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Holiday List: Movies

December 10, 2016 by positivelygilly Leave a Comment

I love the holiday season because everyone is happy, the weather cools down, and every store is decorated. The only downside of December is that I have finals. BUT I only have a few more days until I get to go home to chilly Philadelphia.

I wanted to make a list of my all-time favorite christmas movies to countdown till Christmas.

Elf- I know a lot of people watch this movie year round but it’s even more special during December.

Home Alone- a.k.a THE classic Christmas movie. Home Alone gets better and better each year, especially as you get older.

Grinch- I used to be genuinely afraid of this movie but I have always loved it.

It’s a Wonderful Life- my family watches this every year on Christmas Eve before bed. I have it memorized but it’s such a meaningful movie.

Hallmark Channel movies- My mom and I watch as many Hallmark movies as we can every year leading up to Christmas. It’s become one of my favorite tradition.

How do you celebrate the holidays?

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

December 5, 2016 by positivelygilly Leave a Comment

With finals fast approaching, I needed a pick-me-up. There’s nothing better than these Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I love the simplicity of flourless cookies made from peanut butter, particularly in the middle of studying.

It’s crazy to think my fall semester is nearly over. I just finished registering for the spring semester. As of now, I will have four day weekends .

Still, Christmas break can’t come soon enough. I’m excited to have extra time to work on my blog and relax from the busy semester. I may have ‘bit off more than I can chew’ taking more than the maximum permitted courses and working two jobs. Despite the stress, I’ve had numerous opportunities come my way just in the past two months.

I made a batch of these over Thanksgiving as part of our seemingly endless dessert spread and everyone loved them. I also made these Flourless Smores cookies.

Pro Tip: make these into an ice cream sandwich with peppermint ice cream in the middle.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

Serves: 25 cookies

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups of peanut butter
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1.5 cups of chocolate chips*

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar and baking soda together. Be sure there aren't clumps of brown sugar in the mixture.
Stir in the peanut butter and mix until well combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop onto the baking sheet. Flatten the cookies slightly.**
Bake for 8-10 minutes until puffed. The edges will start to turn golden and they will still be soft. They will firm when they cool.
Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

*I used Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips
**The cookies don't really spread

Skinny Chicken Tacos

November 19, 2016 by positivelygilly

I love tacos. I love burrito bowls. SO I’m excited to share this Skinny Chicken Taco recipe. Forget Chipotle (gasp) and become your own taco pro while avoiding some extra calories.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner which means lots of mashed potatoes, turkey, leftovers, and memories. For me, Thanksgiving also means it’s time for my half marathon!

I’ve been attempting to carb-o-load as much as possible despite my grain free restrictions. However, I wanted something different other than my new favorite grain free pasta, Cappello’s Gnocchi, so I made these Skinny Chicken Tacos.

If you’ve never had butter lettuce, I would highly recommend filling a leaf with this chicken and cabbage. Then top with guacamole or beans and enjoy….

Greek Yogurt Strawberry Popsicles

November 13, 2016 by positivelygilly Leave a Comment

While rummaging through my fridge, I realized my Fage greek yogurt was nearing expiration and I still had a good amount left. In order to prevent wasting food, I tried making Greek Yogurt Strawberry Popsicles.

PLUS I am devastated because it’s 90 degrees in November (I know, I know, I live in California) but whaaaat. I am so ready for scarves and sweaters. Also, I am definitely missing the changing leaves and crisp air typically associated with November.

Quick side note: I am 1 week away from going home and I am SO excited. Thankful for Thanksgiving. I am only concerned because going home means running a half marathon and I can honestly admit I am not at all prepared. I’m trying to focus on the brunch I will be devouring post-run. My grain-free heart is breaking because I can’t eat nutella stuffed french toast but I will definitely munch on a good omelet and endless breakfast potatoes.

For those living on the East Coast I apologize for the lack of relevance in this recipe because obviously you don’t want a popsicle when it’s 30 degrees but they’re still delicious!…

Flourless Almond Butter Cookies

November 5, 2016 by positivelygilly Leave a Comment

I can’t control my sweet tooth when it comes to these Flourless Almond Butter Cookies. They’re extremely simple to make and only require a few ingredients.

For this recipe, I used Justin’s Almond Butter but have yet to try with any other almond butter. If I’m being honest, I prefer Justin’s Peanut Butter for eating on a PB&J or with celery as opposed to almond butter but I would not substitute anything else for these cookies.

The almond butter creates such a delicious yet subtle flavor that makes it taste nearly like a regular chocolate chip cookies.

Of course I’m a sucker for anything without grain that tastes ‘normal’ and this is my perfect chocolate chip cookie substitute….

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

October 30, 2016 by positivelygilly 1 Comment

Happy Halloweekend! I have yet to pick a costume but I guarantee I will be eating these incredible Grain Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins on Halloween night!

Seeing as Halloween is on a school night, I’ve decided to watch the classic ‘spooky’ movies the entire weekend leading up to Halloween night. The list includes: Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic, Casper, and Halloweentown I & II.

I hate scary movies so I am sticking with the horror-less movies. I will be cuddled up in my unrealistically soft blanket with a pumpkin muffin in one hand and Reese’s in the other.

Back to the wonderfully delicious pumpkin muffins: I’ve already made five batches of these within a week. As much as I hate this word, these muffins are so MOIST! *cringe* but they really are. It’s impossible to tell that they’re Grain Free. Plus, if you replace the regular sugar with coconut sugar they’re paleo!

I topped a few of these with nutella to make them more like a cupcake but they are just fine without. Bring this recipe over to Thanksgiving for extra fall festive treats….

Vacation Getaway: Florida + DISNEY WORLD

October 23, 2016 by positivelygilly Leave a Comment

With Thanksgiving approaching, my mindset is on vacation. Naturally I’m reflecting on my first trip to Florida. I visited Naples with a day trip to Orlando (to visit Disney World). My personal tour guide (/boyfriend), Alec, showed me so many wonderful places that I hope you will be able to visit as well.

Alec made several videos from our trip that I will link below because sometimes pictures aren’t enough.

Our first stop was Vanderbilt Beach, a popular public beach near the Naples Ritz Carlton and other beachfront hotels. The water was comfortably warm and very flat (perfect for floating around).

Because of the time of year, our days were cut short by consistent 3 o’clock rain/thunderstorms. Still, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Brio at the Waterside Shops. This Italian restaurant has amazing flatbread, caprese, and other Italian food.

I ordered the Steak Salad, one of my new favorite dishes. I have found that if you order something like a Steak Salad or a Salmon Salad, they give you a very generous amount of salmon/steak (typically) along with a salad so you are able to get both protein and greens.

Another yummy Italian restaurant is Bravo, located in the Mercato. In that same shopping area is Yogurbella, which has super delicious frozen yogurt and endless toppings.

Pick a clear night and visit the Turtle Club Restaurant on Vanderbilt Beach for a wonderful sunset dinner. I enjoyed the salmon while Alec had the grouper. Both were phenomenal and the view was beautiful. We walked along the beach after to watch the remainder of the sunset.

Next up: DISNEY! I have been to Disneyland several times but never Disney World. We purchased the park hopper ticket and visited the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. It was a very long day (I got 27,000 steps according to my Fitbit) but definitely worth the 3 hour drive from Naples.

I previously wrote a piece on Travel Snacks and I must say these came in handy at the parks. Alec and I both tend to get a little grumpy when we are hungry so we both snacked on Kind Bars and Larabars while waiting in line for the rides.

Where to Eat in Disney World:

I was very worried about finding places to eat that would not be fried, battered, or greasy but I was pleasantly surprised by all the options. Here are a few suggestions if you visit the parks:…

Grain Free Baked Donut

October 14, 2016 by positivelygilly 1 Comment

The hardest part about having a food allergy is finding substitutes that are actually good. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve tried that taste like cardboard in an effort to eat ‘normal’ food. With that being said, I am so excited to share this unbelievably delicious Grain Free Baked Donut recipe.

I recently purchased a donut pan (and a donut hole pan) from William Sonoma and immediately wanted to try making my own little treat. I was continuously joking with my family that I was running 26.2 miles for 26.2 donuts, so my donut craving was off the hook.

Side Note: I was training for my first full marathon but unfortunately decided to switch to the half marathon due to some health issues and my body’s lack of desire to train.

Anyway, I kept things simple and made cinnamon sugar donuts. They were so delicious and airy. This recipe has the stamp of approval from all of my trusty taste testers.

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Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

October 7, 2016 by positivelygilly 2 Comments

I love potatoes. Anytime I’m out at a restaurant, my eyes are always drawn to the various potato side dishes: mashed potatoes, home fries, hash browns, sweet potatoes, truffle fries… the list continues. My favorite, hands down, are Rosemary Roasted Potatoes. Now those are the real deal.

I made a batch and enjoyed the leftovers with both dinner and breakfast. I’m nearly rationing the remaining potatoes because I don’t want to finish them.

It’s easy to forget to make side dishes when you’re spending so much time cooking the entree, but these potatoes are very simple and worth the extra few minutes. Plus, you can make them ahead of time and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy. Just heat them in the microwave for a few seconds and you’re ready to go.

This recipe will add an extra ‘umph’ to whatever entree you are preparing, and I promise you won’t be disappointed….

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (No Churn)

September 28, 2016 by positivelygilly 6 Comments

It’s nearly October and it’s still 100 degrees out. What? This is what happens when you live on the West Coast. As a result of this oppressive heat, I’ve been on a vanilla ice cream kick (topped with my Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies) and decided to try my own No-Churn Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

I seriously could eat vanilla ice cream every day. Am I the only one who feels this? I obviously try not to but sometimes you just need a scoop of delicious vanilla bean while watching your favorite movie on a Tuesday night.

What am I talking about, I literally don’t have time to watch movies. Instead of enjoying a heaping scoop of ice cream while relaxing on the couch, I am hunched over my seemingly endless homework, gorging myself with vanilla ice cream (because stress eating is real) and pretending I’m not two seconds from a break down. #college am I right?

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