- Author: Melissa -

Hi there! I'm Melissa & I am a firm believer in taking cookies out of the oven 2 minutes under the recommended cooking time. I also love to travel, cook, shop, craft, and live an all around positive lifestyle. Come say hi!
Recipe Box, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

Baked Cauliflower Wings – Super Bowl Goodies Series

January 29, 2017 by
"10-Recipes-to-Bring-to-your-Memorial-Day-Party"

Ever since becoming a vegetarian, I've taken to the task of finding delicious alternatives to classic favorites, but these baked cauliflower wings just may take the cake. Since these "wings" are made from baked cauliflower, they take on a similar texture as chicken wings, but at only a quarter of the calories + fat. When I ran a test trial of these recipes, one of my friends + a huge chicken wing lover, asked for the recipe. It would be the perfect addition to a weekday meal prep, a snack to keep on hand, or, in this case, a great dish to bring along to a party [like the Super Bowl ;) ]. One of the best parts of this recipe is just how versatile it is. I made 4 flavors: bbq, sweet chili,…

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Breakfast, Holiday Eats, Recipe Box, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

Mini Cinnamon Peanut Butter Protein Pancake Stacks – Super Bowl Goodies Series

January 28, 2017 by
Cinnamon Peanut Butter Protein Pancake

        You might be sitting here thinking to yourself, "whaaaat, pancakes for Super Bowl food?" But stay with me here! If you think about it, the Super Bowl is an all day event. Last year, we had friends over to our place, and people were showing up around 10:30 in the morning, Budlight + corn hole boards in hand. This year, we're heading over to my friend's mom's house to tons of food, a heated pool, and those same sets of corn hole boards. Since it's an all-day event, I get bored of snacking on the same foods throughout the day. These pancakes are the perfect solution because they're made with Kodiak Cakes (I buy mine HERE), which is a very healthy brand that makes PROTEIN pancakes! Healthy pancakes that actually…

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Recipe Box, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

10 Super Bowl Party Food Ideas : Round-Up Post

January 27, 2017 by
Super Bowl Party Food Ideas

              This year, I'm doing 7 Days of Super Bowl Goodies! That means a new post will be hitting this blog starting Saturday, January 28th - Saturday, February 4th. It's sort of like the 25 Days of Christmas on ABC Family Freeform, but a little better because FOOD. And better yet, Super Bowl party food! Which is the best kind of food there is. (Minus you of course,  the best banana bread muffins ever). As a precursor, since all of these recipes will be coming to you bright and early on the said day, I've compiled a list of some of my #BlastFromThePast recipes that would also be pretty great crowd pleasers for the Super Bowl! So, I want to know, do you care about who wins the…

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21 Day FIx, Dinner, Recipe Box

10 Vegetarian 21 Day Fix Dinner Recipes

December 9, 2016 by
Vegetarian 21 Day Fix Dinner Recipes

                With all the success my post for 50 Vegetarian 21 Day Fix Recipes had (seriously, it's my most viewed + popular post to date!) I figured the demand was higher than I thought when it came to veggie friendly 21 day fix approved recipes. Don't get me wrong, I totally get it. The struggle is kind of real for a vegetarian finding fun and easy Fix approved recipes that still follow your dietary lifestyle. After playing around of Pinterest for quite some time (literally months, you guys….) I came to the conclusion that I cannot be the ONLY vegetarian 21 Day Fixer out there (I had a total Are you there God? It’s me, Margret moment for a second). So, to make my life easier (and for…

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My Life, My Playlists

Music Monday, ser. 2 : 10 Songs I’ve Had on Repeat This Week

December 5, 2016 by
Music Monday || sharing my top 10 songs of the week

                    During work, I tend to switch from listening to audio books (check out what I’m listing to on Audible!) to music. Currently, I’ve been on a huge YouTube + Soundcloud kick so thought it was the perfect time to bring out a new series! Today, I’m bringing back Music Monday where I’m going to be sharing 10 songs I’ve had on repeat throughout the previous week.  I absolutely love music recommendations and finding new tunes to listen to throughout the day, so please share with me what you’ve been listing to below in the comments! I’m one of those people that listens to pretty much every genre and constantly switching music moods, so I welcome any and all recs. You may just be featured…

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Friends & Family, My Life, Travel Adventures

Goodbye 2016: 4th of July Weekend Flashback

November 28, 2016 by

Wow- we are a mere 4 weeks until 2017! 2016, as a whole, was an eventful year. I thought a fun way to commemorate the end of the year would be to feature some of my favorite memories of the past few months as flashback posts! Short + sweet, but nice to remember the year by. :)  So, to kick off my Flashback series, I present you a video I put together of our trip up North for 4th of July weekend! It was also to celebrate our friend, Gary's, graduation from law school. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6JzYX5WOYs&t=1s[/embed] Questions for you- What is one memory that stands out from 2016?

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Dinner, Drinks, Holiday Eats, Recipe Box, Sides, Sweet Tooth

10 Last Minute Thanksgiving Dish Recipes

November 21, 2016 by
10-last-minute-thanksgiving-dish-recipes

                  So, you're in a pinch for time and need to bring a dish to share or need some ideas on simple Thanksgiving dishes to prepare for the big day? You're not alone! I am queen of holiday procrastination, but I really loath showing up anywhere without a dish in hand, so while all of these recipes are quick, they are also huge crowd favorites! Are you getting into anything special for Thanksgiving this year? My mom + sister are coming down to visit and we're heading over to a good friend's house for the day. Thanksgiving to me is all about friends, family, football, and wayyyy too many mashed potatoes consumed. ;) What reminds you most of t-day? I hope whatever you find yourself getting…

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21 Day FIx, Dinner, Lunch, Recipe Box, Tailgating Must-Haves

Spicy Pumpkin Crockpot Chili

October 31, 2016 by
Spicy Pumplin Crockpot Chili || the perfect fall meal that you can throw together & forget!

  Even though it's still a whopping 90 degrees in good ol' Florida right now, my body + mind are craving fall staples. Chili, cozy sweaters, falling leaves, crisp air, apple cider... just to name a few. Since the weather is out of my control, I decided to give into my fall cravings and whip up some chili in the crockpot! This spicy pumpkin crockpot chili was the perfect solution to my cravings. I've never actually had pumpkin in chili before, but the sweet, earthy flavors combined perfectly with the spicy kick of jalapeno and heartiness of the veggies. I made my chili vegan, but you can easily swap out my meatless crumbles for some ground turkey, beef, or chicken! I typically sub out meat in my soups for portobello mushrooms; something I would…

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