures.

Strawberry Coconut Butter

Coconut butter is a wonderful thing, (a bit pricey). but you can make this amazing, wonderfulness yourself and keep your money. It's got to be one of the easiest recipes around, there's only one ingredient, dried coconut. I used this recipe I found on chocolate-covered Katie the first time I made coconut butter. For this I added a second ingredient and took it from plain old coconut butter, to extra-ordinary strawberry coconut butter!

Plain coconut flakes

Plus fresh strawberries

Equals delicious strawberry coconut butter.

What's so great about making this is you can push start on the food processor and walk away and do the dishes, a load of laundry, oooor not. When it's all done store in the refrigerator, because of the added strawberries. Below is how it looks after firming.

Enjoy on crackers

Toast

in smoothies.

The ways to enjoy are limitless, at room temperature, softened or straight out of the fridge.

Have fun and enjoy!

Strawberry Kale Salad

Celeste 2 Comments

Strawberry Infused Lemonade

Celeste 5 Comments

It's starting to heat up a bit here in Texas and this strawberry infused lemonade is the answer, it's a healthier version of the sugar loaded lemonade.

I have always infused my water with citrus and sometimes mint, but lately I have become obsessed with infusing with berries and other herds like basil and rosemary.

It's amazing how something so simple, yields so much flavor overnight. I'm sure there is a time and place for longer infusion times, like infused liquors, I'll have one of those to share with you later.

This is the perfect recipe for your July 4th gathering, no one will miss the sugar.

This is such a beautiful drink, and if you like, add spirits to make it an adult drink.

Citrus Cactus Juice

🌵 This Citrus Cactus Juice is like sipping sunshine! Tangy citrus meets prickly pear coolness for a desert dance of flavors! Refreshment, one sip at a time! 🍹🍊

One of my co-workers who has family from Mexico, shared a cactus soup with me a few weeks ago, and I liked it. She shared with me the many ways the cactus plant could be used, so after doing a bit more reading about this amazing plant, I was convinced I needed to add it to my grocery list.

Matcha Chia Pudding

What a combination, Matcha and Chia Seeds! What is Matcha? It's a powerful green tea loaded with health benefits, because the whole tea leaf is ground into a powder and used. Although matcha has caffeine, there is a difference in how the body metabolizes matcha, it’s both a stimulant and a relaxant, perfect for keeping your mind focused during your day. There are loads of antioxidants found in matcha, and because with matcha the whole tea leaves are consumed, not just steeped as with other teas, you receive more of the health benefits.

The other power player here is chia seeds, these tiny seed are loaded with powerful benefits to our bodies. According to Dr Wayne Coates -AZChia.com, 15 to 20 grams (2 to 3 tablespoons) of Chia a day will provide you with all the omega-3 your body needs. For more about the benefits of chia, check out this post. Ch Ch Ch Chia.

I usually only use these two power players in my smoothies or maybe sprinkled over cereal or salads, but when I was invited to try some Matcha powder from KissMe Organics, I wanted to do more than just drink it. The idea of making a pudding came to mind, but I needed something to make a pudding consistency without using gelatin, chia seeds was the answer. When chia seeds absorb moisture, it thickens and becomes gelatinous.

I found that this culinary grade matcha from KissMe Organics, mixes more smoothly and it doesn't clump together as much as some of the others I have tried. For more on how to order click HERE.

I had never had chia pudding before so I was pleasantly surprised with the smooth creamy consistency. The whipped coconut cream on top took it to another level of decadent loveliness. It was hard for me to share.

Disclaimer: This post is a review for culinary grade Matcha from KissMe Organics. I was given the opportunity to try this product from KissMe Organics for the purpose of this review. I received no further compensation for this review and the opinions are my own. The content of my review is my true and honest experience with this product.

This blog post was shared on Titus 2 Tuesdays., and New Mrs. Adventures.

Spinach Cannellini Hummus

Celeste 7 Comments

I was craving some hummus, but I didn't have any prepared chickpeas, so I used cannellini beans instead.

Traditionally chickpeas are used to make this nutritional snack, but you can use almost any bean.

I didn't want plain and simple, so I added spinach to boost the nutritional value. Another addition was nutritional yeast, for a clean nutty flavor.

Pea Salad

It seems that every time there is a family or work gathering involving food everyone ask that I bring pea salad. It has become my go-to crowd pleaser, I have to admit, it's a rather tasty salad.

Andes Cupcakes

I'm not a big lover of mint, but I love Andes, they are so luxuriously smooth and creamy.