gf Flamingo

Cut the brussel sprouts in half and toss them with a bit of olive oil, maple syrup, and bacon pieces. Then simply roast in the oven at about 245 - 325 until bacon is crispy. Rotate and check on the brussel sprouts periodically to prevent burning.

Seriously, this recipe turned even my mother into a brussel sprouts lover.

Thanksgiving is over and a number of people are asking, what did you make for Thanksgiving dinner?

This is a tough one because Thanksgiving is a time with my dad's large and 100% Italian Family. So I pack everything but there is not a whole lot of fridge space available for me to bring perishable items. So instead, I thought outside the box and packed items that would fair in the outside (unusually warm this year) air.


So this year I made a rather nontraditional, yet scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner. It's a portabella fajita salad. Basically, the recipe is as follows.... -Bed of lettuce  -Roasted garlic, onions, and peppers -Steamed and marinated (coconut aminos) portabella -Lemon Juice -Tomatoes -Raw zucchini sliced and marinated (coconut aminos and lime juice)  -A couple of peas -Cilantro -Chili Powder -Raw bar-b-q sauce (Sun-dried tomatoes, dates, tomatoes, garlic, onion, lime juice)  -And a side of avocado

While Mia and I were still enrolled in college, she attended Shippensburg and her boyfriend attended Gettysburg College. While the drive from one to another really is not that bad, it does begin to wear when you do it often - so splitting the drive in half was an appealing option for both parties.

With both families being Italian, they did a quick Google search to see if they couldn't find a decent Italian restaurant some where in the middle. Mia, having the driving sense that I do - just kind of stopped at the first Italian restaurant she saw and proceeded to call her boyfriend and inform him of where she was. Since then, La Mattina's has been a family favorite.    From the outside, you would never suspect the amazing cuisine this place has to offer, or that they offer a wide variety of gluten free options.  Funny enough, the little sister was a bit homesick and looking for some family company, so we decided to visit her for dinner. At no point in time, had we confirmed a rest…

After spending the day making an early Thanksgiving dinner for the family, I decided I wanted to make something for myself. After my visit to Banana Leaf, I have been craving some Pad Thai. 
Here is my version with a twist. Kelp NoodlesWegman's Curry StockGinger, minced Garlic, mincedOnion, choppedRed pepperMushroomsScallian, choppedSalt and PepperTumericRed PepperSunflower butterCilantroLime Juice This was so flavor and creamy! LOVE LOVE LOVE

This was also my first experience with kelp noodles and I have to say, WIN WIN WIN!

There are a number of reasons why I love my family


During the crazy work day, my sister and I take the time to exchange a number of e-mails to one another. These e-mails act as a great distraction to a stressful work-day. Not to mention, they usually involve us planning some crazy good time. :DMy twin, she lives in what I refer to as "lala-land". Actually, to be frank, I believe my mother has coined this phrase. It's not meant to be a bad thing, but rather, it means she overlooks some of societies harsh-realities and lives in her own world. If your having a crappy day, just pick up the phone and talk to Mia. She will tell you stories of how her little children (she's a teacher) have unicorns that fly and parent's that own entire countries. Cory, the youngest, she is at the age where she is investigating all that life has to offer. It's a great reminder for me, to take a moment and breathe. I am the creator of my future. If I am not satisfied with where life is…

It's a little late in the season to go seeking out ice cream, but let's be honest - I have wanted to tryLittle Baby's Ice Creamfor a very long time! So when the opportunity not only presented itself, but someone else was offering to pay – I jumped on board! Here we are the Saturday before Halloween, and before crazy SANDY and Fran and I are making a Baby Jesus costume for Josh to wear at the TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb Show – which by the way was an amazing time! Plenty of true fans enjoying great music!
By the time I reached Fran, she was just about in tears. Frustrated that Josh left his Halloween costume to the last-minute and yet trying so hard to make it look nice and as realistic as it possibly could. I swept in to save the day, or so I like to tell myself. I went the simple route. Take two banana boxes and stack them on top of one another for height. Yes, we have two readily available banana boxes lying around – courtesy of Dad. Then wrap those boxes in a natural col…