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Strawberries - in season for spring - are the perfect partner for my Dairy Free Lemon Ice Cream!
 
Even though there's still a chill in the air, the sunny skies and warmer temps of spring can't help but bring chilled bowls filled with frozen treats to mind! 

Of course, I want a recipe that comes together in a snap with a few simple, affordable ingredients. I know you do, too! 

My dairy-free ice cream fits the bill, but that's not all...
 
This recipe is versatile enough to become our warm weather "go to" dessert - no oven required!

So, this week, I'm sharing with you my recipe for Dairy Free Lemon Ice Cream along with several variations I've made!
 
And I have so many more in mind... The possibilities for this simple ice cream seem nearly endless, and that's precisely the idea!
 
I'm excited for you to take this recipe, check out my variations, try one (or more!) of them, then make your own custom flavors of rich, creamy dairy-free ice cream to keep you cool all spring and summer long!
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Few things capture the taste of spring like a crisp, light salad that's simple to prepare and bursting with flavor! 
 
And this Spring week is a perfect one for my Naturally Gluten Free Apple Fennel Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette... Sweet apple and mild, anise-flavored fennel tossed in a light herb vinaigrette make a tantalizing combination! 

This dish is also a super-flexible time saver... You can make it a day in advance, so it's a perfect "take-along" dish! I even put it to the test for this year's Easter brunch. Saturday evening, I took about 15 minutes to put together this salad and then stored it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, off to Easter brunch I went with no worries of last-minute prep or cleanup! 

My salad was SUCH a big hit with everyone I had to write the recipe down for four people and left with an empty serving bowl! 

Everyone was so busy raving about the salad's flavor, I hardly had a chance to explain the OTHER great thing about my salad... By using fennel, I've made sure it also packs a powerful nutrition punch! 
 
If you haven’t used fennel before in your cooking, this salad is the ideal introduction to this healthy veggie!

Fennel is a relative of carrots and dill. It is brimming with vitamin C, it's full of fiber, and it contains plant nutrients with anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.  

Of course, it's understandable if fennel hasn't made its way into your kitchen. That big veggie looks a little intimidating and the bulb is a bit tough. And, truth be told, unless someone shows you, those feathery fronds, long stalks, and that big bulb can be tricky to prepare. That's why I made this short video showing you exactly how to prep fennel and use it! 

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How about a 2-ingredient gluten free recipe so scrumptious you won't be able to resist?! 

What if I told you it's super-simple to make and GOOD FOR YOU, too?

Sounds too good to be true, but I assure you, it's not. 

My Gluten Free Avocado Fries have all this and more!

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gluten free bread, gluten free biscuits, vegan bread recipes, vegan biscuit recipes
Add these chive biscuits to your gluten free brunch table!
Chives are one of my favorite spring herbs. This subdued member of the onion family, with its mild flavor and fresh green color, is a popular accent in dishes like scrambled eggs and baked potatoes.

Chives also make a flavorful addition to breads, like my Gluten Free Chive Biscuits.

Serve these at breakfast with eggs, at brunch filled with thin slices of ham, or at dinnertime to accompany your favorite spring vegetable soup. You won’t be disappointed!  

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Beet patties were the star of our Norwegian dinner!
If you've been following along, you know that beets rank at the top of my favorites list when it comes to veggies. I don't think I could live without them (really)!

Don't believe me? Check out my favorite cupcake recipe (they're beet-iful!).

Discovering a recipe for Beet Patties in Cooking the Norwegian Way (Munsen, 2002), I knew they would make their way into our Norwegian meal!
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You can still find organic kale in markets & these chips will make you wonder why you didn't make them sooner!
With spring in full swing, organic kale from my garden will be a thing of the past for months. An early blast of heat from the South's furnace sealed the deal - all remaining plants will be bitter and once again, appreciated only for their aesthetic contribution to the garden.

Lucky for me, I harvested just before the heat stole my fortune! That final batch is always the best thanks to the sweetening effects of the final frost of the season. Fitting, isn't it? Nature presents you with her best and sweetest, leaving you with an it's worth the wait feeling to get you through until next winter's first harvest.

So, what did I do with that precious bundle of curly emerald greens? I did what any gal would do...I got right in the chips!
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Take your pick ~ are you a mild child or do like a little fire & ice?
Maybe it's that feel-good South American vibe I've got going on since that stellar dining experience at Fuego Mundo earlier this week.

[You did read the review, didn't you? Well, if you haven't gotten around to it yet (or if you loved it so much you'd like to read it again), click HERE.]

Or perhaps it's that mangoes, at least from Florida and Mexico, are in season.

Could it be that those sexy ripe mangoes in the fruit bowl were calling out my name, practically begging me to incorporate them into a dish?

Very likely all of the above. I find a ripe mango irresistable and have been caught standing over the kitchen sink with mango in one hand, paring knife in the other, syrupy nectar dripping off my chin and fingertips, without a care in the world. I make no apologies.
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Store bought jam is highly overrated. It's high on sugar, low on real fruit, and never really makes the mark in regard to taste. I like my fruit spread to taste like...fruit.

And there's something rather indecent about adding as many cups of sugar as fruit when making homemade confiture. Of course, in jams and jellies, sugar acts as a preservative, so is necessary when concocting large batches of your favorite bread spread for long-term keeping.

In my case, I can't promise that I'll want a particular flavor of jam next week, much less next year, so the preservative action of sugar isn't winning me over.
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I love avocadoes. I know many of you do, too. What's not to love? This tropical fruit is chock full of fiber, is rich in potassium, and is packed with vitamins like B, E, and K.
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Even if you cast aside the fact that this green delight contain loads of heart healthy oleic acid, it still receives high marks for other attributes, like the silky texture, rich buttery flavor, and versatility. Versatility? Why, yes. Don't tell me all you're doing with these verdant beauties is making smoothies and guacamole!

Take a look at just how versatile this fab fruit can be, and discover that all avocados are not created equal!
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Serve up a healthy brunch for mom to show her how much you cherish her health!
I was going to post a few clever quotes for you for Mother's Day. Didn't really find any I like that much. Some were much too sappy (I don't find anything about being a mother sappy). Some were downright pathetic (I'm no martyr!). And some elevated us, as mothers, to near godliness (really? I'm just doing what needs to be done here).

The truth is, I had four mothers. Not one of them was sappy, a martyr, nor would any of them stand on a pedestal seeking praise. Instead of quotes for inspiration, I'll tell you about my four mothers. Oh, and there's a menu with recipes, too!
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