As I mentioned in my most recent post, I find that having the ability to be creative with food and recipes has been a large factor in how I view life in a positive way. To me, there are certainly a set of prescribed guidelines and we do good to adhere to them, in general, for the creation of food. But to stick to the norm is, at best, depressing to me.

This weekly roundup that I do is truly and selfishly for me. I love the inspiration and the creativity each of you ‘bring to the table’. It’s especially on weeks where I haven’t had time in the kitchen like I wanted or just had to rush through everything. Thanks for bringing me culinary joy each week!

Read to the end for a random announcement!

My Fav (Top 10) Recipes from

Last Week (8-31 to 9-06)

Baked Blueberry Breakfast Oatmeal Pudding
(Ricki of Diet, Desserts, and Dogs via Amy from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free)

Brown Rice Salad
(Linda from The Gluten Free Homemaker)

Tahini Un-Cream Cheese
(Sea from Book of Yum)

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Iris from The Daily Dietribe)

Green Chili Turkey Burgers
(Elana from Elana’s Pantry)

Chocolate Ganache
(from A Sweet and Salty Life)

Coconut Chicken
(the Intolerant Chef)

Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad
(from Gluten Free Kat)

Parsley Sauce
(from Gluten Free Food That Even My Husband Likes)

Big Boy Spaghetti Sauce
(Me from Living Free)

p.s. My first giveaway is now live! And it’s an item that’s never before been offered as a giveaway on any blog anywhere! Never to be offered again… Duh dah duh

The weather man says this week will be our last heat wave. I’m doubtful, but also extremely hopeful! Delaware has been much too humid for my liking and I’m ready for autumn!

This week the author of Top Ten Tuesday, Oh Amanda, has a list of Healthy Whole Food Steps. Be sure to stop by and check it out. Her blog is a fun one to follow anyway, I love her writing style!

My Fav (Top 10) Recipes from

Last Week (8-24 to 8-30)

Garlic and Herb Pizza Crust
(Alea from Gluten Free Flavorful)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
(from A Sweet and Salty Life)

Powerpacked Bran Muffins
(from Cook It Allergy Free)

Italian Torta
(Diane from The W.H.O.L.E. Gang)

Cookies and Cream Cake
(Maggie from She Let Them Eat Cake)

Banana Fruit Bread
(Kelly from the Spunky Coconut)

Amaranth Scones
(Sea from The Book of Yum)

Spicy Pear Chutney
(Carol from Simply… Gluten Free)

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats with Chocolate Topping
(Aubree Cherie @ Living Free)

Green Apple Chicken Soup
(Aubree Cherie @ Living Free)

We interrupt this weekly Top Ten series (only briefly) to present a fantastic video! It’s all about taking your health into your own hands. A while back Lillian, from Lillian’s Test Kitchen, and I were talking about asking the ‘why’ question.

What ‘why’ question you ask? It’s the question that many ‘normal’ eating people ask us… Why do you eat the way you do? It can be more specific, like… Why don’t you eat wheat? What’s so bad about a little sugar? Why can’t you eat dairy? The list goes on and on! For many of you, the answer is already clear; because when you’re careful about what you put in your body, you feel better!

Lillian recently as posted a video in which she talks about why she cooks for herself and why she chooses to do so without dairy, grains, soy, or cane sugar. I can relate. I can relate A LOT. Can you relate?

Conversations: Making My Own Food from lillian mara medville on Vimeo.

Whats your favorite part of the video? Mine is when she shares her passion for wanting everyone to be able to eat a cookie! It’s definitely crucial to MY happiness.. I’m with you Lillian ;)

Now… on to the food!

My Fav (Top 10) Recipes from

Last Week (8-10 to 8-16)

Green Tea and Honey Ginger Tofu
(Averie from Love Veggies and Yoga)

Breakfast Crunch Biscuits
(from In the Cocina… Gluten Free)

Raspberry Crisp
(Elizabeth from My Allergy Free Life)

Chocolate Mint Thins
(Jas from Gluten Free Scallywag)

Indian Quinoa Masala
(Sea from Book of Yum)

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
(Maggie from She Let Them Eat Cake)

Maple Oat Nut Cookies
(Deanna from The Mommy Bowl)

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Bread
(from The Comfy Tummy)

Vegan Bacon
(from No Meat Athlete)

No Bake Sweet Potato Pie
(Me from Living Free)

Please be sure to stop by Lillian’s Test Kitchen, she’s absolutely fabulous and I know you’ll enjoy her video recipes as much as I do!

Helloooo! Welcome to another week of fabulous recipes. I feel that I owe this week’s selections a bit of an apology though. I typically will spend a long time reading over the recipes and then leave a comment (I try to do that with every post I read actually), but lately the ‘requirements’ of life have taken priority over my blogging opportunities. *what?* I know, its a sad realization. So, I apologize for not being too interactive with you all lately. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t drool over your fabulous photos and wish I was in your kitchen!

My Fav (Top 10) Recipes from

Last Week (8-02 to 8-09)

Red Grapefruit, Chicken and Quinoa Tabouli Salad
(Michelle from Health Food Lover)

Dill Pickles
(Sara from The Messy Chef)

Gluten Free Waffle Fries
(Iris from The Daily Dietribe)

Morning Glory Muffins
(Maggie from She Let Them Eat Cake)

Chocolate Beet Cake
(Beth from Delectably Free)

Raw Cashew Cream
(Amy from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free)

Chai Granola
(Kelly from the Spunky Coconut)

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
(Ari from The Frugally Rich Life)

Mint Chip Ice Cream
(Ricki from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs)

Maple Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies
(by Me at Living Free)

Please make sure to stop by any of the these recipes that you may have missed. They’re all wonderful!

Is it seriously Tuesday again? I really refuse to believe it’s Tuesday again (although, as evident by this post, I’ve already admitted the arrival of said day. *sigh*) And, to top things off.. it’s already AUGUST?!?! What the heck… who sped up the clock? My mind is telling me its still June, but my body is definitely responding to the humidity as though it were August. Better go with the body on this one.

What have you all been doing to beat the heat? Has anyone else been in denial about how FAST the summer is going?!?

My Fav (Top 10) Recipes from

Last Week (7-27 to 8-02)

Double Almond Coconut Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies
(from Sweet and Salty Sea)

Meaty Veg-Based Ground “Meat”
(Ricki from Diet, Desserts, and Dogs)

Vegan ‘Tuna’ Salad
(Karina from Glutenfree Goddess)

Peach Cobbler
(Sara from The Messy Chef)

Rosemary Onion Crackers
(Maggie from She Let Them Eat Cake)

Mocha Coconut Rice Pudding
(Winnie from Healthy Green Kitchen)

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
(Ellen from I am Gluten Free)

Red Lentil Pate
(Ricki from Diet, Desserts, and Dogs)

Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
(Jas from The Gluten Free Scallywag)

Sugar Free Mulberry Jam (and Strawberry too!)
(Me from Living Free)

Lots of good ones this week. On a side note, I made Banana Quinoa muffins that I listed by Iris from last week. From this week I’ve already tried Maggie’s Rosemary Onion Crackers. I can’t recommend either of those recipes enough; I’m excited to have really tasty muffins and crackers in my lunch bag all of this week! :)