While preparing at home for a fun cooking night with my family, I felt something was missing from our dinner plans.  Ah, yes of course!   I needed a tasty baked dessert that would bring a deliciously sweet conclusion to our family night.  This sweet conclusion should probably pair well with a cup of coffee too :).  I decided that a freshly baked cake would be a perfect dessert to have at the end of our family night of cooking!

One of the great things about this cake recipe is that you will most likely have all of the ingredients already in your kitchen.  This is the main reason why I choose to bake this cake.  I wanted a recipe with simple ingredients, so I didn't have to get my big butt up to drive to the grocery store.  So I asked myself, "What kind of cake can I make with the foods I already have in my fridge and pantry?"

After searching through my favorite cook books and my go-to healthy food blogs, I finally came across this Lemon Olive Oil Cake recipe on Christina's food blog, theblissfulbalance.com.  If you haven't checked out her healthy food blog, please visit and explore her fun and healthy recipes! 

This recipe only needed 6 ingredients, lemons, olive oil, sugar, flour, eggs and salt. How easy is that! I have slightly changed her recipe to fit my preferences, I swapped honey to replace granulated sugar, chose organic whole wheat flour, and also added a simple sweet lemony glaze to drizzle on top. Yum!

While honey doesn't have a ton of nutritional value, it does offer some great antioxidant benefits! It's also sweeter to taste than granulated sugar, and typically makes baked goods more moist, chewy and flavorful.
The lemony glaze is a simple and clean recipe, and can be prepared while your cake is baking!  
   
I hope you enjoy this delicious, nutritious, and very moist  Honey Lemon Cake with a Lemony Glaze!


Honey Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large lemon
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 5 large eggs: 5 yolks, 5 whites, separated
• 3/4 cup of honey 
• Salt to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a cake pan. (I used coconut oil.)  
2. Zest the entire lemon and mix with flour in a small bowl. Cut the lemon in half and juice both halves into a liquid measuring cup, set aside.
3. Add the egg yolks to the electric mixer with 1/2 cup honey and mix on high until it thickens. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil and lemon juice, and mix until combined.
4. Add flour mixture and combine with a spoon.
5. Beat 5 egg whites with hand mixer with a dash of salt until a foam forms. Add 1/4 cup honey and beat for about three minutes until a super light, fluffy foam is formed.
6. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture and gently combine.
7. Pour the batter into your cake pan.
8. Depending on your oven, bake cake between 30-45 minutes, or until the cake is puffed up and golden brown. To ensure it's done, stick a knife or tooth pick in the center. If it comes out clean, it's finished!
9. While the cake is cooling, prepare your Lemony Glaze.  

​Lemony Glaze

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp milk of choice
• zest and juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. While the cake is baking, mix all glaze ingredients together in a small pot over low heat until it starts to simmer. Remove from heat and let sit to cool until the cake is finished cooking and cooling. Pour the glaze all over the cake. 
2. Let the glaze soak into the cake for about 10-20 minutes before sharing with your loved ones.  

                           Always craving good food,
                                        Jillian 

    The word "meatloaf" isn't the most appetizing meal to hear.  But, before you judge this meatloaf recipe, there is a new twist on the classic beef meatloaf we are all used to eating.  Instead of using ground beef you use ground chicken breast, and instead of using breadcrumbs you use whole grain rolled oats to bind all the ingredients together.  With a few healthy substitutions you will transform the usual boring beef meatloaf into a nutritious and gorgeous meatloaf!  But don't take my word for it.  Give it a try and see what your family and friends think.  A friend of mine who said she never liked eating meatloaf, said she wanted this recipe right after she ate a huge slice!  It's a healthy dinner winner if you ask me.

    This meatloaf pairs well with mac and cheese and some green veggies on the side.    I hope you enjoy eating this dish at home with family and friends. 

Personalize your healthy habits!

                Much love,
                          Jillian 

    This delicious creamy dressing uses a unique ingredient, tahini, to give veggies a delicious and nutritious taste!  

    Tahini is a sesame paste, made up from sesame seeds.  It is the main component of hummus, with a peanut butter-like consistency that can coat kale and other vegetables completely. Tahini's relatively high levels of calcium and protein make it a fantastic addition to your diet when eaten in its unroasted form. Compared to peanut butter, tahini has higher levels of fiber and calcium, as well as lower levels of sugar and saturated fats.  

    Let's chop up some kale, carrots, peppers and any other veggie you may have on hand, and put them all in a large mixing bowl.  Now that you know a little more about the nutritious ingredient that is in this creamy dressing, let's get started! 

Creamy Sweet Tahini Dressing

• 4 tbsp tahini
• 2  1/2  tbsp water
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2  tsp tamari (low sodium soy sauce)
• 1/2  tbsp honey (add more if needed)
• 3/4  tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1  1/2  tbsp mirin or rice vinegar
• S + P to taste
• 1 tsp Grated ginger (optional)​​​

1.  Whisk together all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl.  
2.  Add more honey if you prefer the dressing to be a little sweeter.  

Pour this dressing and mix together with a raw salad or even cooked veggies, like green beans, to give a tasty coating to your meal! 

                 Much love,

                             Jillian

    Are you still deciding what to make for your Father's Day cookout???

    Well have no fear, these are the perfect appetizer/side dish to make for the party!  I made these for my dad in the past, and they were a delicious winner.   The combination of the Honey-dijon sauce and the bacon pieces are amazing!  You will never taste better brussel sprouts anywhere else after you have tried this recipe.  

Make your papa proud and prepare this delicious bacon flavored twist on veggies!

Roasted Honey-Dijon Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. baby brussels sprouts
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 slices Hickory Smoked Bacon
• sea salt & ground pepper (to taste)
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Honey- Dijon Dressing

• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 tsp of honey (May add more to sweetness liking)
• 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 of a lemon juiced 

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Rinse and pat brussels sprouts dry. Cut all sprouts in half and place in a large bowl. 
2. Pour in the olive oil, add in sea salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix altogether to coat the brussels well. 
3. Spread the brussels out on a large baking pan (Flat side or cut side down on the pan). 
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until brussels are slightly browned. 
5. While the brussels sprouts are roasting in the oven, cook the bacon over medium heat. Make sure the pan is hot before adding the bacon. Cook until nice and crispy. 
6. Remove the bacon from the pan and let cool.   Then chop into bite size pieces. 
7. Next, whisk in a large bowl all of the ingredients together to make the Dijon-Honey Dressing.  You will use this same bowl to coat all the brussels when they are done roasting. 
8. Once the brussels sprouts are finished cooking, let them cool down for 5 minutes. Pour them in the large bowl with the dressing. Dump the chopped bacon in as well, and mix altogether to coat the brussels.  Enjoy this dish as an amazing appetizer, side dish or small plate! 

                   Much love,
                                 ​Jillian

Happy National Donut Day!!  Celebrate today by either eating a delicious homemade donut from your local bakery, or by making these simple Delightful Donut-Pancakes!  

Unfortunately I do not own a donut pan of any kind.  But, I didn't want that to stop me from having a delicious homemade donut or donut-like food to celebrate today!  This recipe is Simple & Clean (go figure- haha), and only takes about 10 minutes! It's a great way to get that donut taste you crave while treating your body kindly. Delicious and nutritious! But DONUT take my word for it, try this simple recipe today!  

Delightful Donut-Pancakes
makes about 10

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (or gluten-free flour)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder (This large amount helps them rise like donuts!)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil , melted ( I used coconut oil.)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons of milk (I used almond milk.)

​

1. Combine together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the melted butter/oil, egg, vanilla and milk. Slowly whisk well until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over low-medium heat and wipe over with a little butter or oil on a paper towel to lightly grease pan. Pour a ¼ cup of batter onto the pan and spread out gently (if needed) with the back of your spoon/ladle into a round shape. 
3. When the underside is golden, gently flip with a spatula and cook until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.
4. Place your donut-pancakes on a cooling rack to keep the outside crispy. 
5. Eat them with your favorite donut toppings, like peanut butter, jelly, Nutella, cinnamon and sugar, sprinkles, or even just honey and maple syrup.

  
No matter how you eat them, they will be delightfully delicious- Yum! 

                 Much love,
                              Jillian

Is your mouth watering yet?

This delicious taco bake will blow your taco taste buds out of the water! I plan on using the word "taco" a lot in this blog post, just a warning, haha. This taco-extravaganza is a flavor combination of tacos, nachos, and heaven.  Not only is this taco bake simple to make, but it is also healthy! You don't have to feel guilty about eating this taco-deliciousness.  It's made with whole ingredients such as beans, lean ground chicken, kale, peppers, and fresh avocado.   You can add or substitute other veggies if you have others on hand, like corn or jalapenos. It's a very flexible recipe, which is even more of a reason why it's fun to make and eat.  Eat it in a bowl with a dollop of Greek yogurt, or with some crunchy tortilla chips.  

Enough talking, and more tacoing! 

CLEAN CHICKEN + KALE TACO BAKE

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground chicken
• 2 cans of drained beans (I used pinto + black beans)
• 1/2 cup of salsa
• 4 cups of kale, chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced
• 1/3 cup yellow pepper, diced
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack)
• 2 tbsp chile powder
• 1 tbsp chopped or minced garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 avocado (optional)
• 1 cup of cooked brown rice (optional)

1.  Heat a large skillet (big enough to ground the chicken and for the veggies added later) on medium heat.  Cook your ground chicken until just about done.  While your chicken is cooking preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

2.  Once your ground chicken is just about done, add your beans, red onion, kale, yellow pepper, garlic, salsa, and seasonings.  Mix altogether in the same skillet with your cooked chicken.  Turn the heat on low, and let sit for about 5 minutes.  

3.  In a deep pan or dish (I used a 10 x 10 ceramic baking dish), place and spread out your cooked brown rice on the bottom of the pan/dish. 

4.  Next, pour the chicken and veggies mixture on top of your rice.  Spread mixture out so it is evenly distributed.

5.  Then top your mixture with shredded cheese (I used Monterey jack, but any cheese would be delicious!).  Top it off with some sliced avocado too.  

6.  Place your dish in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.  

This dish is great to eat by itself or with some tortilla chips (That's how my husband eats it).  It's great leftover for lunch the next day too. Enjoy this fun twist on tacos, and let me know what your taste buds think!


                       Always craving good food,
                                      Jillian