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Erica Smith Pulley
- Mar 22, 2016
- 2 min
Quinoa, Lentil, Spinach, and Sweet Potato Bugers
I used to eat a wide variety of vegetarian meals, then I worked in a place where meat was frowned upon and suddenly I wanted to eat more meat. It is like the kid who is told they can’t have candy from the candy jar, so what does he want? ALL the candy in the candy jaw. Recently I’ve been trying to eat less meat and more vegetable filled meals. I’m a big fan of meat, but I’m also a big fan of vegetables and vegetable proteins. These patties were delicious, nutrient packed, and
Erica Smith Pulley
- Oct 7, 2015
- 3 min
#Chase2015: A Season of Change
Over the past few weeks, I’ve made many decisions to change the way I live, or had been living. It’s not that I was extremely unhealthy, but I was making unhealthy decisions that were wreaking havoc on the state of my brain, body, and heart. I have a stressful career (as many careers are), but in many fields of nursing, from the time you walk in to the time you leave you are moving. You’re moving both body and mind and have to be on your A-game at all times. Human lives aren
Guest Writer
- Jul 21, 2015
- 5 min
Confessions of a Former Carbaholic: A Kitchen Transformation
If you had met me a year ago, you would have been greeted with a loaf of freshly baked bread drenched in butter, some homemade jelly and a smile. I loved to bake, and whatever I baked, I most definitely ate. Not only was I addicted to anything filled with carbs, I had an obsession with cheese and a love affair with sugar. Sure, I ate “healthy” but you better believe that I indulged in baking up any decadent recipes that crossed my path. But all that changed when we participat
Erica Smith Pulley
- Jun 28, 2015
- 2 min
Sweet and Spicy Arugula Rice Noodles
Last week I spent a ton of money at the farmer’s market with no real plan. So then I had to come home and find recipes to go with all of the random ingredients I purchased. So now this week, I stuck with the left over random ingredients that need used up before they go bad and before I leave to go to my parents’ for my little brother’s wedding this weekend. It is times like these that I come up with some of my absolute favorite recipes. Armed with arugula, green onions and a
Erica Smith Pulley
- May 4, 2015
- 2 min
Mock P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps
I don’t know about you, but when I got introduced to P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps for the first time, I fell head over heels in love. I loved the crisp lettuce on the outside, with this unique flavored meat on the inside. However, since those days I’ve developed more than one food intolerance and allergies to boot. As a result I am no longer able me to enjoy lettuce wraps at P.F. Chang’s. So, I had to create them in my own kitchen. The result was delicious and healthy! They wer
Erica Smith Pulley
- Feb 15, 2015
- 1 min
Lime Chicken Avocado Soup
I wanted to change-up flavors a bit, so I tried out this soup. If you are like me, anything that has avocado sounds delicious. To start off, the night before, dice up the veggies and put them in a container with the two limes cut into quarters with the juice squeezed out. Combine the spices with this mix to marinate overnight in the fridge. Using a slow cooker, take out the limes and place the chicken in the slow cooker first. Then layer in the veggies and black beans. Lastly
Erica Smith Pulley
- Feb 1, 2015
- 1 min
Taco Soup
I mean who doesn’t want an easy and warm meal in this cold weather? This was one of those recipes where I was using up what I had because going to the grocery store was just not going to happen. I was clicking around the internet for inspiration and taco soup is what came to mind. Ingredients: 1 pound of ground turkey 2 celery stalks diced 1 can of black beans 1/2 sweet onion diced 1 cup frozen spinach Salt to taste 1 jar of vodka sauce (hey you gotta use what you have!) 2 ts
Erica Smith Pulley
- Jan 25, 2015
- 2 min
Garlic Lime Stir Fry with a Kick
A few nights before Adel’s wedding, I was tasked with coming up with a recipe that everyone in her house could eat. That may not sound difficult, but with food allergies, you’d be surprised. Her now hubbie is gluten-free and I’m corn-free, so I had my work cut out for me (corn is a common substitute in gluten-free foods). Thankfully, it turned out to be delicious , healthy, and easy. Garlic Lime Stir Fry with a Kick 1 package of rice noodles 3-4 limes 1.5 tbsps minced garlic
Erica Smith Pulley
- Jan 18, 2015
- 1 min
Crock-Pot Red Thai Curry Chicken with Spaghetti Squash
Oh my goodness – this was delicious! I had chicken and a spaghetti squash for a recipe I use often, but wasn’t quite in the mood for that recipe. It is no secret that I love my Crock-Pot(s). So in researching I combined a couple of recipes and tried this awesome recipe. I highly recommend it if you want to put a healthy spin on red Thai curry. Crock-Pot Red Thai Curry Chicken with Spaghetti Squash 1 can low-fat coconut milk, at room temperature 1 regular spaghetti squash 1 tb
Erica Smith Pulley
- Jan 4, 2015
- 2 min
Crock Pot Minestrone Stew and Garlic Bread Recipe
I love minestrone soup. There is just something about it, especially with the freezing temperatures that Chicagoland has been having lately that just warms me up. And garlic bread… delicious for dipping! This garlic bread recipes is one of the my most requested dishes (and it is SO easy!). I set out to make a crock pot minestrone soup, that ended up being a stew, but a seriously fabulous and healthy one at that! Minestrone Stew Ingredients: 3 stocks of celery diced 3/4 cup di
Erica Smith Pulley
- Jan 2, 2015
- 4 min
The Gluten-free Diet: Myth or a Real Concern?
The gluten-free diet has taken hold of our nation at an alarming rate in recent years. For conventional physicians, if you do not have Celiac disease, you can eat gluten and stop listening to your friends. Recent media news and late night show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel have even bantered people for following a gluten-free diet by associating it with another fad diet. But are their symptoms really a placebo effect? Source First, what is gluten? Sorry the Jimmy Kimmel clip above
Erica Smith Pulley
- Dec 28, 2014
- 1 min
Healthy New Year’s Breakfast – Overnight Oatmeal
Who doesn’t love overnight oatmeal (or oatmeal in general) this time of year? With cold, rain-turns-to-snow mornings, few things are more satisfying and comforting as a warm, gooey bowl of oatmeal. Except maybe delicious oatmeal you don’t have to worry about in the morning! I love this easy, endlessly customizable recipe. Not only is it healthy and delicious, it’s perfect for a grab-‘n’-go breakfast. It’s especially great if you work out before work and need a high protein be
Erica Smith Pulley
- Nov 30, 2014
- 2 min
Grown-up Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup (Corn-free and Gluten-free)
Grown-up Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup (Corn-free and Gluten-free)I was an incredibly picky eater as a child. My mom couldn’t get me to eat healthy (which is ironic since I now have a degree in nutrition and love eating healthy). As a child, one of my favorite things to eat was grilled cheese and tomato soup. As an adult I still love it, but I like to make it a bit healthier. Recently one of my best friends and I sat down for an evening of grown up grilled cheese and tomato
Erica Smith Pulley
- Nov 23, 2014
- 2 min
Taco Salad – Quick and Easy (Corn and Gluten Free)
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE Mexican food. This is a problem when you have a corn allergy like I do. So creating fun Mexican dishes is one of my favorite things. Most taco salads are served in corn shells with corn on top. I got the idea to change up the veggies a bit when I went to an Authentic Mexican restaurant and in their veggie burrito they had things like zucchini and squash. Why not mix up the veggies a bit? It is also easy to pack for lunch! Just leave the sals
Erica Smith Pulley
- Nov 9, 2014
- 2 min
Crock-Pot Chili
I love my crock pot. To be honest, I love all THREE of my crock pots. I used to think that was too many, but there have been multiple occasions that I have used all three at once. I have a mini, medium, and large. My large one is the one I use most often due to the size of many of my recipes. One of my favorite recipes is chili; especially this time of year. Ingredients: Ground turkey or whole chicken breasts (if using chicken, use one regular sized package of boneless, sk
Guest Writer
- Nov 3, 2014
- 2 min
Being You
Friday was the day of great revelries with costumes, candies, and corpses. The one day of the year when you are allowed to be what you are not. Or is it? Husband eating #baconcorndog #glutenfree #cheater #ilovefood #irony In today’s society of electronic media and online social networking, we can be whomever we want to be at any time. Everyone has the tools to be a celebrity – perfect selfies, enlightening foodie shots, posting statuses perfectly crafted to make every moment
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