Colorful Inspiration
~ FIND YOUR MEAL INSPIRATION HERE- FEATURING GLUTEN FREE MEALS, SNACKS, ENTREES, DESSERTS, AND MORE ~
Ever since I can remember I have been obsessed with food, baking, and creating new, delicious recipes. I follow a gluten free lifestyle, so most of my photographs highlight gluten free goodies that I find, make, or recreate. When I am not in the kitchen, I am actively studying nutrition in hopes to become a Registered Dietitian.
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BERRY LAYER CAKE
GLUTEN FREE VANILLA LAYER CAKE + BUTTERCREAM FROSTING + FRESH BERRIES GIVE THIS CAKE A HEALTHY TWIST.
I found inspiration for this cake when my grandparents requested a cake loaded with fruit. I raced to the store, purchasing the most vivid, colorful berries I could find. I followed a standard gluten free vanilla cake recipe, which can be found here. I divided the batter into three layers to help showcase the fruit. Once the cakes were all cooled, I spread a generous amount of homemade buttercream frosting, which came from Betty Crocker. Lastly, I added all of the delicious berries on top to create a show stopping berry cake perfect for summertime.
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SMOOTHIE BOWLS
THE MOST EYE-CATCHING GLUTEN FREE BREAKFAST YOU'VE EVER SEEN
Smoothie bowls are becoming the newest health food trend on social media, and there's a reason why! These colorful bowls are extremely simple to make, starting with a fresh berry smoothie. Pour the smoothie into a large bowl and add whatever toppings you want! For these bowls, I chose to add Udis gluten free granola, fresh berries, sliced banana, shredded coconut flakes, and a sprinkle of chia seeds. To top it off, I swirled in some Greek yogurt to provide extra protein.
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MEXICAN-INSPIRED BOWL
THIS GLUTEN FREE SOUTHWESTERN BOWL IS FILLED WITH BENEFICIAL VITAMINS, MINERALS, AND ENERGY-FILLED MACROS
This meal was the greatest thing to ever happen to my non-cooking self (at the time). I researched some gluten free healthy bowls online, and combined every delicious ingredient to create this filling, vegan meal. I made gluten free wild rice and added 1 cup to the bowl. Next, I added chopped fresh tomatoes, corn, chopped radishes, sliced cucumbers, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, sliced avocado, and a sprig of fresh cilantro. Dig in!
Gluten Free Entrees
PACKED WITH FLAVOR AND TASTE
SHRIMP TACOS
PAIRED WITH MANGO SALSA AND CILANTRO LIME RICE
This recipe is filled with strong flavors, including lime juice, fresh mangos, blackened shrimp, and gooey cheese! Start by cutting up cilantro, mango, and avocado for the tacos. Next, season the shrimp with assorted spices. Blacken on both sides and assemble tacos! My full recipe can be found here.
CHOCOLATE CHIP YOGURT BREAD
THIS MOIST, FLUFFY BREAD IS SURE TO BE A HIT
This recipe is one of the greatest quick breads I have ever had! Plus, it is entirely gluten free. Using this amazing recipe from Gluten Free on a Shoestring, I added all dry ingredients together and whisked until thoroughly mixed. I then added the eggs, butter, and yogurt and stirred until smooth. Lastly, I folded in the chocolate chips and baked the bread until golden brown and a toothpick came out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and dig in!
TUNA STUFFED AVOCADOS
THIS MEAL IS FULL OF HEALTHY FAT ANDÂ PROTEIN
This recipe is perfect for a lazy day in and a pantry full of tuna. Plus, it takes less than 10 minutes! Slice one avocado in half, and set aside. Taking a bowl, add tuna, chopped peppers, lime juice, cilantro, salt & pepper, and mix well. Spoon into each avocado half and enjoy! The full recipe can be found here.
Beautiful Desserts
THESEÂ DON'T LAST LONG IN MY KITCHEN
RAINBOW CAKE POPS
TASTE THE RAINBOW
No matter the occasion, cake pops always seem to be a huge crowd pleaser. I modified a standard cake pop recipe to add a rainbow of colors! Find my recipe here.
FRENCH MACARONS
ELEGANT ALMOND PASTRIES
A French macaron (not to be confused with a macaroon!) is a meringue based almond pastry made with egg whites, granulated sugar, almond flour, confectioner's sugar, and a few drops of gel food dye. The result is an eye-catching pastry meant for a queen! I used this recipe to help me create this sweet confection.
RUSTIC NAKED CAKE
FILLED WITH FLORAL EMBELLISHMENT
Naked cakes are simple, elegant cakes with very small amounts of icing. After researching how to execute a naked cake, I took a more rustic approach. I stopped by the local florist and picked up fresh roses and Baby's breath to add to the top. The result? A stunning, rustic cake that looks too pretty to eat.
Chocolate Bites
GLUTEN FREE FUDGE BROWNIES
MOIST, FUDGY, AND ADDICTIVE
These easy, quick brownies are sure to wow anyone- and they are 100% gluten free! I am a sucker for fudgy brownies, and these have topped the cake for my favorite batch so far. Find the recipe I used here.
PEPPERMINT BARK
THIS HOLIDAY DESSERT IS UNFORGETTABLE
Curious on how to make this guilty pleasure that can be found in grocery stores around Christmas? Melt 1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips on a cookie sheet and refrigerate. Once hard, melt one bag of white chocolate chips and pour on top of the chocolate layer. Finally, sprinkle crushed candy canes on top and refrigerate. Once the bark has solidified, break into irregular bark pieces and serve!
CHOCOLATE MACARONS
ELEGANT AND FILLED WITH COCOA
These chocolate macarons are very similar to the French macaron recipe under "Beautiful Desserts", but the only difference is the addition of cocoa powder! Add the cocoa powder with the confectioners sugar/almond flour mixture and sift twice to ensure adequate blending. No gel dye is needed because of the rich chocolate color provided by the cocoa!
Sweet and Southern
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COCONUT MACAROONS
SWEET, LIGHT, AND FULL OF FLAVOR
These meringue-style coconut macaroons are simple, fast, and naturally gluten free! They make a perfect snack (or dessert) when drizzled in melted milk chocolate. I chose to use a meringue-style technique, where the egg whites were whipped first, rather than added in the mixture itself. This caused the macaroons to be much lighter and fluffier! For the recipe, click here.
BLOOD ORANGE BROWN BUTTER CAKE
100% SOUTH, 100% GLUTEN FREE
This cake was not only extremely beautiful, but oh so tasty too. I took this recipe from Taste of the South magazine and substituted gluten free flour for regular flour, and blood oranges for regular oranges. The glaze was a simple confectioner's sugar/almond milk mixture with a drop or two of blood orange juice.
GLUTEN FREE HONEY CORNBREAD
REMINDS YOU OF GRANDMA'S
Sometimes, life gets really busy and making a from-scratch bread, pastry, or entree is difficult. This gluten free honey cornbread was made using very few ingredients- thanks to Krusteaz! Their gluten free cornbread mix was so outstanding, I went back and made another batch (after I ate this batch). Tip: Try making cornbread in a cast iron skillet for true authenticity.
Did Someone Say Cake?
EASTER EGG CAKE
MOIST, GLUTEN FREE VANILLA CAKE WITH TEAL BUTTERCREAM
I got the idea for this beautiful specked egg cake from this blog. I used a simple gluten free vanilla cake recipe, Betty Crocker vanilla buttercream, cocoa powder mixed with vanilla to speckle the icing, toasted coconut for the nest, and robin egg candy for the bird eggs.
GALAXY MIRROR CAKE
IT'S OUT OF THIS WORLD!
This was my first attempt at a mirror cake, and since my little brother LOVES space, I figured why not combine the two? I will admit, this took some planning and I had to watch a YouTube tutorial and read blogs about how to successfully execute the cake, but it turned out great and he loved it.
COFFEE INFUSED CHOCOLATE BERRY CAKE
CHOCOLATE AND BERRIES? THE PERFECT COMBINATION.
This cake was made with this chocolate cake recipe (tip: boiling water makes it moist and rich!) and the frosting was a chocolate buttercream frosting. Lastly, I piped on a border and added beautiful, fresh berries to top it off!
Add Some Edible Flowers
EDIBLE FLOWER WHITE CHOCOLATE BARK
WHITE CHOCOLATE MEETS FLOWERY, COLORFUL PETALS
I love to make chocolate bark for the holidays, and figured a springtime modification of adding edible flowers was perfect for early April! Simply melt chocolate chips and pour onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle with edible flower petals. Refrigerate to set, about 10 minutes.
COLORFUL SMOOTHIE BOWL
STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE + FUN TOPPINGS = A BOWL THAT IS TOO PRETTY TO EAT!~
Ever wondered how to make a smoothie bowl? I highly recommend surfing Pinterest for about 5 minutes, and then you will have a pretty good idea. Make your smoothie base (I used a simple strawberry banana smoothie recipe) and add chia seeds, cioconut flakes, sliced strawberries, and sliced bananas. Toppwith edible flower petals to finish your dish.
COFFEE INFUSED CHOCOLATE BERRY CAKE
CHOCOLATE AND BERRIES? THE PERFECT COMBINATION.
This cake was made with this chocolate cake recipe (tip: boiling water makes it moist and rich!) and the frosting was a chocolate buttercream frosting. Lastly, I piped on a border and added beautiful, fresh berries to top it off!